June 3-4 - Porto Vechio |
Sunday morning, June 3rd, marine weather was if-fy, a front moving down with thunderstorm... possible wind gusts. We left early enough to be just ahead of the storm. The wind was rather strong and waves had 4 ft swells but all flowing in the direction we were sailing. That makes for a very gentle up and down ride. Sailing against the waves or having the waves hit side-ways is the challenge and a good recipe for sea-sickness. This time, we had the best luck of the trip till now. Did the 5 hours sailing between Solenzara and Porto Vechio without the motor. What a difference! So quiet.
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Enjoying the coastal line, the mountainous landscape...
Reducing the sails to enter the golf and port...
This is where we spend most of our time while sailing... FOR HOURS! Many times I go sit at the bow and get the full feeling of the up-and-down of the boat... my favorite place to be. The captain stays at the helm and sings or whistle to keep himself awake and present! Because the boat is on automatic pilot following the GPS route. So not much to do except keeping watch for the unexpected... wave, wind, obstacle... maybe a floating body?
Porto Vechio... The village sits on a hill with an old citadel that doesn't stand out much. The village is special however... you can see the port below... a photo taken from up there.
It looks great and sunny today but last night, after we ate a crepe and drank cider, we came back to the boat under a torrential downpour. I waited 20 minutes under an hawning while Alain walked or rather floated back to the boat. Downpour like you see in the Carribeans or Southern States.
Many little shops, restaurants and narrow streets. VERY NARROW streets.
The captain at rest after a good meal or maybe BEFORE a good meal?
The last day in Porto Vechio, I decided that my experience on the sailboat was enough. We had an agreement to do 2 weeks and then see. The next step was for Alain to have another skipper come replace me... but plans weren't made ahead of time. The other possibility was (if things worked out right) to sail to Sicily than work our way back along Italian coast.
Not my choice at this time and doing it this way. Sailing using the motor most of the time and docking every day in a port where we're lined up like in a camp ground was not my favorite choice. While Alain does all the work and worrying...which he enjoys as long as other people want to explore etc...
I have other preferences and that's ok.
So we had a toast on turning around and going back to Bastia. From there, we would see. As far as I was concerned, I could go back to Geneva.
That afternoon, after washing the deck, I sunbathed and read a little in the "Ask and It Is Given" book of Abraham channeled by Jerry and Hester Hicks.
It reminded me to choose what gave me the highest feelings of "well-beingness". And what you see docked behind me is more like the boat I would like to do the experience with... Doing what we are doing at the moment.
Since we use the motor most of the time, why not go with a plush-elegant yatch with BIG MOTORS that gets you some 20-25 knots/hrs instead of pushing at 5 knots??
Makes sense to me but tastes can't be discussed.
It was a definite beauty... a 55 footer, with an English flag. A different experience that would be! Even Alain commented on the line and design.
