Sorry it’s November and only just started to put into the blog all the travels since middle August but we've been busy travelling and we have been trying to collect a large enough number of descriptive words to adequately convey what we have seen and felt over the last few months.
16 August, Woke to a fine morning and set sail for the famous Bonifacio straits via the Maddelena Islands . For the first time in ages (or so it felt) we had a sailing wind that wasn’t on the nose and a trip of not too many miles, so there was little in the way of pressure to keep speed up. So we allowed our speed to raise and fall as the wind backed, dropped, headed, increased and veered across the straits and as we closed the Corsican coast the scenery rose up to astound us. The magnificent mountainous backdrop to the rocky coast dappled with turquoise bays and coves.
We headed into Porto Santa Amanza-not a port but a deep bay surrounded by sandy beaches and slashed by an impressive Calanque,( pronounced like a bang on the head with a tin pan.) Deep in the bay the shelter was good and after poking around quite a lot we found good holding and swinging room for the forecast blow tomorrow. Leaping from one anchorage to another seems to be a popular pastime in this area. The Straits of Bonifacio funnel the wind and increase its strength by about 2 forces on average and this wind , east or west in direction travels up the coast for several miles and out into the Tyrrhenian sea to the east for 60 + miles. It does however make for some lively sailing close inshore along the Eastern coast of Corsica .
The morning sortie to the shore revealed an up-market beach bar with matching prices, a few holiday chalet developments and a handful of houses, but little else. No shops, no bread, no supplies or water. By the time we returned to the boat the wind was already rising and it was safer to stay aboard and be on watch for boats taking refuge from the windy exposed anchorages around the area. Many are charterers with little experience of anchoring safely. A source of occasional amusement unless they are too close or upwind of you. The concept of a swinging circle seems often too confusing to consider and as for the wind changing direction whilst at anchor??......
We met up with a New Zealand yacht in the anchorage and a good evening was had. They were able to offer lots of tips on future anchorages as they had been sailing for 10 years and were now on their way back to NZ. In return, we were able to advise them on up to date prices etc. for their trip along the south of Spain on their way out of the Med.
We sat out a gale but by the 19th we were starting to run out of fresh food and the wind was still blowing from the west so we decided to head north up the coast in the lee of the land. Our initial plan was to anchor in Rondinara. It was extremely full but a short stay was rewarded by a swim in some of the clearest waters seen yet. We decided to press on with the good wind and get into Porto Vechio with it’s good shelter and supermarkets.
Sat out another gale here. When it was possible to leave the boat we investigated the surrounding area finding a buzzing camp site in peak seasonal frenzy. On the 21st we moved across the bay to just under the town of Porto Vecchio and from there were able to do shopping, internet and get water, which, now we are in Corsica, is free for the taking and with no hassle. In all fairness they seem to have more water on this island but still the attitude is very different here. It’s not seen as an opportunity to fleece you. Porto Vecchio is a very pretty ancient hill top town but even in the peak of the holiday season, although heaving with tourists it doesn’t seem to have sold it’s soul. The reason for this would become clear in 8 days.
22nd Our friends on Marlin caught us up in the anchorage. Lots of adventures to swap tales of late into several evenings. What good company they are! Martin and Linda left the UK a month or so before us and we first met them in Gijon, Galicia. We bumped into them a couple of times along the way and when we arrived in Lagos for the winter, there they were again. They left Lagos about a month before us and we hadn’t seen them since then.
26th After a failed shopping expedition (everything closed) in 35 degrees, we set sail for San Ciprianu a few miles up the coast. Described as “a delightful bay with crystal clear water”. Well it is! Unfortunately most of France and Italy seem to have heard of it as well and they come here en masse with their speedboats and jetskis . It seems it has been given over to small high speed craft and they buzzed us all day and well into and after sunset, water skiers in tow. At sunrise they started again, and so by about 8am we were all agreed on moving.
