41:08.22N 009:32.0E

Plan was to leave here today for a short hop round to the marine conservation area but weather forecasts suggested near gales and so we hummed and ha’d about it.  We have been snug here for five days now and had to have the conversation with ourselves as to whether we were being wimps or being sensible.  Being sensible prevailed, so we stayed put and watched the wind and the sea get up steadily through the morning.

Over lunch we congratulated ourselves on such good decision making and watched a charter boat have a nightmare trying to get their anchor to set.  Going at it too fast, not enough chain, poor quality lightweight anchor.  Not like us, we have really got the hang of it and have a super dooper heavy anchor and lots of chain that we always use properly.  We then discussed how we were much better off here because we know our anchor is well dug in because it has held us firm through some pretty strong winds for more than four days, whereas if we were in a new anchorage we wouldn’t have that confidence.  Clever, clever, smug old us.

Carol goes below to make a coffee and Mike shouts, “Get the engine battery and instruments on, we’re dragging”.  We have never dragged, even if 50 knots of wind we haven’t dragged.  Engine on, instruments on (so we can check the depth) snubbing line off (a rope that holds the chain and stops it making a lot of noise), windlass motor handset posted through the hatch onto the deck and off we go.  30 knots of wind blowing so Mike used the engine to hold the boat steady while Carol got the anchor up, as we gently slide sideways across the anchorage.  Quick circuit and back to re-lay it.  Twice.  Now we seem to be holding but we are watching it very carefully.  Wind is due to blow until tomorrow morning and then settle.

Not sure what happened but our best guess is that, because the wind is very gusty and not blowing steadily in one direction, the anchor was shifted sideways or somehow skewed so that it lost its bite for a moment and then started bouncing along the bottom rather than digging in. No more Mr & Mrs Smug!

We have thoroughly enjoyed Porto Cervo.  Google - Marina di Porto Cervo - and take a look.  Then Google - Loro Piana superyacht regatta - which will take you to the website for the event that we have had a grandstand view of for the last four days.  It’s been a real treat having such a great view of everything from our entirely free anchorage 50m away from the 200 Euros a night or more for a yacht this size at the back of the marina where we wouldn’t have seen anything.  Photographs to follow when I’ve caught up.