CATHARGO DILECTA EST RALLY CANCELLED!

Wow, €500 entry fee paid, crew flying in from all over.....Kinabalu on the way to Rome for the start!

Motored up the River Tiber with Nic and Mo who were to depart the very next day to make room for Saskia, Bee and Mascha arriving the following day!! Tied up at the Achab Yacht Club on the south bank for a one day turn around.....laundry sent away and a full shopping cart of provisions. Champagne flowing and enough Pimms to take us to Tunisia!! Wonderful dinner at the Club. Hot steamy weather!

Saturday 3rd August 2013 we set sail for Tunisia, cruising leisurely instead of racing. Fantastic breeze from the NNW, spinnaker run for over 5 hours and setting up a rendezvous with Jayne Koehler on Aorangi, S&S Swan 47, at some islands near Capri. Next day more fantastic sailing, dolphins and starry starry night with no moon. Pole out, goose-winged until breeze disappeared at sunrise....motor sailed, sighted a huge green turtle, dropping anchor at Cala Fredda, Isole Egadi near Porto Di Levanzo. Sas and Bee cleaned the hull, everyone ashore...lots of sailing gossip.

Tuesday 6th August set off on another broad reach 128nm to Hammamet, Tunisia. Around 01.30 hours motoring in low visibility off the coast of Tunisia Bee and Saskia were on watch when they were followed and encircled with a searchlight shining into their eyes. Called the Captain from his sleep and we ascertained that it was an inquisitive coastguard. Finally sailing again at around 08.30 hours tying up at Yasmine Marina around 14.40 hours. Jenny Ashley Cooper's arrival in the heat of the day was dramatic, to say the least. Fortunately Bee had moved out of her aft cabin to accommodate Jenny and her "luggage" in first class style:). Went into town by taxis, grand old town and fabulous food! The sail to Monastir was exciting with a darkening sky, wind gusting in the high 30s and huge swell. But we had plenty of competent crew and arrived in Monastir all in tact.

Jenny stayed on with us for a few days to explore and the girls left for a night in Sidi bou Said.

 

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More Adventures with Nic & Mo

When we're not sailing, swimming, snorkelling, exploring, enjoying the wonderful sounds of silence and taking in the glorious sunsets......you guessed it....we are eating and drinking:)

 

We sailed from Calvi around the top of Corsica, anchoring for the night in the bay near Saint Florent. It was only a day's sail in light breezes to Portoferraio, Elba, described by Horatio Nelson in 1796, "a port that due to it's great size is the world's safest". A natural harbour, Portoferraio is steeped in history, surrounded by Medician fortifications and boasts Napolean Bonaparte's winter residence. We loved the charming restaurants and narrow winding cobblestone lanes leading to the forts.
The small town of Marciana Marina and Porto Azzuro were our favourites and it was hard to tear ourselves away.

 

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Blogger's Cramp!

If only writing this blog were as easy as posting photos with a few captions on our Facebook page, Taking You Sailing! I must apologise to any of our followers who have been patient enough to wait for an update after so many months.....

So much water under the bridge, er boat!!

Highlights of the European summer 2013 can be outlined on this page and referred to in subsequent blogs, which might be the best way of handling such tardiness on my part. Photos will help to keep your interest and the odd story or two!

S&S Swan Regatta, Elba with Robert and Christina on their 47' Sparkman & Stephens designed wooden Swan built in 1974. Great event at Marciana Marina on the beautiful island of Elba, Tuscany. Some beautifully restored yachts racing in perfect conditions.

Kinabalu was invited to join the Swans at the marina!!

Robert and Christina Way on board Quest

 

 

NIC AND MO CRUISING ON KINABALU IN CORSICA AND THE TUSCAN ISLANDS

 

Nic and Mo left their garden near Oban in Scotland to spend 16 wonderful days cruising on Kinabalu. We met them in Calvi, northern Corsica, where we had spent a memorable Bastille Day on the moorings in the front row to watch the fireworks from the magnificently lit fort.

 

 

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Need language tuition....quickly!

Cruising in Sardinia and Corsica has its challenging moments!!  The service provider TIM in Italy seems to have banned us when we tried to connect while still in France...even though we still had 15 days left on our contract.  The Orange USB dongle, kindly donated by Gordon and Anne on S/Y Sarah Grace", will only let me have acess.  AND, d'you think we can remember any French at all, despite spending years studying the language and Bob having worked in Metz for 3 months???  Italian and German vocab keeps popping up just when we don't need it.......

Despite all of the above, we're enjoying our cruising and the wind and weather has been fantastic.  We can manage to sail most days and have found the most gorgeous anchorages, swimming in the cool, clear turquoise water and dingying ashore to buy provisions and explore.  Temperatures are around 26/27 degrees C and it's much warmer at night now. 

