We had a fabulous last couple of days in Isola Rossa, in spite of it being a bit blowy. We took the zodiac on a fuel run and filled our cans with more of the expensive stuff ! We saw what must have been the rustiest car I have ever seen – of course Skipper Nigel loved it 😉 and we enjoyed lunch at a restaurant overlooking the beach…..never a dull moment as we keep saying.

All too soon it was time to move on, a 22 nautical mile hop was planned across the gulf to a place called Porto Torres. We had anticipated a bit of a swell since it had been quite windy the day before but nothing quite like we experienced. Gemini J was rocking and rolling and the waves which were behind us were pushing us along. We considered a bit of sailing but we were going up and down so much we probably couldn’t have kept a decent wind in the sails and it was quite a bit blowier than was forecast. It quickly became clear that although we could have got to Porto Torres it would have been a pretty uncomfortable 3 hours. As always we had a quick pow wow and went to our plan B – a much closer marina at Castelsardo. We gave them a call and they had space ! So, a change of destination for the first time this trip. Less than 5 minutes after we booked our space we heard a gale warning on the radio (that had come from nowhere in the forecasts) We studied the pilot book at the entry to the port and we knew if could be tricky. We didn’t know that it would be almost impossible to see from the approach. Once again it was time for me to hang on tight while Skipper Nigel negotiated the entrance – and once we were in, calm …… we were shown to our berth and helped to moor and then we breathed a sigh of relief. We spent the afternoon watching other boats also rock and roll as they came through the tricky entrance.

The next day we took the bus which very conveniently leaves from the end of the pontoon and takes you all the way up the (extremely steep) hill all the way to the castle. The views were absolutely spectacular, we could see all the way back to Corsica. Our friends were celebrating their wedding back in Murcia that day so we went out for lunch in lieu of being there. I managed to have an excellent meal with cheese in each course (by coincidence of what I ordered). Meanwhile Skipper Nigel had mussels in both his courses! (called cozze here). It was absolutely delicious, even my dessert which was a warm pastry round filled with cheese and served with lots of honey – I have never had anything like it, apparently it’s the local speciality.

The next morning I took the first bus back up the hill (an early start at 7:17 – giving Skipper Nigel a lie in). I had a longer walk around the historic centre before heading back down the hill past the beach and back to the marina in time for coffee.

After we had coffee surprisingly Skipper Nigel offered to come to the supermarket – we had great fun looking at all the different things – there is so much pasta here – fresh and dried, a full fridge section and literally a whole isle’s worth! The size of the watermelons also needs a mention – they are huge, and so heavy I don’t think we’d get one back on board – where would we put it ?? We could take the trolly back to the boat here which is brilliant so we took the opportunity to re-stock!

In the evening we were joined aboard by Jeremy and Mary who I had met in the office on our arrival day – we had compared notes on the horrendous entry conditions and jointly admired the book exchange (labelled a ” book crossing ” here, which is cute). After a book exchange of our own and a chat it turns out that one, among a number of coincidences is that they have their boat in Yacht Port Cartagena! How we haven’t met before is a mystery but we’re very happy to have met them now after a lovely evening with some great company and a fair few laughs.

Tomorrow we should be moving on, heading back towards Isola Asinara – or donkey island as we prefer to call it, onwards once again.

It was a lovely morning as we were guided out of the marina by the delightful marinero – or I should say Ormeggiatiori ….. we were sorry to leave such a delightful little spot.

As we progressed the weather started to turn a little cloudy and the sea just slightly choppy.  No worries – we got the mainsail out and motorsailed around the coast.  Skipper Nigel was having a great time (judging by the photo I found on the phone)

We had to look very closely at the charts and pilot book as we approached Isola Rossa (Red Island). There is a channel between the island  and the mainland, wide and deep but deceptive to the eye.  However, if we were to go round the island there were rogue rocks on the other side.  A fair bit of discussion and review, looking and re-looking and we headed through the channel and into the small but lovely port.  Once again, we were welcomed by the Omiggiatori on their boat and guided to our mooring spot where another very friendly guy took the lines.  The water is so clear here we could see the fish immediately heading for our boat (new snacks for them on the hull).

I went off for my customary wander and found a lovely little place with fabulous views and crystal clear waters.  Looking very good for paddle boarding and going exploring on the zodiac. 

