Jump, Run and Catch up

 

We finally left La Spezia! Yay! We were sad to say goodbye to the lovely Marina Del Fezzano and our good friends there. It would be easy just to stay in the honey trap, but boats are made for sailing and adventuring and that is our plan. Took longer than expected to get used to the boat and source the details we wanted, then wait to get a reasonable forecast for the first Jump. We were getting itchy to move and get into it!

 

After a couple of starts and tests we made the 95Nm (Nm = Nautical Mile, about double for kms for non boaties so 180km) crossing to Corsica. Was a great shake down trip. Literally as we were close hauled into 20 knots. But that is a story for a coming update.

Explored a little of the West coast before The Forecast arrived. Our Italian friends had warned us about the Minstral and when the locals have a name for a wind you know it is pretty serious… The Forecast shows the whole west coast of Corsica being closed out in the higher then red alert +50 knots wind arrows. Hmmmm, no place to hide on this side so we are running for shelter around the south corner of Corsica as I write this and the last couple of days.

 

Some catch up on our earlier adventures.

Felt a bit like being on a home renovation show with the big reveal and judging due with our first guest arriving for Easter… OMG! Tidy that cabin crazy boy!

Our good friends Nelson, Kate, Piper and Lexi. They brought with them a car load of goodies including essentials like Marmite, keenness to get the kite up and a large present for me. Thank you!

Yay! Kids to play with!

Once outside Portovenere it was time to hoist and admire the asymmetric and Cinque Terre coast roll by.

Lunch stop at Manarola

Of course we have to climb the hill to get a view.

A view of the boat…

Note sure how long it will take to get tired of looking at our boat.

Distinguished gentleman and boat inspector extraordinaire.

Got back to the boat and looked like we had been burgled! Pretty upsetting as we searched the boat in case they were still on board. The laughs as we work out it was a ferry wake throwing everything around again when they charge in to fill the place up with more people. Phew. Here we are trying to keep everything on the bench.

Photobombing the drink drive instructor

Cheers Mate

Unwrapping the tired out China Doll so we can go for dinner

Selfie attempt #15. Surprisingly hard to get most people and boat looking good…

Found a very nice restaurant with our friends. Yes, that’s our boat sneaking into the picture again.

And told tall stories

The morning after the night before. 2am wind shift and rain meant a move into Le Grazie in the early hours.

Kids and girls ran ashore while Nelson watched me investigate “the toilet just stopped working…” Ceremonial toilet dunk cleaning. I’ll leave out the dirty bits. Let’s just say I know the innards intimately, they are now much cleaner and would rather not go there again… Turned out to be dead electric brains.

Working hard. Where are the kids? Kids, we have kids? All too soon it was time to say goodbye until next time.