Gibraltar to Falmouth, UK

Carl joins Sabbaticus

After a long flight from NZ a friend Carl joined us in Gibraltar to sail up the Atlantic Coast. After a couple of days to acclimatize from the NZ winter, climb The Rock, and settle into Sabbaticus Carl was ready for departure. Fortunately we had a lucky break in the forecast with the Azores High providing a brief gap in the weather for us to head north in calm conditions. The previous 30 days of weather had been depressing to view as there was a constant 25-35kts of N/NE winds (on the nose) up the coast with big swells. This would have been uncomfortable for both crew and Sabbaticus requiring either large tacks of 300-400NM offshore or uncomfortable motoring head into the wind for extended periods. Although not ideal, motoring in relatively calm conditions was considered the lesser of two evils. However, before heading up the coast we had the Bay of Cadiz to cross. 

This is easy ...

Leaving Gibraltar on 2 Jul we initially had a great sail across to Tarifa Pt with gusts to 38kts providing Carl a good chance to see Sabbaticus in her groove and downwind sailing. Unfortunately the wind did not hold and despite a couple of hours with sails up/down we ended up motoring the next 43hrs (215NM) out of the 288NM passage to reach Cascais, Portugal. However, the conditions were ideal for motoring with flat seas and lots of sun. 

After a couple of nights in Cascais we then departed at 0300hrs. Ironically the early start was to ensure no headwind  which also meant departing in heavy fog with visibility reduced to 200-300mtrs around the boat. It was challenging leaving the marina with commercial vessels, fishing boats, channel markers, special marks and unlit fishing buoys to be avoided. Finally the fog cleared at 1300hrs with us then able to relax and resume listening to podcasts on watch to keep us entertained. During Leanne's watch a huge pod of dolphins visited and played for sometime off the bow waves. After a relatively short trip of 38hrs and 215NM we arrived in Bayona, Spain.

We enjoyed several days in Bayona, including walks around the fortress and tapas out at a popular bar before the forecast improved and it was time to depart for La Coruna. This passage was 114 NM and only one night at sea. Unfortunately we arrived in La Caruna at 0100hrs which we learned was rush hour as commercial fishing vessels exited the harbour. This approach was busy avoiding the fishing boats, staying in the channel and lining up the leading lights - providing Carl a good chance to practice his night navigation. After a brief stooge around the marina, we found a vacant berth and had a few welcome drinks onboard before retiring to bed at 0330hrs. Despite planning to stay a few days in La Coruna after seeing the

Carl finally gets the chance to helm in the Bay!

forecast the option was to leave soon or wait 10 days. After much deliberation during the day the decision was made to depart. It was 'action stations' for the next hour getting Sabbaticus ready and within 15hrs of arriving we were on our way to cross the Bay of Biscay with no time to get anxious about the crossing! This passage was 365NM with some excellent sailing conditions. The wind was just off the nose allowing us to sail close hauled the entire way reefed in 25kts with good boat speed making the crossing in about 50hrs! Great sailing at last!
 
Arriving late at night in Brest  we did not realise it was the 'Brest Festival of the Sea' week which is held every four years and meant the marina we had planned to enter was closed. At 2200hrs we motored down to the next marina to find the 1540 berths full and boats rafted up three abreast! Fortunately, after some negotiation with the staff and the usual 'lost in translation mistakes' we were directed to two similar sized boats we could raft up alongside for the night. The next morning the marina was like a zoo with boats moving around, sometimes raised voices and in typical French manner at full throttle. After checking the forecast and seeing no wind for a week or more we decided to leave and motor to the UK (24hrs). This was preferable to being rafted up in an overcrowded marina for an extended period.  

Departing Brest

Getting out of the marina was challenging with boats returning and not observing the rules of the road, necessitating John using the fog horn for the first time to loudly attract French Skipper's attention to make room in the depth constrained channel (believe it or not the regulations do not recommend proceeding down channels three or four abreast spanning the channel). Needless to say not all were impressed to see the Kiwi flagged yacht moving in the opposite direction on the correct side of the channel using a fog horn to make way! Notwithstanding the confusion, congestion and chaos this was a picturesque departure as we motored our way through the Bastille Day celebration fleet out of the harbour.  

