Next day we rowed ashore in Fornells and having been here before, we made our way along the pretty main street to the small, expensive supermarket with its very limited range. Despite knowing all this it was still exciting to be in a shop. How our world had changed! But we haven't changed so much as we only stocked up on essentials and ignored most of the over priced luxuries except of course the gin. I know they have to make their money in a short season and that everything has to be brought in to the island but we couldn’t bring ourselves to encourage them by buying items that were 3 times the price they would have been in Mahon a few miles away. We said this last time about Fornells – pretty town and a good anchorage but don’t buy your food shopping here! Unfortunately every time we are here we have needed provisions... Must plan better next time...
We stayed another day at anchor in Fornells, tidying the boat after the passage from Corsica and generally chilling. Several smallish sailing boats came out to the anchorage every evening with 6 - 8 guests perched on the too small deck to admire the sea and the view. One girl who wore the company tee shirt was doing all the sailing and the anchoring on her own which isn’t easy and on the second evening she dropped the anchor far too close to us. When her boat settled their deck was level with us and about 15 feet away. We were so close we could have almost stepped across and we did feel sorry for the group of young Italians aboard who had paid for a romantic view of the sunset on the water and all they really had was a good view of us having our dinner! They were very cheerful though and we all tried to make conversation but it wasn’t easy so we left them to it and went below. They must have been relieved when their allotted time was up and the girl lifted the anchor and took them back to the harbour.
The longer we stayed in Fornells the more provisions we were going through, so with the promise of better shops in Mallorca, we left on the third day to head for Mallorca. We only got as far as the end of Menorca after a slow sail without much wind. We dropped anchor in Cala Amarado which was the place we first came to in Menorca last year. It hadn’t changed, still isolated and still had beautiful turquoise water to swim in. The wind which had been absent all day blew in the night and we had a sleepless, lumpy night but as it was a safe anchorage we stayed and left first thing. We could even see Mallorca in the distance 25 miles away. At least the wind which had disturbed our night still blew all day and we had a great, fast sail and 2 dolphins even gave us a welcoming display of double somersaults as we approached the Bay of Pollensa in Mallorca. We sailed straight in on the same tack that we had left Menorca on - I don’t think we had made any course adjustment at all – and anchored just inside the bay in a stunning cala. High cliffs, crystal water and a small quiet beach. It was busy but all the other boats left during the afternoon and by early evening we were on our own. Later in the evening the swell started to work its way in though and as we needed a good nights sleep we moved deeper in to the bay and picked up a mooring buoy by the small marina. It has been ages since we picked up a buoy but we got it first time – after all we used to do this every day in Poole and with a tide running! It was a better night even if the buoy was knocking on the boat all night – things you forget about being on a buoy!
We were still on a hunt for a decent food shop so we sailed out of the bay and round to Alcudia but the anchorage was crowded and a long way from the town so we gave up and headed out of the bay. The coastline was amazing as ever in the north of Mallorca but the wind was very flukey – one minute hardly blowing and the next 20 knots would scream down between a gap in the cliffs and nearly flatten us. By lunchtime we had had enough of this and as the wind and the waves were increasing we decided to stop fighting the elements and stop for lunch or maybe even the night. We let the wind decide where we would go and just sailed to the easiest anchorage which happened to be Cala Molto. What a good choice the wind made – lovely clear turquoise water over sand and very sheltered. We anchored quite close behind another boat and dropped back in to a good space – we didn’t really pay much attention to the occupants of the boat until we sat on deck with a drink and observed the neighbours for the first time. On board were 5 middle aged German men who were obviously exceedingly good friends and didn’t seem to own any clothes between them. They strutted about the deck and rear platform (directly facing us) and generally had a good time swimming, helping each other to shower and lounging about in a variety of poses. They also had their binoculars frequently trained on the beach and surrounding woodland. Obviously there was a shortage of clothes in this part of the world as many of the gentleman on the beach seemed to have lost their shorts too. It was very reminiscent of studland somehow....
Amazing how overtly and demonstrably affectionate Martyn becomes towards me in these circumstances!
In the early evening the Germans went ashore, no doubt, to continue their festivities and they hadn’t returned by the time we went to bed and in the morning they left before us so we didn’t see them again to Martyn`s relief.
Sea conditions were much improved the next day and we had a good sail down the coast heading for Cala Serena where the pilot book assured us there were supermarkets. We had been there before last year but we hadn’t needed provisions so we had not gone very far ashore. I couldn’t remember seeing any shops or signs to them but was persuaded it would be ok as we passed 2 obvious towns with shops en route. We had booked a mooring buoy on the island of Cabrera for Friday night and as it was now Wednesday we were on a mission to get all the way down the coats and close to
Cabrera.
