We will move on and see how far we get. The weather is lovely.
It is warm and sunny. We
set off at about 10am. We are not
sure where we are headed. The
original plan was to go to Livorno.
It is just a 4 hour sail away, but we would like to get further because
we are now about 1-2 days behind our schedule, which means we will have less
time in Corsica.
As we set out the winds are light and Richard decides we should make
better progress than we can by sail, so we are motoring again. After about an hour the wind gets up a
bit and I suggest that maybe we could sail, and so we put up the sails. Not long after I note that the wind has
been fairly consistent at 8 knots on the beam and I am wondering why Richard
isn’t suggesting putting up the cruising chute. It takes him about another hour to come to the same conclusion. So after a year of no use our pretty
sail goes up. It makes a
difference right away and we are now going very nicely at nearly 5 knots.
It is lunchtime and we are sailing so nicely in a flat sea that we have
a proper lunch at the table under way.
I even make some Italian garlic bread to go with our cold meats.
After lunch we get to Livorno.
It does not look very attractive.
It is terribly industrial.
Also we are sailing along so well it seems a shame to stop. So we carry on. Richard has identified a place further
down on the coast and so we make our way to Marina Cale di Medici. We are really going well. The wind has got up to 11-13 knots and
at times we were doing over 7knots through the water. But it is now time to take down the chute and go into
harbour. The book says this is
another high charging harbour, but we need to stop, so what the hell.
We are directed into a space and helped to moor. It is another one of those modern
marinas with very high walls to moor to. So it will be another effort of climbing
up the plank when it is at a very steep angle. But we do get off and are pleasantly surprised to find that
the mooring fee is not that bad.
We have a little walk around.
There is no town. What
there is, is a big development around the marina with shops and restaurants. Then there is a path that goes to a
number of small beaches with other cafes, ice cream parlours and bars. We walk around these, but cannot find a
coffee ice cream for Richard.
As we moored an English couple came to see us, Keith and Sue. They are taking their boat to Trieste,
near where they have a house. They
were keen to say hello, but they too have noted that there are nearly no English
boats around this part of Italy.
We have dinner on board and then brave the plank again to go ashore had
have showers. On the way back from
the shower we see Keith and Sue on their boat, a Gib Sea 33, called Champagne II. They invite us aboard for a drink and it is really nice to
have some company for a change.
Tomorrow we go off to the Tuscan islands on the way to Corsica, weather
permitting.
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