On 18th July we slipped our lines from Cannigione to sail to the island of Maddalena moving onto Porto Pozzo on19th and stunning Bonifacio on 20th.

The waterfront moorings in Bonifacio sit in the natural harbour. It's pulling power to visiting yachts and motor yachts is both its central Med position and its unique history and medieval citadel perched on the vertical cliffs. The harbour caters with pick up line moorings for yachts from 28ft to around our size 54ft. None of which are bookable and are on a first come first served basis.

Yachts and motor yachts 65ft and above have another area which is bookable and managed by shore help.

However when super yachts and super motor yachts get to around 200-220ft you can imagine there isn't any real space for them and pick ups would be a joke as at this size, they are huge.

In Bonifacio at the very end of the harbour there is just enough space for two super yachts.

However, the harbour is far too narrow for any super yacht to turn, more importantly you can imagine in this extremely popular location, it is impossible for a yacht of any size other than a rib to pass on either size. 

The whole harbour came to a stop when a super yacht begins to back into the long harbour entrance to its mooring.  It truly is like threading a needle with a thread almost the same size as the gap. Without much warning other than the required hoots from a horn, the super yachts reverse at snails pace. Other yachts dive for cover and moorings in any available space, a nightmare in busy season. Thankfully the last 2 super yachts, if arriving, seem to arrive late afternoon when the frenzy of yachts scrambling for moorings has reduced or stopped.

We are always in a mooring by lunchtime as being on the top end of the small size moorings there aren't many places for us.

To add to the fun of the super yacht arrivals, the skipper has to lay anchors, usually both (2) to ensure the security of the multi tons of weight.

 If you can imagine, anchors also have to be 'triangulated', that is, the first anchor laid to one side as the yacht reverses and the second anchor to the other side.  So the captain drops one anchor and reverses before motoring forward again but to the other side to drop the second anchor in an equal place before two crew pay out both chains equally, gently taking up tension to ensure the anchors are setting as well as allowing the chain to pay out as the captain reverses toward the stern to dock.   All of this requires skill and communication, however this happens with anchors the size of small boats being dropped a breath taking distance from the yachts on pontoons either side of the 'river- like harbour'.

The proximity is nail biting and we are always happy to be a distance away on inside moorings.

The huge super yachts and super motor yachts perform this ballet with precision, but we guess the skipper/ captains probably need a swift intravenous G and T or a lie down afterwards to recover !!!!!!!

The photos below tell the story but a video would have you saying ' wow' look how close they are!!!

 Sadly we can't do video on this site for you to get the full flavour, but for those of you who sail, you can imagine the close proximity.

Photos below.

Love to all

T and T xxxx