Change of plan. We diverted to the anchorage of La Cobba on Sardinia, about 6 miles away. Once there the skipper donned mask and snorkel and found a rope firmly embedded in the slot between the top of the rudder and the skeg. This was removed and we were on our way again within 20 minutes. 

The entrance to Bonifacio is impossible to spot until one is going through it. However, there is no mistaking where one is as the sight of the fort and houses clinging to the cliff top is spectacular.

Bonifacio Old Town

Even in early June Bonifacio is crowded and with tripper boats, jet skis, ribs, catamarans and other boats manoeuvring, sometimes at high speed, it is not stress free. We had an indication from an official in a rib as to where we could moor but no help with attaching lines was provided. 

Yet one more of the joys of boating is the maintenance requirements and today was no exception. We left the boat plugged into shore-power with the fan blowing cool air. After a short saunter we returned to the boat for a cuppa but no electricity! The skipper moved our plug to another post, wiggled the connection and got an intermittent connection. As the shore-power plug needed an adaptor that was the first suspect. Both ends were taken apart, cleaned and checked. Still no joy. He then went to the Capitainerie and, in exchange for his driving licence, borrowed an adaptor from the port office. Still no joy with getting electricity. This just left the shore-power lead itself. The skipper cut a section off the end and remade the connection on to the plug and, Voila, power was re-established. A forensic examination of the discarded section indicated that corrosion had entered the live wire (but not the other two) and that the embrittled conductor had fractured across.

Just as we were about to leave for an excellent meal in one of the many restaurants on the quayside, a cupboard catch broke - a common fault on these Nauticats. We have spares and a well practised drill, so a replacement was fitted in about 2 minutes. We left hoping that that was the third and last mishap to occur on that day.

Monday 9th June.

An expensive trip to the chandlery brought back a new cable and plugs for making into a more reliable shore-power lead. We watched in awe as a super-mega yacht was reversed down the creek and on to the quay at the end. Such was its size that it dropped both bower anchors several pontoon bays from its final destination and it will be interesting to see the chaos if he needs to tighten the chains whilst we are here. The skill in the close quarters manoeuvring of such a leviathan was breathtaking.

Super-mega yacht in centre of picture facing down the creek. The boats it is next to are sizeable tripper boats themselves.

 

The Fort catching the early morning sun 

A street in the Old Town

A bit like Nelson, Napoleon was apparently seen about a bit

Not often can one look down on a tall ship - this one was The Señora. At the far end of the anchorage opposite (anchored by the bow with lines to the rocks from their sterns) is a sunken boat - not a great recommendation for using it.