Amazing how places can change in a year – or maybe it is just our memory playing tricks but Cala Serena looked different. We both remembered it as a good anchorage, with houses or apartments built in to the hillsides but not intrusively. This time was completely different although we were here at exactly the same time of year. What we had taken to be closed up apartments last time turned out to be a busy hotel in full holiday swing. It must be a sign of the improving ecomony or else there were some very special deals available as every room seemed occupied. The cala is narrow, has steep sides and the hotel was at least 6 stories high with every balcony directly overlooking us – we felt like we moored in their swimming pool! Most of the holiday makers seemed to be swimming around us and the usual dare devil youths were jumping off the sides and landing 20 feet from us! They were all very friendly though and we needed to shop before going to Cabrera so we stayed – strangely we were the only boat although last time it had been so busy with boats...
We went ashore to hunt for supermarkets. We found 5 – all small and all selling sun lotion, plastic dolphins, flip flops and coca cola and not much else. After a long walk out of the holiday area we found a small shop and just bought basics again but was grateful for that – I will never complain about going to Tescos again!
In the evening we went ashore as we felt like part of the hotel entertainment when we sat on deck – I could feel the hundreds of eyes from the balcony watching our every move! Oh look they are washing up off the back of their boat – oh and look now they are having their dinner now etc etc !! We took a walk on the wild side for us and spent the evening in karaoke bars and listening to a very bad Abba tribute band. Then we sat on deck and finished the evening by listening to the hotel music which was louder for us on the water than for the guests in the hotel I think.
Thank goodness we are going to Cabrera soon – a completely deserted island......

The swell was still very big, around 3metres as we left Sagone Bay and this confirmed what a sheltered spot we had been in whilst the bad weather passed. The effect of the high winds was still affecting the seas but hopefully this would decrease as we went towards Sardinia. We were aiming for the Bay of Asinara on Sardinia as we would be sheltered there if the westerly winds picked up again. This passage would keep us further away from The Straits of Bonifacio and its high winds but would take us further offshore and was a longer journey than if we had headed straight down the Corsica Coast but, as ever, its a call you have to make. (Also it would make sense if your ulterior motive was not to go to Sardinia but head straight for Menorca as suspected!).
Rounding Cap de Fenu and later the Iles de Sanguinaires off the Corsica coast was spectacularly beautiful with an equally spectacular swell pushing us on. The wind was reasonably kind though and a manageable strength. We agreed that we should head out and go for Sardinia. By midnight we were sailing down the coast of Sardinia with the lights of Asinara looking very welcoming. However, by some strange (!) coincidence we found ourselves on a course for Menorca with a very strong wind blowing us there but at least it was in the right direction. The seas were still huge but the weather forecast them to decrease and despite the lack of provisions (down to 5 tins of tomatoes and 15 tins of tuna and the lettuce having deteriorated beyond limp– low by my standards) we carried on past Sardinia and headed out to cross the 180 miles of the Sardinian Sea. As the phone signal died I sent a few texts to trusty people in the UK estimating our passage to Menorca at 36 hours. At least someone would know where we were heading if we didn’t arrive! I wasn't sure if the messages got through as the signal disappeared as they were sending.
The wind stayed constant at about 15 knots throughout the very dark night - there was no moon or if there was it was obscured by thick cloud but this was probably a blessing, as at least I couldn’t see the waves properly, only feel their effect. Much less scary when you can't see them! At 4am Martyn was asleep and I was aware that the battery power was failing as our instrument lights were flickering. I had already switched off everything I could to save power including our navigation lights. I reasoned there was no one else mad enough to be out in that sea so there was no point having lights on as there was no one to see them. I also had all instruments lights off except the compass and wind gauge. Getting pretty used to sailing without GPS these days. Even that wasn't enough though and just after 4am all power failed. We switched batteries but our auxiliary one was flat too so Martyn went back to bed saying I was making such a good job of sailing that I didn’t need instruments! The sails immediately backed, the boat stalled and I didn’t even know which way we were heading as everything on deck was pitch black. Then I had a good idea (I don't have many but this was a good time for one) and got the portable clip on light from the chart table and attached it to the pedestal so its light shone on the compass. I still didn’t have any wind instruments but at least I knew which direction to head in once I had sorted out the sails. For the next hour or so all went well – the wind gods were very kind to me and I sailed in the right direction and the seas even calmed a little. Martyn got up at 6am to take over from me by which time the sea was much less and the wind had dropped to 6 or 7 knots. He disappeared below, fiddled around under our bed and then hey presto the power was back! He had jumped the batteries from our spare. Apparently this couldn’t have been done at 4am! He took over the helm, checked the instruments were all working, started the engine and let the auto pilot steer while he sat down and dozed. “Good sail through the night?” he asked as I collapsed in to bed. I had nothing to say!
