Cagliari (Sardinia) to Cala D'Or (Mallorca)

Mira's Web Diary
Gordon and Catherine
Sat 5 Oct 2013 14:32
39:22.13N 03:13.62E Wednesday 1100, we're off again, saying farewell to Italy. This will be our longest leg yet, some 292NM which should take about 58 hours. The forecast is easterly force 2-4, then becoming 5 gusting 6, but at the moment there's no wind so we motor along the bottom of Sardinia, enjoying the sunshine and remarking on seeing 4 or 5 naval vessels out on the water. About 5pm there's nothing around us when suddenly a naval helicopter arrives, circles twice round us and then hovers beside us with the officer gesticulating. Is he waving to us (unlikely to be a social call) or is he telling us to go away - away from what or away to where? We're about to call him but he gives up and flies off. We continue baffled but 10 minutes later he's back and hovers beside us again and this time there's a stream of Italian on channel 16. When I respond (very difficult because of the helicopter noise) he switches to English and tells us they're carrying out a naval exercise and we must change course to 180 degrees. Almost as soon as we've turned there's the deep boom of guns firing so we're best out of the way. There's now a nice breeze so we have the best sail of the project so far - the only snag is that Mallorca is somewhere off our starboard quarter (I.e. behind us!)

By nightfall we're back on track with the wind behind us and all is well. Gordon's taken over the watch and I'm drifting off to sleep just before 11pm when he calls that an Italian naval warship is calling us up by position and will I sort it out because he needs to be on the helm. Ahem, yes, right - how do I make contact? I settle for calling 'Italian warship' and to my slight surprise get an immediate response. The vessel on our port side is carrying out night-time air activities and we are requested to increase our CPA to 2NM. I've no idea what a CPA is and have to ask for more specific direction. We're told to change direction 20 degrees to starboard and thanked for our co-operation. So, another diversion and back to bed with jangly nerves.

By morning the wind's right up and the seas are building too. All day the wind increases and by nightfall it's consistently force 7 gusting 8. We've sailed in higher winds but never with such big following seas and it's frightening. A wall of water appears behind the boat and it seems inevitable we'll be swamped, but at the last minute the stern lifts up and rides over the top. Breathe again and wait for the next one. We manage to take most of the waves on the quarter and Deep Blue is very capable but several times we're 'pooped' and water floods the cockpit. We've only got a scrap of sail out but our speed is still over 7 knots as we're pushed by wind and wave. It's worse being night-time, especially as there's no moon, and the sound of the water hissing and fizzing around the boat is horrible. I vow to forget sailing and take up crochet as a hobby.

Morning arrives and the wind begins to die although it takes ages for the sea to settle. We make all speed to Cala D'Or and it's a great moment when I take down the Italian courtesy flag and replace it with the Spanish. We arrive at dusk - both Deep Blue and we are wet and shattered and it's a huge relief to tie up in the marina.

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