The cross-over to Corsica was smooth - however motoring all the way. Spotted a single dolphin on the way.
First stop was an anchorage near to Bastia, that had good ratings on Navily.
It was a good experience, with nice views to the city of Bastia, the mountains and the busy port with many ferries - but in sufficient distance not to bother us with any swell or noise.
The east coast of Corsica does not have so many harbours but it is breathtakingly beautiful.
Next stop was a marina in the middle of nowhere., Taverna Marina. But a nice place with beaches and a few restaurants.
Next day we continued to Sala-Solenzara (Solenzara in short). It turned out to be a long stay - and very pleasant
Corsica (Corse), 17. July - 29. July, 2025
Dolphins should be living in groups or 'pods' - but for some reason, we only experience single individuals.
Anchorage at Bastia - water is fantastic :-)
Something about Mediterranean mooring...
Mooring in the Med area is different from Northern Europe. Some marinas accept bookings in advance via mail or Navily - others don't. If they don't, you have to rely on their mercy when you arrive.
It is a golden rule that you always announce your arrival on VHFand ask permission to access the port, before you enter.
You will be met by a dinghy/tender with marinaros (mooring assistants) - see picture. These are typically young people (students) and they are mostly equilibrists in handling their dinghys. One will stay in the dinghy and show the way to the berth. Additionally, he will support the mooring by pushing and/or screening. The others are dumped beforehand at your berth, ready to receive you on arrival.
Somewhat different from the Nordic countries where you are depending on fellow sailors. And the harbour master is a website or a ticket machine.
.png?etag=%221749f-688e1d3a%22&sourceContentType=image%2Fjpeg&ignoreAspectRatio&resize=301%2B176&extract=0%2B0%2B300%2B176&quality=85)
The traditional Mediterranean way of mooring is 'stern to dock' and mooring lines - see illustration.
A mooring line is a line attached to a concrete block at the bottom. When not in use it rests on the seabed. Then there is a 'catcher line' from the pier, used to raise the mooring line and attach it to the boat.
However, it's a little strange that everyone goes with the stern to the pier. You sit completely exposed in the cockpit to the people walking the pier and you need a gangway to get ashore from the cockpit - which is difficult to store properly on the boat.
So we insist on mooring with the bow first. We have a small latter to get on and off and we are much more private in the cockpit. The marinaros get very confused when we do it - but it works.
Solenzara - a pearl on Corsica
Because the weather forecast further down south was a little more windy than Alla likes, we decided to stay for some time in Solenzara. Besides, we actually both needed a little holiday from sailing all the time - and the place is so nice...beaches with crystal clear water and mountains in the background.
We rented a car to have a look at Corsica from the land side. You need to like serpentine roads, because the inland is all mountains. But very beautiful with pine forests and mountains, lakes, rivers, and even wild bores.
We were told by some fellow sailors that if you are a native Corsican, you may shoot a bore on the spot - it is a citizen right.
Natural pools of Solenzara...
Evening - alone on the beach.
Why go to the Caribbean when we have this in Europe
Stayed 10 lovely days in Solenzara, partly waiting for good weather to cross over to Sardinia, partly because it was a lovely place and we enjoyed life there.
By the way...
The flag of Corsica is a little odd - but it is the official flag.
Why on earth it shows a moors head, when the local people are not black is difficult to understand.
There is a story behind, that is long and complicated. But obviously, a flag like this is creating some debate in the light of today's ruling political correctness.