As we’ve been here a few days now I think it’s time to write a little about the wonderful food here in Sardinia and we haven’t even eaten out yet.  Everything from the larger supermarkets to the tiny corner shops is so fresh and invariably local.  We have enjoyed fabulous prawns, avocados, melons (lots of melons) and we had a takeaway pizza too.  The supermarket steak and Italian blue cheese was delicious, as were the cheeses we bought in Corsica. Though I must admit the prawn and courgette pizza was not quite as expected (but delicious nonetheless)

We have also enjoyed getting out and about on the zodiac dinghy too – we found a hidden beach only accessible by boat or a proper hike and had an amazing time snorkeling and relaxing.  We were just sitting enjoying the view when a couple hiked towards us, they spoke English – they were from just outside Munich.  We enjoyed talking (we haven’t properly  spoken to anyone who speaks English for a while) and found out they were doing a 10k coastal hike !!! Rather them than us in this heat, we invited them to visit Gemini J in the evening.  When we got back to Gemini J we found Skipper Nigel had brought back half the beach in his shorts !!! We’re still finding sand now, a couple of days later – we’re definitely in the holiday spirit now !!!

That evening we were just finishing our delicious pasta when we heard a “hello” – after much wandering around the port they had found us !!! We had a delightful evening comparing travel stories and plans whilst sampling Sardinian beer and wine. We had an epic fail to take any photos – what a shame.

The following day it was really hot and also about time we did some washing….8 buckets later and Gemini J was officially a washing line. By that point we were boiling hot so we jumped in the dinghy and headed out to a buoy where we tied off and Skipper Nigel jumped in for a swim and a snorkel while I minded the boat.  He came back and grabbed onto the handles – he couldn’t pull himself on board.  We tried various ways – including a bit of manhandling from me !! Nothing was going to get Skipper back on board – we were about a kilometre off shore and there was nothing for it but to swim …… with a bit of towing from me in the dinghy.  That was only after I’d gone round in circles a few times trying to get the hang of the whole thing.  I am definitely no dinghy skipper but it turns out I can just about row.  If we’d been watching ourselves we would have been in hysterics.  We finally got to the shore and got Skipper back on board – we headed straight back to Gemini J for a well earned rest !!!!

That afternoon we decided to get some sea air and took the zodiac out again, it was fabulous feeling the wind in our hair and seeing the wonderful coastline. As we were heading back towards the marina the engine suddenly stopped !!! We couldn’t believe it but almost within a minute a larger rib (rigid inflatable boat) came towards us – amazingly one of the chaps on board spoke perfect English and they offered us a tow, Skipper Nigel was keen to reset the motor but I didn’t think we could look a gift horse in the mouth so to speak so we jumped aboard their boat and they towed us back. They were a super friendly father and son, it turned out the son had lived in London for four years and they had just gone out like us to get some breeze. They got us tied up to Gemini J and I managed to scoot down below and grab a couple of Spanish beers for them as they had done such a lovely favour to us. Skipper Nigel stayed on the zodiac to check out the problem and it started immediately!!!! Further investigation implies that we had probably run low on battery and we could have got back slower. Phew what a day, let’s see what tomorrow brings …..

It was a crazy morning in Bonifacio as we prepared to depart – a diver had to come to the boat next to us to sort out what we assume was tangled lines. Then marineros and other small boats milling around. This was followed by the departure of some of the larger boats in quite gusty weather. We had decided to leave later since we only had a short hop to make back to Sardinia and thank goodness we could let everything calm down (including the pesky, gusty wind). Just as we were preparing to leave the marinero zoomed up to us (creating a massive wake) telling us to stay put until the superyacht had berthed. This thing was so huge it took up the whole channel and effectively closed the port while it was manoeuvring.

Once it was moored up we started our departure, along with lots of other boats and we found ourselves battling for a position in the very crowded channel (there were also lots of boats trying to come in that had been stuck behind the superyacht too). Skipper Nigel did an incredible job of staying calm and getting Gemini J out of Bonifacio – I was stuck at the bow sitting on the deck trying to keep calm ! It was too choppy to safely move around the boat thanks to all the traffic swell. What an experience!!

