July 12

Hi from Tapestry,
We are anchored tonight in Maddalena, a small island in the group of islands
just north of Sardinia. Despite the strong winds, we had a delightful stay in
Arzachena. We have had four birthdays to celebrate among the six American boats
in the harbor and we made good use of the opportunity. It was so good to see
our friends and fellow Americans; we had a wonderful time.
From there we headed for Cala De Volpe. The winds had dropped off and
temperatures had cooled off. It was delightful low 80's with about fifteen
knots of wind. We sailed to Mortorio, an island famous for its bright green
waters and spectacular white sand beaches. When we got there, we were amazed.
The several tiny harbors were jammed with boats. There was no way we could
squeeze six more boats in. We continued on to Cala De Volpe, which was truly a
sight. We got a hint of what was in store when we passed Porto Cervo. Huge
megayachts were anchored outside and many more were moored to huge piers in the
harbor. At Cala De Volpe there was a giant anchorage with hundreds of yachts.
There was an immaculate pre-war four masted schooner and numerous giant and
elegant sloops and ketches. There were many power yachts in the 150 foot plus
size range, some with as many as four decks. We anchored in front of most of
the fleet near the area reserved for water skiing. It seemed that the dinghy of
choice for these boats is a hard bottom inflatable with one or two huge outboard
motors. These boats were about 25 feet in length and could carry eight or ten
adults, no problem. They would dash between the yachts and the hotel on shore,
which was the only attraction at the place. To do this, of course, they had to
weave through the fleet of moored boats. Slowing down did not occur to any of
them that we saw. Add to the "dinghys" plenty of jet skis. Of
course, there were water ski boats, too, but most of the time they stayed in the
area reserved for them. Wakes crossed and cris-crossed, making getting home
from Alcid in our seven foot dinghy a bit of a challenge, although we made it
safely. We did not even go to the hotel for a drink. The cost of lunch was
E214 per person. (About $250)
After dark, the air was filled with the humm of generators as all of these
yachts run generators 24/7. Deck lights and spreader lights were lit, as well
as lighting inside the opulent cabins. Some of the larger yachts have
underwater lights which illuminate the water around them a brilliant green. It
was a stunning sight. It was as though we were in the middle of a city in the
sea. Most of the larger yachts were British. The six of us were the only U.S.
boats we saw in the harbor.
This morning we hauled anchor and went our separate ways. Three of us
motored upwind back north to Maddalena. There is a NATO Island right near here
with a submarine tender and several submarines. There was constant loud chatter
in Italian on the radio as we approached this place and I had the feeling that
they were yelling at us. Probably not. We anchored just outside the city harbor
in an area too shallow for ship navigation. There was an eleven boat sail
school having a race nearby. The winners were doused with buckets of water by
the "instructors" at the end. Good fun. We went to town for lunch and
shopping and returned to the boat for a swim before dinner.
This evening, just before dark, a man approached in a small boat and told us
we couldn't anchor here. He said this was the property of the Italian Navy. I
asked him if he was a policeman, or if he represented the Italian Navy. He said
no, he was just a citizen. I think he owns a marina. Well, we decided to stay
till morning, when we will head for Bonifacio, on the French Island of Corsica.
We will have to learn to replace Bon Journo with Bon Jour. Au revoir!

Hank and Julie on Tapestry, Anchored in 10 knots nw, under a nearly half moon,
Maddalena, Sardinia, Italy.