4/10/2024 Bastia, France
The howling wind and boat motion woke me about 0500, but I
managed to fall back to sleep. Suzette was up reading. The wind finally settled
and I was up about 0730 to survey the boat. No harm done and nothing blown
away. The wind did manage to pick up one of the bumpers and throw it back
through the life lines where I found it wedged. The sun was shining and the day
was looking beautiful. Looks like the harbor is settled and safe again. The
wind last night was being generated from the La Tramontane wind blowing down
the Pyrenees mountains and across the sea, hitting the west side of Corsica
with 50 knot winds. We were getting the wind that squeezed over the craggy
peaks to the east side of the island. The day is predicted to be sunny and
calm, but wind from the SE at 18 knots overnight. This will put it on our stern
so even higher winds will be tolerable.
We walked to the marine store; I am still in search of a
spare relay. They did have the snaps that I needed, but that was all. We
stopped in a couple really great cheese stores and stocked up. Suzette loves
Petite Livarot, it is hard to find it any where but France and only seasonally.
We found it and bought a couple rounds of it. They had some great ham as well.
We returned to the boat in time for the rain to start pouring down. We were
surprised to find a class practicing emergency safety at sea drills. They were
in dry suits and had to do various tasks in the water including righting their
inflatable life boat. The skies cleared long enough for me to hunt down the
Capitainerie and find out what happened to my dock power. This of course precipitated
my finally checking in and paying for our stay. We needed…wanted…a baguette so
we walked to the boulangerie. We were lucky they still had baguettes; they are
usually gone by mid-day. It was definitely a cold front that brought the rain
and now it was cold, but sunny.
We were sitting at the table playing cards and enjoying the
warmth of the cabin when we noticed the huge Duane boat going out, this is the
French customs people. 30 minutes later the Duane show up next to us in their
rib and want to board our boat. 3 young men came aboard and requested our
papers. What they were particularly interest in was when we arrived in the EU
so they could assess whether we owed the VAT for the boat. The VAT is a 22% sales
tax for most everything, including boats. We did not pay this tax because we
are exporting, eventually, the boat to the US. The catch is that the boat can
only remain in the EU for 18 months at a time without paying the tax. He wanted
to see the Bill of Sale which indicates that we bought the boat in July of ’22.
However, we had the boat out of the EU when we wintered in Gibraltar. This
restarts the clock upon entry back into the EU. I had the stamped entry papers
for Gibraltar and stamped entry papers for the EU, but he needed something to
tell him when the last day was that we were in Gibraltar otherwise we would be
required to pay the VAT in the next 10 days. Fortunately, I had the close out
receipt from the marina in Gibraltar showing that we left Gibraltar on March 8
of ’23. He was satisfied and indicated that we were good until September 8 of
’24. Everyone relaxed at this point, we talked and learned a bit about the
Duane and Bastia. As always, they were gentleman through the process.
This does impact my travel plan slightly. I was going by the
date we checked back into the EU, April 8, ’23. We had planned to return to
Raffaellesco September 6, ’24 and recommission the boat for a September 10
departure for Montenegro, a non-EU country to restart our VAT clock. So now we
need to start sooner or do it at the end of this trip. I think I will sleep on
it. The wind did blow a bit, but nothing like the previous night.
4/11/2024 Bastia, France
Up and away from the dock by 0830, Suzette at the helm for a
54-mile run south to Port de Solenzara. We had a confirmed reservation for the
night at their marina. There are no real anchorages between Bastia and
Solenzara thus the long haul. The wind was predicted to be out of the north at
10 to 15 knots, but it did not materialize. We motored with a light breeze
behind us and a favorable current pushing us south. There is an area designated
as a firing range along the route that pushed us further off shore than
necessary, but we did not want a visit from the military or a bomb! We do not
see very much sea life here, but today there were what looked like thousands of
bubbles floating on the water. It turns out that they were By the Wind Sailors,
Velella Velella, a type of jelly fish.
We rolled into Solenzara, literally as the was a bit of a
swell on our broadside. The sun was shining and it was 70 degrees out. The wind
was dead calm, with the help of a neighbor on the dock we easily settled into
our assigned berth. We changed into shorts and checked in with the Capitainerie.