We were very happy to reach the entrance/exit of the channel and said “aurevoir” to Corsica. It was another very dull and hazy crossing back to Sardinia – being vigilant for pots and even managing an hour under sail. We were elated to see the Sardinian coastline looming out of the haze and we made our way to the well marked channel into Santa Teresa di Gallura

We were apprehensive about another marina entry but we could not have been more wrong. As we were approaching the port a zodiac sped towards us, my heart sank a little, worrying about a mystery boat speeding up to Gemini J but it turned out to be the marinero – welcoming us! We followed the dinghy to our berth where there were more marineros waiting to help us moor up – absolutely astonishing!! We have never had such a professional, friendly welcome to a marina. Our spot was very, very calm and quiet – it could not have been more opposite than Bonifacio. We sat down and heaved a sigh of relief before relaxing for the rest of the afternoon. I wandered around the marina and into the town, just to get my bearings – it was lovely and lots of flowers once again.

The following day was very much a rest day, just the important jobs of changing our courtesy flag and going for a walk in the countryside. The scenery here is amazing – lots of rocky outcrops and another very underdeveloped coastline around the marina and beyond. It’s also really quiet – although there are lots of boats here it is almost silent at night. Such a wonderful contrast to Bonifacio.

The following day was boat clean day – and Gemini J certainly needed it after a few rain showers full of Saharan dust. All the boats here now looked look filthy so it was time for a good wash and brush up. Gemini J was back to her shiny-ish self in no time with both Skipper and Crew (Nigel and me) working hard at the job. We went out on the dinghy in the afternoon having a little explore of the marina which was great fun.

The next day we went across the marina to the coffee bar where we enjoyed delicious café latte, Skipper Nigel kept an eye on the dinghy whilst I went to the nearby supermarket for a quick re-stock, a second round of café latte and a jam stuffed croissant later and we headed back to Gemini J with our bags full of goodies.

That afternoon we went back for a quick drink in the bar and so Skipper Nigel could drop me off for a bit of exploring in the lovely little town of Santa Teresa di Gallura, lots more gorgeous flowers and a lovely atmosphere greeted me.

We prepared Gemini J for departure that evening – time for us to continue exploring this lovely corner of Sardinia.

Check out our journey the following day …..that will be my next blog!

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It was raining a little when we woke up – still the only boat in the cove. In fact it was a strange weather day altogether – calm seas, stormy skies and hazy visibility. No problem at all for us crossing to Corsica, just not quite the blue skies we would have liked – but still at least Skipper Nigel didn’t need to put on too much suncream;-)

The passage between Sardinia and Corsica was uneventful although once again we really had to be very careful of fishing pots. Around half past four we saw the stunning coastline and entry to Bonifacio.

We had reserved our mooring space online and paid a deposit but as we entered the channel I tried to radio – no answer, I tried to phone, I couldn’t get through – what a nightmare since we didn’t know where to go. The pilot book (the boating guide book with detailed information on ports) told us to take a spare berth but we tried to wait and kept trying get in touch with them. We were following a larger yacht down the channel and as we got closer to the town a marinero on a boat circled round us (creating a huge wake – not helpful) and tried to show us our space. Unfortunately he wasn’t very clear and seemed to show two – it was all very confusing then he just sped off to another boat. We had to bring Gemini J onto a berth ourselves alongside the much bigger French crewed yacht. They offered no assistance at all as I jumped off and secured the lines. It seems on reflection that we had totally confused everyone by coming in bow to (front of the boat at the dock). With a bit of insistence and gesticulating I got the French crew to help us secure the lines. We then almost collapsed as that had been by far our most stressful entry. We had the amazement/amusement of then watching other boats arrive. We call marinas without much space “sardine” marinas but this is definitely an “anchovy” marina!! When we recovered and adjusted to our surroundings we realised we really were in one of the most stunning marinas even if getting out of it might be as challenging as gettting in !

We enjoyed delicious cheese and ham toasties called Croque Monsieurs aboard in the evening, along with a glass of Orangina ! When in France it seems only right to bring back holiday memories of very happy times in Brittany and Normandy many years ago with family and friends. Having said that the following day we continued by stepping off the boat and straight into a creperie to eat “crepe complet” (a pancake filled with cheese, ham, tomato and egg) followed by a sweet treat …..

I wandered up to the old town of Bonifacio which is concealed behind the citadel wall. It is quite magical to head up the hill on foot then through the walls to come out in the old town – completely hidden from view like a secret hideaway (which I guess it was for many, many years). I heard the first American voices on this trip and realized I had hit the tourist trail ….. although it’s still really easy here to take a turn down a back street and find yourself alone.

