René’s old blog

Yesterday I arrived at Cagliari at around 18H. For practical reasons I didn’t return to the exact place of launch, but I crossed the course we followed last year, so now I can say I’ve been all the way around Sardinia in kayak.

I started from the beach of Chia at about 8, paddling along the coast. The weather was calm, almost not a wind stirring and no waves. Progress was fast even if I didn’t hurry, and I was at Capo di Pula in no time. As I managed to do good speed without much effort, I just continued instead of taking a break. The plan was to stop for lunch around the next headland, but I had forgot something.

As I turned the headland I was met with a beach or a village on the coast, but with an oil refinery.

I had to paddle further out to avoid the moored tankers, and passed under one of the pipeline bridges a bit out. The bridges extend a couple of kilometres into the sea. Not having a beautiful landscape to look at makes for boring paddling.

I’ve done quite well today, I think. I’m in Chia, having rounded Punto Cala di Piombo, Capo Teulada, Capo Malfatato e Capo Spartivento. In all I’ve done 53km in about 8 hours.

My primary task today was to round Capo Teulada with the military shooting range. They’ll be shooting all week, so Sunday was my only option to pass there.

The forecast was for force 4 NW (maestrale), which would push me along, but also give me some decent following waves of 1m and more, at least until I rounded Capo Teulada.

To avoid having waves and maestrale all the way to Capo Teulada, I started at 7 in the morning. One thing I have learnt here in Sardinia is that there is rarely any wind at all in the early morning. The winds come with the sun. By launching early I had at least 2 hours paddling on calm water with almost no wind, which got me to Punto Manga a few km before Punto di Cala di Piombo.

I will remain here in Sant’Antioco for today. The forecast for today is for force 5-6 NW winds, the maestrale the west coast of Sardinia is so famous for, with waves of 2.5m. I would be mostly sheltered from the waves by Sant’Antioco, but the wind is still more than I am prepared to fight.

It feels a bit stupid staying on land for a wind I can’t feel, but Sant’Antioco is sheltered from the maestrale by a couple of mountains, which is probably one of the reasons why the Phoenicians chose the site for a settlement almost three millennia ago. There’s almost not a wind blowing here.

The forecast for tomorrow is still maestrale, force 4, which will hopefully be more manageable. From what I can glean off the Italian weather sites, the maestrale will finish on monday, to be replaced by weaker winds from varying directions. It’ll be interesting to see if Karel confirms this later.

Today’s paddle took me from Buggerru to Sant’Antioco. Its been a fairly calm day, but rather gray. The sky has been covered in dark clouds, and I have had a good bit of light rain.

Wind and waves has been exactly like forecast, with the wind turning from SE in the morning over SW to NW in the afternoon, while growing in strength from F1 to F3. Tomorrow it will remain NW (maestrale) at F4, which was what determined my plan of reaching S. Antioco today. After S. Antioco I will have some shelter from the maestrale, allowing me to continue anyway.

I set off from Buggerru a bit late. Yesterday had been harder then it first seemed, and I slept well and long, but I was off at about 9.30.

I’ve paddled from Marina di Arbus to Buggerru today, rounding Capo Pecora. Its only 25km but I found it demanding enough.

The waves on the beach at Marina di Arbus were smaller than yesterday, but not by much. During the night the water had left a thick layer of seaweed on the beach and I had to dig a lot of it away before I could launch.

My first attempt was dismal. I tried to wait for the right moment, only to get hit by a huge wave which sent me straight back into the seaweed on the beach. There were rocks underneith so I had to exit in a hurry and drag the boat away. The next wave meticuously filled it with a soup of sea water and seaweed.

I quickly emptied the boat and tried again before the next large wave came in, and this time I got away, but with too much water left in the cockpit.

I have stayed put today, on the beach of Marina di Arbus.

The forecast was for F4 W with waves of 1.5m, that is, straight on the coast with no shelter available and almost certain surf landings. I didn’t feel like confronting that kind of sea around Capo Pecora, so I didn’t.

Tomorrow it will hopefully calm down a little bit, so I will get everything ready tonight for an as early launch as possible tomorrow, and then stop early if I don’t feel up whatever it becomes during the day.

I have spend most of the day today in the little bits of shadow I could find around the beach, watching the waves pounding the beach and the rocks. It has been quite impressive for me, since I’m used to much more sheltered waters, both in Copenhagen and in Venice.

Marina di Arbus is a very small place, with no stores whatsoever, and just one bar for coffee and refreshments. It probably only has some limited existence during the holiday month of July and August.

I’m in Marina di Arbus on the Costa Verde. Today’s paddle was from San Giovanni di Sinis across the mouth of the Golfo di Oristano to Capo Frasca, and then down the coast, with a lunch break at Torre di Flumentargiu.

The forecast for today was for maestrale, force 3 to 4, most of the day, but it turned out different. When I got up at 8, there was very little wind, and from north. With a 10km crossing, north to south, in front of me, I hurried to get on my way. The crossing went smoothly and quite fast. I sometime forger just how fast the Skim Distance can be, and I was across in less than an hour and a half, without even making much of an effort.

The next stretch of coastline is very beautiful, with a variety of rocks in many different formations.