41:03.5N 08:15.1E

Asinara

Motored the whole day from Alghero, as no wind.

Went through the Fornelli Passage.  For most of you, this is boring.  It is a narrow passage off the NE corner of Sardinia, which saves 20M of travel, or 4 hours!  It is shallow, down to 3 metres depth (IOLA draws 1 metre), and to be avoided in strong winds as the waves cause the depth to vary between 5 metres and 0.5 metres!  You have to follow a transit marked by two towers onshore, and when you reach a specific point swing about 100 degrees to starboard (right), to line up with two new towers and so avoid all the rocks.  A bit tricky, but OK in calm weather.  The sort of thing where one likes to say “I have done the Fornelli Passage”.    Beautiful clear blue water, with the rocks clearly visible.

Went to the assigned mooring in the Nature Reserve.  No response to calls on the VHF, so chose one.  Overnight, the wind shifted to the East, and gave us a rough night.  Come 8 a.m., Lesley and I both agreed it was time to move on.  We set off (unable to pay for our mooring), and returned to Fornelli Passage.  We dropped an anchor, and had a lovely day there.  Come evening, it was time to find a berth, so went to Porto Terres.