The following day was our wedding anniversary and we’d hired a car to go off and do a bit of exploring. We went to the town of Port Veccio to do a bit of shopping/stocking up and hit the hypermarket. Then we headed to our lunch spot of Santa Ghjulia and Restaurant Moby Dick. You approach the restaurant and beach from the car park behind the building and it’s like walking into a tropical paradise. So beautiful and a wonderful open air restaurant to enjoy it from. I ate the most delicious prawn risotto and Skipper Nigel a steak, of course there was another delicious dessert, this time pavlova absolutely fabulous and a great way to spend the afternoon.

When we got back I went up the hill once again (to walk off that lunch) and waved down at Skipper Nigel who could see me high above the boat – that was fun !! It was one of those things where I looked deceptively far away – even though it was less than a twenty minute walk. There are stunning views everywhere here.

On Sunday we took the car into the mountains – driving along stunning pine lined roads and through forests. We stopped at a roadside “café” for a break, another amusing experience since we ordered what we thought would be a toasted sandwich, only to find it was a huge chunk of country style bread (extremely crusty (not at all good for our teeth)) stuffed with cold cheese and ham – but a Corsican beer and an Orangina washed it down and we were on the road again. We were lucky that our hire car had been upgraded mind you, I am not sure a Fiat 500 would have made it up the hill quite so easily 😉 We were rewarded on the way back with another fabulous lunch at a restaurant overlooking the bay of Port Veccio, more steak and chicken for me this time – wonderful.

In the evening we were surprised by musicians on the pontoon – requested by the host on the huge catamaran which is now opposite us. He proceeded to entertain everyone by joining in with a song – it was quite a unique experience. I haven’t mentioned the evenings here in the port yet – everything is lovely, people walking along the promenade, all the restaurants full to capacity. A great atmosphere, most people finishing their meals around 10pm and that’s when it starts – B52 bar (just at the end of the pontoon) a mini sound a light show – but from 10pm the volume starts to increase, and increase and increase….until it is literally the only thing you can hear in the entire port. So odd that just one establishment can take over everyone’s experience just like that ! and then at 2am – it’s all over, but don’t expect much sleep til then!!!we’re slightly comforted by the fact that if it was Spain it would go on until 6am. On Sunday night it finished an hour early – phew what a relief – we dropped off to sleep then at half past one “beep, beep,beep” an alarm woke us up – and it was on Gemini J !! How on earth does our smoke alarm choose to run out of battery the earliest night we’ve had since Thursday!!!!!! We are ready to move onwards, back to Sardinia for more adventures – hopefully to a calmer marina, it has been like a mini-break here in Corsica – a place we’d definitely like to return to someday!

It was looking like another hot day as we slipped our lines and headed out of the marina towards the island of Asinara. By 8 o’clock it was already warm enough for Skipper Nigel to need his Sardinian hat and he took the sun-tan lotioning a step too far with a slop or two more than needed which really amused me 😉

We had an absolutely gorgeous day sail from Fertilia heading north to the island of Asinara where we had booked a mooring buoy in the natural park. We went out past the lighthouse that had caused us so much concern in the dark – how innocent it looks during the day 😉

The coastline is spectacular and the motor sail (yes – not really enough wind once again) was fabulous.  The advantage of coastline hugging is that we get spectacular scenery – the disadvantage is that we have to keep changing course to avoid pots and we have to keep our eyes peeled at all times being very vigilant for fishing pot and nets.  The thing we noticed is that here in Italy they are far, far more visible than in Spain- they all have posts and flags ….. well until they don’t – we virtually ran over a clearly illegal net, strung up by a bleach bottle at either end! Good job we were watching !  It was the only one like that we saw all day, and we saw a lot so we assume fishing is quite well regulated here.

When we arrived at the deserted buoy field Skipper Nigel tooks us on a couple of “laps” before we plumped for a buoy and I had to hook it up and get Gemini J attached as quickly as possible. It was my first time doing this alone and surprisingly it went amazingly well. It must be all the times we played “hook a duck” at the fair – that’s just what it made me think of, probably because the buoy was yellow too.

