End of Summer ain't too bad, after all...

That was a really nice video mapism - thanks for taking the time to post it. Nice editing too! Good going on the freediving - I am definitely not one of the folks who might laugh!

Yes the sea has been beautiful in SofF too - we have been swimming without wetsuits until a couple if weeks ago - right up till the end of October. It's been sunny too
 
Hurricane said:
Deleted User
Where are you planning on berthing?
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Hurricane, we are already berthed here http://www.marinadicapitana.it/ita/marina-di-capitana until April next year. Because I'm leaving the boat for the winter, my primary concern was security and this marina seemed quite secure; also we were able to set up a local skipper to take care of the boat thanks to Mapism's translation! This marina is also only 30mins or so from Cagliari airport. On the downside, their travel lift only has a capacity of 40t so it can't lift my boat and I guess it won't lift yours either so I'm having to go to another yard for winter maintenance. Also Capitana is not the most sophisticated marina but there's a bar and restaurant on site and a supermarket 0.5km away. We would have liked to have moored here http://www.marinadivillasimius.it/en/ but its about 1 hour's drive from the airport; at least I thought it was but according to Mapism I may have taken the slower road to get there! I think we might move to Villasimius in the summer because it looks like there will be plenty going on there in the summer and its in a very scenic location. The downside for you of course is that its on the 'wrong' side for you coming from the West. With regard to Carloforte, I discounted it because of the ferry trip from the mainland on top of the 45-60min drive from the airport but by all accounts, it is a very pleasant location
 
Hurricane said:
Air travel seems a bit tricky - having been there, we like Carloforte - how would we, friends and family get to and from the airport?
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It takes 50 mins/70 Eur by taxi from CAG airport to the ferry harbour (Portovesme), and from there a 45' ferry crossing to Carloforte. That's why, as a rule of thumb, we usually suggest to friends who are coming to visit us, if they don't have time for a longer stay, to attach at least one day to the weekend.
Of course, it's also an each to their own thing to some extent, but also when I was still much busier working, I woulnd't have come unless I had a minimum of 3 days available.

For anyone who doesn't want the ferry hassle, I agree with Deleted User that Villasimius is the best alternative in S Sardinia.
It is indeed a one hour drive to reach the marina by car from the airport (and the difference between the panoramic road and the faster one is actually negligible), but that's all.
And the marina is indeed nice, very lively in summertime, and the surrounding coastline is beautiful - though some of the nicest spots are actually classified as natural parks, and anchorage is forbidden.
Personally, we chose the opposite side of the southern coast, back in 2006, at first just because we liked the place, as I understand you did during your short stay. But afterwards, it grew on us further, for several reasons:

1) the marina, albeit not as nice and well organised as in Villasimius, is much more conveniently located right in the centre of the village (as you probably remember), while Villasimius centre is 2.5 miles away from its marina;

2) in spite of the fact that the coastline is at least as nice as in Villasimius, there are no restrictions for anchoring anywhere, so choosing a spot where to drop the hook only depends on where the wind is blowing from.

3) the place is almost as lively off season as it is in the peak of the summer. I mean, not in terms of tourist crowds of course (we actually tend to go elsewhere in August), but in terms of local shops, restaurants, etc. For instance, right now, less than 10% of anything which is available in the summer is closed. In this respect, also Villasimius is not bad - surely much better than the most famous spots in Costa Smeralda, where in winter it's pretty much the other way round (90% dead), but Villasimius is definitely a place where it's much nicer to stay only during summer, anyway.

4) last but not least, we met a LOT of very nice people (not only Italians, btw) who chose to live in the island, or at least to spend a lot of their time there, in their holiday homes. Which btw makes for a nice win-win situation, where we often spend days at sea together with them, and in turn they invite us at their homes for dinner... And needless to say, good food and wine are almost a religion, around here. Just to give an idea, 3 out of the 5 folks which you can see in the video are excellent cooks! :)
But of course, this is something which you can only appreciate over a long period of time, and only as long as you are not so interested to stay each year in a different place.

For any further details, just ask.
It would be a pleasure to catch up in some beautiful bay rather than behind a keyboard, for a change! :cool:
 
MapisM said:
It takes 50 mins/70 Eur by taxi from CAG airport to the ferry harbour (Portovesme), and from there a 45' ferry crossing to Carloforte. That's why, as a rule of thumb, we usually suggest to friends who are coming to visit us, if they don't have time for a longer stay, to attach at least one day to the weekend.
Of course, it's also an each to their own thing to some extent, but also when I was still much busier working, I woulnd't have come unless I had a minimum of 3 days available.

