After months of looking for an affordable spot to keep Pandora for the summer, I settled on Bosa, Sardinia as the best option, primarily based on cost as Sardinia, especially for in-water storage, in high season is well, super expensive.
However after stumbling around and contacting dozens of marinas, I found a small shipyard, Nautica Pinna, that works on some pretty nice boats and could store Pandora for the three months on land at an affordable price. And, given all of the issues we faced this season already, hauling her for repairs turned out to be the best option anyway.
Hauling was simple and they took great care with Pandora. Amazingly, the bottom was perfectly clean after two months in the water. I had not redone the bottom paint when she was hauled in Almerimar, as I had heard that fouling isn’t as much of an issue in the Med, compared to the Caribbean, where I had to clean the bottom about every two weeks.
After power washing the bottom she was moved to her new home for the summer.
And, the good news is that there is a public marina next door that is quite reasonable for the week before Pandora was hauled. And, to be able to do a side tie in a world where it’s almost always Med Mooring was so simple.
Bosa is an amazing place. A fishing port with lots of traditional fishing boats and the classic Medieval town to really give a beautiful atmosphere to the experience.
Of course, there is a castle. Doesn’t every town have one?
The castle can be viewed from just about everywhere in the city. We particularly enjoyed this spot where we had a late lunch one day.
Our view of the castle just beyond our plate of pasta. So amazing.
Brenda and I visited the castle, climbing up what felt like countless stone steps from the old town. We finally reached Castello Malaspina, which has watched over Bosa for more than 800 years. As we prepare for our 250th anniversary here in the US, compared counties in the Med, our history seems like more of a blip.
Of course, after centuries, civilizations came and went in bosa which makes me wonder what is in store for us in the US given all of our internal strife. As Abraham Lincoln once observed, “A country that is at war with itself cannot stand.”
In the courtyard of the castle, olive and almond trees. Oddly, there were a number of signs in the grove “don’t crack the almonds”. No idea why that would be bad. I did and nothing bad happened.
Perched high above the colorful houses and the Temo River, the only navigable river in Sardinia, the castle offers spectacular views of the town, countryside, and coastline. It is easy to imagine why this hilltop location was chosen to guard the valley and protect the town below. The marina is near the mouth of the river and it is an easy run, with no speed limit, from there to town. Our runs back and forth from town to Pandora fun and quick…
And a view of an ancient cemetery.
From the castle, you can even see our dink, the one inflatable amongst the fishing boats.
There was quite a variety of small craft. Plenty modern styles but I loved the classic local designs. This style grows out of those that were traditionally powered by sail and now, with motors, are still used for fishing.
The ones that still have sails are generally used for recreation.
What a view of town as you round the bend.
Just past town it was very rural and lovely. I think that we will explore this area when we return in September.
The waterfront is even more beautiful after dark. On the right is where the many tannery businesses were. Based on that, I expect that the river bottom has some pretty nasty residue from those days.
Every view is magical after the sun goes down.
Right near that spot was where we stayed once Pandora was on the hard. We rented a room on a back alley. A bit tough to find but one of the waiters at a restaurant nearby showed us the way. “Oh, you are staying at Alene. Follow me…”
Our front door.
The old town area, where we spent most of our time, was a maze of narrow cobble stone streets and alleyways.
That particular street has a bar that we really enjoyed, appropriately named.
The proprietor was quite a character and was proud of the fact that he only served wine that his family had been producing for four generations locally. Brenda, always on the lookout for special woven fabric, spied a piece on one of his tables with sheep. While the “table settings” weren’t for sale, he agreed to sell one to her. The runner was on a table with a couple sitting at it. He just jumped in and snagged it for Brenda. This is the detail of the photo above where the runner was.
She was very happy with her loot. We had no idea what he would charge. It turned out to be 6 euros for two meters of fabric. Such a deal.
Brenda also fell in love with a woven bag in a gourmet shop and again, not for sale. As luck would have it, the woman running the store told Brenda that her mother had made the decorations and could probably make one for her. The next evening she happened upon us with her entire family as we were having a glass of wine, again at the same bar, the “fabric runner and wine bar”. As Brenda had posted her mother’s work on Facebook the meeting was particularly enthusiastic with kisses planted on both cheeks. Mom in the middle.
She will have the bag made by the time we return in September. That will surely make it easier to pry Brenda from her home and studio here in CT.
And, speaking of fiber stuff… Bosa is also known for it’s history of hand lace in a unique style. We stumbled on these two women as we made our way up to the castle from town. Of course, she had to buy some for herself and for some lucky friends back home.
Pretty remarkable work. Of course, Brenda put a pretty big dent in their supply. It’s good to be Brenda’s friends, especially if you like fiber stuff.
The last weekend we were in Bosa there was a car show in the historic district. What a setting for antique cars and there were some wonderful ones on display.
An immaculate E-type Jaguar.
And, a pre-war BMW. I have never seen one like this. It was magnificent. According to AI, it is probably a reproduction as an original car like this would be worth more than a million. It does look expensive, never the less.
And the rear end…
I always enjoy seeing the classic Porches. This one was very shiny.
And finally, this car, a Lagoda, built in England in the 30s. Spectacular. I have never even heard of this brand. Pretty amazing.
We always try to have fresh flowers aboard and while that was tough in the Caribbean, no problem here. A wonderful florist.
Aboard we have a vase with velcro to secure it to the galley counter so it won’t fall over when we are underway. However, in port, we just set it on the dining table.
We also try to have live plants aboard and got two geraniums and an herb. When we left we “willed” the plants to the marina manager in Bosa, Francesco. He’s a very nice guy and I am sure that he will take good care of them.
When we return, we will, no doubt, find new plants to brighten things up a bit.
So, while it is still about three months until we are back aboard Pandora, there’s lots to do to be sure that it is “smooth sailing” when we return. Of course, LOTS to do here at home so we can take full advantage of the summer that lies ahead.
We really love Sardinia and can’t wait to get back and explore some more.
It is such an amazing place. You should consider going too. This short piece gives a good feel for what it is like.