The first thing we said to each other after the engine was switched off “was that a donkey??” We could hear eeeaww eeeeaw and indeed looked across to land and saw a donkey!! Once we were happy that everything was good with the buoy and our position etc. we jumped in (well, gingerly stepped off the swim ladder) and cooled off with a swim.

We later found out that this deserted island was once home to mafia prisoners with 7 jails on the island – all now disused and abandoned, along with the villages where the prison staff lived. It also housed Italy’s first cholera isolation hospital and is now home to over 500 wild horses, along with the donkeys, goats and mufflon sheep (which are mainly found only on Sardinia and Corsica) all of which roam freely.

There is only one official resident on the island, a sculptor who used to be a prison guard and we can see his residence from Gemini J.

The next day we had fun watching tourist boats come and go and also the arrival of two massive buoys – we think ready to show the official natural park channel to enter the bay. When we had arrived we were looking out for them but we saw none – we certainly saw them the next day, heading out to be installed for the season !!!

We spent a very relaxing day swimming and snorkeling on day one here and then on day two we had planned to go on an organised snorkeling trip. Unfortunately, overnight a swell kicked in and we were rocking and rolling and we started banging against the buoy – it led to a fairly uncomfortable night. In the morning it was still rolly so Skipper Nigel bowed out of snorkeling to stay aboard in case conditions changed. It was a good decision although a bit disappointing as I headed out in the jeep to the other side of the island (it was too choppy on our side, a confirmation of our decision). I took a few photos from the jeep of the deserted island.

We entered the water from a few rocks, not even a bay – there is no way anyone would snorkel here without knowing about it. The underwater scenery and fish were amazing – an absolutely fabulous morning – just missing Skipper Nigel.

After snorkeling I wandered round the almost deserted village of Cala d’Oliva before paddle boarding back to Gemini J.

We had one job to finish before leaving ….. remove a plastic bag that was stuck round our propeller. It had been too choppy to go under the boat earlier. Skipper Nigel had made a tool from a boat hook and knife to assist the job. As Skipper Nigel went to climb into the water he found the bag remnants on the swim deck ! Senda – the snorkel trip organiser (and expert free-diver) had come over to the boat, unbeknownst to us and taken all the plastic off. What a kind and amazing thing to do for us after I mentioned it to her.

Tomorrow we hope to move on again, maybe crossing to Corsica to get a taste of France before it gets too busy in July – fingers crossed for good weather.

The final part of our crossing was our entry into the lovely little port of Fertilia.   This should have been fairly straightforward as it’s such a small marina but as you readers know by now nothing is ever simple on Gemini J.

We called the office as requested when we made the booking – there was thankfully no problem with us arriving at 9:30am (our earliest ever arrival).  They would send someone to meet us – great.  As we came round the breakwater wall we saw a large motor boat coming out – maritime convention says pass port (left side of the boat) to port (left side of the oncoming boat).  Skipper Nigel manouvered us to make this happen – at which point the other skipper started shouting and wildly gesticulating at us.  I realised just in time he was trying to get us to go to his starboard side where there was deeper water (my first experience of the language barrier)  …… and then I realized he was the marinero who had come out on a boat to make sure we didn’t stray into the very shallow water in the entrance channel.  Once we realised this and with lots more gesticulating we found our berth and I don’t know how but he quickly moored up the motor boat and ran down the pontoon to help us.  We were so exhausted from our crossing I don’t think we really appreciated all he had done for us until much later.  It is a beautiful place and so peaceful compared to our time in Mahon.

As soon as we were moored up and checked in at the office we slept, and slept….. I would like to tell you more about the first couple of days but they were a bit of a snooze filled blur.

After we got our mojo back we explored on the zodiac and had a great time out in the bay watching a regatta in the distance.

I of course enjoyed walking around Fertilia which is a small village – everyone is very friendly and it’s a bit like time has stood still here (although only since the 1970’s when most of it seems to have been built).  We really couldn’t believe how under- developed it all seems after arriving from Spain.  There are flowers everywhere – it’s gorgeous and so different from what we’re used to in Spain.

It was extremely hot whilst we were there and Skipper Nigel tried his best at the local’s “look” – we saw lots of the workers and fishermen donning a t-shirt on the head rather than a hat to keep the sun off. Since he’s lost 3 hats so far on this trip maybe it’s a good idea;-)

We had a great time in Fertilia next we head northwards towards the tip of Sardinia, very exciting.

