Saturday, August 29 - Arbatax - Porto Corallo - 43,000
Departing in Arbatax contrary breeze, the boat works well on flat water but we need to tack near the coast. To 13h, the wind turns more southerly and strengthens, the edges become more difficult because the sea is widening the road and we do more.
We drive along a rugged coastline made of a succession of headlands and coves, the small island of Quirra in our way and we still get an edge for double ... We still have 7 miles to go.
At this point, the wind rotates 90 ° in force at 25 knots, full through. We do not laugh, I'm just opening the mainsail and the genoa and reduce us to Porto Corallo veins in 8 knots!
Sunday, August 30 to Monday, August 31 - Porto Corallo
We stay three days in this small town lost. We take this opportunity to recover the navigation of the day, wash the boat and recharge water. There is not much to see, it's a vacation place with a campsite and holiday village nearby.
However, the coast is pretty small beaches interspersed with rocky areas, the campaign is rather arid.
We are trying to reach a small nearby town (Villaputzu) off but it's too far and we give it up. We take the bus the next day to visit this large village a little lost with a large number of houses whose facades reveal unfinished brick or cement block!
Tuesday 1st September - Porto Corallo-Villasimius (26 miles)
Our English friends, Liz and Julian of Golden Dawn are Cagliari and back to the East Coast. We therefore agree a place to find us and it will Villasimius, located about halfway between Cagliari and Porto Corallo.
Wind is, this time more favorable wind and moderately wrong, we move between the coast and the island Serpentara then we double Cape Carbonara passing through a bottleneck between the cape of the island Cavoli, large stone topped by a lighthouse.
The wind pushes us now as we go round the course to enter the bay of Carbonara and we see, with binoculars, Golden Dawn, which is anchored to the bottom of the bay.
The anchor drops on a white sand bottom and we find our friends Liz and Julian to tell us about our mutual adventures.
Golden Dawn was the first boat that we met. It was in Gijon, in our first stage last year ...
However, while we talk, the boat begins to roll and we realize that the swell enters the bay and makes the anchorage uncomfortable. Decision is taken back to the marina nearby after taking a nice bath and we will resume our discussions there good "tips."
Wednesday, September 2 - Villasimius-Cagliari (22 miles)
The wind is still with us today and blew three quarters back to 12 knots when we leave, no regrets, this artificial marina after saying- goodbye to our English friends. We therefore
veins quickly, especially as this wind is getting stronger and reaches 25 to 28 knots around midday set. Sometimes we start to surf the waves, it is happiness, we want more!
Then it was the arrival in the major port of Cagliari, where cargo leaving and entering and other large container carriers ... We go to the marina Sant'Elmo because we intend to inform us about overwintering conditions.
Thursday, September 3 to Saturday 5 September - The capital Cagliari
Sarde is a vibrant city, with a circulation of hell but also a very beautiful city with the old castle district which is actually a veritable fortress with its ramparts, towers, gates, streets. At the peak, a lovely plaza with views over the city and the sea
It is also pleasant to walk in the old cosmopolitan and colorful neighborhoods where there are small churches inserted into the rows of houses.
The city was founded by the Phoenicians in the sixth century BC and was occupied by the Romans and was fortified by Pisani in the Middle Ages. They built the most beautiful buildings including the cathedral and the towers of the elephant and San Pancrazio. It was later conquered by the Aragonese in the 13th century.
Today is a modern metropolis with an airport and a major trading port.
We take our time here to visit our friends to Vannetais Dam'Marine which is moored in a small port just outside the city. Loulou and Dominic decided to spend the winter and settled.
We hesitated, Marina Sant'Elmo is a little expensive, but the main problem is that we can not work on the boat when ashore. You have to complete all work by local professionals, which is out of question ... In addition, the harbor water is dirty, very very dirty! So we choose ... Arbatax
Sunday, September 6-Cagliari - Malfatano Bay (35 miles)
Before getting back on Arbatax, we continue our journey south / southwest. The major port of Cagliari is left in our wake a fair wind from the West that leads us nicely. We
and road crossing some petroleum terminal located just below the city.
Suddenly the wind shifted 180 degrees and comes from the southeast, forcing us to sail close to an edge but supports our way. When doubling the Capo di Pula, where lie the ruins of a city of the period Nuraghe the wind shifted suddenly to the southwest and this time we take an edge seaward to double the Cape.
The wind began to freshen 25/30 knots, rising seas and short lasting, it becomes a little galley. The boat becomes a submarine, water submerges the entire front as it passes through the wave, we go hard with the mainsail with 2 reef, genoa reduced in the angry hiss of the wind and the road is long ... I remember the day my 60 years!
Finally, after much typing and makes the leap-sheep, we are for the entrance of the bay Malfatano, shelter as desired! We put the engine crossing the last 3 miles that separate us and eventually succeed in this beautiful haven where the sea becomes flat.
The anchor is thrown into clear water by 5 meters on a sandy bottom and sea grass, she immediately eighth in the sand and we are quiet! Besides the wind decreases and becomes zero at dusk.
We had read that the Gulf of Cagliari is famous for being very windy, but more than the wind, it is mainly the state of the sea which have impressed us.