They seem to be lax here on Corsica, not many questions and no forms to fill
out, very efficient. We noticed a few marine stores in the marina so I ran back
to the boat and grabbed my burnt relay. Neither store had the relay, but Uship
had the little watertight door that I manager to break the other day. I always
have my list with me. Back on the boat I was quick to make the swap on the
water tight door while Suzette worked on dinner. After dinner we went for a
walk, but this is a purpose-built marina with a bedroom community of new homes
and not much history. As soon as the sun was down it was cold and we were ready
for a quiet night of sleep.
4/12/2024 Port de Solenzara, France
Up with the sun and a quickly warming day. We departed about
1030 hoping for the predicted wind to push us further south, but it was calmer
and flatter than the previous day. We passed the opening to the port of Porto
Vecchia, a well-protected natural port. From here south the land was hilly, not
mountainous, there were stretches of beach and islands dotting the seas. More
importantly there were beautiful protected anchorages.
We glided into Golfe de Rondinara, a nearly round bay
surrounded by beaches and protected from nearly all sides. There were people
playing on the beach and a large rib with fisherman near a rock outcrop. The
water was turquoise and perfectly clear. We dropped the hook in about 4 meters
of water and watched as it hit bottom. A quick set on the anchor and we were
settled. A little clean up and then deploy the dinghy. We headed to the south
shore and beached the dinghy. The water was warm at the shore, I think this may
be the closest we have come to actually getting in the water on this trip.
There were paths in the surrounding woods so we went for a hike. There was an old lookout tower on the hill, but I did not find a path leading to it. From the point you could see the Island of Sardinia to the south. We walked the length of the white sand beach, lots of families and couples enjoying the warm spring day. We motored out in the dinghy to the entrance of the bay and explored along the rocks; very little sea life.
Back on the boat it was actually hot so we enjoyed the shade
and relaxed. Such a tranquil and beautiful place.
4/13/2024 Golfe de Rondinara, France
A quite night and a lazy morning as the sun was quickly
warming the boat. We departed at about 1000 heading around the southern tip of
Corsica through the strait of Bonifacio. We had a few days of calm weather
predicted for the strait, the wind gets compressed between Corsica and Sardinia
making this a potentially dangerous place to be in a strong westerly. The
straight is also filled with little islands, rock out crops and reefs,
navigating on a sunny day is ideal. We had no problem navigating the strait and
as we rounded the southernmost point of Corsica, we were rewarded with stunning
views of the high white limestone cliffs and the city of Bonifacio perched
precariously on those cliffs.
As we rounded the tip of Bonifacio into the narrow harbor entry, we could see the World War II gun emplacements that had been carved into the cliff, accessible by a hand dug tunnel. The cliffs rose high above the water as we made our way into the depths of the long narrow harbor. This is the oldest settlement in Corsica, a natural well protected harbor made it valuable to ancient traders. The city is two tiered, the houses and shops that line the quay and the houses and shops that reside within the citadel walls high on the cliff. We had a confirmed reservation, but no answer on the radio. It was just before 1200 so they may be at lunch. Lunch waits for no man in Europe. We decided to park at the closed fuel dock and assess the situation…and have lunch. Consulting the cruising guide, it indicated that if no one answers find your own spot. Evidently the permanent spaces have a sign with the boat name on it. The spaces along the quay, adjacent to the fuel dock, are considered transient and fair game. After lunch we took up a spot along the quay. Fortunately, there was very little wind because there was no help on the dock. Suzette managed the helm while hoped off the stern, landed a line, grabbed a sand line and hopped back on board to land the bow line.
Settled in we were satisfied with our berth and left the boat for a walk around the town at the quay level. Lots of little shops and even more restaurants. This place is very popular in the summer and gets absolutely packed with boats and people. We stopped by the marina office, in spite of the sign posting hours on the door, they were closed. As with most places this time of year the restaurants and shops were in clean up and preparation mode for opening in the summer. They were laying this great looking sisal rug in one of the outdoor dining areas. They had some good sized pieces that seemed to be left overs, so Suzette, in French, inquired about them. They were happy to have us take it away, new carpet for the boat, we will see how that works out.