We made good progress throughout the next day and saw absolutely nothing but sea – no other yachts, no ships, no dolphins not even a floating orange – we were well off the usual routes but heading straight for Menorca. Rations were holding up and we had 3 meals a day even if 2 of those consisted of spicy tomato pasta and spicy tomato cous cous. The worst thing that happened was that the biscuits finally ran out – all boats on a passage live on biscuits as they are the easiest thing to eat when heeled at 30 degrees and everything is sliding around. We always know what country we are in by what biscuits we are eating. It is amazing how they differ – in Spain we had got used to the quite plain Rich Tea type , in Italy at first we thought we had gone to the wrong aisle and picked up dog biscuits instead as they were so hard but again we came to like them and we immediately loved the French Petit Beurre ones. In the middle of the Sardinian sea, in the middle of the night, any of them would have been welcome.
As night fell for the second time the wind disappeared and the sea flattened – the forecast was obviously right but we would have liked enough wind to sail. We didn’t want to use our diesel by motoring for hours so we dropped the sails, put our lights on and both went to bed reasoning that we hadn’t seen any other vessel for the last 12 hours so why should one suddenly appear now? One or other of us had a quick check every half hour but nothing appeared and we had a good few hours of much needed sleep.
We set off again at 9am with a light wind which quickly increased to a good sailing strength all day and we made good progress towards Menorca. By nightfall we were looking for the elusive lights of Menorca – we could see a faint large loom in the sky which we took to be Mahon Town. Amazing how much light pollution even a small town gives off. Just after midnight the wind came from nowhere and within minutes had gone from 12 to nearly 30 knots. We put 2 reefs in the sails and put the wind behind us to minimise its effect and hung on. At times like this I appreciate Martyn's ability to reef a sail in screaming winds and the dark especially when the bottom sail batten caught in the lazy jacks and he had to go out on a pitching deck to free it. The leaving me to sail without instruments was all forgiven.
As Capt Ron says about squalls “they come on you fast and they leave you fast” and this was the case again. All hell broke loose for an hour and then the wind disappeared as fast it came leaving us struggling for enough wind to sail. After alternately sailing slowly and then using the engine for a while at 5am we saw the lights of Fornell, Menorca distinctly but at still at least 20 miles away. We gratefully headed for the lights and at 1130am dropped anchor in Fornells, 24 hours later than we expected. I quickly sent texts to say that we had arrived and thanks Pat for your immediate response.
It is lovely to come back to a place that you have been before after a long passage as you know where to go and where to anchor and I knew there are food shops in Fornell. Expensive but who cares when you have a biscuit crisis. Even that would have to wait a few hours though – sleep was more pressing...

We presumed the weather forecast was correct as the local ferry went out to its mooring and suspended all services due to bad weather and they wouldn’t give up business lightly especially in August. So we moved across the beach to the most tucked in , protected spot we could find and endlessly looked out to sea awaiting the arrival of the winds and waves. Our only concern was that we were in quite shallow and close to the beach – 3 metres depth - which didn’t give us much bouncing depth if the waves were breaking but the rest of the bay was taken up with local boats so there wasn’t much choice. We were joined in our spot by a couple of catamarans and another yacht presumably all taking refuge from the winds and sea. Nothing much happened for the rest of the day and night except that the dinghy belonging to the catamaran by us floated away and a man on board had to jump over and swim to rescue it.
On the second day we rowed ashore on a hunt for shop to buy some food as although we had still had plenty of food and wouldn’t starve some essentials (but now being considered luxuries) such as coffee and biscuits were running low. Also it would be nice to have some fresh food – the lettuce is getting very limp.. The unreliable pilot book said there was a supermarket by the breakwater and although we couldn’t see any sign of it through the binoculars we rowed over and had a look. Predictably nothing so we walked along the road towards the hotels and restaurants but again nothing except a tourist shop selling speciality Corsican foods at eye watering prices eg a small round cheese of unknown origin was marked at 24 euros. We did buy some onions, potatoes, tomatoes, eggs, peaches and a lettuce that was nearly as limp as the one we already had. And that was it for re provisioning. - thank goodness for the tinned tomatoes and pasta...