Exploring Falmouth Creek's

Luxury - 6hrs off watch!

The crossing to Falmouth, UK was an easy 118NM with flat seas which we motored in 21hrs. After several days in Falmouth Carl then left us to return to NZ while we continue, now in cruising mode, to Ipswich. With Carl onboard our trip from Gib to Falmouth took 13 days, with 1102NM covered with 60% of the passage spent motoring. Having Carl with us allowed 3hr on watch and 6hrs off which gave us more rest between watch's and required less time between each stopover to recover. While we enjoy sailing with just the two of us, having Carl to stand a watch alone made us realise how valuable an experienced person can be and made it easier for us. We may need to rethink our strategy for the future - thanks Carl!
  

View from Marina in Bayona

The picturesque Falmouth Harbour

Sardinia to Gibraltar

After 11 days in Castelsardo it was good to get moving again as time was starting to slow down as we started to relax with no 'task list' to complete. With a favourable forecast we departed for the Balearic Islands. Despite the forecast for 48hrs of wind this two day trip of 230NM saw us motoring for almost half the passage which was frustrating but is typical of Med sailing.  

We dropped anchor in a lovely bay in the port of Mahon on Menorca Island. Mahon is the capital city of Menorca which is built around a beautiful (long) natural harbour with the town built along the clifftops. The military importance of Mahon harbour resulted in the island being fought over by the British, French and Spanish powers as it could protect large fleets in their entirety with the British occupying the island from 1713-1755. The anchorage was about a 10min ride in the RIB which was good way to sightsee around the harbour on our numerous trips into Mahon. As always being at anchor was a social time as we enjoyed meeting sailors from the UK, Canada and Netherlands.

John increasing the gap at La Mola

The anchorage was directly under the impressive La Mola Fortress which covers a vast area (1 sqkm) and was built in 1852. We enjoyed wandering through the fortress which is regarded today as a Spanish masterpiece of military architecture.  Unfortunately the huge technical advances in gun design made the fortress obsolete within 20 yrs as a series of coastal batteries replace the fortress. We made the most of clear water, with daily swims and John diving the boat to clean the hull. The hull dive resulted in another task - replacing a loose anode on the propeller shaft.

 Although we were needed to keep going to get back to the UK this season, it was bittersweet to pull the

Rounding Europa Point into Gibraltar

anchor after 7 days and know we were leaving the Med behind us. The passage to Gibraltar was our longest yet 550NM and four nights at sea, the bonus of this trip was a full moon allowing the night watch's to have significant increase in visibility. While we had good speed for this trip we still ended up motoring 50% of the way - this part of 'Med sailing' we will not miss! We had a short divert into Cartagena for fuel then continued on. While on watch at 0300hrs Leanne was surprised to hear Sabbaticus being hailed. This was the local authorities advising to watch out for 'a rubber boat with immigrants in front of you' this quickly broke the monotony of keeping 'eyes out of the boat', thankfully we never spotted any boats.

We sailed past Europa Point in Gibraltar at 0530hrs and headed straight for the fuel dock. Filling the tanks with 600L at .34p/L made a welcome change to the budget! Coming back to Queensway Marina felt like coming home, given we had spent three months here for winter in 2014. Our celebratory dinner on arrival was a huge steak meal and then a couple of nights later local fish and chips. We have enjoyed various conversations with the locals on the BREXIT vote - given 96% of Gibraltarian's voted to stay in the EU it was a black day when the vote was announced. With no breakages to fix (although a head pump was replaced) the Gib stopover has been relaxing while we passage plan the trip up the Atlantic coast.

Queensway Marina - an easy place for a stopover

Hiking up The Rock and trying to avoid the 'Rock Apes'

   

Bonifacio, Corsica

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. 

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 perched 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.


