SofF to Corsica and Sardinia - Med Cruise Summer 2014 (lots of pics)

[MapisM]

Wow, that's a fantastic cruise report indeed, just perfect for a dull and cold December day! Many thanks for taking the time to post it.

I'm particularly envious of the opportunity you seem to have grabbed to overnight in Saleccia, that must be magic.
I suppose you must have had some reliable forecasts ruling out mistral completely, to avoid walking straight from the boat to the beach the morning after...?

And yes, I sure like the Terranova Explorer (just to answer your STB!) anchored in the same beach, though tbh there are other boats of similar style which I like better.
Incidentally, would you believe that I know her owner?
He's in fact a friend of Mr.P, the chap which you had as a guest onboard your Sq58 with myself and Trev in Antibes. And which btw I met also with Deleted User in Genoa, earlier this year.

The Girolata mooring with one foot clearance is also lovely. What's next, a proper boat beaching, US style?
Now, that might be a sign that you are considering yet another new boat.....!

Last but not least, re. firefighting planes getting close to the boats, I would have thought that you should be used to it.
This was taken in your backyard (in fact, I'm sure I don't even need to mention the spot) during the last FDC...
...hoping that scubaman doesn't mind me posting a pic which he actually took!

 

[Hardmy]

Mooring buoys

The Delta is tied fore-and-aft to mooring buoys, the top hoop of which is through-fixed to a chain down to the seabed (just a few metres down) and those buoy chains all connect to heavy chains that run right across the anchorage. It is however a very sheltered spot.

OK, but I feel more secure when I tie like this, i.e. passing my line directly in the chain below the buoy. Do you agree?

Sorry for the thread drift, JFM.

 

[maybh1]

Absolutely sensational post - thank you:encouragement:

We did an impromptu trip to Corsica this year in our motor home whilst touring Italy and the views out to sea were fantastic

A boat trip out of Boniface was the highlight of the whole holiday

May
xx

 

[jimmy_the_builder]

Yep I think there is metal bar passing thru the buoy, connecting the top loop to the bottom loop isn't there?

Yep, exactly that

 

[jimmy_the_builder]

OK, but I feel more secure when I tie like this, i.e. passing my line directly in the chain below the buoy. Do you agree?

Sorry for the thread drift, JFM.

Sorry for dimness, but what's the advantage of tying to the bottom hoop rather than the top hoop, given that the two are connected by a solid metal bar?

 

[Hardmy]

Haha, well I was making an attempt to get close to your Croatia picture post, which sets a new high water mark in the quality stakes Hardmy

Well, thanks for the kind words. I am looking forward for lots of more reportages from many forumites. This will surely help us to survive the winter

Yes, Corsica is beautiful by sea and beautiful inland. It really is the jewel of the Mediterranean in my book. I've been over twice by car (easy ferry every few hours from Nice) to explore the inland parts and the mountains, and it is stunning. For coastal cruising, you need some luck with the weather. The beautiful west coast sandy beaches are caused by plenty of Westerly winds/stormy seas, but on this trip we were lucky. Actually you get plenty of good cruising weather June-September

I have played with the thought of keeping the boat in Taverna for a year, since Corsica is also easy to reach from Switzerland (4h drive to Savona, then ferry). After having read how expensive the mooring costs are, I am not sad about having given preference to the Adriatic (soon the Ionian)...

A Laser is a great idea. The hull is 49kg only, and about 4m long. The mast is in two sections and has no wire stays, which is perfect for a tender. I'm going to buy a carbon fibre mast and boom because they're a lot lighter (=easier to stow) than the aluminium. Not class legal but I'm cruising not racing. But yes it makes a great second tender. There are others too like the RS Fever, etc. Great way to spend an afternoon and get some exercise. A moth on foils would also be great fun but it is hard to stow and has a one-piece stayed mast. However I've recently discovered the www.glidefree.com.au kit for Laser. Made in Australia but now with EU distribution ($4000 or something, eek). Might be on my shopping list next year...

Those foils make it an even more interesting toy! The video is slightly accelerated, so it looks of course more impressive speed wise. I am wondering how skillful one needs to be, to helm with those foils?

