Spellbinder's Web Diary - Mon 25 May 09 to Sat 30 May 09 Ajaccio

Mon 25 May 09 to Sat 30 May 09 Ajaccio - Marine de Giottani bay, Corsica

Spellbinder

Sun 31 May 2009 09:09

We set off from Ajaccio up the west coast of Corsica in light winds from the westerly sector that allowed some gentle sailing. The crew was now Henry, George and Phillip who we had met the previous day on the train from Bastia. The intention was to anchor in a small bay off the harbour of Cargese but we found rather more rock than sand there that looked bad for fouling the anchor. Also, the weather was on the change with strong westerlies forecast that would have made Cargese a hazardous place to be at anchor. So Spellbinder slipped east to the bay of Sagone that had plenty of room and a nice sandy bottom with good holding. On Tuesday 26 May we weighed early and set off for Calvi, the next sheltered harbour on the west coast. We sailed under main and genniker for most of the way in a rising wind that gave some lovely sailing. The scenery of Corsica was breathtaking with the soaring snow-capped mountains painted in different shades of hazy blue. We were glad to reach the shelter of Calvi as winds gusting F9 were being forecast for the Bonifacio strait between Corsica and Sardinia. We anchored in the bay with plenty of room as the summer hordes had not yet arrived. We explored the citadel and were reminded that this was where Nelson lost his eye, and saw the place were the Corsicans say Columbus was born. His parents were Genoese and Corsica had been heavily influenced by Genoa so there may be some truth in it. We spent two nights at Calvi as the wind raced across the anchorage but were well sheltered from any sea and spent a comfortable time there, When the weather quietened somewhat we sailed for L'Ile Rousse and anchored in the bay off the holiday beach. The wind was now in the NE which made this an exposed anchorage, so when this made the safety of a dinghy trip ashore marginal we weighed and looked for shelter in the small marina. This was skinny on depth and full of local boats, the idea of having some visitors' berths having seemingly gone out of the window. We were however offered a berth alongside the fuelling jetty and this was just fine and an opportunity to top up with diesel. On Friday 29 May we sailed all the way(!) to St Florent in gentle westerly winds under main and genniker. Having sniffed the anchorage there we decided to go into the marina and lay alongside the visitors' waiting jetty to be told that we could stay there for the night - very convenient. We learnt that in 1794 Lord Hood and the British fleet bombarded the town and were so impressed by the strength of the Genoese towers and forts that their design bcame the basis of the 100 Martello towers that were subsequently built on the south and east coasts of England to repel the Corsican, Napoleon Bonaparte. We experienced strong gusts of wind in the harbour but had the chance to explore a pleasant tourist town. On Saturday 30 May we sailed for our last anchorage in Corsica at Marine de Giottani bay on the west coast of the Cap Corse peninsular. We had a most comfortable night there in a deserted anchorage and played another competitive game of Upword in the Corsican series.