The spectacle of a land seen from the sea, the spectacle of the sea lived onboard the Feeling.
I probably cannot describe thoughts remotely close to reality, I won’t be able to describe in details what these fifteen days on a sailing boat around my land, Sardinia, have meant to me.
In the middle of the sea, admiring the majesty of nature in such a deep silence, I felt so inebriated, disoriented, light..suspended in a dream..
Enrico, Feeling and I, along with a basil seedling, wake up in the morning, slip the mooring and leave from Torre Grande port, Oristano, after having spent a pleasant terrestrial night with our friends.
But now, let’s forget to be terrestrials, we are going to appreciate the earth from the sea, very often from afar, to enjoy the infinite blue.
We sail toward the South, direction Carloforte, until Aeolus blows we are in harmony with nature, it’s just amazing! So amazing that, near Funtanamare, a group of dolphins decides to swim by our side.
The golden dunes of Torre dei Corsari, Piscinas and Pan di Zucchero are just some of the many dramatic landscapes we come across.
After 50 miles and 10 hours spent sailing, during which we satisfy our hunger with some wonderful melons from Sinis, whose peel I can freely leave to the wind, we approach Calasetta. Here, we literally devour an amazing Fain? di ceci!
We sleep in a roadstead, Feeling is colored by the red light of the sunset, smells of saltwater and the evening breeze caresses us while the day is heading slowly towards the end. I feel an immense joy sleeping in a roadstead!
We take just a few stops during our sailing trip, only the necessary ones in order to get some water. We use freshwater just for showering, not more than one any two days, and cooking; we work out the cleaning using saltwater.
Our life onboard is simple and basic, just a few things, reduced space: at first sight well defined bounds, but in front of us there are infinite spaces, both physical and mental.
We spend a particular day around San Peter Island, where we explore the Mezza Luna caves with some close friends. We have decided to bring along an inflatable canoe, which allows us to enter the narrowest inlet in the coast. No engine and no useless bulk.
When we depart from Carloforte, Aeolus gets mad, northwest wind blows at thirty knots with gusts close to forty near Capo Teulada; exciting and funny, probably because I am carefree like an irresponsible child, but, by my side, Enrico is a skilled sailor and manages the situation in the best way.
“The wind and the waves are always on the side of the ablest navigators”. Edward Gibbon.
Consecutive and difficult anchorages, a never ending rocking during the night, spent in front Tuarredda beach.
After awakening, a dive in the bluest water and we are ready to leave for new destinations, the trip goes on, we have covered 80 miles so far, and that’s what I write on my ship’s log:…sleeping, eating, and then sleeping and eating again.. we are headed towards Villasimius, the wind is now quieter.
“Sailing is a religion, has its rituals. If it’s good, is good. If there is wind, there is wind. And if there is no wind, you have to wait, to keep an eye on it. You are hungry, you eat. You are tired, you sleep. It’s a school of patience.”
Bernard Moitessier
After seven hours of sailing, we snorkel with mask and flippers in the turquoise water that laps against Spiaggia del Riso. Spectacle of nature: I can see, through my mask, at a depth of ten meters, that the sand is as white as snow!
This is our first port, after five nights in the roadsteads, it’s San Lawrence night and I would probably see many more falling stars in the open water.
We have been hosted by Maby for the night, an old sailer from 1944; Maby is incredibly beautiful, we spend a few hours with our friends on deck, chatting and trying to spot some stars; we are not in the open, but I am extremely happy as well!
It’s morning, time to get ready and we leave again.
We make many attempts to catch some fish during our trip, but the only thing we manage to pull up is a kitesurf board, got lost in the sea; not too bad, but not edible!
We cover several miles, trying to find a special place for sleeping.
At sunset, the sky is red painted and the full moon is rising; we cast the anchor at Ogliastra islet in front of Santa Maria Navarrese. That’s magic!
We sleep in the roadstead as usual, a few meters away from another boat, the only one besides us.
After five days on the boat, I have found my own balance, during the sailing I also managed to make crepes, our dinner!
As I am not experienced at all with sailing, I try to contribute as much as I can, but I make a bit of a mess, as any lack of attention turns to be a disaster, everything starts to fly away below deck.
As we need to get some water, we stop at Santa Maria Navarrese for about an hour.
Enrico stays on the boat, while I get on the ground to buy some fresh bread, milk and a demulcent for our skins, as they are completely burnt!
Sun, sun, a lot of sun! A solar panel and a windpower generator would make Feeling ready for anything.
We are ready to leave again, direction Costa di Orosei.
I left just a few comment on my map and in my diary; however, I keep marvelous memories in my mind. The Majesty of nature is so incredible to leave us speechless, admiring in silence..
We reach Caletta di Siniscola at night and sleep in the open water.
It’s like a dream to me..no, it is actually a dream!!! We don ‘t need anything else!
Heading towards Tavolare, the sea gets suddenly rough, but there is no wind at all! Here they are, the giants of the seas, huge boats going so fast to generate swells. We are quiet worried, but fortunately we approach Tavolara, a white rocky cliff mountain rising sheer from the sea. It’s useless to repeat that we come accross unforgettable nature wonders every day!
The sea is too crowded in these days, so we decided to stop here for August the 15th (Ferragosto).
We wake up with the amazing view of rose granite rocks right before our eyes; we are in Porto Taverna and our canoe is essential here! My sister and her friend reach us, along with tons of food!
Once Ferragosto has passed, we sail off La Maddalena and, after several days of sea and sun, we get down the boat to visit the Maddalena islet. We are not stable at all on the mainland, tottering from a side to the other. We jump back on the boat after a few hours and I start feeling that the most of the trip has been done, but next destination is Asinara island, and a big smile comes back on my face!
We carry on to Pelosa Beach, where we spend the night along with our friends staying on another boat, Al Nair, met right here. Coffee, good homemade Mirto, a small talk and I fall asleep in Enrico’s arms.
A day at Asinara, in the pristine water. We go snorkeling and it is full of fish around us, it seems unreal, but it is just a well protected marine park! We use our canoe to reach the island, then we go deep into the vegetation and finally see a little donkey in the distance.
A night sailing brings us to Alghero; it’s been moving, fascinating and intimate at moonlight!
We pass by Capo Caccia at midnight and after a few minutes we approach a roadstead in Porto Conte, Alghero, the last leg of our magical journey.
After 430 nautical miles, the most of which covered under sail, our adventure comes to an end..
Unu girigheddu e arroda! (amazing trip in Sardinian Italian dialect)