 

View of Castelsardo from the marina

View from Bonifacio marina to the old city/fort

Marine Cemetery - a peaceful place to rest

Cruising in Sardinia

Another perfect anchorage

With 5,700NM now logged on Sabbaticus we are finding this season sailing more relaxing and enjoyable as we are now familiar with the systems on board and how to operate them - including reefing (reducing our sails when the wind gets up) earlier which makes it easier on the crew (no more seasickness so far) and Sabbaticus without reducing our speed. The last few weeks have been spent cruising up the east coast of Sardinia.This has meant day sails of about 4-6hrs as we move between the various anchorages.  

Ready and waiting ...

With our routine maintenance regime now in place the only breakages so far have been two broken springs in the cupboard doors. We are hoping this trend continues as we make our long trek back to Ipswich, UK this summer. While the daily routines continue to evolve the best mate is gaining skills as a barber to ensure the skipper retains his sharp look. Since being on Sabbaticus the most frequently used item in the medical kit are the plasters - we have used more on a boat than ever living on land. The most recent case was the Skipper cooking dinner and slicing his finger with the newly sharpened knife. The result was no cooking or washing dishes for the next few days for him - an accident or a cunning ploy? The next time he enters the galley will be under close supervision.

Cruise Ships in Olbia

On the trip up the coast there are numerous islands, low reefs and rocks extending to half a mile offshore. Sailing past a shipwreck is always sobering and a  reminder to keep a good lookout.  When coming into the port town of Olbia we were amazed to see miles and miles of ‘bouy farms’ - we can only surmise these will be removed in summer and placed around the numerous coastal bays. While it was enjoyable to spend a night on the town quay at Olbia and visit the local markets we were both keen to keep moving up the coast to reach a safe anchorage before the next blow came through. 

First swim for summer

After several picturesque anchorages and seeing the beautiful water colours of the Med it was finally warm enough for a swim. This weather was too good to last as the next three days at anchor were gusts of 35kts - a good test for the anchor which held firmly in the sand. Hopefully in the next week we will reach Bonificao in Corsica and then cruise back to Sardinia to position ourselves for the crossing to the Balearic Islands in Spain.

Shipwreck on the Island of Rosso

Bouy Farms in Olbia Channel

Olbia Town Quay

Sicily to Sardinia

Ragusa to Trapani

Is this the future?

After a leisurely start, doing the rounds of farewells to friends the engine was started, lines slipped and we left Ragusa with fond memories of our time there. For once the weather forecast was accurate and we had great down wind sailing conditions for the 24hrs sail to Trapani. So much for an easy trip to get our sea legs, most of the time it was F5/6 then increased to F7 (28-33kts) for the last few hours. Despite starting out in shorts and tee-shirts by sunset we were in full wet weather gear with rain from 0400hrs - so much for summer sailing! 

Sunday stroll ...

We arrived at Trapani and after being squeezed into a marina berth enjoyed a leisurely day to stroll around the town before departing for Sardinia. Of note (again) when completing the marina check in our flag was mistakenly identified as Australian, but when Leanne advised it was the NZ flag the friendly Maurizio quickly did the haka actions with a big smile and then proceeded to show her YouTube footage of the haka! 

Arrival in Sardinia

It was an early departure from Trapani, but the bonus was seeing the beautiful sunrise as we headed towards Sardinia, a passage of 155NM.  Again it was mixed weather from calm to near gale conditions and long-johns/full wet weather gear again. 30hrs later we arrived tired and pleased to be in Villasimius, Sardinia and away from the lumpy confused seas.

Best mate on her birthday

After a night to recover the wind was favourable so we departed up the east coast for a 6hr sail to Porto Corallo - a  local fishing harbour with only a few cruising yachts and not much else. With the best mate's birthday looming the Skipper decided to take her sailing for the day - up the coast to Santa Maria Navarrese.  It was then out for dinner in the #1 restaurant (only 15 listed on Trip Advisor).  The menu was certainly different and included 'ewe, donkey, horse, goat and pork'. We had enough adventure this far and opted for the safe choice of pizza and half litre of local wine - which was perfect way to end a good day.