Didn't get to the south of France which was our long range plan, but decided to slow down a bit and relax and enjoy :)

We arrived in Porto Vecchio just two days late to see the start of the Tour de France, but the town was buzzing and there was a bicycle featured in every shop window.  We were anchored in the bay at the end of the channel near the mouth of the Stabiacciu River in 5m of sand for four nights.  We met up with Annette and Ino of S/Y Vicki again and they came for aperitivo/aperatifs one evening. 

Eating ice-cream French style

We guess this photo is about a grandpa taking his two grandsons out for a fishing lesson ;)  Imparting wisdom!!

Early morning fog clearing in Cala di Furnellu.  Fog horns in Bonifacio Straits

A tour in every anchorage

Evening meal in Campomoro

Chateau overlooking the anchorage at Campomoro

Barbecuing Kinabalu style

Cruising in the Madalenas and Bonifacio

Ino and Annette from Swedish yacht "Vicki" dropped by for coffee on "Kinabalu" the morning after I returned to the boat.  They said "Why leave today in this wind?"  The marina office said "Why don't you stay another night, it's too windy today", but we decided that we should press on to be able to meet Bob who was joining us after Margaret's funeral.

It was great sailing out of Golfe di Olbia under jib with the westerly wind gusting up to 25 knots but once we'd turned the corner at Capo Figari, which Bob thought would be sheltered, the wind and sea were northerly and "right on the nose".  We furled the jib and pressed on taking the wind and waves side on....it took us 5 hours to do 18nm, anchoring in Cala di Volpi in 20 knots of wind.  Third time lucky and our guests and I had a well deserved "arrival drink".

Next morning of course the anchorage was like a mill pond!

Louisa, Bob's cousin's daughter, proved to be very capable and together with her friend Chris, we had a wonderful sail to Palau the next day in 7-15 knots NW.    But I lost my Tilley hat (not tied on properly)....ran forward to clear a snag with the jib sheet and the seas carried it away, despite a gybe and searching through the binoculars...no sign.  Hopefully someone will find it and wear it proudly.

Cruising in the Madalena Islands is a dream, lots of open water, fresh breezes and turquoise clear water for swimming or just peacefully gazing. 

Sailed north to Bonifacio and French Corsica....found out after the event that we could go alonside the quay if there's room and anchor outside the harbour over night.  But we were happy to go stern to and give Kinabalu a good wash, have power for the night and find a quiet little restaurant up one of the steep pathways to soak up the ambience.  Louisa and Chris went shopping for croissants and baguette (cos we were in France!) and lots of other goodies.

Saying goodbye to Margaret Copley

We had been calling Bob's mother, Millie, each day for news of her twin sister, Margaret who had been taken into hospital again! 

Sailing slowly northwards, anchoring in small bays we were able to watch the Dubois Regatta and see many of the superyachts out practising.

And then Millie phoned on the morning of Tuesday, 4th June to say that Margaret had died in her sleep at 0215 hours.  With heavy hearts we turned around and headed for Olbia to take a flight back to Scotland.  We were able to negotiate a good rate at Marina di Olbia and a courtesy vehicle took us to the airport. 

We had beautiful weather for four days and it was hard to believe that it wasn't always blue sky and sunshine!  Millie's garden was gorgeous and it was lovely to be back, albeit at such a sad time.

 The funeral arrangements were in hand and Bob prepared the tribute to Margaret but I had to fly back to "Kinabalu" to meet Bob's cousin, Louisa and her friend who were arriving in Olbia from Dusseldorf.

Remembering a wonderful Christmas Day 2012 with Margaret and Millie

Adventures in Sardinia

We sailed all day from Gaeta with a beautiful southerly breeze of around 15 knots, motor sailed through the night and anchored in Porta di Capeccio, Porto Brandinghi.  A beautiful bay and what a relief to be there because we had three very windy days and couldn't even launch the dinghy to walk on the beach.  Still too cold to swim, the beaches were mostly deserted, although we could see through the binoculars, Senegalese beach traders setting up their African trinkets awaiting the warmer weather.

On Saturday, 1st June we motored into 20 knots NW to Olbia, made our way to the town quay and rafted up to "Angel Louise" who had their OCC flag flying.  It wasn't long before we were drinking wine with Ed and Sue on "Croisyvoile", the innermost boat to the quay.  Pascal and Barbara were wonderful hosts and we invited them all to drinks in the evening on "Kinabalu".  Bill from "Kite" came to tell us he was leaving and that we could go stern to the quay in his spot.  We got into position next to a boat with a dog called "Jack Sparrow" and hurried off to shop.  The next surprise was a call "Anyone here by the name of Bob Howison?"  It was John Billington and Penny, New Zealanders on "Spindrift", a Warwick 47 which we had sold to them in Phuket some years ago!!  Small small world....we had coffee on an immaculately restored Sprindrift the next morning with their friends in a small marina nearby and heard all their news.  They were off to the Italian coast and we were heading north to the Madalenas.