Capo Ferrato - Capo Failis - La Caletta

Cala di Luna

FRIDAY 3 JULY - SUNDAY 5 JULY 2009

We motored the 37 miles to Capo Frailis, just south of Arbatax and anchored in the bay, which is now a holiday resort.

This part of the Sardinian coastline is spectacular, and the Golfo di Orosei especially so and forms part of the Parco Nazionale del Gennargenti. According to the chart all small craft are supposed to keep 2 kilometers off shore, but as we were the only ones obeying the rules, we decided to creep in nearer to see the wonderful cliffs. We saw either porpoise, dolphins or a whale but they did not come near enough for us to see clearly enough to identify them.

We anchored near the Grotto del Bue Marino and took the dinghy into the cave, joining a tour inside. The caves extend for 17 kilometers, but only 1 kilometer is accessible to tourists. They were magnificent with some amazing pillars and underground lakes. One of the caves was the last place in Sardinia used by the almost extinct Monk Seal, last seen here in the early 1980s.

As the weather was so settled, we anchored off the magnificent Cala di Luna, which is backed by a lagoon and the beautiful pink oleander.

On Sunday we motored the 25 miles to La Caletta, where we had been told we could moor on the outer pontoon for free for a couple of nights. Two young Marineros told us we could only stay 12 hours – as it was 4.30 p.m. that would mean leaving at 4.30 a.m., or we had to go inside and it would cost us 60 euros! It had been about 15 euros three weeks ago! We said we would stay on the outer pontoon, and another couple told us they had been told it was free and they had been here two nights. We saw the Harbour Master in the morning and he said the regulations say boats can only stay 12 hours. He then said we could stay for another night, but would have to leave by 8 a.m., as the night time hours don’t count!

We had run the water maker for 4 hours on Friday, but it still hadn’t come out of the overflow pipe, indicating a full tank. The next day we ran it again but it still wasn’t filling. We then discovered water in the bilges and realized the water was coming out the top of the water tank where Roger had drilled holes for the water gauge. This was easily fixed with some mastic.

Diesel: 1.22 euros a litre; 86 euros