Saturday, August 23, 2014

Exploring Costa Smeralda and Maddalena

On  Ferragosto my next crew arrived: Eva and Evi, my consulting and sailing friends came on board.


We left Olbia for Cala Brandinghi and when the wind turned southerly we spent the night at anchor in Porto Taverna.



 

 

With nice winds we sailed then to Cala di Volpe and on August 18th we tacked to Porto Garibaldi, where we anchored and enjoyed a lot of swimming and cooking.

Next morning we sailed north passing Isola Santa Maria, Isola Buddeli, anchored for a swim in Cala Corsara south of Isola Spargi and finally found a mooring place in Cala Gavetta harbor in Maddalena, where we explored the city, had a dinner at Ristorante Lio, and replenished our provisions.

Weather and winds continued fair and so we sailed back to Olbia in two days, on route swimming in Cala Granu and spending the last night at anchor in Cala Coda Cavallo.





We sailed 137sm in 52 hours. You may download our track in gpx-format or view it directly on Google Maps.

Friday, August 15, 2014

Cruising Costa Smeralda and Bonifacio

 

 

After having the UV-protection on our Genua repaired and replenished our provisions we sailed north with my daughter Sophie and her friend Christian Stocker




For the first evening we anchored in the far south of Golfo Pevero.




Fair winds took us north round Isola Caprera to another favourite spot at Porto Garibaldi. The next leisurely day sailing and swimming brought us to the famous Dead Mans Passage between Isola Buddeli and Isola Santa Maria.





Next day we tacked with fine weather and winds through the Strait of Bonifacio passing Isola Lavezzi. As there was no free mooring place in Bonifacio, we had to squeeze into a tiny spot in Cala Catena which was not easy with gusty winds.







As the wind became strong again we left Bonifacio next moring and sailed through Maddalena archipelago to Cala Granu.





With strong northerly winds we sailed in record speed back to Olbia, where we moored with 8 bft winds in Marina Olbia again. In the evening the staff barbecued a whole bull celebrating Ferragosto intensively.

We sailed 135sm in 35 hours. You may download our track in gpx-format or view it directly on Google Maps.

Saturday, August 9, 2014

Costa Smeralda and Maddalena with friends

My dear friends Martina and Wilhelm Brenner and Wolfgang Apfelbaum arrived in Olbia Marina on August 2nd.








After bunkering fresh local food and wine we sailed round Isola Tavolara and spent the night at anchor in Cala Coda Cavallo.






Nice southeasterly winds took us north to my favourite anchoring spot Cala Granu, where we cooked a nice dinner.






 

Next day we tacked with fine weather and winds through Golfo di Arzachena and found a mooring place at Marina di Ponte southeast of Isola Maddalena, where we visited town, had Dinner at I Curciareddhi and enjoyed various culinary experiences.




 

 

 

After rounding Isolas Spargi, Maddalena and Caprera in favorable winds we sailed south and anchored in Porto Liccia with extensive swimming and cooking.


Finally we returned to Olbia on August 7th for a good dinner at Bacchus Ristorante and the next crew change.

We sailed 141sm in 38 hours. You may download our track in gpx-format or view it directly on Google Maps.


Saturday, August 2, 2014

Porto Torres via Cagliari to Olbia

My wife Ilse and I arrived in Porto Torres on July 7th, ready to start for Olbia via the south coast with Cagliari. But force 8 winds and heavy rain held us in harbor until July 14th, when we started with reef 2 under strong westerly winds to Cala d'Oliva in Asinara.
Early next day we sailed south in nice westerly winds as far as Bosa, where we moored in the river Temo at Nautica Pinna and had a good meal at Da Giancarlo e Rita at Hotel Mannu with a crispy porchetto.

We continued south to ancient Tharros, where we took a bouy in front of the archaeological site, which we visited next morning and the beautiful Chiesa paleocristiana di San Giovanni di Sinis.


On July 18th we sailed south to Carloforte, where we moored at Marina Sifredi and had a fabulous dinner at Hosteria di Tonnara. After a stroll through the nice city we sailed east tacking against strong winds 55sm to Porto Teulada. Next morning we continued tacking and finally reached Cagliari, where we moored for 3 days in Marina Portus Karalis and visited the beautiful city and her museums and buildings. Worthy of mention was our dinners at Da Serafino  and at Luigi Pomata.


July 23rd we sailed further east to Villasimius, where we anchored west of the harbor. Next day we sailed with nice southerly winds to Porto Corallo and continued  for another sailing day north of Arbatax, where we anchored at Isola Oligastra. Against high waves and northerly winds we carried forward via rainy Cala Gonone to La Caletta, where we moored in the harbor and had a nice dinner at Giovanna Canu.

Next morning weather finally was fine and we went for a leisurely day sailing and swimming and spent the night at Porto Ottiolu. We continued exploring the nice beaches near San Teodoro and anchored for the nicht in Porto Brandinghi. Weather became gastly again next morning and forcast was stormy force 8, so we continued  to Olbia Harbour, where we moored for the next two nights in Circolo Nautico di Olbia. On July 31st we sailed a bit along Costa Smerlda via Porto Cugnana and Porto Liccia and moored finally in Marina di Olbia to await our next crew.

We sailed 510sm in 122 hours. You may download our track in gpx-format or view it directly on Google Maps.