It was hot in the afternoon so we enjoyed a shower on board and lounging in the cockpit to watch the passersby. A huge catamaran side tied to the quay next to us, he was nearly as wide as we are long. It was a bit obnoxious as his stern was backed up to our side sort of interfering with our privacy, on top of that they were not particularly friendly, their loss. As the sun set the dinner crowd emerged and the restaurants were engaged, but far from full. A quiet night on the quay.
4/14/2024 Bonifacio, France
The Cat was off by
the time we were up. A beautiful sunny morning as we prepared to do some
walking. We headed up the east end of the citadel, some 1000 stair steps to
reach the top. The views to the sea were spectacular with Sardinia in the
distance. The seas were calm and clear turquoise along the shores. The entry
through the wall of the city still had the mechanism used to raise and lower
the draw bridge. The narrow streets were lined with the ancient homes where the
ground floors were restaurants and shops. The streets ran up and down as they
followed the hill top. We heard hymns being sung and followed the sound to a
beautiful church service in the middle of the town.
Toward the west end of the walled city were the remnants of the ancient fortifications and lookout tower. At the very west end were the gun emplacements from World War II. They had hand dug through the limestone to create a munitions area and a gun emplacement on the face of the high cliff to protect the harbor. Following the north wall around we had great views of the long harbor and a glimpse of Raffaellesco at the city Quay. We meandered our way down the steep stair case at the west end of town.
Upon our return to the boat, we found we had new neighbors coming in so we assisted them in docking. They were French, keeping their Hanse sailboat in Ajaccio and living in Paris. Very cordial people. The next boat in was and Italian charter boat, boisterous and friendly. The last boat to join us was another French boat who we assisted with docking on the quay. They were a bit disorganized and befuddled, but we got them settled in.
We again enjoyed lounging in the cockpit and watching the
world go by. It cooled off by 1700 so we enjoyed a last stroll through the
waterfront. It was Sunday night so we made our customary pizza on board. The
plan for the next day was to get up and out early to take advantage of the
predicted wind. The boat was ready to slip the lines and go.
4/15/2024 Bonifacio, France
We were up early and prepared the code 0 for a downwind
sail. We were away by 0800 with the Parisians right behind us. We never did see
the marina staff, but they did email me an invoice. We unfurled the main and
code 0 for a slow sail around the southern tip of Corsica and back through the
reefs. The wind kicked up about the time we were deep in the reef, we enjoyed
an 8-knot sail through the reefs and islands, a little dicey with very little
wiggle room. Clearing the other side and heading north the wind dropped and
finally died, so we motored our way to Solenzara. The weather for the next day
was calling for high winds, so we decided to position ourselves in Solenzara
anticipating a long crossing on Wednesday back to Giglio, near the mainland.
Landing in Solenzara we were directed to the same Berth we had the previous week, but warned that there were no sailors to assist. In a light breeze it was not difficult to land and a dock neighbor was a big help. It was 1400 and a beautiful day, but not much to see in Solenzara. We had no updates on the generator so we decided to find a laundry and clean some clothes and linens. 3 loads later we discovered that the dryer did not really dry so we carted our wet laundry back to the boat and hung laundry everywhere. We looked like gypsies, but it was a warm sunny day and effective for drying.
We prepared the boat for overnight high winds, but they never really materialized. We did have a swell sneaking in the created a for and aft surge on the boat. The heavy stern lines with a rubber shock absorber made this tolerable. Light dinner and off to bed for a reasonably quiet night.
4/16/2024 Port de Solenzara, France
This would be our jumping off point for heading back to the
main land, or at least the Islo de Giglio, the closet point of refuge. This was
77 miles from Solenzara. We spent a good part of the day analyzing the weather
and debating departure dates. The next day looked like 15 to 20 knot winds from
the north making for a broad reach to Giglio, but the gust could go to 30 for
the first half of the day. Thursday was benign for the crossing, but it was
high winds by night fall and going forward. This would making going into Porto
Santos Stefano a necessity so we could be tucked into a marina, but that would
be 89 miles.
