Tuesday, July 14 - Mahon
is the national holiday in France, we also see a lot of boats registered in the French Midi, the Balearic Islands is a popular cruise destination and very affordable for them.
We are lying off a small island near the channel of passenger boats and it gets very crowded, they are forced to zigzag between the boats at anchor ... The port police intervened and forced some ships to move, Dam'Marine overflowing with some of the regulatory area ...
We consult daily with the oracles of the weather but the winds and the waves are desperately oriented to the east, over a strong gust of mistral prepares for Friday and will require us to wait!
The heat has increased, the weather is sunny, but the atmosphere is humid and the heat makes it a little difficult, fortunately we have the big tub nearby!
In the streets of Es Castell, a neighboring village, we meet Ann and Michael "Nimue" calling at Mahon before returning to Mallorca and the Barcelona region.
Friday, July 17 - Mahon
The gale arrives well planned Friday night at the appointed time the weather (hat!), about 11 hours, we have 25 to 30 knots and gusts has established + in the anchorage area. The boats start swerving
... We are somewhat concerned, not to our anchorage, because I empennelé (2 anchors butt), but because of the neighborhood because there are a lot of depth and anchors hold evil.
rightly because, looking out the window, I see the star who was wet before we come to our height and continue to decline, there is no light above.
We cry and eventually leaving the owner puts up the engine and goes into uncertain maneuvers against the wind to wet again at about the same place, so that we're still not very quiet! Another big star
also began to decline slowly, there is no one on board. It runs along the coast near and away quietly into the night ... The owners, left the restaurant, the recovery at 2am, they were very lucky! A large ketch
also gets to drag its anchor and dropped right onto a small sailboat moored about fifty yards from us, it is less than a meter, people screaming from the small boat and eventually we see shadows agitated who leaves the ketch forward ... Hot!
Meanwhile, looking back, I realize with horror that our schedule engine backfired and drink the cup. Quickly we made straight and try to start the engine is tight ... By turning the screw, I can unlock it, we go back on board and Rincon with fresh water, but he wants nothing to do, we see tomorrow ... what a night!
Saturday, July 18 - Mahon
Morning Loulou, who has fluid mechanics, just see the motor attached. He reassured me by saying he should leave ... We are doing various tests, check ignition, but in vain ... then suddenly he starts coughing and starts phew! I am left to do 2 oil changes because the oil was contaminated by sea water ... and it works like before. The latest weather
give us a window on Monday and Tuesday, so we decided to leave Monday morning. Dam'Marine will travel south of Sardinia while we reach Alghero in the northwest. So our paths will separate after more than a month common navigation and good friendship. We hope to return later because we have more or less the same destinations.
Monday, July 20 ... Mahon - Alghero (Sardinia) - 210 000
We want to make up the crossing under sail, so we are not starting too early and plan to spend 2 nights at sea The weather was fine this morning but there is very little wind and it blows from east / southeast, near the nose of course!
Charting the Course is at 80 ° but Algieba can do better than 70 ° and we had our way slowly north. The wind between 6 and 8 knots and we can walk around 4 knots, which is not bad! A cargo
part 2, we do not see very many people ... After a beautiful sunset, the night arrives and we begin our shifts. The batteries that need charging, we put the engine and take the opportunity to regain heading south, then back to sailing.
In late night, the wind became stronger and achieved some 12 to 13 knots peak, there is more sea, but it does not last very long and in the mid-morning, the wind picks up his little plan.
In the course of the afternoon, while we are still 80 miles off the coast of Sardinia, two pigeons, probably tired, coming to rest on the bridge. We give them to drink, but they will not eat bread ... Perhaps they prefer wheat, but we do not have on board!
They are not very wild and come to us from time to time in the cockpit, and they keep us company until daybreak, about ten miles offshore, where they resume their time off ... to where?
Meanwhile Algieba continues its path in the night, gliding over the calm sea. The sky is studded with thousands of stars, no moon. The lights of the coast are seen at about 3 o'clock in the morning and we're getting soft, sunrise on the rocky shoreline is beautiful.
The wind is still as smooth and Adonis, is a joy on the arrival of Sardinia. I
bar to earn closer to the wind and double the Cabo Caccia that keeps the large bay north of Alghero.
We identify the major port of entry located at the bottom of this bay and we are entering the early morning. We planned to go to the town dock, but a man on a zodiac offers us a marina at a lower price and we let ourselves be tempted. We will not regret it because it is quiet while the municipal pier at the foot of the old city is very noisy!
Wednesday, July 22 - Alghero
The first contact with Italy is rather positive reception to the marina is very warm. For over a month since we have not gone into, and we find some comfort!
We are of course tired and needed a nap even here the prevailing heat over 35 ° ...
In late afternoon we will visit the old town with its fortifications very typical, we take pleasure in strolling through the narrow shady streets.
We also note that the flowers are much less prevalent than in Spain, giving an overall impression a bit more austere, but still enjoyable.
is also Italy, noisy, like an internet room where it is difficult to focus so much screaming and talking loud!
Thursday, July 23 to Saturday 25 July: Alghero
All morning of Thursday is spent cleaning the boat, filling water tanks ... and in the afternoon, we continue our city tour.
Alghero was founded in the eleventh century by the Genoese fortified what was a fishing village and the Catalonia-Aragon occupied the site in 1354 and stayed there for 4 centuries. They marked the city of their footprint, both in the architecture of large buildings and churches in the language, Catalans many words being used.
Much remains of towers and the ramparts along the coast is unspoilt. This place is popular with Italian tourists but also French and other Europeans.
One evening, forcing Italy, we offer a pizza restaurant in a small popular then we'll eat ice cream in the streets teeming with people late into the night.
Friday morning, to our surprise, the "Carabinieri" six in number, booted, enter the dock and start to put plastic bands around the marina office and on the dock ... they are sealed!
We learn that the owner (Frederico, very friendly and helpful) has trouble with the law for stories authorization extension and we just administer a punishment!
Suddenly, we no longer have health and everyone's doing! it's a little folklore ... They will make a gesture in the tariff.
Sunday, July 26: Alghero - Porto Conte Bay -10,000
In the morning, light wind from south / southwest allows us to walk with the sail to the entrance of the remote array of about 9 miles. We believe many people find at anchor, but in advancing towards the bottom of the bay, we spot of the Cala Tramariglio where there is a small dock and only 3 boats at anchor ... As we approached, we see a cat looking at flying the French flag feature and is of course Baam and we anchored behind him with 4 meters of water on Posidonia.
Hervé comes to us to swim and warns us that the anchors hold evil, he goes diving to see if ours is properly positioned.
His back is better and he could resume his journey after 3 weeks in Fornells.
The cala is spectacular, surrounded by pine-clad mountains and the water is transparent, the place is beautiful. An ancient watchtower perched on a hilltop overlooking the scene.
The bottom is lined with sea grass and I also plunges to see the anchor resting on the sea grass in a small groove ... It should not be a gust of wind too strong! The weather being optimistic, we remain like that. Hervé
invites us aboard Baam, it has excellent Irish whiskeys that we will honor! Then, after an excellent meal of St. Jacques shells, we will extend this pleasant evening ...
During our stay, we will make some steps around to discover great views, listen to the cicadas who make a lot of noise (we take a picture ...). We also climb up the watchtower under a blazing sun with the top reward, the discovery of the magnificent scenery of the bay of Porto Conte.
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