For anyone who doesn't want the ferry hassle, I agree with Deleted User that Villasimius is the best alternative in S Sardinia.
It is indeed a one hour drive to reach the marina by car from the airport (and the difference between the panoramic road and the faster one is actually negligible), but that's all.
And the marina is indeed nice, very lively in summertime, and the surrounding coastline is beautiful - though some of the nicest spots are actually classified as natural parks, and anchorage is forbidden.
Personally, we chose the opposite side of the southern coast, back in 2006, at first just because we liked the place, as I understand you did during your short stay. But afterwards, it grew on us further, for several reasons:

1) the marina, albeit not as nice and well organised as in Villasimius, is much more conveniently located right in the centre of the village (as you probably remember), while Villasimius centre is 2.5 miles away from its marina;

2) in spite of the fact that the coastline is at least as nice as in Villasimius, there are no restrictions for anchoring anywhere, so choosing a spot where to drop the hook only depends on where the wind is blowing from.

3) the place is almost as lively off season as it is in the peak of the summer. I mean, not in terms of tourist crowds of course (we actually tend to go elsewhere in August), but in terms of local shops, restaurants, etc. For instance, right now, less than 10% of anything which is available in the summer is closed. In this respect, also Villasimius is not bad - surely much better than the most famous spots in Costa Smeralda, where in winter it's pretty much the other way round (90% dead), but Villasimius is definitely a place where it's much nicer to stay only during summer, anyway.

4) last but not least, we met a LOT of very nice people (not only Italians, btw) who chose to live in the island, or at least to spend a lot of their time there, in their holiday homes. Which btw makes for a nice win-win situation, where we often spend days at sea together with them, and in turn they invite us at their homes for dinner... And needless to say, good food and wine are almost a religion, around here. Just to give an idea, 3 out of the 5 folks which you can see in the video are excellent cooks! :)
But of course, this is something which you can only appreciate over a long period of time, and only as long as you are not so interested to stay each year in a different place.

For any further details, just ask.
It would be a pleasure to catch up in some beautiful bay rather than behind a keyboard, for a change! :cool:
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Thanks for that - I'll Google some of those places you have mentioned.
And maybe I can PM you early next year, when we have decided definitely but at the moment, this looks like the plan for next season.
 
jfm said:
...Good going on the freediving - I am definitely not one of the folks who might laugh!...
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Just for the record, neither am I, I don't believe ever to have dived that deep without tanks, in fact.

As an aside, an ex-colleague of mine was/is big on freediving (and I just realised he is currently the president of AIDA, Association Internationale pour le Developpement de l'Apnee). I remember being impressed by his diving when he once surprised me and my mate (we didn't know he was coming) on a dive and just did circles around us and took pics. I felt pretty a clumsy with all the gear while he just swooshed by effortlessly like a dolphin.

Amazingly demanding sport both physically and mentally.
 
Hurricane said:
Air travel seems a bit tricky - having been there, we like Carloforte - how would we, friends and family get to and from the airport?
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Mike,
there are simple solutions for that,
last year we had a car all summer down in Montenegro,
a friend (on retirement) drove it down there for a very small fee, and a cheap return ticket
I + swmbo drove the car back home at the end of the season,
its very handy to have a car in the marine, for shopping, collecting guests, spare parts, etc..
and the trip enables you to bring or return large and heavy items,
fe Belgium Local beer :) the marinèro's love it ! ;)


another option is renting a car from the airport, rates are so low today,
fe try hertz via the Ryanair webside (but others are equal)
that's cheaper than owning a second car !

sorry if I'm telling you how to suck eggs ;-)
 
BartW said:
another option is renting a car from the airport, rates are so low today,
fe try hertz via the Ryanair webside (but others are equal)
that's cheaper than owning a second car !

sorry if I'm telling you how to suck eggs ;-)
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Bart, Carloforte is a 45min ferry ride from mainland Sardinia so that is the main consideration. Also car hire in Sardinia can be very expensive. I paid over €200 per day to hire a small car from Olbia airport in August. Of course rates will be cheaper out of season and maybe cheaper in the south of the island
 
Deleted User said:
Bart, Carloforte is a 45min ferry ride from mainland Sardinia so that is the main consideration. Also car hire in Sardinia can be very expensive. I paid over €200 per day to hire a small car from Olbia airport in August. Of course rates will be cheaper out of season and maybe cheaper in the south of the island
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Today you can rent a Ford C-max for 35 euro/day in Cagliari, also for a rent in July 2015
or a Fiat punto for 29 euro/day !

