July 10-11, 2013
We raised the anchor a little before eight for our passage from
Elba across to the island of Giglio, a little under 40 nautical miles
to the south east of Elba. There was no point in leaving any earlier as the
wind was not predicted to strengthen enough to sail until a bit later in the
morning so we motored out to the cape on the south east corner of the island to
pick up the first of the breeze.
Striking out for Giglio
we had to head 25 to 30 degrees south of the rum line to fill the sails but by
late morning the wind began playing the game and we were able to adjust our
course for a direct run to the northern tip of the island. The water around
Giglio is quite deep virtually all the way to the shore in most areas but with a couple of off lying shoals. We
noted one, small rocky shoal on the chart located off the north eastern tip. At
10 metres there would be more than enough water for us to sail right over the
top but these pinnacles of rock that climb straight up from the bottom a hundred
metres below have a habit of throwing up some odd waves so we elected to keep
well clear anyway.
We’d no sooner cleared the shoal and rounded the tip of the island
than a picture of absolute devastation came into view. We hadn’t realised this was the location of the wreck of the cruise liner Costa
Concordia. There she lay on her side, against the shore ahead of us
surrounded by huge cranes. She was a very sad sight, with her once gleaming
superstructure now rust streaked and her exposed lower hull displaying the
long, jagged 50 metre wound torn in her steel that allowed the cold, winter waters of
the Mediterranean to flood her so quickly.
The Costa Concordia makes a forlorn sight laying on her side off the harbour at Porto del Giglio |
The ship is perched on a narrow ledge rocks just outside
the small harbour of Porto del Giglio.
If she was too slide off the ledge she’d disappear quickly as the bottom slopes
steeply down to depths of 40 and 50 metres. Sailing by, we could now understand
the complexity of the salvage operation which eight months after the tragedy
was still far from over and not assured of a successful outcome. The hardest
thing to understand was how the accident happened in the first place. The shoals
are clearly shown on all charts and
avoiding them is hardly rocket science.
We continued south past the harbour to anchor in the bay at
Cala Canelle over the point from the
township. Here we found a number of boats lying at anchor and it took a bit of
exploration before we found a patch of sand at a reasonable depth to drop our 20kg
Bruce and all the chain we had. Even then we didn’t feel all that secure as the
offshore breeze was a reasonably brisk 15+ knots and the bottom sloped away to
over 60 metres fairly quickly. A little before sundown a couple of the boats
sitting in shallower water to our north weighed anchor to return to their
moorings in the harbour so we took the opportunity to pull everything up and
re-anchor in a much safer spot. As usual, Rob put on the snorkelling gear and
had a good look making sure the anchor was well set and checked for any
possible hazards within our swing arc. To be honest, while it is listed in the
pilot guide as a reasonable yacht anchorage, Cala Canelle has very limited space in under 20 metres of water close
to the shore and we were very relieved to have been able to stake our claim in
the middle of the best of it. We watched a number of boats spend upwards of an
hour trying to get securely anchored in the deeper parts of the bay and still a
number dragged loose.
The bay at Canelle looks like a good anchorage but most of the shallower water is the swimming area and out of bounds to yachts. |
Red pin is where we first anchored. Yellow arrow is the Costa Concordia. Red arrow is Giglio Castello |
Elba to Giglio 37.4 nautical miles – 6 hours 45 minutes Average speed 5.5knots - High speed 6.9knots |
Next morning Rob got back in the water again and made sure
the anchor hadn’t moved overnight and well satisfied the boat was nice and safe
we headed ashore to explore the port and the very interesting Castillo on the
mountain top above we’d spied from the sea.
Walking around the harbour front you can’t help noticing
how the presence of the Costa Concordia just a couple of hundred metres away and its
attending salvage fleet totally dominate the scene. Stopping by the memorial
containing the 32 names of those that lost their lives in the disaster further emphasises
the pall that the ship’s presence casts over the island. Considering there had been 4,252 people aboard the toll could have been mind numbing but any loss is one too many. Rather than seeing the wreck
as a tourist draw, the locals can’t wait for it to be gone and the island’s
undoubted natural charm to be restored as THE reason for visiting Giglio.
32 names on the Costa Concordia memorial provide a stark reminder that the sea can be a very cruel place if you get complacent. |
Another flotation pod being placed on the Costa Concordia |
The idea of walking up to the mountain top Castello never
really got off the ground in the 40C heat so we parted with 15 Euro for a ride
up to the top in an air conditioned cab. Thankfully it was a little cooler
exploring the delightful narrow, cobblestone laneways of the old fortified
township. Once you make your way through the town gate this is a totally pedestrian
community. Only the electricity cables slung precariously from building to
building and a small handful of tourist shops inside the entrance provide
concrete signs of the 21st century. The defensive walls and all the
homes and buildings within are incredibly well preserved and the lack of crowds
made our visit a very enjoyable experience. It was a very relaxing couple of
hours wandering the maze of alleys and the opportunity to sample some of the
excellent local wines was an added bonus.
Giglio Castello is a fantastic walled hilltop town |
La Cistenna was a great little wine bar beside the town well. Perfect watering hole. |
We caught the bus back down the twisting mountain road but got a little nervous when the driver kept turning around mid corner to chat to his lady friend |
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Thank you. Seeing the Costa Concordia would have been somewhat surreal. What a tragedy. The video was great and the village looks lovely! Love Gaylene xx
ReplyDeleteThanks Gaylene, It was a bit freaky but Giglio itself is really nice.
ReplyDeleteMarine Salvage The challenges can be significant, including the risks of working in harsh marine environments and the need for specialized equipment and expertise.
ReplyDelete