Corsica, France 2018

Castelsardo to 
Bonifacio

Corsica, France

2018

We left for Corsica from Sardinia with a forecast of 10 knots of wind from the north, our direction of course.  A bit of a swell at the harbor entrance left over from the recent mistral winds.  20 miles ahead lay Corsica which could be seen on the horizon.  The crew hoisted the sails.  The winds quickly went from next to nothing to over 20, then nearly 30 knots; not a problem for our sturdy ship and crew; however… the waves and swell were getting the better of both.  The bow plowing through the 5-6 foot seas that were sure to build with the wind that was on the nose.  The hull speed floundering with each wave.  After an hour of plunging and the deck getting a formidable saltwater bath we decided to retreat.  We had no agenda other than we had hoped to make the passage before the next mistral predicted for the next day.  A boisterous 20 minutes later we were in the harbor and entering our berth.  Dead calm.  The marina tender came to greet us and asked if all was well with crew and boat; knowing we had departed just a couple hours ago…He then assisted with the mooring lines.  

So, a few more days in Castlesardo.   The winds over the next few days continued.  Even the marina was seeing white caps.  Several boats came in over the next couple of days, one using his emergency tiller due to broken steering cable.  Fortunately, there were many hands on the pier to help the crew of two.  It took 3 nerve racking attempts to guide the boat into a berth.  Fenders and boat hooks used to fend off.  Lines tossed, the shore team had a heck of a time holding the boat in place.  

The next day another boat came in, much to our surprise.  The winds had been well over 25 knots at the marina and the sea was a mess.  We were just heading to shore when we spotted the boat.  Bare poles, heeling like it was under full sail.  They circled a few times then saw us… We waved them to an open berth and readied ourselves to catch their lines.  8 crew on board, all helping to fend off as they backed in.  The captain was amazing and slid the boat into the seemingly impossible small slip.  Lines were secured.  They were greatly relieved to be off the open water.  They said the winds off shore were a steady 40 knots, the seas equally impressive.    At least they had following seas so they were not too uncomfortable.

  

Inishnee had its own bit of trouble with the winds while at the dock.  Winds consistently blowing 35 knots and gusting in the 40,s for over 10 hours, our wind generator wasn’t able to disperse enough of the excess electricity it was producing.  Jim wasn’t able to tie off the blades without losing an arm or worse… so he had to disconnect the battery terminal.  Eventually the control panel for the wind generator gave out.  A call to the company; they will gladly replace the unit.   For now, the blades will remain tied off.  We will rely on sun and shore power.  

We took the next decent weather window for Corsica.  A very pleasant sail, mostly motoring.   

Bonifacio.  Holy Cow!  What a harbor entrance.  Massive limestone cliffs walls with the old city fortress looming above and over the sea.  


Caves sculpted by the sea and winds big enough for boats to enter and have a peek.  The harbor itself is up and in a very narrow channel.  Very protected from the sea and invaders… Odysseus in the ‘Odyssey’ is said to have harbored here, anchoring near the mouth of the channel, the fleet in the harbor… he with his ship and crew were the only ones to escape the slaughter and cannibalism from the inhabitants of the time…their proximity to the sea allowing for a quick departure.  

We made our way slowly in to the harbor looking for ‘J - K - L’ piers, these being the berths allocated for visitors.  No marina personnel to assist.  We were in tremendous luck, however.  One pier was nearly empty and the end spots free for the taking.  We circled close and requested help from a fellow boater who were quick to catch our lines.  We nosed in to the outer berth and tied fast to the heavy rings fastened to the pier and hauled up the mooring line to secure the aft end.  




 
Over the next 48 hours the piers filled in with transiting boats.  All much bigger than our cozy vessel of 40 feet (12 meters).  The boat handling skills left in us awe.  Most / all newer boats have bow thrusters, a device that helps to push (turn) the bow or aft to port or starboard.  These boats are able to position in very small, tight spots we would not consider unless we were out of options.  Glad we arrived early so we didn't have to embarrass ourselves with maneuvering into the inner berths.  

Today, the little village is a magnet for tourist.  We found it to be quite expensive, however.  Our night on the town; dinner out, was thwarted by the exorbitant prices.  Souvenirs, like many found in other ports, several times more money.  We did manage to stimulate the economy by buying some local wine.  Very nice.  The french do know their wine… and bread and croissants.  It’s easy to make a meal of them with a bit of cheese and air cured smoked ham… so we did.

The seasons are changing here in the mediterranean, and with it cooler temperatures, mid 70’sF daytime.  It was quite pleasant to walk the foot path along the spine of the limestone cliff above the sea.  Specular views. We walked around the upper village / fortress after climbing the ancient cobblestone road that lead to the entrance.  

        



The fortress actually has a drawbridge with remnants of the mechanisms that would have controlled the bridge and gate.  The streets within are typically narrow.  The multi storied stone buildings are mainly homes. There are several churches and a few bistros.   Shops for tourists to purchase doodads to take home.  

      

Along the sea cliff is the entrance to King of Aragon Staircase.  For a small fee you can scale the 187 step staircase ending just above the sea.  Steep and narrow cut into the stone. Stunning views… we are told.  The crew of Inishnee took a pass; one not caring for the very open, scary decent and return, the other not having an interest in spending money better used on wine… After a couple of hours of wandering we had seen pretty much all there was for the public to see.  

We returned to Inishnee to sample some of the Corsica wine.  Lovely.  A few sips into the bottle, we noticed 4 armed customs agents eying our vessel.  They slowly made their way down the pier to our berth.  Jim waked forward to greet them, answered a few questions which they seems satisfied with and they bid us farewell.  But… said they might return. 

ahhh!  This is the first port we have not gone to customs upon arrival (we were only staying one day… two nights).  




Well, the friendly tribe of four returned with clip boards and asked to board the boat, which of course, you don't say no to their query.  So, they clambered aboard and squeezed into the cockpit.  The woman in charge; standing and leading the questioning.  Papers  were shuffled and documents scrutinized.  Forms were signed and more questions answered.  All very orderly and pleasant.  Happy with our answers and papers, we were welcomed ‘officially’ to Corsica, France.  

We finished our wine as the sun set.  The illuminated walls of the old fortress our backdrop.

The next morning was go time again.  The weather window good, light winds and calm seas for the passage to Ostia, Italy…  Inishnee’s winter berth.  An overnight passage, 145 miles.  Expected arrival early afternoon.  






We watched the sun rise as we entered the open waters.  The limestone cliffs glowing in the morning light.  We choose the ‘scenic’  route through the islands off Sardinia’s north coast.  A nature preserve, some areas requiring permission to anchor / visit.  The span between the two counties around 5-7 miles, dotted with rocks big and small.  No ships are allowed through this passage and must take the long way around.

 

  

  

The night was moonless.  Excellent for star gazing.  Kathy saw a couple dozen shooting stars on her midnight to 3am watch.  The bioluminescence was scarce but visible.  Very few ships and only a few fishing boats.  


Inishnee made excellent time to Italy, nearly flat seas until the last few hours of darkness when the winds picked up again and created a chop.  On arrival we headed for the fuel dock; noted for shoaling… and promptly ran aground.  A nice and sandy bottom so our newly rebuilt engine was able to muscle us through the hump… we decided we would skip the fuel stop.  The marina assistants directed us to our spot, #311.  

All tucked in before 9 am.  Time for a hot breakfast, coffee and tea before visiting the big house to make it official.  

Buongiorno e benvenuti  in Italia …. Inishnee