1000sm in the Western Mediterranean Sea

The last cruise for this year should be the longest, so we started with my old sailing friends Gerhard Rothfuss and Gerhard Westphal sailing 197sm north to the Côte d’Azur on September 30th.









After 39 hours we moored at the Marina in St.Raphael, bought baguette, french delicatessen and wine, and continued to St.Tropez, where we got mixed up in a huge regatta and anchored in Anse des Canebiers at last.




On October 3rd we sailed along Iles D'Hyeres to Toulon, where we moored at Darse Vielle, took a stroll around Toulon, and had a nice dinner at Carre 2 Vigne.






Next day we sailed west to Marseille, where we were hapy to get a mooring place in wunderful Port Vieux at CNTL.





After intensive sightseeing and climbing up to Basilique Notre Dame de la Garde we enjoyed dinner at Le Gout des Choses.

After some more sightseeing we left Marseille in the afternoon for our next leg to Barcelona.














After 28 hours and intensive tacking we moored in Porto Blanes and cooked a lot of Palatschinken with Westphal's apricot jam. Next morning we continued tacking to Barcelona, where we moored in Port Vell for two nights to have time for visiting this beautiful city and pleasurable restaurant visits to Sequet de Almirall and Segons Mercat de la Barceloneta.







After refueling in Port Olimpic we sailed south 105sm in 20 hours to Port Soller in Mallorca. At noon on October 10th we anchored south of the harbor, took the dinghy and went by the ancient tram to the city. After sipping the famous orange juice we savoured delicious tapas at El Sabor.


Next day we sailed along Isola Dragonera, Andratx and spent hte nicht at anchor in Cala Portals. We continued east to nature reserve island Cabreras, where we moored at a bouy and enjoyed swimming and hiking.

In the night we awoke by strong gusts and left our bouy early morning, sailing fast northeast in a following sea to Porto Christo, where we moored in the public harbor.

On October 14th we intended to sail to Ciutadella de Menorca, but in the afternoon a thunderstorm with strong westerly gusts forced us to change plan and continue directly to Mahon, where we anchored in Cala Taulera and shifted to Cala Figuera the following morning. We took a stroll around the beautiful harbor and city and had exquisite Tapas im Ses Forquilles.



We started our last leg  over 180 sm back to Alghero next morning and sailed with favourable southwesterly winds via Capo Caccia to Cala Taramaglio in 30 hours. There we enjoyed our last swim for this year and moored in Porto Alghero on October 18th. Sea of Joy will safely remain in Aquatica Marina till next spring.






On this cruise my crew accomplished over 500 SSB short wave connections with their highly sophisticated radio equipment in a a world-wide marine radio amateur contest.

We sailed 994sm in 185 hours. You may download our track in gpx-format or view it directly on Google Maps: Part1 and Part2.

Sailing along Sardinia's West coast

My niece Ina and her friend Pauli came on board on September 22nd to experience some serious sailing.



So we sailed south with northerly winds to the Golfo di Oristano, where we anchored for the night.

Next day we continued to Carloforte, where we moored at Marina Sifredi and savoured a variety of exiting fish dishes at Pescheria Sandolo - Gastronomia del Mare.









Early in the morning we started tacking back north against nice northwesterly winds as far as Tharros, where we anchored at nearly midnight.







Using the same fair wind we reached Bosa on September 26th, where we moored at Nautica Pinna and had a good meal at Da Giancarlo e Rita at Hotel Mannu.








In nice weather but no wind we motored to Capo Caccia, rounded Isolotto Foradada and Cala d'Inferno and finally anchored for a nice swim in Cala de Bollo in the bay of Porto Conte.

After a good breakfast and intensive swimming we finished this cruise at Marina Aquatica in Alghero and celebrated at Mabrouk with their famous 12 course fish dinner.

 

 

We sailed 237sm in 45 hours. You may download our track in gpx-format or view it directly on Google Maps.

Olbia via Bonifacio to Alghero

With my experienced sailing companion Kurt we left Olbia tacking against a fresh northerly breeze and spent a windy night at anchor in Cala Granu.

Early next morning we continued tacking in fine weather and northerly winds around Maddalena archipelago to Santa Teresa di Gallura, where we had a good dinner at Pape Satan.

Finally in the evening our second crew Aaron Kaplan came on board - exhausted from a long odyssey in search for his Alitalia lost luggage.
After a refreshing morning swim at Cala Spinosa northeast of Capo Testa we sailed north to Bonifacio, where we visited the old city and her beautiful surroundings and had a good dinner at Cantina Doria.

Next morning after cleaning the ashes from last night's fireworks and refueling we continued to Cala Fazziolu for a swim and then Cala Paragnanu for the night.





On September 10th we sailed southwest to Stintino, where we had a nice fish menu at Da Antonio.




Next morning we sailed to Asinara and spent the night at a bouy in Cala Ponte Bianco. We rounded Pta dello Scorno early next day and sailed 55sm south to Capo Caccia and anchored in Cala del Bollo.





On September 13th we finally moored at Aquatica Marina in Alghero harbor.

We sailed 215sm in 50 hours. You may download our track in gpx-format or view it directly on Google Maps.

Sailing with my grandson Jonas

On Saturday, August 23rd my grandson Jonas came on board  together with his parents Matthias and Isa and their friends Steffi, Vicky and Phillip. Jonas was soon comfortable in his small world on board with his age of 16 months.













So we left Olbia for Cala Coda Cavallo, where we spent two nights at anchor and Jonas had his first beach and sea adventures. Next day Jonas and the rest of us visited the beach in Porto Taverna and enjoyed a bumpy ride with our dinghy and the new Torqeedo electric outboard engine through high waves back on board.













In the afternoon we sailed northwest to Portisco harbor. On August 29th we tacked to Porto Liccia, where we spent two nights at anchor with intensive swimming.







Weather forecast claimed heavy winds, so we sailed back to Olbia and spent two nights moored in Circolo Nautico di Olbia and Steffi, Vicky and Phillip left us for Vienna.


On September 2nd weather was fine again and we sailed back north to Porto Palma in the south of Isola Caprera, where we met our friends Gabi and Gerald of S/Y Viva Mare and stayed for two nights at a convenient mooring bouy.




Finally we sailed back to Olbia spending a last night in Porto Taverna en route.
In Olbia we celebrated Jonas first cruise at Ristorante Da Paolo.

Jonas had enjoyed his first cruise, he and his parents left after 14 happy days on board.




We sailed 133sm in 35 hours. You may download our track in gpx-format or view it directly on Google Maps.