It’s a long time since I’ve done my last blog post? Why? Well I undertook a big change in my life back in June 2020.
The U.K. was in lockdown due to the high levels of corona virus infections. Lockdown had been eased for leisure sailors and I was determined to leave the U.K. to undertake a long sailing voyage to check on my other boat Black Swan in Sardinia and to sail on to Venice to stay with my new sailing friend.
I left Walton on the Naze 1st June heading down the English Channel across the Bay of Biscay and down the Iberian peninsular and through straits of Gibraltar and into the Mediterranean Sea.
This was big undertaking and I had an amazing weather window with northerly winds all the way to Gibraltar.
I did run into some higher northerly winds off the small island of Ouessant Brittany especially crossing the Traffic Separation Scheme.
But overall I had good weather all the way however I did have go into Lagos southern Portugal to fuel up. I had to stay onboard Barada due covid 19 health lockdown procedures.
I didn’t encounter much shipping whilst crossing the Bay of Biscay or off the coast of Spain or Portugal. Which was great allowing to safely rest whilst off watch.
Solo sailing always has a larger risk factor of collision whilst sleeping down below with no one on watch in the cockpit.
I stay one day and one night in Lagos, headed off fully fuelled for my next leg to Sardinia.
Unfortunately my automatic electrical tiller helm stopped holding a course this meant whilst motoring, due no wind, I had to constantly be on the tiller helm. Which I find pretty exhausting with long laborious hours on the helm.
The electrics autohelm whilst under engine means you don’t need to be holding a course or steering boat manually. You motor when there isn’t enough wind to push the boat along. I do have windvane auto steering rudder but you need a certain amount of wind to enable the self steering to control the boats course.
Once I got into the Mediterranean Sea proper I ran out of wind completely. this meant I had to spend all my time on the helm to keep me on course. I found this extremely tiring and disruptive to my sleep.
60 nautical miles south of the Balearic I had to make a decision to go into the nearest port to fuel up my depleting fuel reserve to make it to Sardinia.
This put me back by at least 24 hours as I decided to head for Cala O’dor Majorca.
On leaving Majorca I had a long 200nm tiring trip with no or little winds and lumpy sea to Sardinia and Carloforte, which is on the SW coast of Sardinia.
I arrived at midnight at Carloforte on 27/28 June little later than plan due having to go into Majorca for fuel.
Angela my sailing companion joined at Carloforte to sail to the Adriatic Sea. We left Carloforte and arrived in Aeolian island at Vulcano early hours of 2 July. After quick stop over we left for the Messina Straits arriving first light on 4 July heading north easterly along the foot of Italy.
Early hours of 5 July we ran into a lightening storm which created rough seas and head winds. I decided to run down wind until the lightening storm passed through coming back into wind heading NE.
I need to rest in the early hours and coming back on deck Angela wanted to go into the nearest port for a rest. Roccella Ionica was the nearest harbour at about 9 miles away.
After days rest we sailed on to Le Castella which well sheltered harbour with an old medieval fortification. Angela decide to leave me there after a few days rest plus having have the transmission clutch repaired which had started to slip.
I left Le Castella for Otranto port which was across the bay of Taranto and up the Adriatic coast. In respect I should of gone into Leuca at the heel of Italy but I decided push on and unfortunately ran into strong Northerly winds and very rough seas off Otranto.
It took my ages to make the harbour having to constantly tack to make headway. I arrived in the early hours tired and fatigued. It was difficult harbour to find a mooring being solo as the harbour was surrounded by very bright lights that ruined my night version.
I saw a couple guys walking along a pontoon so edge closer and shouted them for assistance to take my mooring ropes. Little did I realise I’d moored on the hammerhead of private Italian yacht club.
Following morning I was told in no uncertain terms that I shouldn’t be there! I was tired so I told them to go away until I’d rested some more and was ready to move.
Once I set my mind on something I’m like dog with a bone, I wasn’t moving unil I was ready to move? I spoke to the coastguard explain I’d come in due to strong northerly winds and needed to rest and wait until the winds abated. Code of the sea is any harbour in bad weather or adverse conditions should be a port of sanctuary! No If’s or but’s!
The Otranto port wasn’t great for transiting yachts ending up on the harbour wall next to fishing vessels. Unfortunately I had the harbour mooring attendant help me for going along side the harbour wall.
We couldn’t get on initially due to the movement of fishing vessels. We waited and he said from his position on the bow to go in onto the wall. Another fishing vessel came out from no where straight in front of Barada with lots of screaming and shouting, I couldn’t slow Barada down quick enough crunch!!!
Fortunately my canter lever anchor support took all the impact and damage as I hit the side of the steel fishing vessel. Lots of expletives ensued between me and the captain!
I was glad to leave Otranto to head north up the Adriatic towards my goal of Venice!
My next stop for fuel was Vieste it sticks out above the heel of Italy. It was quick turn around to top my fuel tank and fuel containers and away again to Chiogga.
Final leg was fairly uneventful, with reasonable favourable winds and flattish seas. I passed a number small gas platforms which meant I had be alert at night eventually seeing the large circular concrete control tower situated in the sea north of Venice and chiogga.
I arrived in chiogga 19 July 2020 to very busy harbour entrance full of various leisure’s boats toing and froing all over the place. I met Angela at the harbour dock at Darsena la saline.
The following day we sailed into Venice and took in the wonderful scenery of San Marco the Doge Palace and the Guidacca island to port. Eventually mooring up at Barada new home port near Treporti. Phew what voyage of 3200nm having left the U.K. on 1June and arriving in Venice on 20 July 2020.