My beam is 4.50m. a laser would therefore fit. But I am installing solar panels on the cockpit "roof" this winter so this quite large surface will be partially used. Only alternative then, are the Davits whereas the tender sits on the bathing platform. But how can I winch my tender on the platform when the Laser is already hanging under the davits? OK, the tender may be lifted by 2-3 lads, but we often cruise only my wife and me.

 

[jfm]

Sorry for dimness, but what's the advantage of tying to the bottom hoop rather than the top hoop, given that the two are connected by a solid metal bar?

I think I'd be 100% happy with the top loop too, so long as I had enough comfort about generally good construction of the whole rig (which would be the case in girolata). It'd prefer my line to be where I can see it, and not rubbing on any barnacles, and kept a bit cleaner. No major deal though and for sure one is much more relaxed about these things when mooring for a few days in beautiful weather than setting up hard-core all-winter mooring. no worries about thread drift.
Oh and if being pedantic/perfect that picture deserves some comment Hardmy "Kg" is irrelevant here. Newtons or Kg net of buoyancy might be interesting, but not just kg. For example the specific gravity of a concrete block is around 2.3, whereas cast iron is about 8. You'd be better off with a 400kg iron engine block than 700kg of concrete.

 

[jfm]

My beam is 4.50m. a laser would therefore fit. But I am installing solar panels on the cockpit "roof" this winter so this quite large surface will be partially used. Only alternative then, are the Davits whereas the tender sits on the bathing platform. But how can I winch my tender on the platform when the Laser is already hanging under the davits? OK, the tender may be lifted by 2-3 lads, but we often cruise only my wife and me.

This is tricky. Might need a new design thread! I don't see an easy answer tbh. you could put the Laser on its edge across the transom and the tender aft of it, but I guess that will obstruct access too much eg when in port. It really has to go way up top, out of the way, especially as you will only use it occasionally even with the best will in the world to be a hard core sailor!

 

[jfm]

A boat trip out of Boniface was the highlight of the whole holiday

Yep, I get that! There is that bucket list of 10 ports that every sailor should sail into in his boating career, and Bonifacio is high up on it, for reasons you will know - it is a wonderful harbour to enter from the open sea.

I think btw the list in no particular order is Bonifacio, Valetta, San Francisco, London, Istanbul, Sydney, Dartmouth, Monaco and...er... I've forgotten the rest ,

 

[jfm]

Wow, that's a fantastic cruise report indeed, just perfect for a dull and cold December day! Many thanks for taking the time to post it.

I'm particularly envious of the opportunity you seem to have grabbed to overnight in Saleccia, that must be magic.
I suppose you must have had some reliable forecasts ruling out mistral completely, to avoid walking straight from the boat to the beach the morning after...?

And yes, I sure like the Terranova Explorer (just to answer your STB!) anchored in the same beach, though tbh there are other boats of similar style which I like better.
Incidentally, would you believe that I know her owner?
He's in fact a friend of Mr.P, the chap which you had as a guest onboard your Sq58 with myself and Trev in Antibes. And which btw I met also with Deleted User in Genoa, earlier this year.

The Girolata mooring with one foot clearance is also lovely. What's next, a proper boat beaching, US style?
Now, that might be a sign that you are considering yet another new boat.....!

Last but not least, re. firefighting planes getting close to the boats, I would have thought that you should be used to it.
This was taken in your backyard (in fact, I'm sure I don't even need to mention the spot) during the last FDC...
...hoping that scubaman doesn't mind me posting a pic which he actually took!

Good STB (!) and gosh, small world! BTW, I haven't seen Mr P cruising around, but we must just not have crossed paths. I'd recognise the boat of course!
Oh yes, I know exactly where that photo is, in my back yard as you say. Viewfinder/JTB have pics of the planes there too. They come to the Lerin Islands so much I don't even reach for my camera any more! They certainly seem to know how to fly those old machines.

I anchor off saleccia quite a lot overnight. The beach angle is flat so you would need to shift say 30m before getting much reduced depth, and by then several alarms would go off. If a westerly wind comes it is easy to go into St Florent bay, even in middle of night/darkness. The holding is firm sand, and I just drop 70m of chain in 8m of depth. It's a delightful place to wake up in!