Local fishermen - Porto Corallo

We had several days at Santa Maria waiting for suitable wind and enjoyed the coastal walks along the spectacular, rugged cliffs.  It was then a hard 10 hour sail up the coast to La Caletta in 30-35kts and challenging conditions with katabatic gusts rolling off the cliffs and mountains along the coast. This was the first trip where the autopilot "Tommy" was off watch for the entire passage - due to the gusty and highly changeable conditions.  We will now spend several weeks cruising around the top of Sardinia. 



Below are some photos from this trip and a short video clip from last year sailing in Greece in perfect conditions - which we finally got around to editing now! Please note it was the skipper's choice of music to accompany the video - next time the best mate is choosing!!

Santa Maria, Navarrese

Local harbour - Trapani

Access was via the 'neighbour' at Trapani

Marina di Ragusa, Sicily

Current Forecast

After a month on board the task list is completed, Sabbaticus is gleaming, baking completed, cupboards and freezer stocked and water tanks filled (890 ltrs) we are now ready to depart for either Malta or Sardinia and now just waiting for the right weather window. We have enjoyed our time in Marina di Ragusa (MdR), a sleepy off-season coastal town with a beautiful promenade with the local town piazza and shops within easy walking distance of the marina. Apparently the town and beaches area packed in summer with 60,000 tourists  - just as well we are leaving soon!  MdR is a large marina with 800 berths, with an active live-aboard community of about 150 boats from all over the world.  It has been absolutely fascinating meeting a diverse range of sailors and being inspired by their adventures and zest for life.  The daily cruising net radio schedules keeps everyone informed on local activities and is a good source of information and expertise.

MdR Beach

Sicily, with a population of 5 million, is the largest island in the Mediterranean. MdR is located on the Sth coast and is home to the 'baroque triangle' an area of UNESCO listed hilltop towns famous for their lavish baroque architecture. With so much history close by we hired a car and spent several enjoyable days driving the country roads between beautifully crafted stone fences, stunning landscape coasts, around hectares of glasshouses - avoiding the many crazy drivers who seem to overtake only when approaching a bend in the road and groups of cyclists (always men) decked out in colourful lycra suits. What was surprising to see was the amount of roadside rubbish everywhere.

 

Piazza Del Duomo

Our first stop was Syracuse, founded in 734BC, which was the dominant Greek city in the Med and is known as the most beautiful and largest city of the ancient world. Syracuse's main sights are the historic centre of Ortygia and the ancient ruins. Ortygia is on an island joined to the mainland and is jumbled maze of medieval lanes, palazzi, cafes and markets surrounded by the coast - perfect for meandering around. A devastating earthquake in 1693 destroyed most of the buildings in Syracuse with the replacements built in the Sicilian baroque style. With siesta time approaching and everything shutting down it was time to hop into the Fiesta and drive south to Noto.

Noto is regarded as being home to Sicily's most beautiful street - Vittoria Emanuele and is known as the baroque capital with the pedestrianised boulevard flanked by stunning baroque palazzi and churches. This was a visual feast and even better when viewed outside of the tourist season. Although the town of Noto has existed for centuries, the Noto of today was almost entirely rebuilt after the 1693 earthquake that destroyed most of eastern Sicily. A climb to the top of San Carlo Church was rewarded with picturesque views over the town and a perfect way to end the day.

Temple of Concord

The next day we headed west along the coast to Agrigento to visit the Valley of the Temples dating back to 581BC. The complex of temples and city walls were built on a ridge line spread over 2km, with temples dedicated to Olympian Zeus, Hercules, Concord and Hera. The sheer size of the temples and columns was spectacular and was hard to comprehend how such massive temples could be built in ancient times without all our modern equipment. No doubt slave labour and no human rights assisted with the physical labour. 

While we are keen to depart the marina and start sailing again we will miss the ease of living in the marina including the social activities with the live-aboard community,  local vegetable markets where we can buy huge eggplants, red peppers and 1 kg of tomatoes for NZ$1.50, olives, fresh cheeses and in the cafes cheap coffee, custard filled croissants and gelato! 

Marina di Ragusa

MdR - long walk down the pier to our berth

Noto - Cathedral San Nicolo

Temple of Hera