When we re anchored on the first day to tuck in closer there were 5 orange mooring buoys in the way and when the boat settled we were quite close to one that kept annoyingly knocking on the side of the boat. At first we pulled it up and tied it off on the guard rails on the side (and covered it with a towel to prevent anyone from the shore seeing and coming out to complain) but the rope attached to it was still rubbing on the hull of our boat and taking off the antifoul. The logical thing (well to us anyway) was to pull it on board and put it in the anchor locker just as you would if you were using it). At least that got it out of the way. However on the 2nd day of the bad weather forecast a couple off dive boats turned up and were circling close to us , apparently looking for something. One of the dive instructors then put his full dive gear on complete with aqua lung etc and dived in to search the sea bed in front of us. He surfaced at the back of our boat and very politely in English said that he thought we had something that belonged to him – the orange buoy was his! Poor man had been looking for it and had had to go down to the seabed to trace it back to us. We felt quite guilty about I,t apologised and dropped it back in to the sea but he just smiled and said thank you. I think he was bemused as why we had it on board when we were clearly using our own anchor but he was relieved to have it back. Apparently they only put the dive boats there when there is bad weather so normally it wouldn’t have mattered. So far we hadn’t felt any effect of the wind and sea on the boat although the weather was alternately sunny and then very dark and stormy but if the dive boats were being moved and the ferry was still not running we must have made the right decision to stay put.
Amazing how time passes though and we stayed 3 days at anchor before the weather forecast started to improve or at least not get more dire every day. Throughout the whole time the boat hardly moved and the sea was quite calm in the bay although we could see how rough it was out to sea. We were glad to be in such a protected spot even if we hadn’t planned it that way.
On day 4 although it still looked stormy we decided to lift the anchor, head out to sea and have a look at the sea conditions and see if we could at least sail down the coast or even across to Sardinia which was only 40 miles. If worst came to the worst we could always turn round and come back but maybe if all went well we might even sail straight to Menorca although that was going to be a 3 day sail. But as ever, one island at a time Martyn said and let's see if we can make it to Sardinia. However I have heard that phrase before and I kind of know we are going to Menorca. We haven`t had a proper food shop for 10 days and now the provisons are going to have last another 4 maybe 5 days I sometimes think Martyn thinks I have a secret shop in the front cabin where I just pop in to buy dinner and then shut it up before he sees it! Life on boat does make you appreciate how convenient shops are in the UK, a car to get there and bring the shopping back and even the internet to just click, select and have it turn up at the door. Also this last place has made me think about how useless money is when there are no shops and no food and you have no way of getting to any. (There were no buses either). I am sure this will all be good preparation and stand me in good stead if the Armageddon comes...

The wind was still quite light and variable but the sun still shone so we lifted the anchor to sail round the next headland to Girolata and the National and Marine Reserve of Scandola. It was a day of putting the sails up and taking them down and then putting them up again (often all in the space of 15 mins)as the wind couldn’t make its mind up whether to blow or not or what direction but that didn’t matter as the place absolutely lived up its reputation. Probably the most unspoilt, rugged, mountainous coastline we have ever sailed. All of Corsica has been far better than we expected – really we just wanted to sail here because it just looked a good sail and it was on the way to Italy – we didn’t do much research into the place but we will certainly come back and if you want an unspoilt, natural holiday this is the place. The day had been quite uneventful, just sailing the stunning coast so we decided to make it more interesting by braving the Gargulu passage. Only for the brave the pilot book said - so we had to give it a go. Apparently it was shallow - only 2 metres over rock in places and the cliffs tower over the passage. As we approached it there were a couple of other yachts appearing to be going through but they all went up to the entrance, had a look at the scenery and then turned back.. We reached the entrance and it was everything the book said, the water was crystal clear and turquoise (all the better to see the rocks!) and the red, craggy cliffs loomed up straight out of the water. What the book hadn’t said was how narrow it was – once entered there was not room to turn round so there would be no going back. No wonder those other yachts turned away and if we hadn’t had a lifting keel I am not sure if we would have gone through either. As it was, once again Gemini`s lifting keel came in handy, and Jane wound it up all the way (such good exercise for the arms!) We do lose a little positivity in steering with the keel right up but knowing we only needed just over a metre of water underneath us was a comforting factor. We were able to motor through comfortably and enjoy the spectacular view. Not so brave after all!! As we looked back, in the distance, we could see that another yacht had come through – we hoped he also had a lifting keel or else he was WAS very brave!...