It was gusty as we slipped the lines and made our way out of Mahon – once again paying close attention to traffic and port and starboard buoys marking the channel for us.  We were overtaken by a somewhat larger yacht as we headed out of the harbour entrance.

In reality the conditions were excellent – there was even a little more wind than we had anticipated and we got a couple of hours sailing !!! We were very surprised and happy to get to do this.  We also had the pleasure of seeing lots of dolphins, hundreds of dolphins – all across the bow, swimming alongside Gemini J and well into the distance too.  It was a truly memorable and amazing sight.

The crossing was due to take around 40 hours so we got ourselves into a shift pattern with one of us on deck at the helm and the other resting.  Around sunset time low level clouds gathered making for a hazy sunset and moonrise.  We were lucky in that the weather window for the crossing coincided with a full moon making our night sailing spectacular.  Something we will definitely bear in mind when planning future longer trips.

Wednesday came and we carried on taking shifts – and the time came for the first re-fuel of the trip.  All went really well and 20 litres were added without incident.  It was pretty much flat calm, and there was just enough wind in the right direction to enable motor sailing so we ambled along with the engine on low revs and mainsail. Around  4pm we re fuelled once again and charted our progress.

We worked out we could arrive at 4am – we were making much, much better progress then we had planned. This was amusingly problematic – we had really not anticipated this and one thing we did not want to do was arrive in the dark, tired after a long sail. We were able to slow the engine and Gemini J down to enjoy the flat calm afternoon.  We were rewarded with a view of a whale off the stern – blowing water in the air, another truly amazing sight (and a first for both of us – sorry, no photo this time, we were too engrossed watching). I had made a hot chocolate at nightfall on day one and as I came to make morning coffee…..the gas ran out !! Skipper Nigel could have changed it underway but we decided not to worry about it – cold food and drink for 24 hours or so would be fine.  That’s when I invented banana hot dogs (cream cheese, honey and banana in a hot dog bun) – what fun!!

We had another couple of hours under sail alone which was wonderful – at more or less the same time as the day before around 4pm to 6pm.  Skipper Nigel really struggled to slow Gemini J down overnight – we were motoring at only 1000rpm and still making over 4 knots.  At one point we thought we would have to circle offshore to wait for it to get light but luckily that didn’t happen.  It was my turn on watch as it got dark and I had a little “wobble” we were about 40 miles offshore and close enough to make out the shape of the island (with a bit of imagination).  At that time between full light and full dark everything seems to loom out, although there really was nothing to see.  A lighthouse was flashing ahead of us and I started to get alarmed about how close we were ….. of course we were still about 30 miles off shore but it’s very deceptive and I called Skipper Nigel for a bit of moral support.  He ended up taking his sleeps on deck overnight and I was much happier with things.  I was way happier once it actually got dark and again we were accompanied by the stunning moon.

It didn’t seem long before the amazing sunrise over the island of Sardinia and although we were absolutely shattered we very much appreciated the gorgeous coastline.

We had amused ourselves on the crossing by taking photos of each other whilst asleep (unbeknown to each other).  To keep ourselves fit we were dancing (very glad Skipper Nigel installed those new speakers).  Our favourite song was of course Dancing in the Moonlight played at full volume in the moonlight – who would have imagined this when they saw us having our first dance at our wedding ??

The crossing had gone much better than anticipated, we saw only 5 other ships the whole way, all in the shipping lane close to Menorca.  We went 24 hours without seeing any other traffic which is a first for us.  So now we are in Sardinia, Italy, a new island and a new country for us and Gemini J, and no doubt more adventures to come.  Buongiorno XX

It was blowing over 30 knots in the harbour as I departed for a flying visit to France.  It was a good job Skipper Nigel was staying aboard to look after Gemini J as she was getting blown about all over the place in the choppy Mahon harbour.  I took a taxi to the airport and flew to Paris Orly, then drove (in another Fiat hire car) to Normandy.  I was very excited to have been invited to celebrate our dear friends Jo and Al ‘s Silver Wedding at their beautiful home.  The views of the island as I left were spectacular.

We enjoyed a fabulous meal on the Friday evening as everyone arrived ready to celebrate.  On the Saturday we were blessed with fantastic weather for our trip to visit the British Normandy memorial and Omaha beach.  Both are very moving and a stark reminder of the impact of war.  There are almost too many names at the memorial to comprehend and so many of them were just so young.

