Nimrod Oceanlord

Despite the lack of facilities at Porto Corallo, we treated ourselves to pizzas, a carafe of the local house red and dessert in the form of deep fried ricotta ravioli and a ricotta tart with golden syrup. Very good value for €20 each.

Today was another glorious day with blue, cloudless skies and temperatures in the high 20s. As we were berthed with plenty of space around us, Jo washed the hull and Liz repaired some headlining that had come away in a couple of cupboards due to the heat. We also filled up with fuel at €1.99 per litre – the most we have paid anywhere but I suspect that it will be even more expensive on the Smeralda coast.

We then continued up the east coast and although the wind was light to start with, after a couple of hours we were able to put up the cruising chute again for the rest of the day. We arrived at Arbatax around 1830 and we again helped into our berth – stern to – by very friendly marina staff who then leapt onto the boat to help with our lines. We didn’t really need it but he was very enthusiastic. This is one of the marinas we are thinking about for the winter and to our amazement they also have potable water. Now whilst you may think that this is not a big issue, this is the first marina in the Med since Gibraltar where the quality of the water is drinkable. Luckily, we have a water maker but we need deep water to use it so it is not always practicable.

Another picture of our cruising chute today.

We waved goodbye to Yvonne and Joey this morning and then set about completing various chores like washing and replacing the gas hose with the new one that Joey had brought out.

There was not a great deal of wind as it was behind us so we put up our rainbow cruising chute (a big sail at the front of the boat when the wind is behind us). We had a great but slow sail up the west coast to Porto Corallo. We had thought about wintering here but it is in the middle of nowhere with few facilities outside summer. The marina toilets are reminiscent of old French facilities with a hole in the ground! Surprisingly, we declined to use them.

Pictures of our cruising chute and rounding Capo Ferrato.

The morning began with glorious sunshine, turquoise waters and blue skies, as has become the norm. Before we had a chance to have breakfast, a large, grey motor boat suddenly appeared close by with four men from the Guardia di Finanza (Italian Customs) on it demanding our boat papers and passports. All of this would have been fine except that Yvonne has just stripped off in the cockpit to go for a swim! They finally left half an hour later after checking our credentials.

We then headed north towards Costa Rei, a 6km stretch of white, sandy beaches with clear turquoise waters. Having toured the entire stretch we then anchored in turquoise waters and Joey rowed us all to shore only to find that the beach bar and shops were closed for the season. Yvonne, Liz and Jo swam back to Nimrod some 400m away. Joey in the the support vessel, our dinghy, disappeared in a split second.

We then had a cracking sail with Joey helming the entire way back to Villasiminius marina so that Yvonne and Joey can catch their flight back tomorrow morning to the UK.

Pictures of the Customs vessel, synchronised swimming in Cala Pira, Nimrod in Cala Sinzias at lunchtime and Joey helming.

Our second visitor, Yvonne, arrived on Saturday evening for a few days. We had gone out during the day to find a nice bay with turquoise water for Joey but the previous night’s winds had churned up the sea. We did get to swim in turquoise but not clear water. There had been little wind all day until late afternoon when it really picked up making the mooring back in the marina somewhat of a challenge! No harm done.

On Sunday we made our way east towards Capo Carbonara and anchored in a lovely little bay nearby. We spent this morning lounging and swimming until we were surrounded by jellyfish, one of whom stung Yvonne. Luckily, not badly. We sailed around the headland to another cove, Porto Pira, that has a beach and a bar. The lifeguard got a bit excited about how close we were to the beach as you have to stay 300m from the shore in Italy. We retreated a bit and are now anchored in sand having a BBQ off the back of the boat. Yvonne, Joey and Liz went off to research the bar.

Pictures of Jo, Joey and Yvonne sailing, the bay in Carbonara.

We spent yesterday going to a nearby (10nm) marina to get fuel as there is none in either of the marinas near to us in Cagliari. We were, yet again, graced with a visit by dolphins as we crossed the bay. Once we arrived at the fuel berth the wind had got up so we had a brilliant sail back to our new marina, Sant’Elmo. Moored up, we then got the boat ready for our new set of visitors arriving over the next few days.

Jo Morris arrived this morning for a few days so we spent the afternoon sunbathing and then went into the old quarter of Cagliari.

We arrived in Cagliari yesterday afternoon after a very rolly night at anchor (but it was free!). We moored up at the cheaper marina here called Marina del Sole. It is a ramshackle place with many liveaboards and the facilities are basic to say the least. Even we won’t use the showers and the HSE would have a field day with broken planks on the pontoons. As we have visitors arriving in the next few days we will be moving tomorrow to the Marina Di Sant’Elmo which is only next door but has much better facilities.

Being in a marina has given us the opportunity to make some minor running repairs and also reprovision the boat. We were going to find an anchorage for tonight but the wind got up and there is not much room for manoeuvre with the boats tightly packed so we decided to stay another night. At €35 this is a bargain!

We went into town this evening to look around and although a bit rundown it does have an interesting historical quarter.

We left Porto Pino this morning unclear as to whether we would need to go into a marina as there were strong wind forecasts but there was some discrepancy as to how strong. Initially, there was no wind and then it blew up around midday to gusting 30 knots although from behind. We decided to sail to Porto Malfatano as it had good reports of turquoise water and sandy beaches. We were not disappointed although we decided not to leave the boat as it was still gusting over 20 knots. However, the anchor has stayed firm and we are safely tucked in for the night.

Pictures of Liz snorkelling and of the bay.

We took advantage of free Wifi this morning to catch up on admin as well as avail ourselves of the marina washing machine despite the fact that they were charging €6 a load – needs must. We then journeyed south towards Cagliari stopping at a bay called Porto Pino.

We have anchored in 4m of clear turquoise water about 400m off the beach as Italian laws dictate that you can’t use a motor within 300m of the beach. The water is so clear that we can easily see the bottom and also the anchor! The weather has been hot again today with temperatures in the low 30s with very little wind so we had to motor the 20 odd miles. The only downside is that this bay seems inundated with mosquitoes so we have doused ourselves in Avon Skin So Soft and lit citronella candles. Tomorrow we will make our way towards Cagliari.

Pictures of the beach at Porto Pino and the clear water showing our anchor chain!

Although Portoscuso is not very pretty, it did have an good indoor food market and various local shops that meant we could get plenty of fresh produce. We had a short journey this lunchtime from the mainland of Sardinia to Carloforte on the Isola Di San Pietro. It is a charming town with a long seafront promenade. We have also enquired here about over wintering as it seems secure and friendly.

Currently sitting in the cockpit watching the world go by with a glass of red wine in shorts and a vest top at 10pm.

We left our mooring at San Marco later this morning to sail south to Portoscuso on the south of the island and not far from Cagliari, the capital. We sailed off our mooring and thought we would have a nice sail but the wind died completely so we ended up motoring all day.

We called in a bay called Porto Flavia as we had been told that it was dramatic. It certainly was with sheer cliffs and clear water. We then continued to Portoscuso where we are actually in a marina for the first time in a month! Very odd feeling but at least we can clean the boat as she is salt encrusted following our passage over from Menorca as well as stock up on fresh food as we are somewhat depleted. The cost here is around €40 a night even in Sept so we won’t stay here long and I suspect we will be anchored tomorrow night.

Liz made more bread today so I have included a picture of it along with Porto Flavia as Portoscuso doesn’t have much to commend it!