For the rest of the afternoon we sailed gently through this perfect landscape and settled for the night in the bay of Girolata quite close to a deserted, sandy beach. Perfect!! At least it was until a huge, silver, motor super yacht called Nomad arrived. With a scream of bow thrusters and wake they squeezed their considerable bulk in to the anchorage and stopped close to the beach (and us). Almost before the boat had stopped moving the crew had the garage door was up and the rib was out to take the owner and his two dogs ashore. Looked like they had just stopped for a poo break for the dogs - 2 rottweilers. The dogs enjoyed themselves immensely on the beach and in the water and then they were put back in the rib to be taken back on board Nomad. Then they had to be hosed off, dried, fed and eventually we saw them reclining on the white leather seats at the front of the boat under the sunshade. What a life! And what a faff! Once the dogs were sorted Nomad headed off as noisily and with as much disturbance as when she arrived. Calm returned to our beach. Erich was right -don’t miss Girolata and it is “fantastique”.
Next day we were up early and set off for the next bay, the Bay of Porto. A UNESCO world Heritage site no less. Again it lived up to its write up and was stunningly beautiful. It is hard to find new words to describe it so I won't try.
By afternoon we had had enough though – it is lovely but nothing really happens there!
Considering it is a national park and marine reserve ie no fishing, no pollution, no building etc etc we were surprised at the lack of visible wildlife both on shore and in the sea. We hardly saw a sea bird, even a gull, let alone a dolphin or even many fish. Not exactly sure why but it has been this way in most of Corsica, Sardinia and the Tuscan Islands. In the 4 or 5 weeks we have been here we have only seen 2 or 3 pods of dolphins and they were from a good distance with only 3 or 4 dolphins in each. Even the seagulls are small, quiet and in short supply. We think it must be the lack of food for them as there are hardly any fish left in the Med and you don’t even see locals fishing from small boats any more, as the big trawlers have taken them all the fish.. In the Atlantic we saw far more sea wildlife and plenty of dolphins who had time to come over to the boat and play.
The whole coastline of this part of Corsica faces west and as the wind and swell were coming in from the west and predicted to stay that way we sailed further than we intended that day to find a protected harbour. We settled on Sagone as the pilot book said it was sheltered and was a good anchorage. Obviously so and the locals though so too because when we arrived the whole bay was filled with small local boats on moorings. At first we though there was no room but there is always room! We picked our way through dozens and dozens of small boats feeling like Gulliver in Lilliput until we were only 50 metres from the shore and anchored right by the beach. We felt like we had come for a day at the sea side! Sagone looks to be a small but proper sea side resort. We were to get it know it quite well...
When we got up next day and checked the Navtex we picked up a weather warning from Meteo France. South West or Westerly Force 8, severe gusts and rough seas were forecast for most of Corsica and North Sardinia. We get a regular daily forecast from Meteo France but the only other time they have issued a similar warning was that awful night on Giglio so we decided to take heed and stay put.
Navtex is a really good free service with English translation and is often our only available weather forecast and the French one is particularly reliable. Over the last few years it has definite improved although it varies tremendously from country to country. The Spanish one always comes too late – issued at about 10am and only giving the forecast for the day (by which time you have looked out the window and can see what the weather is!) , The Italian one gives details only an Italian would understand (and only discusses Italian seas), the Algerian one was quite good at covering places in Africa we had never heard of but not very good for Algeria and Morocco (which we wanted) but the French forecast comes in at 6am and forecasts the day ahead and the following 24 hours which at least lets you make plans. Also they issue warnings at any time, not waiting for the next scheduled forecast. I don’t know if new or more expensive Navtex receivers allow you to filter message transmitters but on ours we can only filter types of messages not transmitting stations so when the atmospheric or cosmic conditions are favourable we pick up literally dozens and dozens of messages, which we have to scroll through to find the relevant weather forecasts, For example at the moment we have messages from Norway, Russia, Holland, Lithuania, Sweden, Greece, Wales and the UK warning of missing buoys, lighthouses not working, swimmer rallies in the Baltic, a floating dead whale in Greece, a burial at sea off Lithuania as well as endless positions of navigation hazards hundreds of miles away from us. It would be easy to miss the one important weather warning as you scroll back through the endless irrelevant (to us) messages. Naturally this is a boring, time consuming but necessary job that Martyn considers more suited to Janes`s capabilities!!
Anyway thanks to the French we know we are going to be staying at Sargone for few days. I hope they have some shops as ships stores are running low as the last time we saw a food shop was six days ago...