On the phone, a message for parents who wish me a happy birthday ... They thought we were going to celebrate and have fun!
Monday, September 7 - Bay Malfatano
We remain a day in this beautiful fountain surrounded by mountains ... The program includes swimming, scraping the hull to remove the kinds of small limpets, setting up a latte in the missing mainsail and walk along the coast to the jagged rocks, some of which are made of a soft rock that glows softly in the sun.
the evening, near the boat, a fisherman came up he had put his net in the morning ... Beautiful peaceful image in the light of late afternoon ...
Tuesday, September 8 - Malfatano - Ponte Roman - 31 miles
After doubling Cape guarding the entrance to West Bay Malfatano, we head on Teulada, a small port just 6 miles distant, where there is a possibility of docking and refueling.
Arriving near the fountain seems to us very exposed to prevailing choppy right now, so we turn around and go up the wind to enter the Grand Gulf Di Palmas, bounded by the island to the west San Antioco and the "continent" Sardinian east. The island is also connected to the mainland by a causeway started by the Phoenicians and completed by the Romans.
Ponte Romano is at the bottom of this gulf, near the famous road and is surrounded by salt. We also distinguish the distant white shapes that are a lot of salt.
embouqué After the narrow entrance channel, we enter the port where there are only large wharves clearly designed to accommodate large vessels. Guide specifying that can moor on one of these platforms, we approach and try a mooring but a man in white uniform asks us to "identify", you and your boat "he said in English and to go on a dock on the other side.
So before we obtempérons air vindictive this zealous servant and we realize the other side of tall buildings to discover a large pier to starboard filled with fishing boats to port, an area with a fuel dock and a few places already occupied by vessels.
We end up finding a small niche at the starboard end of the dock, before the fishing boats, we can stay there ...
The place is not ideal and does a little "box", large buildings nearby are abandoned and this is not very clean. Nevertheless, we are further away from the city of San Antioco and we stay a while if you do not dislodge us!
Wednesday, September 9 to Friday, September 11 - Ponte Romano / San Antioco
By midday Wednesday, a violent thunderstorm raged over Ponte Romano, with lots of rain, things get quieter and we can undertake the visit San Antioco distance of 2 miles.
is a very old city, called Sulcis time of the first Carthaginian colony, and claims to have always been inhabited since 2600 years, we have to go a little outside to find the remains of the times old.
We will visit these places is a reconstructed ancient village where were buried and uncovered a Punic necropolis and the remains of an ancient civilization.
The streets of the city sometimes steep, keep some old facades and one can admire beautiful buildings including the Basilica of San Antioco, which is also the patron of Sardinia.
Saturday, September 12 - Ponte Romano - Carlo Forte - 22,000
Navigation quiet, in part to the engine, towards the island of San Pietro. We enter the harbor Carlo Forte in the early afternoon. We planned to go to the Municipal Wharf (free), but it is occupied by passenger vessels, we So we have to switch to one of the marinas.
We will stay here on Sunday and take the opportunity to visit this beautiful colorful city with its beautiful seaside promenade decorated with palm trees and beautiful houses with facades worked.
Then we climb to the ramparts and then it's maze of narrow streets interspersed with steep stairs, and always these pastel-colored houses with pretty balconies carved and often rounded openings.
the evening, we noticed a boat moored at French. We have already met Mark and Catherine traveling aboard "Passenger Wind "A Cigale16 aluminum. It was in Chipiona, in April, before leaving for the new season.
We spend a good time to tell us aboard our respective adventures ... The ship will spend the winter here at Carlo Forte.
Monday, September 14 - Carlo Forte - Calasetta - 5000
The navigation was very short but very eventful! Indeed, we leave Carlo Forte in the late morning to return to the island of S. Antioco. We must move towards an anchorage near Calasetta, north of the island.
Leaving the harbor, we see the distant sky darken, there's a good downwind and we unroll the genoa only, it is progressing well and the trip promises to be short. But the big black clouds are gaining ground and we catch up, the sky is inky and lightning began to streak the sky ... Seeing that bad weather happens, we decide to go to the port that is more remote Calasetta Now that half a mile. We see perfectly
entry and large buoy that marks the northern cardinal shoals
neighbors ... At this point, a severe thunderstorm sounds, accompanied by heavy rain and strong gusts of wind. I can not see the harbor entrance and frankly, I do see anything at all, the curtain of rain was so intense! Fortunately we rolled the genoa.
I turned around and, under bare poles, helping the engine, trying to stay believes in an area where I am sure to find water because we are in shallow all around. We can not even fly in the wind because the coast is nearby. I also stopped all the instruments to avoid grilling by storm ...
The boat heels under strong wind gusts over 50 knots and we still see nothing ... In a hole, I saw the south cardinal buoy which tells me that we stay in the right area, then it becomes blocked again with a vengeance, lightning criss-cross the sky, hail from the horizontal lashing our faces and we continue to wander in front of the harbor entrance without being able to go!
Finally the storm passes, calm returned, and with relief, we can enter this port Calasetta "wet-Guen! So many emotions ...
