Summer season is here and MSY Margherita has set her sails to Tuscany first. Porto Santo Stefano where we met our friend and fantastic hosts Paolo and Cristina.
After Argentario we are now in Elba island (Lacona Bay).
Part 1. Santo Stefano-Elba
Reading from Log Book: ATD 10:30 from Santo Stefano and arrived Elba Island (Lacona Bay) at 17:00. Northwest breeze force 4. Sailed by Engine plus main sail. No much more can be expected when heading directly into the wind.
Bay is very wide and we found place in the middle of it. Calm waters with little concern for the anchor holding as bottom is sandy and UltraMarine(Note 1) hook is 80Kg. plus heavy chain (4,4Kg. per meter) to help the all setting.
(Note 1) Let me now share some tech talks about this fantastic anchor. Manufactured by a (small?) Turkish company based in Istanbul she have been proving her great capability too hold like no other hooks I used in the past.
Met the owner at a local yachting Fair, and after direct suggestions by another Jongert sailing couple (https://oceanwolf.nl) , I decided to invest a consistent amount of money onto this incredible anchor.
She worth every cent I spent!
Watched also some YouTube videos about same anchor and thought it was just some extra advertisement or over enthusiastic comment written by over enthusiastic sailors in the Caribbean.
Sorted out UltraMarine company has many world wide spread representative and their anchors are REALLY popular nowadays.
Personally I have used Bruce (not bad, really), CQR (not holding, really) and Admiralty type (pretty good but not easy to handle). With different results and feelings.
Then it became Ultra!
She is NOT casted (really?) and that is her strong point!
Made by stainless steel and forged into two halves (like a shell) lead is placed unevenly and exactly where is NEEDED.
The result is an anchor that literally digs more and more when under pull.
She never goes upside down. And even in shifting gale force winds digs deeper as she is pulled aside, even at 180 degrees.
What else?
At the Fair I have been given a practical demonstration by a small model of the same type in a large box of sand. I made the test myself and it showed exactly how she digs deeper.
Still a bit doubtful!
Then made an act of faith and paid the price requested (Oh My God!).
I rarely have been so happy for the money spent on a Yacht equipment. Believe it or not that anchor is anything but TRUSTWORTHY!
In an average anchoring (30 knots and 10 meters depth) I usually set out my Ultramarine (80Kg.) plus 60 meters of chain (264Kg.). Pull back the all line at setting to dig it in: up to now no complain at all. She stays well set and makes me feel safer.
Last July at Bay in Ponza island (60 miles south of Roma) enjoyed at 02:00 gusts to 50Kts. Ultramarine did perform her job at the best while the Yacht was close hauling into the wind like in a America’s Cup Race!
Last Update from Corsica and around:
Part 2. Bay of Rondinara, Corse Island. 41°28.172’N 009°16.201’E. August 18th 08:45.
After a night spent on watch due to wind, swells and populated anchorage an emergency suddenly happens.
A girl paddling a board, along with her dog on board, becomes trapped by a fast approaching storm with associated wind gusts. She can’t head back to the beach she left. She asks for help but no one is apparently hearing or willing to try a rescue.
A nearby sailing yacht with a bunch of people onboard attracts our attention by asking us to go and try. The set their dinghy into the stormy seas but it suddenly stops apparently because of the outboard failure.
At that point we decide to hoist our anchor (well set and visually checked the day before) and go for the adventure.
Winds speed goes up to 45 nautical miles per hour and maneuvering is difficult as bay is restricted by shoals, close rocks and a number of nearby yachts.
Sky becomes totally obscured by low stormy clouds and heavy rain. Visibility is reduced to few hundred yards.
No doubts about what should be done but with a bit of concern about the chance to set the anchor again under those circumstances.
Just after our anchor has being pulled onboard we notice a local RIB speeding up toward the girl to help. She is now safely attended while we are in the middle of the bay in the pouring rain.
The fact may look dramatic if I wasn’t barely wearing my 100% cotton underwear at the time due to the sudden actions taking place.
Totally soaked in water and trying to find another anchorage spot.
The real drama is the fact that a catamaran left the spot to the open sea at the same time while passing just an incredible short distance from the girl, aware of her condition, and other bystanders help calls, without even trying to stop and rescue. Couldn’t believe my own eyes!
Got back into same(?) position and while trying to set the anchor again (wind still in excess of 30!) got our yacht sitting on the rocky bottom (shown on the electronic charts but in a different position!). Map shift? A possible case.
Not a big deal and after few minutes we are back to normality. (Yes, Murphy’law, you know…)
A pleasant note is about the Corsican (French?) Coast Guard. After the critical scenario settles a local Gendarmerie guard vessel arrives and two gentlemen in uniform come to us with a reassuring smile asking whether everything was right or we needed any help.
After 35 years of yachting it was the second time I perceived the Coast Guard guys as real friends. Once in the US waters and today. It warmed up my hart!
