From Corsica to Sardinia – News and Photos

 

We last put pen to paper – or the electronic equivalent – four weeks ago on 26 June when we had just arrived in Port Togo, on the outskirts of Bastia, after an easy passage from Elba. It was good to be back in France with pâté and croissants as a change from Italian cured meats and rather hard bread.

 

 

The Vieux Port in Bastia is much more attractive than Port Togo but more expensive and more subject to swell. Port Togo is a modern complex, surrounded by fairly ordinary (and noisy) bars and restaurants – although both this year and last we ate quite well in a Lebanese restaurant. One huge plus is the massive Géant supermarket just across the road whither we made two visits, filling our granny   trolley both times.

 

From Bastia we continued our anti-clockwise tour of Corsica, going north to Macinaggio where we anchored in the bay just across from the harbour, spending much of the afternoon swimming.

 

 

From Macinaggio it is only 8 miles or so to Cap Corse on the northern tip of Corsica. We rounded Capo Grosso, our most northerly spot, exactly a year and a day after our last visit. Cap Corse has a ferocious reputation when the wind blows but on both our visits we have had benign conditions and been able to enjoy the wonderful views and the sights of the many Genoese watchtowers.

 

 

Just a few miles south of Cap Corse on the western coast is the Anse d’Aliso, a beautiful bay with a backdrop of mountains but barely mentioned in the pilot books. Here we spent a delightful night alone apart from one other boat.

 

 

From Anse d’Aliso we gave St Florent a miss. We stopped there last year and there was not a lot to see other than outsize motor boats with crews in uniform and a sense of mírame. However the coast west of St Florent is superb. There are no roads and the beaches can only be reached by boat. Here in the Baie de Saleccia the beach was totally deserted by evening.

 

 

We spent a night off Saleccia and then another in the Anse d’Algajola. We could easily have spent more time anchored off this coast but the forecast was for the weather to worsen and so we decided to make our way to Calvi.

 

 

The view of the citadel of Calvi is spectacular. For our first night, 1 July, the harbour was full so we took a mooring just outside the walls although this turned out to be less than peaceful with loud disco music from the shore.

 

 

The next day we did manage to get a slot in the marina. We were glad of this as the very fresh breeze would have given us quite a problem getting ashore from the moorings. In all we spent three days in the marina whilst the strong winds blew through. Plenty to occupy us: a laundrette, much provisioning, a stiff climb up to the cathedral in the citadel and of course a meal ashore. We were surprised at the dearth of British boats – both times when we have been to Corsica there have been very few British on the west side which is such a beautiful coast.

 

 

Our next stop was Girolata. This is very much a tourist destination surrounded by sheer cliffs and accessible only by sea. Depths fall off to 600 metres less than half a mile offshore. The harbour is filled with moorings, tightly packed with only 5 metres or so between boats at this time of year, and expensive at €41 per night. However the place does have a charm.

 

 

Only 4 miles away is Cala Tuara where one still gets the magnificent views but at anchor and at no cost.

However we did return to Girolata the next day as a high swell was forecast, and we could extravagantly order a bouillabaisse at a restaurant overlooking the harbour.

 

From Girolata we spent the next night anchored in Anse de Chiuni, not too disturbed by the Club Med activities ashore. From thence, needing refuelling and revictualling,  we sailed south again and through the Iles Sanguinieres to Marina Tino Rossi in Ajaccio. Unfortunately, it being a Friday afternoon, all the charter catamarans were queuing for fuel before Saturday handover so there was a long period gilling around waiting for the berth – bow thrusters are so useful!

 

After a couple of nights in Tino Rossi and an excellent meal at Da Mamma we were able to get away from harbours to anchor for lunch in Anse de Chiavari and then for the night in Anse de Barbicaja which we judged to be more protected from the swell.

 

 

Last year we had picked up moorings in Porto Pollo and we had thought of doing the same, however on the Cruising Association website there was positive mention of a bay to the NE of Porto Pollo – Baie de Taravo – where we found an excellent anchorage in 5 metres on sand. The next morning we were entertained by a posse of horses swimming.

 

Although there was little wind that morning – Tuesday, 12 July – there was a forecast for a mistral to arrive that evening so we headed for Propriano, booking in for 4 nights. We were glad to get in when we did as by the next morning the marina was totally full and boats were being turned away, some to try to tie up to the commercial quay. The west basin in Propriano is not the best sheltered from the swell so we surged and bumped against our neighbours for much of the time, but at least in safety. A few walks ashore, a laundrette for the cockpit seat covers, and a couple of meals out passed the time easily. Sadly the Bastille Day fireworks were cancelled due to the bad weather and that same day one heard of the horrifying killings on the front in Nice.

 

 

Most interesting was a visit to the cemetery. Although Corsica is now French, almost all the names are Italian in origin ending in “i”. Propriano was extremely remote and with little movement of families – the same names keep occurring – and close analysis would reveal which families were allied or  intermarried and which feuded. Propriano was noted for its blood feuds and vendettas right up to the 1990s.

 

 

As the weather eased we left Propriano initially to anchor in Campomoro for lunch and then back to Tavaro for the night where fire fighting planes were picking up water.

 

 

 

The anchorage at Scogliu Longu is tiny but the rock formations make it a worthwhile lunch stop. Sadly the jellyfish stopped us swimming!

 

 

Thence to Roccapina with its superb ‘ recumbent lion’ rock formation. Here we spent two idle nights, relaxing and swimming. Reaching this anchorage on 17 July meant that we had completed our circuit of Corsica, having first anchored here on 6 June!

 

 

Leaving Corsica, with some regrets, we headed SW to Sardinia to anchor just off Isola Piana at the entrance to the Fornelli Passage. This is an ‘interesting’ dog leg with about 4m of water in the channel but rocks on all sides.

 

 

The water here was wonderfully warm and totally clear. The anchor – well bedded into sand, was clearly visible 6 metres down. As an aside, our Rocna has held brilliantly in all conditions so far.

 

Passing through the Fornelli passage we headed south along the west coast of Sardinia to anchor for the night in Porto Conte before going into Marina Sant Elmo in Alghero. Stepping ashore after the previous five nights at anchor, we were both distinctly wobbly on our feet. However we spent a useful 24 hours in harbour buying provisions and getting a new gas bottle – and eating! Mabrouk restaurant is amazing – ‘only fish, only fresh, only evenings’ emblazoned on the waiters’ T-shirts. An 11 course meal for €40, all we could eat and all the wine we could drink. Having visited last year we had wisely avoided lunch!

 

Leaving Alghero on Friday 22^nd July we stopped for lunch and a last swim in Cala Galena before coming on to Fertilia to Base Nautica Usai for lift out.

 

 

The yard has recently acquired a huge 60 tonne capacity lift truck which rapidly hauled us out and placed us in a very solid cradle. The yard is a slightly strange place – run by Cesare Usai, aged 81, who started it in 1950, and his daughter Carla it has quite a number of moorings, but mostly permanent rather than for visitors, and a lot of hard standing with a plethora of boats of all shapes and sizes – however most of them seem to be in a state of disrepair and permanently stuck here. Facilities are basic – one loo / shower each for M & F, wifi which is almost unreachable, electricity which does work as long as one does not overload it with a kettle. However inexpensive, and only 10 minutes from Alghero Airport. so convenient.

 

Today, Sunday 24^th July, it has poured with rain plus thunder and lightening, so a useful time to update the blog. Tomorrow we fly home, returning here on 25^th August.

 

 

Tony & Sarah,

Fertilia, Sardinia – 24 July 2016

Malo 37 – Ione – http://blog.mailasail.com/ione