The last blog was sent after we had been refused exit at the port of Genoa and we went back to the old port and tied up again and enjoyed an unexpected extra day of rest.  This blog is being composed while we are enjoying the peace and tranquillity of the River Arno - a short bus ride to the centre of Pisa. We arrived here on Monday afternoon and Tuesday we spent the day exploring the city.

On Wednesday (15^th) we left Genoa and motor-sailed, in sunshine but no wind, about 20 miles along the coast.  The first port we arrived at claimed they were “full” so we had to go on to the next one – only a mile further along – at Lavagna.  There were a number of large sheds behind the small, friendly marina and it was obvious that it had been an important centre for the manufacture of elegant motor cruisers in the recent past.  We enjoyed a pleasant evening meal in a nearby restaurant with the name of ‘Gargantua’.

On Thursday we continued along an interesting coast line with rocky cliffs, nature reserves and the occasional small village on the hillside.  The sea was so flat and calm it was if it had been ‘ironed’.

Our destination was a small fishing village called Porto Venere which was tucked in a small inlet which was a short channel into the bay of La Spetia.  Not only was the port and village very pretty and picturesque, it was also crowded with tourists.  Apparently it was very popular with the poets Byron and Shelley in their days. The port was full of small motor boats and a few sailing boats and we were remarking on this fact (that it was ‘off route’ or too small for the large gin palaces) when two large, expensive motor yachts came in and blocked the centre of the port (You can just see one of them in the departing picture below).  The affront this caused to us was offset by the enormous mooring fee they must have been paying.  (They tried to charge us the eye-watering sum of 96 Euros for the night!)

Next morning we followed the channel through to the bay of La Spetia  (the above R H picture shows the view behind us) and then carried on down the coast to Viareggio.  On the way we were remarking on the surprising snow-line on the hills behind the coast line.  It took some while before the ‘penny dropped’ – in fact not until we passed the town of Carrara, famous for the Italian white marble which comes from there, that we realised the strange ‘snow-lines’ were in fact the marble quarries and the associated dust and residual chippings. 

Viareggio is still involved in boat-building and the large boat-hoist is one of the first conspicuous signs of the place.  Because the coast line has now become a very flat sandy plain in front of the mountains, the bays become quite shallow and the entrance to the port of Viareggio was achieved by aiming for a large and prominent hotel on the beach and only when the red (port-side) entry beacon was at 190 degrees could you then turn to 180 degrees and enter the port.  This made sure you didn’t come into contact with the sand bank which had built up at the harbour entrance near the green (starboard side) beacon.  When you read these instructions it adds an extra dimension, in terms of adrenalin-flow, to your pilotage skills and you keep a very close eye on your depth meter (which was down to about 3 metres).  The forecast indicated that that there was likely to be increasing winds as the afternoon progressed and then continue for the next few days.  Perhaps the ‘red sky at night’ was supporting that forecast.

On Saturday, the forecast winds increased  to force 6 and the surfers were out in force enjoying the steep rolling waves which were breaking across the entrance and into the sandy beaches.  (The general rule for sailors is that if wind conditions are being enjoyed by wind-surfers and body-surfers, then you should be tied up safely somewhere.) 

We were not surprised to discover that no boats were moving in or out and the entrance was considered dangerous because of the shallow sea and the wave height.   We were advised that this wind from the south-west was called “Libeccio” and the conditions could last for 2 or 3 days.  “But then it will be better!”  On Sunday the winds dropped but the sea was still very rough and we decided to stay.  However, the rough seas were causing surges into the inner harbour and the pontoons and the attached boats were bouncing about.  It was very uncomfortable on the boat; we went for a walk.

While we were in Viareggio, we befriended an young Italian sailor, and his girlfriend, who were based at Pisa and – once they learned it was our intended destination and where we were hoping to leave the boat for a few days – he phoned up the small boat-yard where he leaves his boat and arranged a space for us.  He also explained that Pisa does not (yet) have its own seaside marina and boats are left at a number of small boatyards which line one bank of the River Arno which leads up into the city of Pisa.  We had already read about the need to beware of fishing nets “which spring out of the river” and the overhead cables which carry these fishing nets and the limited depths of the river.

On Monday morning (20^th), the weather forecast was for light winds and a slight swell.  The entrance to the harbour was much smoother than the previous two days but there were still waves breaking over the sand bank on the left hand side.  Gianlucca and partner set sail – in order to get back to work – and we confirmed we would follow shortly after he had tried to allay our fears about the overhead cables “no problem, my mast is nearly as high as yours and I have about 2 metres spare! Don’t forget, keep well to the left!” 

So we decided to set sail.  With one eye on the depth meter and the other on the breaking waves on the left hand side, we made a very rolly exit.  Just as we were congratulating ourselves that we were through the passage and we could now turn out to sea, we were suddenly aware of an official customs launch (Guardia di Finanza) approaching us.  However, as soon as he caught sight of our red ensign at the stern he peeled away and gave us a cheery wave.  Presumably he realised that British sailors have no money or they are no good at smuggling.

For a change, the wind was on our beam and although it was only a very gentle breeze (between 7 to 8 knots) we had a wonderful sail (at 3.5 to 4 knots) for about 3 hours until we reached the mouth of the River Arno. There was still a slight swell remaining but this was with the wind and across our beam and we just rose and fell gently with the sea.  It was the best sail so far this trip.

The entrance to the river was not marked with a harbour wall or a line of rocks but rather a line of fishermen’s huts with their gigantic flat nets suspended outward on arms. 

The depth suddenly went down to 2.5 metres, under the keel, and the water changed from the green-blue sea to the brownish river water.  About 1 mile up river (our target boat yard was about one-and-half miles) we spotted the overhead cables.  They were well marked with plastic orange balls and were much higher on the left hand side than the right but it was still very difficult to judge with any confidence whether our 15.8 metres of air-draft would pass underneath.  I reduced speed to the minimum possible and Elizabeth positioned herself at the bow of the boat in order to look back and up and shout if I needed to reverse and abort the attempt.  Gradually, we passed under and we reckoned we had about 1 metre spare above the mast.  This event wasn’t helped by a very large net suddenly appearing out of the water on our right-hand side, complete with a large fish flopping about in the middle .  A few more metres and we backed in and tied up safely in the allocated space at Canteri Arno Mare and met Signor Vittorio Angelino, the boat-yard owner.  He spoke no English but was expecting the English friends of Gianlucca.

After our fair share of excitement and stress for one day, we rewarded ourselves with a Campari and soda and very nice meal at the recommended restaurant next to the boatyard “7 Nani” (Seven dwarves).  It wasn’t cheap but it was very good.  It was overlooking the river and it was very tranquil.  We spent a very peaceful night on the river.

A regular bus service passes by the boatyard and we caught the bus on Tuesday morning and spent the day wandering around Pisa admiring the statues of Victor Emmanuel  ll (The ruler responsible for uniting Italy) and Garibaldi (a famous Italian General) .  We went to admire the Cathedral; its separate Baptistry and the Campinale, with its famous inclination.  It really does lean at such an angle that it appears to be defying gravity by remaining standing.

Tomorrow, we will catch the bus to Pisa and then another to the aeroport, which is only about 5 miles from the boat.  We then look forward to a hectic week catching up with friends and family before returning to the boat on 30^th June. 

Best wishes to everyone, Ron & Elizabeth.

Ron & Elizabeth HOWARD

Eliza B,  Moody 36 (1998)

+ 44 7768 816 579

+ 33 (0)6 11 66 79 08

http://blog.mailasail.com/elizab