Thank you guys!
Trying to save someone (even if life is not at stake) is a duty of every sailor and we did what every other seaman or seawoman would have done. No heroism here. Just a lesson to learn:
a) Your safety first as you might be able to bring help only if you are in a safe condition;
b) Yacht MUST be ready to leave at any time and even if weather is fine or forecast to be so (and it was). Windlass ready and anchor clear, ladders, dinghy and every other loose object stored…;
c) Check your main engine regularly as it might be the difference between heaven and hell;
d) Brief your crew properly after you have clear in mind what should be done.
Lesson learned: Mother Nature is simply Great and Unpredictable (less then humans, by the way). And she is like Life. Anything may happen at any time, without warnings (or with little ones). Don’t ever trust a calm sunny day as a storm might be on its way! When you don’t expect it! (after a sleepless night when all seems settling and you are confident you may take a deserved rest…).
That is the Power of Nature. Now: nature of Men!
The most important lesson, however, is that some humans are like those ones aboard the fleeing catamaran. But we don’t mind. They are simply irrelevant to the human community. May God bless them too!
Part 3. Third day at Bay (and beyond).
In accordance to the LaMMA (Note 2) predictions westerlies has being staying well set over the last 72 hours and never going below their twenties.
Enjoying this small and populated anchorage after the “Crime” of day August 18th is a real pleasure while sheltered by the local hills.
We are at only few miles from Sardinian Emerald Coast and its glamour but crossing the Mouths of Bonifacio (yes, so called because they swallow those sailors who are too bold…) with winds in excess of 40 (as forecast are showing constantly) is not a very good idea.
Especially for coward sailors like us!
Sardinia may wait a bit more and with her the chance to come across with some Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos and friends who populate her coastlines during the Mediterranean summer.
For the time being we are under the wings of a wonderful gulf and Corsican/French hospitality.
Actual anchorage (Bay of Rondinara) is not so large but is well sheltered from western winds while opens completely to the sea at east. If winds are easterly is not a good place where to hook up as fetch (distance travelled by swells under the effect of wind) is long (next land: Italy) and thus they might represent an uncomfortable shaking to the yacht and her crew.
This last summer has been the year of the Paddling boards. So many, too many. And renters do not seem to care much about people ability to paddle in adverse weather. As a matter of fact after the real issue of last Thursday we witnessed some more (to lesser extent) screams and panic modes. Paddling in 20 knots of wind is not even imaginable but some people simply take their chance (as paddling may look cool) and do it. With rescue RIBs very busy then…
(Note 2) LaMMA stands for Laboratorio di Monitoraggio e Modellistica Ambientale. It is a public body, estabilished in 1997 by the Tuscany Regional Government (Italy). It is also a joint venture with CNR (Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, or National Research Council in Roma). They provide a very extensive weather forecast service for each part of the Mediterranean sea. Their wind and waves models are nowadays a reference point to every mariner in Italy and beyond. Their predictions are as accurate as trustable while available online at their home page (lamma.rete.toscana.it) or by their App LaMMAMeteo available at usual online stores. We would like to thank their resarchers and meterologists for their precious support during our times at sea. Nowadays the available web based weather centers are countless (Weather Channel, AccuWeather, PredictWind, etc.). All very trustworthy and helpful. Nevertheless we never leave a safe harbor in the Med sea without checking LaMMA!
Part 4. Sardinia and around.
Finally we got to the Jet Set Island!
Literally Olbia airport (main access to Costa Smeralda) is plenty of corporate toys in excess of hundred of millions dollars with the latest technology that modern liners like 777 or 787 can only dream about. (Please believe me).
While their crew is keeping their yacht shining and spending nights on watch at anchor (owners are going to sleep! Do Not Disturb!) they arrive from an intercontinental flight (unfortunately flights from Russia are still banned) and they commute onto their 50mt.+ and, with the help of electrical Generator working 24/7 and fresh and quiet aircon, take their chance to be where all the other riches are in summer: Sardinia!
Since the early 70s and with the big contribution of Karim al Husayni (Aga Khan) this astonishing side of Italy has been developed with luxury mansions, Marinas and Golf Club.
It became then the ultimate destination of the world high rankers along with an army of normal tourists who saw that place as the new Monte Carlo of the Mediterranean.
Around this pink granite rocks and breath taking indigo to turquoise waters any floating device can been seen in the area: from Jeff Bezos’ Flying Fox (400 Millions Euros) to the smallest dinghy with a family of four!
All sailing to and around the “Parco Nazionale della Maddalena”. 7 main islands plus and incredible number of rocks spread all around that beauty.
Even humble sailors(?) like us are here to say: I WAS THERE! Preparing spaghetti in the galley (restaurants are pretty expensive here…) and being on watch at night as there is no expensive crew to take care of the toy while winds build up.
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