Back to P. Vecchio and off for a massive shopping trip involving an extremely long wait for a return taxi , the only one the very kind bar manager could locate . After the restock was safely loaded from the very full dingy, Steph set about stowing and I got the boat underway back south for a fresh attempt on Rondinara. This time the bay was only half-full and fantastic swimming was had by all. More socialising and relaxation. Dinner aboard is a ritual exchange process. Tonight Steph is doing Vietnamese Stew, a curry type dish of considerable taste, the recipe and introduction to which we have to thank Marlin for back in Lagos. The water here is so clear that whilst snorkelling on the surface, Steph was able to read the headlines on a newspaper dropped overboard by somebody, on the bottom in 20 feet of water.
We had all agreed that, although it meant back-tracking, we didn’t want to miss Bonifacio. The NZ couple had described it to us, and we were prepared to be amazed by it.
The next morning 29th headed off 9.00 am for Bonifacio. Sailed virtually all the way although the wind was light. What an entrance and what an enchanting city.
The harbour is a slit in the limestone cliffs turning in on itself, forming a natural harbour. It possibly sheltered Odysseus' fleet of ships. We anchored in a cala opposite the town quay, tied to the cliff stern-to about 6 feet away. You don’t see this kind of anchoring in the UK, but here with no tide to worry about it works well although it can get a little un-nerving on occasions and it’s always worth thinking through your exit plan in the event that things get nasty.
That evening we also were joined by an Australian boat called Mud Skipper. Really nice cruising guys and a boat stuffed full of invention and all home-made, from the gimbled galley- yes the whole galley, not just the stove! to the double bed which could be angled so that it is horizontal whatever the degree of heel on the boat – they quite literally tack the bed when they tack the boat. The boat was featured in one of the yachtie magazines a while ago.
That evening we had a wander round the old town, dinner ashore and a drink in one of the harbour-side bars where the rich and sometimes famous hang out looking up at their towering luxury yachts. They can’t get lost here because they just follow the red carpet back to their boats and are of course helped on board by their crew. We rowed our dinghies back across to the anchorage comforted by the knowledge that our stay is at least free, despite what it says in the pilot book.
The next morning it started the Bonifacio blow. We were not expecting to be affected tucked into this little hole but how you can be drawn to false conclusions! Whilst the quay opposite was enjoying a quiet summer day and the top of our mast recorded 5 to 8 mph winds the water whipped us in the face, the wind drove onto the side of the hull and the anchors started to drag. By the end of the day Mudskipper and ourselves had laid a total of 5 anchors and about 300m of chain and rope extending nearly to the other side of the cala. It eventually worked and our comfortable 6 foot stern clearance from the rocks was restored. It was too windy to leave the boats that day. There was plenty to keep us busy, Marlin’s dinghy flipped upside down, complete with engine and by the time we got it going again there wasn’t much of the day left.
The town is a real treat, an ancient citadel perched on the top of a chalk plateau, at some points overhanging the edge. Whilst at first you think that you wouldn’t feel comfortable living up there in case it crumbles away underneath you, once you see the view from up there, you become bewitched by it.
After a couple more days exploring the tightly packed streets of the citadel, and absorbing the views, we decided to move off north again . It took 2 hours to untangle and raise the anchors but no real problems. The ground was however pretty foul and it is advisable to attach tripping lines to your anchor /s here.
We motored and sailed the trip back up to Porto Vecchio and anchored back off the camp-site where we had been 2 weeks previous. We went ashore to the now deserted camp-site. Two weeks earlier we couldn’t get into their 40+ table pizza restaurant because it was so busy with queues of people waiting. Now, after the end of August we were one of 2 tables. We were told that the whole site facilities , bar shop and resturant complex would be closed by the 15th of September. The town was equally and pleasantly empty. The next morning we went ashore to clean the dingy and when finished had a beer at the deserted bar sitting in glorious sunshine. In the time it took to down two beers the wind came up so much that we struggled to row against it back to the boats. Marlin dragged anchor and was in danger of stranding on the beach. In the furious manoeuvring to get her off the mud they managed to capsize the dingy again, we were fortunately nearby to rescue floating shoes, oars, bags and the like and as the panic declined and they were safely in deeper water the dingy was restored to it’s more practical orientation. Several oil changes and tank cleanings later the engine once more fired into life and apart for a couple of trapped water bubbles in the fuel lines it lives on to see another day. We all returned to the old anchorage under the town where we all slept better although we weathered 2 more gales of 30 + knots. Some boats dragged at 3 am at 35 knots and there was a bit of shouting and hand waving as they snagged and bumped their way through others who had taken the time to anchor properly. We stayed on board for two days and one or two more dinner parties.
