The first sunset in Cagliari was beautiful and we promptly set off to see or wonderful friends Marta and Massimo to a pizza “Il Gallo D’oro”

Over dinner we are making plans for a sail in convoy, plans to be confirmed. Watch this space.

Well after many hours of planning, whether to go to Carloforte or Bosa we decided to stay with our friends at the anchorage.

It wasn’t a hard decision, beautiful sun and sea, but above all the company of our Italian friends.

Sunrise and Marta and Massimo’s Yacht

Testing of my new underwater Olympus camera. Setting of anchor, Me snorkelling and sea grass.

Our southerly journey continues. We departed Punta Aldia at 10:30 and had a cracking sail to Santa Maria Navarrese. We only used the motor for an hour or so and bathed in the glorious sunshine all the way.

Here are some videos of our trip.

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After preparing Arctura and stowing the tender in 25kt winds we regrettably had to leave our home and set sail south for Punta Aldia. The sail south was brisk, but eventually the wind died down and we had to motor the last leg. We had spectacular scenery along the way and the last part of the journey into Punta Aldia was peppered with shouling rocks. This beautiful, quite little marina has room for 300 yachts and was moderately priced at 50€. There is a well equipped supermarket and a few shops and a couple of restaurants. We noticed that the Italian supermarkets we frequented don’t stock meat not chicken of either fresh or frozen variety. We are on a mission to find out why ?

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We weighed anchor from Porto Palma and set sail for the pink coral beeches of Budelli. A cracking sailing with lots of tacking and arrived at noon at Budelli and achired in about 6 mtrs with wonderful views. After lunch we took the tender to the pink beech, although it wasn’t really that pink, so a bit of an oversell by the Sardinian tourist office, but beautiful none the less. Wonderful turquoise seas with rocks perturbing everywhere.

We stayed here for two nights. It’s a beautiful and very sheltered anchorage with less sweel than you get at Town Quays marina in Southampton. In fact there was no sweel. The peacefulness was only interrupted by the passing a small sailing dingies training the new population of future yachtmen and women.

We dedcied the walk into Madellena, which was a 12km walk. The first part through the picturesque national park covered with pine trees and always wonderful views. 

Across the bridge and it becomes a different world, industrial and full of what appears to be dilapidated council estates.

On reaching Madellena however the world changes again into a beautiful working harbour, bustling with tourists and a range of fantastic restaurants, one of which we frequented. We caught a cab back to Porto Palma and back to Arctura via our ever faithful tender, which has yet to be named. 

The day was completed by a spectacular sunset and culminated by an explosion of bright stars and planets across the darkness of space.