We could see the coast of Corsica in the distance – about 25 miles but the wind was, as ever, in the wrong direction to sail directly there, so we headed out in the opposite direction and prepared to tack our way towards Cap Corse. This is the narrow peninsula that sticks out from the top of Corsica and where the winds are always forecast to be strong. It was going to be a longish day sail as there was no real safe anchorage on the peninsula coast and we planned to sail round the top of the island and down the west coast. The sea was quite rough off the island and we hoped this was not a foretaste of the waves around the top. The sun was shining though, Gemini was sailing well and fast even in the rough sea and we really enjoyed the sail. Six hours later we were rounding the cape and although the sea and wind did pick up it was all manageable and fun Martyn was optimistically fishing, convinced all the fish in the med had decided to live around Cap Corse – it wasn’t the case and again no fish for dinner. I think the only fish that survive in the Med are in the fish farms and tuna only comes in tins ….
In the early evening we started looking for an anchorage for the night but every one along the west side of the peninsula was open to the wind and waves and were too rolly so there was nothing for it but to head down to Saint Florent about 17 miles away where the coast changes direction. We were both tired and would really have liked to stop for the night but the wind had dropped and it looked like being a moonlit motor down the coast with a hot chocolate. We rarely motor any distance, always sailing however slowly, but this was an exception. By midnight we were only 4 or 5 miles off Saint Florent and we were looking forward to stopping for the night , having been travelling for over 12 hours when suddenly the engine sputtered and stopped. Our engine, like most diesels, never has a problem and just plods on regardless. Martyn keeps it very well serviced so we never give breakdowns much consideration. Well we had to now! Our first thought was that we had run out of fuel as we knew the fuel level was lower than usual. The last time we bought any fuel was back in San Pedro in Spain nearly a month ago and we had intended to fill up in Saint Florent anyway. The gauge was showing a quarter full but we convinced ourself the gauge must be wrong. We always carry a spare can of fuel but it was buried deep in the outside locker so we emptied it of all its various items ie dinghy, fenders, fishing tackle boxes, shoes, water containers, sundry rubbish – it just went on and on but at last we got to the diesel can. It took a further 10 minutes to locate the pouring nozzle. Perhaps in future it would a good idea to keep them together...
At one o’clock in the morning, by torchlight, (keeping batteries and torch together another good idea) we were pouring the diesel in to the tank – this brought the gauge up to half full. Looked like the gauge was working after all and we hadn’t been out of fuel. (All that emptying and scrabbling in the locker in the dark for nothing!!) This was the case as the engine still would not run. It would start but not keep running under load. Now we either had to fix it in the dark or stay where we were until morning. The latter seemed a good bet as it would be daylight in 3 or 4 hours but the wind dropped completely and we couldn’t sail or control our drift at all. Luckily when the engine had stopped we were 3 or 4 miles off the nearest coast (could have been in a much worse place) but we were drifting and now we were only 1 and a half miles off and the lights of the land looked very close... Also a couple of boats had gone past us quite closely on their way in to the harbour and it was not very comfortable having to rely on them seeing us and avoiding us as we couldn’t control our direction of drift. Nothing for it but to have a look at the engine. Martyn`s apprenticeship on diesel engines comes in very handy sometimes. It was, indeed a fuel problem but caused by a blocked fuel filter. This was located under the bed in the back cabin and in a very tight space, so we had to strip out the back cabin for Martyn to squeeze himself, tools, the new filter and a bowl for catching the diesel in a space that definitely wasn’t big enough. And all by torchlight! Amazing what necessity does! The filter was blocked with a stringy, waxy substance – no wonder the engine stopped. We hadn’t (and still haven’t) any idea exactly what it is – it didn`t look like diesel bug but who knows? Any with the new filter fitted and the pipes cleared the engine started and we headed in to the anchorage at Saint Florent. We were too tired to negotiate through the other boats and moorings so we dropped anchor at the first suitable place. It was 4.30am and the first glimmer of dawn was in the east. We put the curtains up and went to bed.....
Next morning we stock of our surroundings. All things considered we hadn’t anchored too badly in the dark but we decided to move a bit closer to the shore. There were plenty of boats at anchor but loads of room and the bay was very pretty. We spent the next day at anchor, went ashore and bought some groceries – so much easier when the butcher spoke French to me and not Italian.
Saint Florent was in full holiday mode - after all it was August and the whole of France is “en vacances”. The town was bustling and very lively- we even listened to a live gig by Franz Ferdinand. Jet ski hire, water skiing and banana boat rides were everywhere in the bay – this was a complete change and culture shock after the Italian islands. We enjoyed it for a couple of days but then had enough and it was time to move down the coast and see some more of Corsica.
We went in to the marina to refuel – the engine was still running well so hopefully the blockage was a one off and maybe caused by a diesel additive waxing. We don’t use our engine much so maybe the fuel had had time to settle and the wax to form. We still don’t really know.