Agreeing on Wednesday we went for a walk. There was a little
circus in town near the marina, so we decide to explore. There was a beautiful
bright red and cream colored tent and several similarly colored vans announcing
Fratelli Circo. In the adjacent field was a beautiful black stallion grazing,
he did not appear to be tied up, but he did not seem to be going anywhere. I
guess he liked performing in the circus. We wandered the streets and discovered
an amazing villa on the seaside that appeared to have been impeccably
preserved. At the other end of town there was a Brico Hardware store, I never
miss an opportunity for a good hardware store. The only thing on my list was a
can of compressed air and they had it!
On the boat we prepared for departure the next morning. The wind was blowing about 15, but the sea had settled. Suzette made her delicious Paella, great for leftovers and an easy dinner tomorrow after a long crossing.
4/17/2024 Port de Solenzara, France
Up early to make a last check of the weather, not better, no
worse. We were underway by 0745, not early, but letting the wind die off a bit.
Suzette at the helm. The wind was lighter than expected making for a motor boat
ride. Suzette pushed the throttle to 2600, not wanting to waste any time. The
wind did rise to about 15 and stayed steady. We unfurled a reefed main that
helped stabilize the boat and added some speed. The swell was running about 1 m
also from the north, it was hitting broad side. 9 hours later we were in the
lee of Giglio and furled the main. As we rounded the south end of the island
the wind hit us at 30 knots as it was compressed between the island and the
main land. We only had a mile to fight the wind, then we pulled into the
anchorage where we were shielded from the wind and the waves. We tucked in as
close as we dared to the rocky shore and dropped the anchor in 4 m of clear
water on sand. It took two tries to set the anchor. Satisfied that we were safe
for the night we enjoyed our left over Paella, salad and a couple cocktails.
Along the way we saw some good sized fish jumping and a lone dolphin cross our path. We passed south of Islo di Montecristo, a national park requiring a permit to visit. There was a fair amount of traffic; ships, fishing boats and ferries. The skies were clear and it was only about 60 degrees.
4/18/2024
It was a fairly calm night at anchor, no wind and just a bit
of light chop. We were up and underway by 0830 hoping for a short sail across
the channel, but with wind dead on our nose and not far to go we motored. The
clouds behind us were building in a most ominous way. We were happy to get into
the marina and quickly get settled at the east end of the floating docks.
Anticipating wind over night we snugged the bow lines tight and hoped to
weather the wind.
Having no good updates from Boma on our generator we decided to ride our bikes to their shop and have a face to face conversation. They have a pretty robust shop with a wide range of generators, new and in for repairs. No one spoke English very well, but a young man who met before, was being helpful. The message was clear, they had done their testing and sent a report to Cummins. They were waiting on a response from Cummins as to how to proceed, but he did not know what the prognosis was. We explained that we needed (wanted) to move south and continue our cruise. We wanted to know that when the generator was fixed, they would bring it to where we were and install it. He could not make that commitment so we respectfully suggested that we should speak to the boss. He told us to return after 1500 and the boss would be in, I guess he gets an extra long lunch and siesta. We will be back.
As we were leaving a car wheeled into the parking lot and
the gentleman who emerged engaged us. He seemed like a senior person and he
spoke English. We explained the situation and he was well aware of the status.
He explained that they were not sure what the issue was and that Cummins may
need to simply replace the generator, but he was waiting on their response.
While we stood there, he called his contact at Cummins and requested assistance
in the matter. He assured that they would go where ever they needed to in order
to reinstall the generator once repaired or replaced. We talked boats for a bit
and it sounded as though he also owned a boat yard that commissioned Jeanneau
Yachts.
Since he was being so accommodating, I pulled out my toasted
relay and asked if he knew where we could get a replacement. He made a call to
his supplier or electrical tech, I am not sure which. They said that Boma
stocked them and told him where to find them in the warehouse. Someone brought
one out and he gave it to me. I asked what I owe him and he said he would put
it on my warranty tab!
