11/8/13

We have cruised around the NE corner of Sardinia, although the journey from Asinara to the NE point was wind on nose and very choppy, but once around the corner between La Maddalena group of Islands and the mainland conditions were settled and scenery beautiful.  Many boats about, in particular large motor boats.  We anchored in Cala di Volpe and had a good look at the huge boats with all their toys attached, some even had slides from the top of the boat into the sea!  One had a helicopter on it!  It’s like they are all trying to outdo each other.  The hotel on the shore was buzzing with ridiculously rich people, we had a quick look in there and I felt a bit out of place with my dirty blue rucksack with sand between my toes from beaching the dinghy, standing by the Prada display cabinet!  Instead we decided to follow a sign up into the hills to Hotel Petra Bianca, and after a long hot walk we were rewarded with amazing views over the bay, lovely staff and a place so peacefully chilled in comparison to Hotel Cala di Volpe.  Pina Colada’s for Mum and I, heaven, and luckily the long walk back to the dinghy was all downhill!

A storm overnight with hale and lightening left the following day very unsettled and windy although still very warm.  We went back to Hotel Petra Bianca for a super lunch to say good bye to my Mum, after discovering that a club sandwich in Hotel Cala di Volpe was 35 euros! Mum caught her taxi to the airport late afternoon and we returned to Joy with the wind still blowing strong.  We had another storm overnight but the following day was beautiful with perfect sailing conditions, so we sailed further down the coast to Olbia to prepare for our next guests arriving, the Stickels!

Olbia is a huge port, actually far more pleasant than I was expecting having read all the pilot books.  It has a lot of commercial traffic including huge ferries and cruise ships, and the entrance in is lined with what we think are mussel beds marked by hundreds of buoys, so not very pretty.  We sailed right in to where the old commercial quay is, now completely empty with barriers along it.  We anchored off the quay next to a couple of other boats and went ashore to get provisions and then moored alongside the quay temporarily the next day to collect Chris, Saff, Lily and Tom – and with them our delivery of spare parts. It is becoming the theme for visitors, they must bring a boat part with them!

With all visitors and boat parts on board, we set sail for our anchorage just north of Olbia port on the edge of Golfo di Aranci where we could all have a swim and chill out.