Carloforte - 14 September 2021


We started the day with a run before breakfast. We are aware that with all of the other activities, we have not had so much time for pure physical exercise, even if we have been exhausted by the end of each day. Close to the marina there is a large lake that was previously used for salt production. Judging by the large amount of rusting machinery, it was in production until relatively recently. The lake is now a nature reserve with a track around it for pedestrians and cyclists, so we followed this. Part way round we realised that there were flamingos feeding, so had to stop for a photo or two.



On our return, we spotted a guy setting up a fish stall from his van in the car park behind the marina, so of course we had to buy some. It all looked incredibly fresh, the eels he was selling were still alive, although we didn’t buy them. We settled for bream, always one of our favourites.

We are moored next to a slightly larger sister ship from the same manufacturer. This vessel is of the same vintage as ours, and when the owner is not there, we have spent some time comparing the equipment setup of the two boats. There are aspects of each that we think is better, but we won’t be changing, so it is really just an interesting mental exercise.

Returning to Equinox after a long break has caused us to reconsider some of the things we do, particularly in regard to where things are stored. When you take ownership of a boat, there is so much to put on board that sometimes a home is found which may not be ideal, but that is where it stays. We have now reconsidered some of these locations and changed things to be more convenient. It is however a little confusing as you have to think where things are rather than knowing by instinct. I am sure it will become easy in due course.

The rest of the day was quieter, we needed a bit of downtime after frantic activity since we got to Sardinia. There were however some jobs that had been deferred as not vital to preparing the boat for departure, and we attended to some of these. I focussed on the toilets, 1 was working perfectly, 1 had a minor problem, and 1 had an unknown issue. By the end of the day, all were fully operational, ready for the arrival of our visitors in a few days time.

We really like the marina here, and think it is the best we have found in Sardinia so far. The staff are friendly and helpful and the setting is great. There are ferries coming and going regularly, but they do not disturb us. The cruising guide says of the town:-

“Elegant pastel coloured houses with wrought iron balconies line the streets running back for the spacious palm lined boulevard along the sea front.it could be somewhere in Liguria, and in some ways it is. The inhabitants of San Pietro are of Genoese extraction and their dialect is still said to be Genoese. They were settled here from a Genoese colony in North Africa in 1738 to escape for Tunisian persecution…. Fifty years later they were abducted by Tunisian pirates and the Sardinian government had to pay to get its colonists back again.”

Steve (and Tricia)

Distance today              0 miles

Total distance 2021:    83 miles

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