Over the next few days we searched for a car hire that would not mean selling time shares in the boats. What a shock from Portugal where in the winter we paid €75 for 7 days hire. Our searching paid off with a visit to a small doorway of a house in the town centre, over which hung a small car hire sign, we stood in the hallway whilst the woman haggled and translated our requirements on the phone. The car was the courtesy car for the local panel beater, probably a reclaimed write off but it had 4 gears, so we hired a it for €68 to explore the interior for the day. We were shown a suggested route by the Tourist info office, we thought we could see more than they suggested but it was so fantastic that we barely completed it in the day. The mountains tower over the old town in the distance and the craggy pinnacles of rock spike the occasional cloud. This area is heaven for walkers, climbers and all sorts of outdoor pursuits, the scenery is what chocolate boxes were made for.
We felt it would be easy to stay here for the winter and engross ourselves in the mountain life but there is so much more to see before the end of the sailing season we were compelled to move on. Not before one more meal ashore which rated as probably the best so far. €25 got you anything on the menu , all 3 courses. There was so much food and it was exceptional. The view out over the anchorage looking down on our boats was beautiful.
Marlin were meeting friends in Porto Vecchio so it was time for us to part company once again. We were heading north toward Elba and the Tuscan islands. Another change to our original planned route but the lure of Rome and desire to see more of Italy was just too tempting. En route we decided to go all the way up to Elba without stopping – besides we had a deadline to meet – one of the first Rugby World cup game was on the next day and NZ were playing Italy!
These overnight passages are quite enjoyable now we don’t see so many fishing pot markers in these deep waters. Dawn saw Elba looming in the distance.
16 August, Woke to a fine morning and set sail for the famous Bonifacio straits via the Maddelena Islands . For the first time in ages (or so it felt) we had a sailing wind that wasn’t on the nose and a trip of not too many miles, so there was little in the way of pressure to keep speed up. So we allowed our speed to raise and fall as the wind backed, dropped, headed, increased and veered across the straits and as we closed the Corsican coast the scenery rose up to astound us. The magnificent mountainous backdrop to the rocky coast dappled with turquoise bays and coves.
The morning sortie to the shore revealed an up-market beach bar with matching prices, a few holiday chalet developments and a handful of houses, but little else. No shops, no bread, no supplies or water. By the time we returned to the boat the wind was already rising and it was safer to stay aboard and be on watch for boats taking refuge from the windy exposed anchorages around the area. Many are charterers with little experience of anchoring safely. A source of occasional amusement unless they are too close or upwind of you. The concept of a swinging circle seems often too confusing to consider and as for the wind changing direction whilst at anchor??......
We met up with a New Zealand yacht in the anchorage and a good evening was had. They were able to offer lots of tips on future anchorages as they had been sailing for 10 years and were now on their way back to NZ. In return, we were able to advise them on up to date prices etc. for their trip along the south of Spain on their way out of the Med.
We sat out a gale but by the 19th we were starting to run out of fresh food and the wind was still blowing from the west so we decided to head north up the coast in the lee of the land. Our initial plan was to anchor in Rondinara. It was extremely full but a short stay was rewarded by a swim in some of the clearest waters seen yet. We decided to press on with the good wind and get into Porto Vechio with it’s good shelter and supermarkets.
