Menorca to Sardinia

Hi everyone,

We had a pretty good 2 day passage from Mahon in Menorca to Carloforte on St Pietro island off Sardinia's SW coast.  We're now in Italy!  The passage was about half sailing and half motoring, as anticipated from the weather forecasts.

Full Sail Set

Here are the plots...

Track

Arrival Track Detail

Graphs

And here are the vital stats for the passage…

    • Distances/Speeds

        • Route Distance = 197nm

        • Logged Distance = 190nm (log still under-reading)

        • GPS Distance = 207nm

        • Duration = 46 hours

        • Average speed over ground = 4.5 kt

        • Minimum boat speed = 3 kt

        • Maximum boat speed = 6 kt

    • Weather

        • Minimum wind speed = 0 kt

        • Average wind speed = 6 kt

        • Maximum wind speed = gusts to 15 kt

        • Apparent wind angle range = 0 to 100

        • Seas up to 0.5m

        • Swell up to 0.5m

        • Mostly clear skies

    • Engine

        • Total = 25 hours

On Saturday afternoon we motored the 2nm from Cala Taulera anchorage to Mahon Marina to take on water, fuel and supplies.  It's an expensive marina but the town was well worth the visit.  It'd be a great place to explore further, especially if we can find cheaper accommodation for the boat.

Mahon Marina

On Sunday morning we departed the marina and set sail for Sardinia.  To our surprise there was wind.  Throughout the passage it appeared the weather was 'ahead' of the forecast.  We had a great sail all day Sunday and through the night until just before dawn on Monday.  The wind was on the beam, allowing us to set our staysail (=storm jib) to good effect.

One of few cargo ships seen

There was little traffic.  We only saw a few cargo ships.  Overnight Sunday we passed a group of fishing boats, happily just skirting around them.  We also saw several yachts.

Day 1 Sunset

With the wind gone on Monday we donked along at modest RPM to keep the noise down.  The seas gradually calmed to a glassy surface with only a low swell left behind.

Day 2 Calm

Both nights were clear of cloud and the moon didn't rise until shortly before dawn.  The night sky was spectacular.  Both Saturn and Jupiter cast 'stairways' on the water.  We saw shooting stars and several satellites, including the ISS (identified using the app GoSatWatch).  As usual we worked on our constellation and star identification using the app GoSkyWatch.

Arrival Dawn

On Monday afternoon and night we used a couple of bursts of less light winds to give the motor a rest and sail.  This also allowed us to manage our arrival time since we were earlier than anticipated and didn't want to arrive at night.  Ultimately we arrived about half an hour before the marina opened, so explored the harbour while waiting.

In Carloforte harbour

Carloforte Ferry Terminal

Harbour Walls from inside the harbour

The marina staff assisted with mooring and arranged for a local doctor to visit later in the morning to do the necessary Covid tests.  They're now done and we're cleared to explore Carloforte.

We expect to spend a few days here while awaiting N winds to take us onward towards Tunisia.  Looks like we'll get good winds on Friday.  That'll get us out of Schengen with about 10 of our 90 days in hand.