Corsican adventures.
So we have bee sitting in Calvi with the wind bowing quite hard. We have been told to expect a real storm in the night from the NE. But of course that would put us on the lee shore once again. I hardly sleep a wink in a flat calm evening waiting for the onslaught, needless to say it didn't arrive, although it did get a little bit bumpy first thing in the morning.. So we are off down the island round the west side, we set off in 27 knots, but luckily are soon on a run.
Rained this morning at 6 am, for precisely 2 minutes, not even enough to get the decks wet. This is our first rain for 10 weeks or so, rather different from the English summer.
In a place called Girolatta, we catch up with Anthony and Antoinette Oppenheimer, my uncle, on their 79 ft motor yacht or stink pot as Sophie puts it. They had a terrible crossing from Mainland France, with allot of rocking and rolling including a 20 minute stop mid way across in the big winds we were expecting. Anyway AEO and their guests came to us for a rather ropy glass of wine, and next day we were invited back to their boat for lunch and some fine wines.. The girls thought the stink pots was great with its shag pile white carpet, leather sofas, gold tapped bathrooms and ft at screen TV that appeared with a press of a button.. Tallulah I think would have stayed. But we had to part ways. (Two days later the boats engines broke and the Opps and their guest had to cut short their cruise which was a real downer for them, and reminds us how lucky we are that our cruise is longer than the usual one to two week charter.
Meanwhile our water maker has packed in and to add to that our water pump from our reserve tank has also decided to pack in. After three days without showers and very little washing up and no clean cl oaths, we have resolved to replace the pump.
It has been good to remind us that water is precious. A new pump and a day spent at the laundrette and we are back on track , although we still have to be careful as the water maker needs a spare part.
Other big news is that Sienna, has learnt to snorkel in arm bands, so we can now all go and see the fish on the reefs.She gets very excited at seeing the real fish and talks nearly as much as Tallulah..
Yesterday when we were snorkeling, we found the a wreck,in about 25 feet of water, it was about 40 feet from the boat and was about 30 feet long, it had a wheel house and funnel and looked like an old steam tramp. It was very exciting as the water was so clear that the girls could see int with their snorkles. I on the other hand was very glad we hadn't run into this uncharted object, there was another boat anchored right above, it. I couldn't of slept but he did.
Today we have been anchored in a marvellous bay where there is a classic golden beach with rock and a reef at each end. The water is crystal clear,the girls have been out in the Opi. This is what is is meant to be like.
Aug 7&8th.
Dolphin everywhere.
We came into a little anchorage, that was quite crowded tonight, called Campomoro, We met the British yacht called Orca, which is a 380 lagoon, Martin and Jean invited us for tea they, are from the Royal Western YC.
The anchorage was so crowded, it made East Head look empty on a sunny bank holiday weekend, so we had to anchor near the nets of a fish farm. Little did we know but then five Dolphin came into see what was up with all these fish. We had ring side seats, as the dolphin swam around and around the nets. The whole beach emptied as an armada of kayaks, lilos,jet skis and snorkelers, came out to have a look. The girls found it extremely exciting for 5 minutes.
That evening when all the beach goers had cleared and we had all gone to bed, Sophie and I were woken up by the Dolphin breathing as they came up for air right by the boat. It was the only sound on an otherwise calm night, magic, but very noisy.
This morning Imy and I, got up before breakfast and found the Dolphin, and after ten minutes we were rewarded with a swim with them. We saw 3 of them, quite close up in the water, before they dived underneath us and disappeared to play. Another magic moment.