22nd Our friends on Marlin caught us up in the anchorage. Lots of adventures to swap tales of late into several evenings. What good company they are! Martin and Linda left the UK a month or so before us and we first met them in Gijon, Galicia. We bumped into them a couple of times along the way and when we arrived in Lagos for the winter, there they were again. They left Lagos about a month before us and we hadn’t seen them since then.
The next morning 29th headed off 9.00 am for Bonifacio. Sailed virtually all the way although the wind was light. What an entrance and what an enchanting city.
The next morning it started the Bonifacio blow. We were not expecting to be affected tucked into this little hole but how you can be drawn to false conclusions! Whilst the quay opposite was enjoying a quiet summer day and the top of our mast recorded 5 to 8 mph winds the water whipped us in the face, the wind drove onto the side of the hull and the anchors started to drag. By the end of the day Mudskipper and ourselves had laid a total of 5 anchors and about 300m of chain and rope extending nearly to the other side of the cala. It eventually worked and our comfortable 6 foot stern clearance from the rocks was restored. It was too windy to leave the boats that day. There was plenty to keep us busy, Marlin’s dinghy flipped upside down, complete with engine and by the time we got it going again there wasn’t much of the day left.
The town is a real treat, an ancient citadel perched on the top of a chalk plateau, at some points overhanging the edge. Whilst at first you think that you wouldn’t feel comfortable living up there in case it crumbles away underneath you, once you see the view from up there, you become bewitched by it.
We motored and sailed the trip back up to Porto Vecchio and anchored back off the camp-site where we had been 2 weeks previous. We went ashore to the now deserted camp-site. Two weeks earlier we couldn’t get into their 40+ table pizza restaurant because it was so busy with queues of people waiting. Now, after the end of August we were one of 2 tables. We were told that the whole site facilities , bar shop and resturant complex would be closed by the 15th of September. The town was equally and pleasantly empty. The next morning we went ashore to clean the dingy and when finished had a beer at the deserted bar sitting in glorious sunshine. In the time it took to down two beers the wind came up so much that we struggled to row against it back to the boats. Marlin dragged anchor and was in danger of stranding on the beach. In the furious manoeuvring to get her off the mud they managed to capsize the dingy again, we were fortunately nearby to rescue floating shoes, oars, bags and the like and as the panic declined and they were safely in deeper water the dingy was restored to it’s more practical orientation. Several oil changes and tank cleanings later the engine once more fired into life and apart for a couple of trapped water bubbles in the fuel lines it lives on to see another day. We all returned to the old anchorage under the town where we all slept better although we weathered 2 more gales of 30 + knots. Some boats dragged at 3 am at 35 knots and there was a bit of shouting and hand waving as they snagged and bumped their way through others who had taken the time to anchor properly. We stayed on board for two days and one or two more dinner parties.
Over the next few days we searched for a car hire that would not mean selling time shares in the boats. What a shock from Portugal where in the winter we paid €75 for 7 days hire. Our searching paid off with a visit to a small doorway of a house in the town centre, over which hung a small car hire sign, we stood in the hallway whilst the woman haggled and translated our requirements on the phone. The car was the courtesy car for the local panel beater, probably a reclaimed write off but it had 4 gears, so we hired a it for €68 to explore the interior for the day. We were shown a suggested route by the Tourist info office, we thought we could see more than they suggested but it was so fantastic that we barely completed it in the day. The mountains tower over the old town in the distance and the craggy pinnacles of rock spike the occasional cloud. This area is heaven for walkers, climbers and all sorts of outdoor pursuits, the scenery is what chocolate boxes were made for.
Marlin were meeting friends in Porto Vecchio so it was time for us to part company once again. We were heading north toward Elba and the Tuscan islands. Another change to our original planned route but the lure of Rome and desire to see more of Italy was just too tempting. En route we decided to go all the way up to Elba without stopping – besides we had a deadline to meet – one of the first Rugby World cup game was on the next day and NZ were playing Italy!
These overnight passages are quite enjoyable now we don’t see so many fishing pot markers in these deep waters. Dawn saw Elba looming in the distance.
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