After three days at anchor in strong winds finally the weather improved and we had an enjoyable sail to the island of Lavessi, about 6NM off the coast of Corsica. Lavezzi is a maze of rocks, reefs and shoal water. We 'got lucky' on our way in to the bay as we narrowly missed a large rock that was just below the surface and not shown on our charts. This could have prematurely ended our summer sailing! Lavezzi was a picturesque anchorage and included a church and a memorial to the French frigate La Semillante on its way to the Crimean War in 1855 and was shipwrecked off Lavezzi with all 773 people on board drowned.
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| Customs departing |
Just as we sat down to enjoy sun-downer's we watched a French Customs boat cruise past and then stop outside the bay. When we saw their RIB being lowered as the only non-EU flagged boat in the bay it was likely we were getting visitors! Ironic we have been in Sicily and Sardinia and never been boarded and within 3 hrs of arriving in French Territory a four man team of Customs Officers are onboard Sabbaticus. With nothing to declare, it was a short 40min visit to complete their paperwork before they departed and we could enjoy the sunset.
The next morning, hearing the boat 'next door' moving at 0600hrs due to their anchor dragging meant we were up as well. With the wind filling in we decided to get moving and sail the short distance (1 hr) up the coast to Bonifacio. Bonifacio has to be one of the most spectacular places we have visited so far. The chalk-white limestone cliffs, sculpted by the ocean are stunning to see off the coast with houses p
erched along the clifftops. 
Entering Bonifacio is via a ravine that has a fjord-like appearance that is 1,500mtrs long and 200 mtrs wide. Fortifications extend along the cliff-tops from the entrance to the site of the citadel - a natural defensive position with cliffs on all sides. The fortress was built by Count Bonfiacio in 828 with the aim to build 'an unassailable fortress and naval base' which was achieved in spite of various attacks/sieges over the centuries.
Arriving early we decided to fuel up on the way into the marina as the fuel berth was empty. While re-fueling a local fisherman pulled in alongside and proceeded to gut his morning catch and feed the seagulls creating much noise as they fought over the scraps. Safely berthed in the marina and giving Sabbaticus a quick wash down, the boat across the pier was raising their geona sail - which seemed an accident waiting to happen with the winds building. Sure enough, Leanne was on the swim platform when she heard a loud bang and saw a cleat landing on the deck which had sheared off the boat three berths down! Thankfully neither of us were in range as this would have caused some damage being hit by a flying metal object. After this we decided it was safer to leave Sabbaticus and explore!
This was a chance to stretch the legs and head up the hill to the old city, stroll around the medieval city, along the fortress walls and imagine what life would have been liked centuries ago. We visited the marine cemetery which was huge with crypts build like small houses for each family with generations interned and found it quite peaceful to walk around. This cemetery is known as being one of the most beautiful in the Med. Back on board we were then entertained with a couple of super yachts arriving and berthing just off our bow. Never a dull day and always something to watch (or watch out for) when living onboard.
We departed the next day and had an enjoyable day's sail to Castelsardo in Sardinia. Castelsardo is an old fishing village, not too touristy, with steep winding roads up to the castle at the summit - a relaxing place to wait for wind. With over 7 days at Castelsardo we are now feeling like local's in the marina as each day new yachts arrive in. We frequently feel like frauds as inevitably we get asked 'did you sail from NZ' - we are too honest to lie! We have made good use of the downtime and used the RIB to get around the boat to polish the hull and even had time to do the topsides - Sabbaticus is now gleaming. While we are reluctant to leave Sardinia we need to keep moving. Our next planned passage is two days sailing to reach the Balearic Islands.
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| View of Castelsardo from the marina |
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| View from Bonifacio marina to the old city/fort | | | |
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| Marine Cemetery - a peaceful place to rest |
After three days at anchor in strong winds finally the weather improved and we had an enjoyable sail to the island of Lavessi, about 6NM off the coast of Corsica. Lavezzi is a maze of rocks, reefs and shoal water. We 'got lucky' on our way in to the bay as we narrowly missed a large rock that was just below the surface and not shown on our charts. This could have prematurely ended our summer sailing! Lavezzi was a picturesque anchorage and included a church and a memorial to the French frigate La Semillante on its way to the Crimean War in 1855 and was shipwrecked off Lavezzi with all 773 people on board drowned. 
Entering Bonifacio is via a ravine that has a fjord-like appearance that is 1,500mtrs long and 200 mtrs wide. Fortifications extend along the cliff-tops from the entrance to the site of the citadel - a natural defensive position with cliffs on all sides. The fortress was built by Count Bonfiacio in 828 with the aim to build 'an unassailable fortress and naval base' which was achieved in spite of various attacks/sieges over the centuries.
Arriving early we decided to fuel up on the way into the marina as the fuel berth was empty. While re-fueling a local fisherman pulled in alongside and proceeded to gut his morning catch and feed the seagulls creating much noise as they fought over the scraps. Safely berthed in the marina and giving Sabbaticus a quick wash down, the boat across the pier was raising their geona sail - which seemed an accident waiting to happen with the winds building. Sure enough, Leanne was on the swim platform when she heard a loud bang and saw a cleat landing on the deck which had sheared off the boat three berths down! Thankfully neither of us were in range as this would have caused some damage being hit by a flying metal object. After this we decided it was safer to leave Sabbaticus and explore!
