Sail to Sardinia

It is only 186 nautical miles to Sardinia from Menorca but at our pace that’s going to be a good 30 plus hours so we have a bright and early start from Addaya.  We have picked a decent weather window but now, in late August, the winds are becoming more fickle.  Often little or no wind is followed by gusty conditions lasting days.  Locals tell us that late August is known for its intense thunderstorms so we are hoping to avoid these as well.  As it is we head off under engine over glassy seas admiring a fine sunrise while listening to talk on the radio of NW gales forecast for a day or so’s time… should make it before the worst kicks in!

 

It’s an uneventful day of slow progress punctuated by wonderful sightings of dolphins, turtles, sunfish and once a manta ray performing a spectacular aerial display.  We have really missed seeing sea life in the Balearics but we can understand why they stay away. 

This is Bramble’s first overnight passage and although we have explained in graphic detail the schedule of events and lack of amenities to her, she has yet to grasp the full implications of no available land.  Finally at 8pm, after innumerable trips around the deck, she relents and pees a bucketful before retiring to bed.  Unsurprisingly she has taken it all in her stride and there are no histrionics regarding the lack of doggy walks, playtime and reduced rations.  In fact she seems to consider this a rather pleasant change from having to walk us at least twice a day… honestly, owners; they can be such a trial!

As the day finally slips over the horizon and night pools molten gold around us, we continue on over calm seas with not another soul in sight.  It’s all very serene and amazingly relaxing.  Even though this is the busy Mediterranean it just goes to show how easy it is to be alone in the world if you want to be.

 

We have made reasonable progress by the time the sun graces us again with its presence and it’s not long before a small smudge on the horizon reveals itself as the peaks of Sardinia.  From a distance it looks enormous, craggy and unlike any of the other Mediterranean island we have seen.  Its dark, brooding and dramatic.  Smoke blue peaks loom over each other in ever decreasing intensity and seem to be accentuated by a distinct lack of human interference.  We have become so used to the tumble of white concrete that typifies western Med shores that it comes as a shock to see this outpost of apparent wilderness.  We have been intrigued by what we have read about Sardinia and now, even after such a tantalisingly brief glimpse of its skyline, strangely we are hooked.

As is always the way with sailing it takes us another few hours to finally creep close enough to stow the sails and we finally drop anchor in Cala del Bollo (north of Alghero) at lunchtime on day two.  After a brief trip ashore for ablutions for a small overexcited dog, it’s time to kick back and catch up on some sleep.  Finally in Sardinia and we can’t wait to do some exploring.