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Cruise in Sardinia With a Skipper: Antoine’s Logbook
Capt’n Boat professional skipper Antoine and his crew carried out a one-week cruise in Sardinia and Corsica, aboard a Nautitech 46 fly catamaran. There were a total of 8 on board, including 6 customers and 2 crew members.
Here is Antoine’s Logbook, retracing every stage of the trip, from provisioning to the various anchorages!
Cruise in Sardinia with a skipper, departing from Cannigione
Day of departure - Saturday
Departure for a one-week cruise in Sardinia with a skipper: 3 days in Sardinia – 4 days in Corsica.
“After a technical check of the boat, I take the time (20 minutes) for a safety briefing with my crew. Once everyone is comfortable, I prepare the boat for the first leg. It’s 4:30 p.m. when my crew members cast off the catway lines and the bow lines.
It’s a very short sail (just 5 Nm) to the anchorage between Cala Punta Rossa and Isola Porco a little further north. I take the opportunity to tack in the Gulf of Arzachena to test the rig. All’s well. I always plan a short first sail when some of the crew are unmoored. Especially as they can’t wait to jump into the turquoise waters of the Maddalena archipelago!”
Day 2 - Sunday
“The first breakfast on board will be an opportunity to clarify my cruising itinerary between Sardinia and Corsica, and above all to remind to the crew of the use of water and electricity on board. I then continue north to the magnificent Cotticio anchorage. We’ll have lunch there, before setting sail again to enter the heart of the archipelago. We’ll spend the night in this little haven of peace between Maddalena and Caprera, with its neon-blue waters and unexpected rocks.”
Day 3 - Monday
“Monday will mark the first real sail, with a dozen of nautical miles swallowed up quickly thanks to a 12-14 knot crosswind. We’ll head south-southeast to Porto Cervo, the posh town in northern Sardinia. We’ll be lucky enough to enjoy a private mooring on Giglio beach, lined with flower-filled houses. Guests will spend the day there before celebrating a birthday in town at one of its many restaurants renowned for their cuisine.”
Day 4 - Tuesday, off to Corsica
“Tuesday is a real stage. We’ll be leaving Porto Cervo for the Corsican islands of Lavezzi. Unique. A good twenty nautical miles or so to cover, so we’ll wait until 11:00 am for the wind to pick up. We set off downwind, to our great delight, with a southeasterly wind. The Lavezzi anchorage is a very tricky one to get to: strewn with rocks and dotted with boats in the afternoon, it gradually empties out before sunset. You need to leave enough room for the boat to run around its anchor, while being sure of the wind’s rotation during the night”.
Day 5 - Wednesday
“Wednesday morning will be an opportunity to sail around the islands in the dinghy, discovering every nook and cranny. Still on a steady course, we gradually make our way to the incredible Bonifacio, at the southern tip of Corsica. Arriving in this town by boat is a marvel. I lower my sails as we approach the cliffs, in order to be able to sail as close as possible. At slow speed, we round the hilltop town. We’ll use the anchorage at the outer harbor, which must be taken on the same line at the bow and stern. No anchoring here! We’ll stay there until early the next afternoon, long enough to discover this marvellous medieval fortress. “
Bonifacio, Corsica
Day 6 - Thursday
“Thursday noon, a powerful westerly wind sweeps across the water, gusting to 28 knots as it enters the outer harbor anchorage. We wait a little while for the gusts to become more reasonable, to satisfy a customer question: how fast can this boat go? It’s a respectable 10 knots at 140°, with the wind blowing at 22 knots. I let my crew know that using a gennaker would probably have saved us 2 knots.
Proud of our performance, we leave Corsica and set course for Spargi, yet another turquoise paradise in this breathtaking maritime region. The island of Spargi is home to a family of wild boars who come to put on a show on the beach.”
What is a gennaker?
A gennaker is a light, asymmetrical headsail used on sailboats. It is somewhere between a genoa and a spinnaker in terms of function and design.
The gennaker is designed for use with apparent wind, which means it’s ideal for downwind sailing and light to moderate winds. Unlike the genoa, which is a classic headsail that extends over one side of the boat, the gennaker is cut wider and flatter, enabling it to catch more wind when the boat is sailing at a wider angle to the wind.
Last day of cruise in Sardinia with a skipper - Friday
“Late Friday morning, we make a quick trip to the triplet of islands 4 Nm to the north: Santa Maria (magnificent, but often infested with small jellyfish), Razzoli and Budelli.
Filled up with swimming, we hoist the sails to bring the boat back to port fully loaded. A beautiful return sail along the southern route between Sardinia and the island of San Stefano. An opportunity to involve the crew in the many gybes needed to reach Cannigione. The sailing ended with a well-coordinated harbour manoeuvre and a delighted crew!”
Cruise in Sardinia with a skipper like Antoine
You too can cruise in Sardinia with a professional skipper by hiring Antoine!
He’ll design a dream itinerary for you, and you’ll be able to enjoy your time at sea without worrying about boat management. A professional skipper takes care of everything, so you can enjoy a relaxing and stress-free vacation.
✅ With Capt’n Boat, you can be sure of the level of expertise of your sailor/skipper.