On the way back to the boat we stopped at the grocery store
for a couple items and the fruturia for fresh vegetables. The selection was
great and the produce was beautiful. We filled a couple bags for 14 euros. With
our knap sacks filled we headed back to the boat and off loaded. Back out on
our bikes we stopped at the Chandlery, but it was still the bewitching hour. We
decided to put our bikes away, get cleaned up and walk back into town, maybe
even buy a fresh fish for dinner.
Once showered and lounging in our robes Suzette remembered
that she had signed up for a live presentation by the Economist Magazine that
would start at 1700. I mixed cocktails and we settled in for a discussion about
Israel and Iran, particularly the ramifications of the recent attack by Iran.
It was interesting, but no great revelations by any of the presenters; this was
a group of correspondents and editors from the Economist.
Comfy down below we settled in for dinner and a round of pinnacle.
About 2000 the wind rose quickly out of the NE and the sea built equally
quickly in the shallow bay outside the marina. In no time the swell was coming
into the marina at about 2’ to 3’ in height. The wind and swell were on our
nose , now we were bucking wildly and so was the floating dock and the boats
beside us. We suited up in our fowl weather gear to see what we may need to do
to keep the boat safe. There was a person on each of the boats next to us and
they were assessing and adjusting. The boat on starboard had a rib on davits
and the rib was slamming wildly into the dock, a rather expensive bumper. He
abandoned his power cord and loosened his lines to get further from the dock.
We stowed our passerelle and adjusted our stern lines in hopes of getting
further from the dock and the stainless-steel shock absorbed on the dock line
on the boat next door. We started the engine and used it in combination with
the bow thruster to pull in a couple feet of bow line for a larger margin of
safety. We adjusted the bumpers as the boat on starboard was getting
dangerously close at the stern with his protruding swim step. All this unfolded
as it started to rain! The neighbor on our starboard side wanted me to jump
across to his boat and rev his engine while he went forward on his bow and
attempted to pull in more bow line. I pleaded ignorance, but the reality was
that it would not be a safe maneuver and he could put the engine in gear
without me being involved. Once we were satisfied that we were safe I reclined
in the cockpit for a rest, but remained vigilant.
Finally, about 2200 I was satisfied that nothing else needed to be done and we were safe. We continued our card game and played another round until about 2400 when we crawled into bed. The wind was clocking to the west putting it more on our port side and the waves were less violent.
4/19/2024 Porto Santos Stefanos, Italy
Woke at 0400 and did a check of the boats disposition. The
wind was coming in on our beam and seemed to be riding nicely with less swell.
I managed to sleep until about 0800. Surveyed the boat in daylight and found no
damage. The rubber of the shock absorber on our starboard side did leave a
black smudge, but it should clean up easily. The neighbors were both adjusting
lines. I watched them adjust their bow lines and noticed they used a second
rope lashed to the bow hawser to hold it in place while they winched in and
cleated the line. They wanted me to tighten my bow and one of them came aboard
to show me how they secured the second line on the hawser, a rolling half hitch
as it turns out, brilliant! We secured the anchor, cleared the chain from the
chain gypsy and used the anchor windlass to take in the port hawser.
At the stern we added a spring line from the dock to the
starboard cleat to take the pressure off the port stern line and straighten out
the boat. When the wind settled a bit, around 1300, we tightened the stern
lines, deployed the passerelle and added a port stern line with a shock
absorber in it. We shackled this line to the dock as they did not have cleats
only rings, I hate dock rings. With the wind still dropped, only 15 knots on
the beam, we took up a couple more feet on the bow and we were riding nicely.
Lunch, reading in the cockpit, a nap and some minor chores
rounded out the afternoon. The wind
picked up again to about 25 and it was predicted to last until about 2100, but
we were better prepared this time. Dinner and an early bed as the wind died off
about 2000 for a very quiet night.
Dear Suzette and Bill,
ReplyDeletehappy to see your blog we like to read your adventures ...we have impression to sail with you.
Best wishes Nina and Stéphan (neighbours from Bonifacio)
ninavagner@orange.fr