Sardegna

September 10, 1998: Sardegna

Hello: If you are finally!!! getting this message It means I have worked out the problems matching up with the Italian phone system. Believe me, it is not easy here just to make a simple phone call. This morning we met an American couple in the next dock that have been gone from Boston since 1993, and they seem to think they can solve our problems. I understand it is a case of changing the software so it will ignore the Italian dial tone. If you get this it worked! I have tried everything else. Not being able to send E-mail, This letter will be a bit long a disjointed, being added to many times from various places. I have gone back and put some dates and times on this rambling memo to try to make it a bit more understandable.

Bonaffico, Corsica July 26,

It was really nice to log on and get so many wonderful messages! Thanks! and keep them coming. We have been getting all of your messages, sometimes it may not seem like it, because When I send E-mail, about once each week, I send out our mail and receive your messages. I must do this quickly, as I am on a borrowed phone jack at some local shop or hotel. They often unplug their fax to let us use the wall jack. I do not even have time to log onto the internet or check stocks etc. I then go back to the boat and read the incoming messages and prepare answers. So it works out that you really do not get an answer for almost two weeks.

Puerto Cervo, Sardenia July 27

We are still learning but can handle the boat better now. We are in Porto Cervo, Sardenia, Playground for the rich and famous. I just thought San Topez was ritzy, this place has so many million dollar yacht that it boggles the mind. We are at anchor next to two marinas, the anchorage is free. The marina wanted over $300, yes! 300 dollars USA for one night, plus extra for water and power. Corsica was old and not fully developed, whereas Sardenia (Italian) is developed and modern and expensive. We will rest here a day or two, then go across to Italian mainland. No winds over 20 knots since leaving Canet, weather mostly peaceful but hot hot everyday!

We went ashore upon arrival, sunday and found no one to check in with, so we waited until monday and went ashore to find some immigration or customs office to check into Italy with ,but they did’nt know what we wanted. Boy, is Italian different! We thought maybe we could find someone that speaks english or maybe we could get by with a little spanish, but no way! They speak Italian fast and we point or gesture. I sure don’t know why the world doesn’t all speak engiish. We bought a phrase book and can maybe learn to say hello, good morning, and would you help me please. We haven’t figured out the money yet, but we went to a machine and it gave us a half million lire. Cost over 2000 lira for a cup of coffee, I think that is over a buck.

Puerto Cervo two days and a lot of wind later

Much later - It is now 7/29 We seem to have lost a day or two. Night before last the wind changed direction 180 degrees and built up to a fine roar. Almost everyone in the anchorage was up in the dark shouting hollering and resetting anchors. We were fine until about daylight, when the wind was howling. Our anchor had not reset properly and we were starting to drag back toward the rocks, We cranked up the engines and needed all the power they both had to keep clear of the other boats and rocks. We reset our main anchor and lugged another 70 lb. anchor and 50 ft of chain to another spot and set it. Due to the wind angle we didn’t have a lot of room between other boats and the rocks. It seemed like a nice spot in calm weather with the wind the other way! We then ran a long rope to a mooring bouy near shore and this kept us from swinging back and forth. We were having our first Mistral (strong wind from the north west caused by a low pressure over the gulf of Genoa) The wind howled all day and part of the next night, during the next night it calmed down and we got some better sleep. The wind blew in the 30’s with gusts to 40 knots. In gust the whole boat shakes like a damp rag. We have two 70 lb anchors heavy chain and one inch diameter ropes on the boat. I used to think they were oversized but now I think they are fine. During these blows you get up every two hours and check things, meanwhile you sleep in your clothes. Not a lot of fun, but, we knew this comes along as a counterpoise to the good times. I gotta go for lunch now.

Enroute to Civitavecchia

It is now Friday 7/31 at 04:45 in the morning. Ruth is trying to nap, as she was on watch from 02:00 to 04:00. On our overnight trips we try to take turns and get a little rest otherwise one gets dog tired. Later - I tried typing this out in the cockpit as we were sailing along, but the screen was so bright I had to put it away. It really messed up my night sight. In the night one keeps all the bright lights off so that your eyes get used to the darkness. We left Porto Cervo at 2 oclock in the afternoon and sailed all throught the night arriving in mainland italy the next day at 11 oclock, some 120 miles northwest. The night sail was magnificient! The wind and waves were from behind at 15 knots steady all night. The autopilot steered all the way while had a nice diner and watched the sun disappear from directly behind us. Night set in with a million stars complete with the full milky way. The moon was only half so it wasn’t real bright. We have a 16 mile radar so could keep track of all the many ships passing in the night. We cleared all of them except one large tanker that stayed on a collision course with us for a long time, finally he diverted his course a little and we speeded up missing each other by ½ mile. The radar is great, it allows one to keep track of all the ships within a 16 mile radius and to track their course compared to yours. Lots and lots of ships out there! And yes, Steve we did install our radar reflector. Thanks. Many cruise ships with all the windows. We are now in a marina in Civitavecchia. We backed into a tight berth like professionals! We had to buy yet another 220 V electrical adapter, but guess what the phone jacks are American type so now I can send this E-mail, Yahoo. You guys must get tired of this reading this continuing newsletter. Will rest up here for a day or so , restock food, then head south. Still plan to pick up John Morgan on the 7th or 8th near Barcelona and Bob and Judy on the 12th.

We may try to get the fridge looked at here and buy more batteries if we can converse well enough. The fridge ices up and gobbles power continually. We have 330 Amp hr. house batteries, 3 large batteries, but it just isn’t enough to satisfy the power hungary frige and the autopilot, navigation lights, pumps, GPS, instruments, radar and all the other goodies. Our expensive SSB radio and weatherfax does not work and I have tried everything. It must have been damaged in shipment. We get weather reports whever possible and in whatever language. The one great thing about this boat is the dual engines. When we motor, which is quite often, we only use one engine, giving us twice the range, and the brand new volvo diesels just don’t want to stop. The one cylinder diesel generator is however very tired and may give up at any time, but so far keeps going. Whenever we either anchor for a few days or sail all night without engines, it is necessary to charge up the batteries with the generator at least twice a day for an hour each. With more battery capacity, I hope to cut this down to once /day. Well I better close. There seems to be record temperatures everywhere and here is no exception. It is so hot that shopping in the fancy air conditioned stores isn’t as bad as I remembered. You coul’dt afford to buy much though, as most prices are about double the USA. Would we do this again? I don’t know, it feels so good ,when you stop. We miss home and friends.

Aug. 2, coast of Italy

We are at the moment cruising along the Italian coast at 41 degrees 32 min North and 12 degrees 32 min East. We are passing the city of Anzio, where many people lost their lives in an assault during the war. We left Cittiveicchia at 0600 this morning and have been sailing along the coast Past Fumicino airport, and Rome. The sandy beach runs for miles and miles and is solid with people sunning themselves.

Nettuno Italy Aug 3, 1998

Nettuno is a suburb of Anzio, another place where the Allied forces made a landing during the war. Ruth and I went thru the old walled city and the museum that covers the war. We read newspapers from the time and got a pretty good description of what happened. There is a huge American cemetery here as as a result! We are off tomorrow 36 miles down the coast for the Island of Ponza. It is another antique walled fortified city built on top of a steep bluff.