Sardinia, where to explore by rib?

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crazy4557

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Fed up with the British weather we've decided to tow our rib down to Sardinia from Lymington for a holiday end of July. We have fantastic boating area's just a few miles from home but just had it with the constant wind and rain so off on an adventure we go to find some sun.

Going to be based in Cannigione in the North East for a couple of weeks so looking for any help and advice on where to go from here to find nice beaches/restaurants and places to see etc. Happy to travel around a bit and even trailer to other parts of the island in order to see as much as possible.

I know a few from here have travelled in that area so hoping for some experienced advice. :encouragement:

On another note, are you allowed in the outside lane of French motorways towing? I know it's illegal here in the UK but the French seem to be a bit more chilled when it comes to towing. Tried on T'internet but not found anything conclusive and don't want to get nicked :p
 
crazy4557 said:
Going to be based in Cannigione in the North East for a couple of weeks so looking for any help and advice on where to go from here to find nice beaches/restaurants and places to see etc. Happy to travel around a bit and even trailer to other parts of the island in order to see as much as possible.
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Well, from Cannigione the very obvious (but indeed beautiful!) destinations are the Maddalenas archipelago, with Lavezzi and Cavallo a bit further North. I would include also one day in Bonifacio and another in Santa Teresa/Capo Testa.

If you fancy a wilder area, great for daily RIB trips, I'd suggest to trailer the thing to Santa Maria Navarrese or Arbatax (E coast), and explore the Orosei gulf from there.
Below a couple of pics which I already posted in the past, just to give an idea of two among the many stunning spots along that coast.
Great also for rock climbing on pinnacles right in front of the sea, if that's your thing.

Re. "see as much as possible", in two weeks you could also bring the RIB around the whole island and "see" most of its coastline, but Sardinia is a big island, and 'fiuaskme I'd rather enjoy some of it without seeing it all, rather than see it all without enjoying anything, if you see what I mean...

Anyway, have a great time! :encouragement:

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"Re. "see as much as possible", in two weeks you could also bring the RIB around the whole island and "see" most of its coastline, but Sardinia is a big island, and 'fiuaskme I'd rather enjoy some of it without seeing it all, rather than see it all without enjoying anything, if you see what I mean... "

Mapis, Agreed about the too much quantity too little quality. Thanks for the pointers and we will have a great time no doubt.
 
Bigplumbs said:
That is quite a beast to tow all that way

Dennis
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I'm an eternal optimist :cool:

Hoping to keep up around 70mph on the autoroute's so won't be too dull. We've allowed 3 days each way so no rush and apart from the trip through Corsica it's mainly motorway.
I have a large 4x4 so weight's not an issue.
 
crazy4557 said:
I'm an eternal optimist :cool:

Hoping to keep up around 70mph on the autoroute's so won't be too dull. We've allowed 3 days each way so no rush and apart from the trip through Corsica it's mainly motorway.
I have a large 4x4 so weight's not an issue.
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Outside of two lanes ok with a trailer in F
I would be v surprised if you make it in 3 days ,if that inc ferry to Corsica and another to Sardinia ?
Corsica is pig to drive through .I would say 1 day for that alone .
I know you've probably booked it ? But why go that far ?
SoF across from Porqueroles islands great place to RIB day boat .loads of bays .beaches , coves etc
Any mainland resort 1-2 hrs east of Marseille ,that's a good days drive from the channel .
Temp in Cannes 95 C now
 
crazy4557 said:
apart from the trip through Corsica it's mainly motorway
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I'm told that Corsica inland roads are great with a motorbike or a convertible, but I'm not sure I'd fancy doing them with a trailer.
Unless you have specific reasons to drive through Corsica, you might consider going straight to Sardinia by ferry.
I'm not sure about whether there are any from SoF, and if yes from where exactly. Easily googlable, I guess.
Anyway, from Genoa you can go straight to either Porto Torres or Olbia, boarding in the evening and waking up in Sardinia in the early morning, so not too bad.
That's my regular route at the beginning/end of the season, when bringing back and forth my "summer car" filled to the brim with all sort of stuff... :)
 
Well, my comment was actually meant as a joke, since you said "95 C".
I suppose/hope that both the 95 and 100 are actually meant as F... :D
 
LOL, let me tell you something based on first hand experience: senility starts well before retirement - arguably already in your early 40s. You just don't notice, 'cause a) it's a progressive process, and b) you are distracted by other trivial activities.
When you get rid of these distractions, it's sanity that actually takes over, eventually making you understand that senility has already taken its toll ... :D

PS: enjoy your new life! :encouragement:
 
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Portofino said:
Outside of two lanes ok with a trailer in F
I would be v surprised if you make it in 3 days ,if that inc ferry to Corsica and another to Sardinia ?
Corsica is pig to drive through .I would say 1 day for that alone .
I know you've probably booked it ? But why go that far ?
SoF across from Porqueroles islands great place to RIB day boat .loads of bays .beaches , coves etc
Any mainland resort 1-2 hrs east of Marseille ,that's a good days drive from the channel .
Temp in Cannes 95 C now
Click to expand...