Yes I know its a big effort to go to MapisM Homeport, but the reward that you get there is huge :D
 
BartW said:
Today you can rent a Ford C-max for 35 euro/day in Cagliari, also for a rent in July 2015
or a Fiat punto for 29 euro/day !
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I'm not sure anyone knows today which boating guests they will be inviting in July 2015! In any case, Hurricane never travels in anything less prestigious than a Mercedes S Class;)
 
Deleted User said:
I'm not sure anyone knows today which boating guests they will be inviting in July 2015! In any case, Hurricane never travels in anything less prestigious than a Mercedes S Class;)
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Actually I'm a BMW man - one of the people who are actually suposed to use the 3rd lane on the motorway.
The other advantage of being a BMW driver is that you can use two spaces when parking
 
Deleted User said:
I'm not sure anyone knows today which boating guests they will be inviting in July 2015! In any case, Hurricane never travels in anything less prestigious than a Mercedes S Class;)
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I can checkup the prices for a Mercedes S if thats the question :)

I think that these prices are valid all year, at least thats my experience in Marseille SOF, and Mainland Italy !, even for last minute bookings ! as I alway's had, not like airplane tickets.
I think that car rental prices (correct me if I'm wrong) are much dependant on local factors, such as car costs / organisational costs, and or on the quantity of rentals / year
in Montenegro fe, they are more expensive all year long.
 
Hurricane said:
Actually I'm a BMW man - one of the people who are actually suposed to use the 3rd lane on the motorway.
The other advantage of being a BMW driver is that you can use two spaces when parking
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did someone ever tell you what they do to the door handle of a BMW ?
 
BartW said:
Today you can rent a Ford C-max for 35 euro/day in Cagliari, also for a rent in July 2015
or a Fiat punto for 29 euro/day !

Yes I know its a big effort to go to MapisM Homeport, but the reward that you get there is huge :D
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Thanks Bart

Yep we use hire cars where it works
The best deal we had was last spring (off season) - small car hired from Gerona to Gerona for 10 days - total hire was 26 euros for the whole of the 10 days.
There is usually a bit of a con with these prices - insurance is basic and they charge high rates for a tank of fuel - no consideration on the fuel in the tank when you return it.
But - hey - these are really cheap prices.

Even in the high season, it generally pays to hire a car from the airport rather than taxis but we use both - taxis can be more convenient.

Apart from driving our own car down to Spain every now and then, we have never taken one out for an extended period.
Lots in Sant Carles do though.
However you do have to be careful with your insurance - most policies only cover 30 days away - some cover as much as 90 days.
So for an extender period, special insurance is probably necessary.
Also if it is to be a UK registered car, it will need to be MOT legal - that probably will mean MOT'ing it before taking it out and then making sure it is back for its next MOT.
AFAIK buying foreign cars (especially in Spain) is a "whole can of worms" - lots of problems.
 
Great, MapisM. Thanks for posting! Super montage and very good pic quality. You are very lucky having been able to enjoy such an October!

Please keep going on posting pics/vids from your stunning cruising ground!


p.s. What camera were you using?
 
BartW said:
.............Yes I know its a big effort to go to MapisM Homeport, but the reward that you get there is huge :D
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Thinking back to our experience a few months ago, I don't think I would bother hiring a car if I had a boat based in MM's marina.
Mind you, the roads are good and traffic is very light from Cag airport, and once you arrive in Carloforte, free public parking a few metres from the stern of your boat. Village traffic is always light, so plenty of spaces available.

The taxi concept is so cheap and easy (three of us travelling) combined with both ferry companies operating their summer schedule, the ferries berth within seventy five metres of the marina.
All restaurants, markets and shops are within a radius of a couple of hundred metres of the marina, most ones used within one hundred metres.
I suspect MM's car is mostly used for carrying their guests about and fulfilling both he and S's busy socialising schedule ;)
It's such a relaxed and friendly little village, I can certainly see why MM is reluctant to move elsewhere.
 
AndieMac said:
I don't think I would bother hiring a car if I had a boat based in MM's marina.
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Agreed.
Actually, we've got an old Ford Escort wagon (which I expected to fall apart many years ago but I'm now beginning to think that it will outlive us! :D), and it's very convenient to just leave it there all year round, so that's what we usually do.
But if I should consider bringing the boat there for some months during summer, a car is not a must by all means.
That said, I also agree with BartW, it is indeed possible to rent a car for 30 Eur/day or even less, so depending on the needs that might be a sensible alternative.
 
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Hardmy said:
Please keep going on posting pics/vids from your stunning cruising ground!
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LOL, it shows that you are (relatively) new to the asylum...
...I bet that most folks would rather think when will I stop posting always the same old stuff... :D :p
Here's a few examples of threads which I easily found looking for "aquarium", and there are probably others!
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?244256
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?281549
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?284846
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?293665

Re. the camera, most clips of this last video were made with a GoPro HD2 (at 720p), but there are also bits taken with an Android phone.
In other words, pretty basic hardware, plus just a bit of post-processing and final cut with Movie Maker.
 
Many thanks P, I actually like to think that most of the Italian flair is in the real thing (i.e. the lifestyle) rather than the videos, but it's nice to hear that the video gives the idea, anyway...! :encouragement:
 
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