The weather settled in to a pattern over the new few days, mainly hot sunshine but some cloudy spells every day and wind in the afternoon for few hours then mainly calm. The water was warm and we settled in to a pattern of moving 10 -12 miles when there was enough wind to sail and then anchoring in the early evening and swimming. We stopped at Ile Rouse, Revellata and also anchored off the small village of L`Argentella. At every anchorage there were more boats anchored inside the no anchoring buoys than there were outside, especially at Revellata. It was as if the French yachtsmen had decided that the authorities had put the buoys in the wrong place by mistake and therefore they would just ignore them... When in France etc etc......
When we had met Erich, Francine and Damian weeks ago in Sardinia they had insisted that whatever else we did we should not miss Girolata and the Bay of Porto. “Fantastique” they had kept saying and had marked the area on our chart to reinforce the point. Well tomorrow after rounding the next headland we would be heading for Girolata. Hope it lives up to its reputation....

We woke up on our first morning in Elba to completely changed weather – sunny, not a cloud in the sky and calm seas. Just as if the last few days of storms and turbulent nights hadn’t happened. We went ashore to explore and,of course, being part of Italy, everything was laid out perfectly and with no visible unpleasantness – I think the Tuscan Islands are more like Italy than mainland Italy! It is almost as they have to prove that they are a proper part of Italy. The countries are so different – you couldn’t be anywhere but Italy. In the past I think I have made the mistake of assuming Italy was just a prettier version of Spain but Italians and Spaniards are so different. Even in a seaside resort most Italians don’t wear shorts unless on the beach and certainly wouldn’t go in to town wearing beach clothes. Appearances are clearly important and standards have to be maintained. However so far we haven’t found the island Italians very friendly towards strangers and, in fact, in an anchorage go out of their way not to smile or wave. Since we left the Balaerics we haven’t seen another British boat – obviously we are pretty much off the usual passage routes here so we have tried to say hello to people on Italian boats but not much luck so far.
We exchanged our Gaz bottle for a a new one ashore and checked out the bus route to Portferraio (capital and only big town on Elba) - bus seemed to run every hour so we decided to make a trip tomorrow. The rest of the day we spent sunbathing and snorkelling and generally doing what we expected to be doing on a boat in July in Italy! (not hanging on our anchor for grim death and sailing through storms and heaving seas!)
The next day we caught the bus to Portoferraio – it was absolutely packed and standing room only. We offered the driver money but he waved us inside and then didn’t make eye contact with us again so we shuffled down the bus and tried to find a place to wedge ourselves so we wouldn’t fly down the bus when it cornered and end up in some stranger’s lap. Bit like being on the Tube in London in rush hour – so many people all packed in like sardines in a tin and desperately trying not to have any physical contact with another person or have to speak to anyone. Or Italy generally! The bus made several more stops and we didn’t see anyone pay although there was a machine for validating tickets half way down the bus. No one seemed to have a ticket to validate though. At the last stop a beach or market seller was waiting at the stop with at least 30 handmade baskets all looped together with cloth. The merchandise, although probably not heavy, took up as much space as two people – surely the bus driver either wouldn’t let him on or at least would charge him. But no, we all squeezed up and the trader and his wares got on and took up the whole space by the driver. No offer of payment was made and none asked for. Are the buses in Elba free?
The crowded bus discharged us all at the bus station in Portoferraio and we set off without a clue where we were going. We wandered round the town – you couldn’t help falling in love with the place – streets of 18th century cream and ochre buildings overlooked by a 16th century citadel built on top of the craggy cliffs and, of course, Napoleon Bonaparte’s house. Cant think why he ever left. We had a great day being sightseeing tourists, found a supermarket of sorts and bought some much needed provisions and then caught the bus back. We did have to pay on the way back as there was a ticket machine at the bus station. It seems people only paid if they got on at a stop where there was a ticket machine. Lesson there I think....
Our dinghy was where we left it(amazingly) and we spent the evening on the boat watching the sun go down. We even spoke to a lovely Italian couple on another boat, Blackfish. They were flying a red ensign and we thought it was a British boat but they explained (in perfect English) that they had registered the boat as British because the Italian taxes and regulations are so expensive now it was cost effective to register it as British. Alexandrine and Roberto seemed very disillusioned with Italy and their government and were planning to move to Malta next year to get away from the Italian tax system. Probably more to it than that but it made us think that maybe Britain isn’t so bad after all....

The next day we decided to sail further round Elba before heading off to the last island, Isola di Capraia, in the next few days so we sailed off anchor as the wind was still very light. It dropped to nothing after an hour so just let the boat drift and we fished and swam – but still no fish despite Martyn buying every expensive lure any fishing shop he sees has to offer, . Eventually we dropped anchor at Barbatoia just behind the headland. There were 4 or 5 other boats also anchored there.
