The master speaks!

As September arrives, so do the notorious Mistral. Mistral is Master in Occitan and Provençal languages, apparently this wind teaches us something. They make their presence known across the Mediterranean. They originate in the Rhône Valley of France, the Mistral sweeps southward, accelerating as it channels between the mountain ranges. While often associated with the northern Med, the effects of this powerful wind can be felt as far away as southern Sardinia, where we are currently anchored.

For sailors like us, the Mistral demands attention. While it can offer fast sailing conditions, it also brings unpredictable seas, particularly when funneled through the Strait of Bonifacio between Corsica and Sardinia. Down here in southern Sardinia, it can kick up swell, making anchorages more exposed than usual. Even in a well-protected bay, we monitor our anchorage closely and review our plans when the Mistral is in the forecast.

Cold fronts with thunder and lightning often precede a Mistral. The Mistral typically develops when a high-pressure system over the Atlantic clashes with a low-pressure system over the Gulf of Genoa. This setup can result in unstable weather, including cold fronts that bring thunderstorms, rain, and sometimes lightning before the Mistral's strong, dry winds take over. This is what David ran into yesterday in Northern Sardinia. We need to be particularly cautious during this time, as the transition from the stormy conditions of the cold front to the clearer skies of the Mistral can be abrupt, with rapidly changing sea states and gusty winds following the storms. This is what David experienced in Northern Sardinia.

For us the passing front was mild.

This week was such a week, the Mistral decided to blow hard and long. Wind gust up to 38 knots were forecast for Monday afternoon. So last night we booked into a Marina. We have only been in a Marina for two nights in the last three and a half months and that was only so we could get our engines serviced.

So early this morning we pulled up the anchor and headed headed to Marina di Villasimius Srl. We had a lively 2 hour sail with the wind and swell at our back, hitting 10 knots in a 20 knot breeze. As we got to the Marina winds were down a little but gusting to 15 knots.

Catamarans have high freeboards and shallow keels. This makes them susceptible to windage, if you are not moving the wind can whip the bow around pretty fast. Of course it is all med mooring, no individual slips here! You have to drive the boat down the channel, turn 90 degrees, in a channel a little wider than the boat, and reverse up against the dock. Then tie two lines from the stern to the dock, then catch the slime lines at the dock, walk it forward to the bow and tie it on. (slime lines are lines that run from the dock to a submerged lump of concrete in the channel. They hold the boat off the dock and are very slimy!)

We were fortunate that the marina must have seen us on AIS and they sent a dinghy out to guide us in. They also gave the bow nudge to help with the maneuver. There were also two other marina staff on the dock to catch and secure lines. They want to ensure you are properly tied up before the big winds come through.

We got in just in time as by a little after 11am, the winds were as forecast, gusting to 38 knots (70 km/h)

This Mistral is forecast to continue for another 7 days, so here we will stay. It is not a bad place to be.

Gabe and Leanne arrive late on Wednesday evening so their first days on MackenSea will be tied to the dock! We will review our plans when they arrive. We are planning to cross from Sardinia to Menorca (about a 35 hour passage). But we need the right conditions for that. When the wins drop, it takes a few days for the swell to settle down. We may want to go round the east (protected side) of Sardinia and cross from the top end. More on that later.