Sailing route from Sardinia to Spain
Cagliari has a busy port, it even has a traffic separation scheme extending two miles from the breakwater. The massive refinery at Sarroch on the western side of the bay adds to the chaos as gargantuan tankers ply the waters of the shallow bay. All of which calls for some intrepid watch keeping while underway, especially at night. With this in mind and a distance of at least 280NM to cover to reach Menorca I decided it would be preferable to sail in company. Time to call upon my strategic reserve of unseasoned yet fearless crew (cue Gianluca).
We flew into Cagliari on the 27th of October, caught the regular bus service into town, and immediately set about preparing for departure. After gathering a few provisions (mainly fresh bread, water and take away pizza) and carrying out the mandatory Internet cafe weather check, we walked the remaining 2km to S. Elmo marina, arriving at dusk.
I like Cagliari. I can see why many cruisers chose to winter here, and I regret not taking more time to appreciate the city and its people. My schedule was to blame… With the window for Atlantic crossings approaching fast, I wanted to get a move on, so as to reach an appropriate jump-off point before the season for southerly storms.
After filling my fuel reserves (6×10 liter plastic jerry cans stored in the rear compartment with the main fuel tank), at the nearby service station, Eileen of Avoca was ready and we leisurely motored into the night on a smooth sea.