We've allowed a whole 12 hours to drive from the North to the South so hoping that will be OK. Looking at Google it appears the roads maybe a challenge so I'll bear that in mind. We are returning directly from Sardinia to France by ferry so I guess only the one potentially challenging journey.
The whole trip may take longer but it's an adventure and we're on holiday so happy to accept some challenges on the way. If anyone has driving tips for Corsica feel free to share.

BTW can you use the third lane with a trailer in France?
 
We were based in Olbia for a season and as Mapism says the obvious destination is any anchorage in the Maddalenas archipelago and the Lavezzi and Cavallo islands on the other side of the Bonifacio strait. The choice of anchorage is going to be based on the wind direction and there I have to add a note of caution. We found it pretty windy in this area and the seas can pick up very quickly. Make sure you've got a good forecast before you set out on any open sea passage. In fact I hate to say this but if you're hoping to escape the wind in the UK for calmer waters this area wouldn't be my first choice. If you get a period of strong NW mistral winds forecast you might consider heading to the east side of Sardinia where as Mapism also says there is some beautiful and less crowded coastline to explore
 
Deleted User said:
We were based in Olbia for a season and as Mapism says the obvious destination is any anchorage in the Maddalenas archipelago and the Lavezzi and Cavallo islands on the other side of the Bonifacio strait. The choice of anchorage is going to be based on the wind direction and there I have to add a note of caution. We found it pretty windy in this area and the seas can pick up very quickly. Make sure you've got a good forecast before you set out on any open sea passage. In fact I hate to say this but if you're hoping to escape the wind in the UK for calmer waters this area wouldn't be my first choice. If you get a period of strong NW mistral winds forecast you might consider heading to the east side of Sardinia where as Mapism also says there is some beautiful and less crowded coastline to explore
Click to expand...

Will certainly heed your advice re forward forecasts, appreciate your advice.
Aware of it's windy reputation but wind in a hot sunny climate is certainly bearable in comparison to our wind here in the UK that generally includes heavy cloud cover and lowish temperatures so not bothered too much. Choice of destination was based on meeting up with specific friends already going so a small compromise.
BTW based in NE top corner so some shelter from NW mistral if and when it happens. Happy to sit by the pool on days with too much wind, minor first world problem :)
 
For the records, while I fully agree with Deleted User that Bonifacio Strait has a reputation for strong Mistral funneling through between Corsica and Sardinia, creating nasty sea conditions at times, in your boots I wouldn't be too worried.
First of all, from Cannigione you will have just a short (4 or 5 NM, by heart) and reasonably sheltered route to reach the S bays of Caprera, that offer an excellent protection from Mistral. For Deleted User, the route from Olbia was longer and more exposed.
Secondly, a big RIB like yours is actually perfect for dealing with the typical local chop - though you might wish to pick a calm day for visiting Lavezzi and Cavallo, which are a bit more far away and require crossing the whole strait.

Oh, and talking of local wind conditions: in the Orosei gulf which I previously suggested, being along the E coast, Mistral ain't a big concern.
But a friend of mine who used to have a similar RIB, and one summer did what I recommended (i.e. keep it in Santa Maria Navarrese and head N from there for daily trips to the Orosei gulf), was caught by a sudden SE blow rapidly developing out of nowhere in the early afternoon.
He underestimated it at first, and spent another hour enjoying the place, before heading back S towards the marina.
As a result, the trip back took him more than 2 hours of a very uncomfortable and wet ride, as opposed to 15 mins flat out in the morning... :(
 
Lots of interestng info in this thread.

Flying to Sardinia (Olbia) tomorrow, staying at hotel near Porto Rotondo and exploring the island by car.
 
If you like it busy, then the shallows around Ile Piana on the southern tip of Corsica are a RIB playground without, as far as I know, the anchoring restrictions of the Maddalenas. As others have said, keep an eye on the weather to get back across the straits.

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