29th & 30th May - Return to Corsica

Sealion
Richard Martin
Mon 30 May 2011 20:38

42 20.4N   009 32.5E

 

We left Port Palau on Sunday morning with the view to heading back North up the East side of Corsica and onwards to the Island of Elba.

 

Sunday morning was quite a stiff sail across the Bonifacio Straits F4/5 nearly close hauled. Add to that a little swell, left from the strong winds that have been blowing the previous two days, it was fairly lively. The wind and sea started to die early afternoon as we pulled into the bay off Vecchio. We dropped anchor for the night in the company of another English boat – a very calm and peaceful night. Whilst crossing the straits I had a text from some friends from Lymington in their boat (a Linssen Sturdy 50) saying they had just left Bonifacio for Sardinia – we were soon in contact by VHF radio exchanging information on our respective trips.

 

Today we woke to dead calm and what wind there was, was coming dead onto our noise – so for the first time on this trip we had to motor all day – actually the wind was so light we wouldn’t have got anywhere sailing whatever the wind direction. We are now in Port Taverna for the night. Tomorrow we have a short leg to get to the town of Bastia, where we intend staying a few days to explore the inside of Corsica, which we didn’t do last year. Then from Bastia we have a 30 mile hop over to the Island of Elba.

 

I am afraid I have no pictures today – We did see a swordfish jumping a few times about 50 yards from the boat and a flying fish took off and passed the boat – they are amazing gliding along the water for some 100yards before diving back under. All too quick for a photo though.