Greetings from Corsica - News and Photos
Greetings
from We have been very lazy in
failing to compile any sort of record of the last 4 weeks or so. However we are
staying an extra day in Bonifacio with strong easterlies, so an extra moment in
time! We returned to Ione in Daylight on the next day
revealed a waterline clogged with weed. This must have happened since we left
the boat just before Christmas. A couple of hours in the dinghy with brushes
improved the situation but still left a garden below water. The next day, Sunday, we
decided to try to move to Ciutadella for the planned lift, clean, antifoul,
polish etc at the excellent Llomparts yard. Full power under engine gave us no
more than 4 knots, dragging our garden, however with the help of the wind we
proceeded slowly around the south coast towards Ciutadella. Lunch came but then
the wind died – on engine but no drive. Further investigation revealed
that the linkage to the gearbox had failed. However a string lashing gave a
temporary cure and we eventually made Ciutadella with some relief. On Tuesday we limped
around to the yard for a lift: Not a pretty sight and
declared by Jaume to be the worst he had seen in many years. However easily
rectified and, on inspecting the gear linkage, Bruno declared that this was a
simple job of machining a new circlip. With Ione now in safe
hands we were able to take the bus to By Friday 17th
we were back in Ciutadella to watch a very different Ione being launched. New
anodes, antifouled, gearbox repaired and hull sparkling with polish. So on Saturday, a week
after arrival, we were finally ready to do some sailing. The wind looked fair
for two or three nights at anchor around the island. Cala Alguyrens was
beautiful as ever and completely deserted. The next couple of days
we planned to spend on the south coast calas. However this was not to be. Off
the west coast the engine hiccupped a couple of times and then, off Cala Taller
it died. Investigation revealed a blockage in the main outlet pipe to the
engine. Cleared, we were underway again but undecided whether to put into
Taller, with no phone connections, or to try to make Opening the top of the
fuel tank revealed considerable bug growth so we spent the day trying to find
someone to resolve the problem. Finally Ulf, now semi-retired but the Volvo man
with 30 years experience, came to our rescue. The next three days were
expensive. First the tank – with 180 litres of fuel – had to be
drained then flushed with alcohol, and filters changed. Then we had to motor
around the harbour with a minimum of fuel to burn off any nasty remnants, then
refuel with 200 litres. However by Thursday 23rd all seemed well and
the forecast for the next couple of days was benign. Finally we were back in
cruising mode and on Friday 24 April, once the early fog had cleared, we set
off for On arrival in The entrance to Alghero
is very attractive and we were met in the entrance by the Aquatica Marina RIB
to guide us in. As we backed onto the quay we were met with much waving. Lo and
behold there were Margot and Harry from No Agenda, wintering there, Griff and
Jane from Cocobaru, visiting for the weekend, and Frank and Judy from Shalini,
up for the weekend from We spent a very enjoyable
three days in Alghero, socialising with Harry & Margot and also Peter and
Anne from the catamaran Wild Cat. Our time in Alghero was
topped off by a massive €40 11-course meal, including endless
wine for the 6 of us, in restaurant Mabrouk close to the marina. Thursday 30th
April saw us underway again, heading north towards the top of Mayday gave us a mixture
of motoring and sailing to Castelsardo. It being a public holiday we had no
help from the marineros and with the wind hard and just not straight onto the
quay, mooring was not fun, however with the help of a Swede from a nearby boat
we finally got sorted. Last year we had only
enough time to spend one night in Castelsardo and had not been able to visit
the town perched high on the cliffs. Now was the time to rectify this. The town in perched on
top of the headland. With wonderful narrow
streets and a campanile overlooking the sea. Last year the winds in
the straits of Bonifacio had precluded a visit, however with a gentle breeze
forecast we decided that we should try to get to Entering though a small
gap in the cliffs, one turns to starboard as a whole cala opens out with the
citadel to starboard. In some ways reminiscent of Ciutadella but on a grander
scale. We had no reply to our call on Ch 9 but were met by a RIB who guided us
to a mooring – but no marineros ashore so SMB made the death leap with
shore lines! A walk up the steep path
to the citadel gave fantastic views over the harbour. And the old town was
fascinating, despite the plethora of tourists and restaurants. Doorways from the narrow
streets lead to stairs up to six storeys. In olden times many doors had no
stairs but only ladders to the first floors! From the top one could
see not only the harbour but the cliffs outside. Today –Tuesday 5th
May – has been very windy from the east – wrong for us, but now
changing to the west. Our plan is to head towards La Maddalena harbour
tomorrow. We were there last year but would like to explore in more detail.
Thereafter we need to get to Santa Teresa di Gallura but with a gale due at the
weekend we may have to move there on Friday. However we should be able to pick
up some of the British Election results before we move. Our plan now is to leave
Ione in Santa Teresa di Gallura for a month. We will return to Tony & Sarah, Bonifacio – 5 May
2015 Malo 37 – Ione
– http://blog.mailasail.com/ione
Malo 37 - Ione http://blog.mailasail.com/ione |