In the afternoon we headed back to casa Assheton and enjoyed a very relaxing time – celebrating over a glass of champagne and more wonderful food thanks to our hosts.

I had a truly wonderful and memorable weekend with lovely people and I was so happy to be able to share the time together.

When I got back on Sunday I could see Skipper Nigel had been busy doing various boat jobs. It turned out he had had a shower on the boat while I was in France.  The waste from the bathroom has always been a wine cork rather than a plug, however when trying to remove this, it broke in half, it was corked 😉  He got a corkscrew and tried to remove it, finally he got half of it out.  He was worried that if it went into the drain it could damage the pump but a lot of jiggling about and he got it out.  Then, the big issue was, did he have another cork ?? Then he thought – ahhh Al has a wine cellar, he must have a cork – WhatsApp Sarah and ask her to bring a cork back to fix the shower on the boat.  In the morning, he went to the recycling to take the rubbish and there, by the glass container was this cork ….. that afternoon’s job was to trim the cork to fix the shower;-) (no need for the WhatsApp)

In the run up to my weekend away we had been busy preparing Gemini J for our potential crossing to Sardinia.  This involved a full re-stock, especially of the heavy items. I headed off to the supermarket where I picked out and bought everything, arranging for it to be delivered to the boat the next day.  This was the first time I had done this and it worked really well – 6 huge boxes arrived the very next morning and we had the boat apart to stow everything away safely.

The other main concern with our 200 nautical mile crossing would be fuel.  Gemini J only has a 65litre tank so we knew we would need to carry a lot more fuel than normal and also to re-fuel on the way.  I went to the chandlery and bought 3 more 20l containers.  I was surprised to find they were cheaper than in Cartagena, (thinking everything was more expensive on the island).  After I had bought them I had the delight of walking backwards and forwards to the fuel station filling them up.  Mind you, they were a bit cheaper than the 585€ bill the yacht in front of me had to pay to fill the tank.  I had a good laugh with the petrol pump attendants as I turned up 4 times with cans to be filled.

Once that job was done all that remained was for Skipper Nigel to work out the best way to stow them – bearing in mind their weight.  When I arrived back from Normandy the job was done and we have 2 cans on each side of the boat plus 2 in a locker.  That should be more than enough for our crossing – especially bearing in mind we would like to sail and use no fuel if possible;-)

Monday came and we watched the weather – deciding that Tuesday would be the best day to set sail.  That evening amazingly we were sitting aboard when we heard “hello there” – we turned round to see Immie and Pierre from yacht Primadonna – our neighbours from Yacht Port Cartagena.  We hadn’t been following their progress nor they ours so we were all super surprised to see each other.  They came aboard and we had a lovely evening sharing stories of our journeys so far and onward plans – for them southern Sardinia and Sicily and for us Northern Sardinia and Corsica.  We went to bed hoping for fine weather and fair winds the following day.

The weather was beautiful as we set off on the short hop to Mahon.  Addaya is a really small and lovely marina and we hope we’ll be back.  We re-negotiated the channel of port and starboard buoys, once again a lot of concentration was required.

The journey was gorgeous, stunning coastline but not much wind, we tried to sail but we just couldn’t get any speed at all so once again we motor sailed.  It was no problem though as we were fascinated by the entry to Mahon which is a very large natural harbour.  We had to go in past a headland full of guns left over from the various occupants of the island over the years.

We had resolved the mystery of who now owns the mooring spaces here in Mahon thanks to our Swedish neighbours in Fornells who had told us it was a company called Mo Llevant.  As we approached we called them on the radio – no answer, and again, no answer, finally it took a phone call to bring out a marinero who helped us onto our berth.  I wandered along the road to find the new office and found portacabins behind an old wall with doors in it, a bit like a secret garden.  It was clear that they are still very new at the marina business but everyone was very friendly.

Because we’re planning to be here a week we needed to move berths the following day which was another little experience, this is the message I sent a couple of friends    “So – lots of fun this morning – moving onto our mooring spot for the rest of the week (we were in a temp one yesterday) – a bit breezy and probably a new marinero who doesn’t speak much English, lazy lines that were stuck to the bottom and trying to get on a berth with no boat next to us – what should have been a two minute job turned into half an hour of stress and a fair bit of skipper Nigel shouting, all in a days work🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 then about 5 minutes after we’re sitting down saying “phew” this came by …..

