Sardinia was a 200 mile sail away from Sciacca. We made landfall in Carbonara Bay and dropped the anchor in 10 feet of gin clear water over top of white sand. It was our best Med sail yet, following everything… wind, sea and current. The perfect sailing trifecta. Skeptics might suggest that our positive frame of mind from the great passage has led to the above description of our first Sardinian anchorage. I would suggest that these sceptics have never anchored their boat in Carbonera Bay in perfect weather. Doing so would silence any doubters, but don’t take my word for it, just look at this picture and form your own opinions.

View at Picasa 10-Aug-2011 01:10, Canon Canon PowerShot SX20 IS, 2.8, 5.0mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 80

You know what can really ruin living on a boat in a post card like that? When the ideal beach surrounding your impeccable anchorage is full of gorgeous people.

And you know what can ruin that? Tough question I know. First of all what could be worse than putting up with this translucent Mediterranean blue water, immaculate weather and the most beautiful people you have ever seen cavorting around on powdery white sand?

I’ll tell you; when these beautiful people also happen to be clothing averse.

Yes, it’s true. Day in and day out this awful picture was made even worse by tanned up, toned down goddesses playing paddleball, rubbing sun tan oil on each other and just generally frolicking around with their disgustingly faultless brown breasts bouncing around for all the world to see.

It’s almost enough to make a guy move back to Canada where practical things like frostbite, business casual dress codes, and sensibly repressive British backgrounds prevent disturbing scenes like these from playing out. All you can do is try to take it one day at a time.

View at Picasa 17-Aug-2011 11:08, Canon Canon PowerShot SX20 IS, 4.0, 5.0mm, 0.004 sec, ISO 80

These girls are also gifted with some kind of super crazy revved up metabolisms or something. Countless times we would see them sitting down and eating a giant pizza or plate of pasta that we would have split and still left feeling stuffed. Maybe they all have bulimia, but it happened enough times for us both to leave us scratching our heads. Then Jaime reminded me that they all carry a dormant mustache and uni-brow gene.

When we couldn’t handle it anymore we took on a massive seven mile passage to the other side of Carbonara point. We anchored near the marina in front of this really nice beachside campground. The well equipped campground provided us with easy access to water, showers, a coin operated washing machine, a little grocery store, a spot to land the dinghy, and buy pizza. We’ve been really enjoying the clear warm water here in Sardinia, which causes the occasional Caribbean flashback… or premonition depending on how you want to look at it.

View at Picasa 10-Aug-2011 01:08, Canon Canon PowerShot SX20 IS, 2.8, 5.0mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 80

A few days later we moved on to Marina Del Sol in Cagliari Bay. Another smelly marina with lazy lines so scummy you don’t want to touch with your hands or boat. Fortunately the marina is run by a super friendly chilled out helpful guy. He will rent you his car by the hour and is the first person in the Med we’ve met who hasn’t flinched when I asked about filling our propane bottles. This has been a surprising problem for us here. This is the third place we have managed to get them filled (Albatross Marina in Marmaris, and an out of the way little store on Santorini were the other two). We just assumed that having managed well through the Pacific islands, Indian Ocean etc that the EU should be no sweat. We couldn’t have been further off base. If you manage to find a place at all here it will likely be the most expensive LPG you will ever buy; generally in the 50 euro neighborhood to fill one typical 20lb tank. I won’t bore you with our LPG challenges too much more, only to say that we were really stoked that this place was not only able to fill them, but the guy actually picked them up and dropped them off right at the boat.

On August 13^th we tried to leave Sardinia, but Sardinia had other plans. We were hammered just trying to get out of Cagliari bay. It took something like 7 hours to make less than 20 miles and for the second time in the Med we bailed. The chart showed some little niche in between some rocks that looked sheltered. We pulled in with plans to anchor for dinner and then get back underway once the wind had blown through. Instead we found ourselves in yet another beautiful bay with a nice beach (Co Di Pula?).

View at Picasa 10-Aug-2011 01:28, Canon Canon PowerShot SX20 IS, 5.0, 33.685mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 80

Our little wireless modem enabled us to download a new forecast which gave us the excuse we needed to stick around a little longer. In the Med Neptune has home field advantage. When he tries to tell you something you need to listen. We were a willing audience, and spent a few more days doing what we do best; idling and lollygagging around.

View at Picasa 01-Jan-2007 00:14, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX Optio W30, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.008 sec, ISO 64

View at Picasa 01-Jan-2007 00:43, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX Optio W30, 6.6, 6.3mm, 0.008 sec, ISO 64

View at Picasa 01-Jan-2007 00:45, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX Optio W30, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 64

In one anchorage I took this picture of our neighbors trying to get to shore. Sometimes visitors make fun of our dinghy, let this be a lesson to you all; it could be worse.

View at Picasa 09-Aug-2011 09:52, Canon Canon PowerShot SX20 IS, 4.5, 26.001mm, 0.004 sec, ISO 80

And no, they didn’t make it to shore without sinking.

In another anchorage I took a picture of this family out for a Sunday drive.

View at Picasa 08-Aug-2011 06:46, Canon Canon PowerShot SX20 IS, 5.0, 54.877mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 160

Sardinia really surprised us. We weren’t expecting to but found some stellar spots despite ourselves. An all around totally protected little pocket bay, some really touristic places, a whole stretch of coastline dotted with caves and coves. In Sicily we wanted to get off the boat and explore inland because of the crappy anchorages and marinas. Sardinia was the opposite; we were full time sun and sand water babies. We snorkeled through caves, Jaime kayaked through coves. We climbed rocks and jumped off cliffs into perfectly formed round cauldrons.

View at Picasa 01-Jan-2007 00:34, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX Optio W30, 6.6, 6.3mm, 0.005 sec, ISO 64

View at Picasa 01-Jan-2007 00:31, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX Optio W30, 6.6, 6.3mm, 0.004 sec, ISO 64

View at Picasa 01-Jan-2007 00:33, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX Optio W30, 6.6, 6.3mm, 0.005 sec, ISO 64

August 18^th brought favorable conditions along with it. We stuffed our freezer full of Italian meat, and the cupboards full of olives, coffee, wine, cheese and chocolate. We were loaded up for another 200 mile passage and another country… Next stop? Spain.

View at Picasa 12-Aug-2011 06:14, Canon Canon PowerShot SX20 IS, 5.0, 11.595mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 160

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