6) Bonifacio, Corsica, France

Bonifacio, Corsica, France 41°23’N 09°08’.8E

In a casual conversation between Nancy, John and I he mentioned that he had lost his multi-tool (Leatherman) and wanted another one.  While we were walking the streets of Rome he noticed a street side shop and looked for the tool.  Too expensive and we moved on.

Bonifacio turned out to be difficult for us to find a slip.  After entering the mouth of the inlet Alan contacted the harbor-master since he speaks French and notified them that we wanted a 17-meter slip to fit a 58’ vessel.  They came back with a location for us.  As we motored in we passed all the slips that would have been easy for us to acquire and were big enough for us.  Well, it turns out the harbor-master did not understand our requirements because he sent us to a slip area for smaller boats.  We got to the end made a difficult turn-around and asked for a bigger slip.  He gave us one in the same area.  We thought that’s what we get and that’s where we were going. 

Long story longer, we made it into the slip bow first and managed to capture the mooring lines and made fast the vessel.  Granted, all of this is 50’ from the promenade and when a boat this size comes in everyone watches.  The problem was that the mooring lines were attached to the bottom and located to handle a shorter boat.  We ran the risk of the boat hitting the cement dock when the wind shifted and slackened our lines.  John said let’s move across to the other side. 

We managed to get the boat in stern first this time and made fast the mooring lines.  The problem this time was the same problem in that the mooring lines were set for a shorter boat.  They went straight down and did not allow a forward pulling force to keep us off the dock.  I recommended that we drop the hook and put tension on it.  John said that he tried it here 8 months ago and the bottom would not hold an anchor. 

Then we got the clever idea of running a line from the bow across the water to the other side.  Since there was so much open space and no boats over there it was a perfect set-up.  We got the dinghy in the water, some line and me.   I went across and tied the line to the dock ring.  This line had three lines tied together to make the span and there were several knots in it.  Anyway, I managed to get the line to the dock and they managed to get it tied off to the boat and we were done.  For safety I tied a large faded orange float in the center to warn off boats.  We had effectively closed off the slips to all others.  We were a sight.  American! Outta my way!  American! Coming through!  I got pretty soaked doing all this and afterward took a shower and got into dry clothes.

Fast-forward and it is time to leave and set sail for Menorca, Spain, which is part of the Islas Baleares group of islands and the easternmost island.  The wind had changed directions overnight and it was up and we devised a strategy as to the best way to exit the slip.  We needed to avoid our neighbor on starboard and the hard concrete corner on port.  As we motor forward we need to make a slow turn to the right and keep moving.

In the Med they favor a specific type of docking that has come to be known as “Med-tie”.

In effect, you back in and secure two lines from the dock ring to the stern with one on port and one on starboard.  From the dock ring is a chain that dangles into the water and connected to that chain is a heavy line.  You grab that line and walk it forward to the bow mindful of the growth that has accumulated and the water splashing all over.  Once at the bow you then pull on the heavy line until you put tension on the part of the line that goes forward of the boat and is attached to a concrete mooring block on the bottom.  That block must be forward of your boat in order to have a forward pulling angle wherein it is most effective.  This was the basis of our docking issue.

Our plan was for John at the helm, Alan handling dock lines and me in the dinghy to capture the long bow line and float.  I put on shorts for this round and I thought I was prepared.  Once the stern lines were untied the stern began to swing to port.  Then Alan ran forward and released into the water the line that ran across to the other side.  The rope sunk before I could get to it to capture it and pull it from under the boat to avoid wrapping it in the prop.  Also, I was supposed to nudge the bow of the boat with the dinghy like a tugboat to push it away from the concrete corner until John had forward control of the vessel. 

The line got wrapped on the prop shaft and the boat had to move forward and the line kept wrapping.  He got past the corner and stopped and drifted and managed to keep the boat in one spot with throttle.  At that time I was within 10’ of the stern and Alan threw a knife to me.  This knife was the brand new knife that John bought this morning on our last minute shopping spree.  We had gone grocery shopping and bought way too much again and dropped into the chandlery just for kicks.  John found himself a new knife.

Within seconds of me opening the knife to the serrated blade and grabbing the float, the blue 1” double braid snapped and the boat was on its way.  I motored up to them and said ‘make it to safe open water and I’ll catch up’.  I needed time to get the line and float that was left behind.  So after I picked up the line I headed out of Bonifacio on a dinghy and the boat that I came in on left without me.  I was having a blast!

I managed to catch up to them about a half mile away and started taking pictures of them and they of me.  I followed them out to sea for about another mile and after the picture opportunity we made the connection.  I managed to meet up with the vessel fairly easy but the swells and the wind added to the difficulty.

Here I am in the Mediterranean operating a small dinghy a mile offshore trying to get on the mother ship for another adventure.  The sky was blue, the air was warm, and the water was the deep blue associated with offshore water.  I was in my element. 

After we broke away from the dock and ceased being a spectacle I offered to John in our quick exchange that once offshore I would dive the boat and cut the line free of the prop shaft.  After motoring out of the inlet he deduced that the wrapped line was not causing any out-of-balance issues with the spinning prop and we decided to delay cutting it until we were on the hook in the next place. 

Barely visible line in the water trailing from the prop.

Two hours later while having lunch we talked about our departure.  I offered that I should have had a knife and that I could not get to the line in time and that was the failure.  Then it popped into Johns’ mind that he did not know where his new knife was.  I said that I dropped it in the dinghy and it should still be there.  Sure enough it was there.  He got it, freshwater rinsed it, oiled it and put it in a safe place.  I just hope he knows where it is.