Along the Sardinian coast

We spent two nights anchored in Porto Conte to catch up from our slow but nevertheless tiring passage. On June 5 at 9:30, we leave for Stintino, 25NM up NE, a small village whose wealth from tuna fishing is long gone. We motor along the cliffs of Cape Caccia to have a close look at the caves, then we sail slowing along the rather deserted coast for most of the day. Only around 3pm, the wind picks up and we reach 5 knots; the sky gets more and more cloudy.
From a distance, we see three boats ahead of us getting their sails down to enter the Fornelli passage. You have to follow carefully the transits to get through this narrow passage between rocks, only several tens of meters wide and only 3m deep. This short cup makes you save the 20NM you would need to round Isla Asinara. We do the same, bring the sails down and start the motor when we see the wind is much stronger in this bottle neck. There’s something strange, the other boats are following a course much more north than the transits show. Ludo did prepare the navigation and the GPS route tells us not to follow them but I’m not confident. In a panic we check the course on the computer, Ludo was right and we make it without problem. As we exit the passage we have an even stronger wind on the nose. Big black clouds are gathering right behind us and we are expecting a thunderstorm to crack anytime now. We change the genoa for a gib and reef the main sail, we’ll reach Stintino, only 2,5NM far from the passage, around 9pm.
New pontoons have been built behind the breakwater but it seems it’s still allowed to anchor. Bad luck: this harbor is open only to the South and the wind will continue to blow South all night and all next day generating a big fetch that guarantees a good shower each time we go ashore with the dingy. There’s not much to do in Stintino, except waiting for better weather and chat with our neighbors Barbara and Julian on Brinestar. They were also anchored in Cala Taulera in Mahon and left earlier for Sardinia. They have been stuck in Andraixt on Majorqua for quite some time as they found jobs there but they are now very enthusiastic to sail again and head to Greece. The reception of our Navtex is not good which is annoying when we don’t have access to internet, but we still have the SSB and the sweet electronic voice of the Italian weather forecast on channel 68 as back up.
On June 7, 9:15am we take off, soon followed by Brinestar, for Castelsardo 21NM up north. In the surroundings of Porto Torres there’s a heavy traffic and we closely cross the way of a cargo and two ferries. Castersardo harbor is affordable (15 Euros). We go for a walk along the steep and tortuous streets of the old city and catch the opportunity to have our first truly Italian pizzas and ice creams. Less funny we also have to do the usual chores: fill up water tanks, food shopping and cloth washing “a la mano”.The next day the flat calm is threatening but with courage we decide to leave the harbor anyway and set course to Isla Rossa a good weather anchorage in front of a small marina. It will take us three good hours to cover hardly 10NM with a weak wind against us. Nothing extraordinary here, just a small kitschy beach resort where we spent a good night despite the full on Italian pop music from the beach…