Mahon is a fabulous harbour, always boats going by and although it creates a bit of a wash and a rocky boat it’s so much fun that doesn’t worry us.  The city itself is lovely with a fantastic market and amazing views over the harbour.  We are happy to be spending a few days here.

Skipper Nigel was in charge of Gemini J this weekend while I flew to France to celebrate our good friends Jo and Al’s Silver Wedding with them.  I felt there was a bit of a French theme going in the day before my trip when the café only had croissants on offer (not the Menorcan ensaimadas).  Shortly after we got back from coffee we helped a French boat berth next to us in very gusty winds (no marineros to help).  Later that day another French boat came in at the other side of us – so we are 3 French built boats, all Jeanneau Sun Odyssey and we are in between two French crews who are all very friendly.   Good practice with my extremely rusty French ready for my “viaje a Francia” 🙂 Just time the night before my trip to enjoy an ice cream from the shop across the road, delicious 😉

Moving on day arrived and with it cloudy skies and a need to re-check the weather. It was also the day we learnt a new word and a new phenomena. It’s called “ressaga” and it doesn’t seem to have a decent translation, it is a very specific type of swell that affects the island of Menorca when the sea rises and falls much more than usual. It can cause quite a problem in our last port of Ciutadella but not here in Fornells so although it’s a warning on the weather forecast the port boss assured me it shouldn’t affect our journey. We chatted to our boat neighbours who were planning to leave at 11 and we decided to wait and depart after them as our exit from the tight spot would be easier. 11 o’clock arrived and their skipper started the engine – only it didn’t start. There was much scratching of heads and Skipper Nigel offered some suggestions of things to try but it couldn’t be fixed and we had to leave them waiting for an engineer. In the end they helped us slowly inch out of the space and before we knew it we were out in the bay having made a textbook departure. I took a few photos as we departed under those cloudy skies.

As we rounded the headland we found a mixed up, choppy sea. Nothing to make us turn back (we had a very short journey planned) – but also no decent wind for the sails to go up. We motored on past the wonderful coastline and about an hour later we were already approaching our next harbour, Addaya. That’s when the gusty wind started – at one point up to 28 knots which is really quite blustery. It was a challenging half an hour from there onwards…… The entrance to Addaya is a wide bay with a channel which is marked by multiple port and starboard buoys – go outside these buoys and it’s shallow and potentially rocky. We both had to really concentrate and check/double check each other that we had Gemini J in the middle of the buoys and therefore the channel. There were about 5 or 6 of these port/starboard “gates” to negotiate. It has a dog- leg then a turn into the marina which is behind a small island we really had to keep our eyes out for where to go. There wasn’t a marinero in sight and with the wind still gusting over 20 knots we started to moor ourselves alongside a visitor quay with the help of a sailor from another boat. Just as we started to get the lines on the marinero shouted from a neighbouring pontoon and we had to move ourselves pretty quickly. Skipper Nigel did an amazing job manoeuvring whilst I was changing the lines (ropes) around getting set for the new berth. The wind was blowing us off the boat next door into a space and it was a bit tricky but we got into the berth and breathed a sigh of relief. We said hello to Xabi the marinero and his dog Trufa who had sat patiently whilst we got ourselves sorted. The wind was still gusty but it calmed down enough for us to enjoy a relaxing afternoon aboard.

I went off for a quick walk to explore a little, I found another mini-castle / defence tower the same as in Fornells but not apparently open to the public. I looked out into the challenging channel, it looked much less daunting from the shore.

Saturday arrived and with it another cloud covered day with a few rain drops. I wandered up the hill between showers to go shopping and also to check out the views.

Sunday started cloudy but cleared up nicely and we headed out on the zodiac dinghy in the afternoon for a little bit of exploring. We had a blast, almost running aground at one point when Skipper Nigel insisted there was a route round the island that didn’t quite exist – as we keep saying, never a dull moment 😉 We also saw cows on the hillside just minding their own business with all this boating activity going on below them. We were pretty exhausted when we got back to Gemini J so we relaxed ahead of our next move.

It was a stunning sunset to end our wonderful few days in Addaya.