 

[maybh1]

Yep, I get that! There is that bucket list of 10 ports that every sailor should sail into in his boating career, and Bonifacio is high up on it, for reasons you will know - it is a wonderful harbour to enter from the open sea.

I think btw the list in no particular order is Bonifacio, Valetta, San Francisco, London, Istanbul, Sydney, Dartmouth, Monaco and...er... I've forgotten the rest ,

Sailing into Valetta was akin to sailing into a city made of gold - stunning

Don't forget Venice - sailing into Venice at daybreak on the Oriana was totally magical

May
xx

 

[maybh1]

Wow, monster post, thanks for that. We only joined in for the tail end of that cruise but it was fab (as NW Corsica always is). Happy days. Hope for more next summer.

It was the pictures you posted from your trip earlier that encouraged us to give Corsica a try.

Thank you

May
xx

 

[Aardee]

Thanks jfm, stunning pics and so nice to have a map for reference

 

[rwoofer]

Really easy to follow journey with the map and description, so thanks for the effort in putting it together. Would love to be able to go one day.

On the sailing dinghy front, you might want to check out a new release from RS dinghies, the RS Aero. It is basically a modern replacement for a Laser. It weighs only 30kg has unstayed carbon mast/boom etc and 3 sail sizes from 5m to 9m to give versatility with different sized guests. It is also 23 cm shorter than a Laser which makes it easier for storing and can even be stacked.

No connection other than I know a number of Laser sailors who have had a go and really rate it.

http://www.rssailing.com/en/explore/rs-aero

 

[Hardmy]

I think I'd be 100% happy with the top loop too, so long as I had enough comfort about generally good construction of the whole rig (which would be the case in girolata). It'd prefer my line to be where I can see it, and not rubbing on any barnacles, and kept a bit cleaner. No major deal though and for sure one is much more relaxed about these things when mooring for a few days in beautiful weather than setting up hard-core all-winter mooring. no worries about thread drift.
Oh and if being pedantic/perfect that picture deserves some comment Hardmy "Kg" is irrelevant here. Newtons or Kg net of buoyancy might be interesting, but not just kg. For example the specific gravity of a concrete block is around 2.3, whereas cast iron is about 8. You'd be better off with a 400kg iron engine block than 700kg of concrete.

My subjective impression, is that this top loop is the weakest part in the whole construction (after the 700kg of concrete of course which is pretty standard in Croatia). I.e. you cannot see whether the metal is corroded between the top loop and the "root" of the buoy. At least, in Croatia nobody is using the top loop. On top of that, I must add, that it is not uncommon to find this:

 

[CharlieAlpha]

Excellent report jfm, thanks for taking the time to put it all together, it is much appreciated

 

[jfm]

Really easy to follow journey with the map and description, so thanks for the effort in putting it together. Would love to be able to go one day.

On the sailing dinghy front, you might want to check out a new release from RS dinghies, the RS Aero. It is basically a modern replacement for a Laser. It weighs only 30kg has unstayed carbon mast/boom etc and 3 sail sizes from 5m to 9m to give versatility with different sized guests. It is also 23 cm shorter than a Laser which makes it easier for storing and can even be stacked.

No connection other than I know a number of Laser sailors who have had a go and really rate it.

http://www.rssailing.com/en/explore/rs-aero

Many thanks. I like the Aero very much and I'm tempted to order one right now (and keep the Laser too!). I'll look into it some more when I have a spare internet hour. Much as I love the Laser, and we go back 30 years together, it is a Morris Minor. Thanks!

 

[SLC]

An absolutely wonderful thread and cruise, photos aren't too bad either.

A great ad for Med boating, not that it was ever in doubt.

 

[scubaman]

Fantastic, just what was needed to brighten up the day! Stunning scenery, great photos and Match is looking really very nice as well. Thank you for sharing.

Btw, the stabs are doing an impressive job in the Rotondo/Bonifacio -vid @0:45 onwards.

 

[scubaman]

...hoping that scubaman doesn't mind me posting a pic which he actually took!

Of course not!

I do remember being impressed (and somewhat concerned) by their low alt flying...