Port Pin Rolland, France – Thursday, August 1st, 2019
It was time for the big departure, we were finally joining our BALI 4.1 at the port of Port Pin Rolland, in the Var region in the South of France.
An early start with a light wind: my children and grandchildren all joined in with the manoeuvres. We left the harbour under engines, where I was on the Flybridge, with an exceptional view that I was eager to share with my grandchildren. Once clear of the port, we hoisted the sails (the children were in awe of the sound from the winches and watching the sails filling).
Everyone was in the cockpit before ready to start a holiday that promised to be unforgettable.
We set a course for Les Sanguinaires (at the entrance to the bay of Ajaccio, Corsica), and during the 23-hour crossing, we took advantage of the good weather for catching up with the family. Between card games, watchkeeping shifts and general relaxation we barely noticed the day go by.
In the middle of the night, the wind gusted up to 28 knots, making our boat slide down the waves, and what an amazing feeling it was (I can say that I felt like the king of the world).
This trip took us, in order, to Ajaccio, Porto Pollo, the Lavezzi Islands, Solenzara, Porto Vecchio, then to Sardinia’s Isola Rossa, Castelsardo, Stintino and La Pelosa.
We enjoyed exceptional weather, making on average between 8 and 10 knots, and always under sail. The engines were off from the moment we’d left Port Pin Rolland.
The holiday evolved around keeping watches, that my grandchildren absolutely wanted to do with me, and all the convivial moments. The rest of the crew got organised preparing meals, spending time reading in the saloon (the overhead door was almost always open to create constant ventilation in the boat).
After our stopover in Pelosa in Sardinia we set sail again for Bonifacio in Corsica.
Sailing from anchorage to anchorage, we headed back to Ajaccio for a crew change. Then we were kept in port at Bonifacio for three days due to very bad weather. But this setback didn’t bother us much. With the overhead door closed, we were still enjoying a warm and spacious area. We also met and sympathized with another couple, the owners of a BALI 4.1! So we decided to end our holidays together.
After this break, we head back north for an anchorage at the foot of the magnificent Tour de Girolata fortress, then the Scandola Nature Reserve and finally Calvi where we refuelled (for the first time since we set off!)
Our next discovery was Selicia, with its beaches and translucent waters.
And the last destination, Saint Florent where we took advantage of two days at anchor to spend time in the water…
The last stop before returning to reality was Cap Taillat, where we spent two wonderful days.
An unforgettable holiday with a catamaran that meets our every expectation! Friendly, open spaces that can be transformed into warm and cosy spaces in a few seconds. Wonderful ventilation which, with a few closed windows, transforms the space into a calm and silent place. There were 6 of us on the boat, but we never had the impression of tripping over each other… and being real food lovers, the galley allowed us to prepare a good meal every day! But the most wonderful thing is the expression on my crew’s face, moments engraved in our memories!