We settled in for a calm night but by 9 o’clock it was getting distinctly uncomfortable and very rolly. It wasn’t going to be a dangerous night but it was enough of a swell to make sleeping difficult so we upped anchor to move round the headland 8 miles to the other side of the island where we would be sheltered. At least on Elba there were options. As we sailed round the headland the wind picked up to 22 knots and we had 2 reefs in the sail so after a day of no wind we got a good sail in after all. The other boats in the anchorage must have been thinking the same as us and as we left we looked back to see the lights of another boat following us. We hoped to be able to anchor at San Andrea which was the closest place offering shelter from a south easterly wind and so it was great to see another boat (hopefully local) heading the same way. Maybe they would know the way in and the best place to anchor. It was pitch dark with no moon when we arrived so we slowly inched our way in with Jane up on the bow checking for fishing pots and buoys. The other boat was still following so we thought we must be on the right track. There were a lot of buoys and ropes but we managed to anchor quite close in to the beach and it was, as hoped, much calmer than where we had come from. The other boat came in almost alongside and dropped their anchor. In the darkness they called across and asked if we were French. We said no we were English and then they thanked us in English for finding a good place for the night. They were quite a small boat without much GPS equipment and had seen us leave the previous anchorage, thought we knew where we were gong and decide to follow us!! And we had hoped they knew where we were all going. Talk about the blind leading the blind!!
Next morning we could see the Island of Capraia in the distance and we set off towards it. It was a day of mixed weather and mixed sailing. The weather had still not been what we expected – most days are a mixture of cloud and sunshine although it is always about 27 or 28 degrees. We had good wind, then no wind, then strong gusts for a while and wind from nearly every direction but after five hours , often having to sail in the wrong direction, we were sailing along the coast of the Island of Capraia in the rain. There were huge cliffs and rock faces and no sign at all of any habitation but the pilot book said that Porto Capraia was along the coast there somewhere. Several other yachts were also heading for the port (we assumed) and as they approached the coast they seemed to disappear and be swallowed up into the cliff like into a big mouth so we headed for that spot. As we got there the harbour and bay became visible and we sailed in to the small bay. It was the most perfect looking harbour I have ever seen – high cliffs, turquoise water and a small harbour in one corner. It was very deep as the cliffs dropped vertically into the sea and carried on down but we managed to find a good spot and dropped the anchor. There was a system of floating buoys which boats backed up and were attached to which we hadn’t seen before but we still decided to anchor. Blackfish with Alexandrine and Roberto were on the buoys so we waved and later they came across to us for drinks.
The next day we rowed ashore, filled up with water and also found a small shop selling a limited slection of food. Maintaining stock can`t be easy on a small island when everything has to be brought in by ferry. It made us realise how isolated these islands are. We don’t often go anywhere that doesn’t have an airport and Ryanair flying in. To get to Capraia you would have to fly to Italy and then get the ferry to Elba and then another ferry from Elba to Capraia so it did make us feel a long way from home. We caught the only bus which takes a windy road up to the top of the island where there is a small but but perfect village. No roads went any further but we walked for miles around the coast, picked more blackberries and then walked back down to the harbour. The ferry had just got in and the harbour was teeming with backpackers and walkers ready to enjoy this beautiful, unspoilt island. I didn’t know such places even existed in Europe. We both agreed this is the most pefect island we have ever been lucky enough to visit. We will definitely come back.
When we got back to the boat there was an incredible and entertaining spectacle. Most boats had left the buoys that morning leaving vacant about 35 spaces and we had wondered if they would be filled again. While we had been ashore boats had clearly been arriving. Each buoy had to be allocated by the marinero in a rib boat then he would attach the ropes to each boat individually and ,there as only one of him and many boats,a sort of mad queue of boats had formed in the bay. As we all know Italians do many things well but queuing is not one of them! Boats were jostling for position, shouting at each other that they were next and using gestures that I am glad I have have no idea what they mean. The poor marinero was trying to keep some sort of order. It was clear that there was going to be enough buoys for everyone and there was no need to panic but that didn’t stop the mayhem. We sat on our boat, poured a G & T and watched. By 5pm all was sorted, everyone was on their buoy and calm settled over the harbour again. This must be renacted between 3 and 5 pm every day. We felt sorry for the marinero until we worked out that he had taken about 1100 euros in cash in 2 hours....
It was going to be hard to leave this lovely island and this was our last stop in the Tuscan islands but we need to start heading back towards the Balaerics so tomorrow we set off for Corsica.....