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| Sagrada Familia, Barcelona |
The first full day in
the Vilanova marina was spent relaxing with a few hours on the beach
and sundowner drinks on the yacht club terrace. The following day was
more productive! The first task was to cart a not insignificant
quantity of laundry to the launderette, some distance in-land, and
refresh our wardrobe. Two hours later all was done, dried and back
onboard. Next stop the chandlery to get various odds and ends that we
had identified since leaving Port Saint Louis; finally it was to the
local Lidl supermarket (for yacht victualling they are ideal as most
of their stock has a very long shelf life and their wines are good
value!). Day gone!
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| The boys in Barcelona |
Tuesday was the day for
our next crew member,Yorgos, to arrive. We decided to meet him at the
airport and then carry on into the centre of Barcelona to do a
walking tour. On arrival at the airport, terminal 2, I was amazed to
note that the main railway connection from Barcelona is single track!
One train every half hour! Then I noticed there is also a metro link
to terminals 1 and 2! Having made contact with Yorgos we then set off
to Barcelona and walked from the Sants railway station to the Sagrada
Familia cathedral (of which more later) and from there south to the
'Arc de Triomf', Catalan style. By now Yorgos was wilting, having
been travelling since the early hours of the morning, and hence we
took the train back to Vilanova, enjoyed a cocktail and tapas on the
waterfront and retired for an early-ish night. The following day was
to be our departure day for the 24 hour crossing to the Balearic
islands.
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| Sagrada Familia |
The city of Barcelona
is bristling with traditional Spanish architecture but the Sagrada
Familia left me rather underwhelmed, it seemed more of a folly than a
place of worship with every form of adornment featuring somewhere on
the facades. That said I did not see the inside (prior booking is
necessary) and I am told the inside is even more spectacular. Even so
it seemed to be more related to the days of Christianity when the
splendour of the building was meant to put the population in awe of
the religion it represented. Just my personal view! The Arc de Triomf
was a brick version of its more famous cousin in Paris and almost as
impressive.
Fortunately Wednesday
dawned bright and clear with a very mild wind forecast.
Notwithstanding the forecast lack of wind we decided to go and by
1300 we motored out of the marina and set off on the crossing.
Initially we had a NE wind, enough to give us 4 kts in the right
direction but as the afternoon drew on we were forced to resort to
engine with ever lighter winds from exactly the wrong direction, SE.
The lack of wind lasted for three hours but after that we were able
to sail the remainder of the crossing until, when 2 miles short of
Majorca, we were becalmed again.
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| Cala de Engossaubas, Majorca |
Frustration set in and we motored
the final two miles into Cala Engossaubas, our first anchorage in
Majorca where we spent a quiet and peaceful night in the company of
one other yacht.
Friday we set off for
Minorca, sailing off the anchor and ghosting out of the Cala. The 30
mile passage was uneventful but for a couple of periods of complete
calm and several 90° wind
shifts. By 1900 we were approaching the NW point of Minorca but again
the wind died to nothing. Against our better judgement we motored the
last 1.5 miles into Cala Morts; however, on arrival we concluded it
was too deep and with a bottom consisting of large boulders, hence
too risky for anchoring; for this reason we moved one Cala to the
east (500m) and entered Codolar de Torre Nova where we tucked
ourselves right into the end of the Cala, buoyed the anchor and put a
line ashore to hold us in position.
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| Codolar de Torre Nova |
A delightfully rugged place to
spend the night. The following morning Yorgos and I set off to scale
the cliffs to get a photograph from the rim of the Cala leaving
Christoph to look after Kurukulla, the results can be seen here!
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| Cala de Algayerens |
The smaller eastern
beach here had been full of motorboats on our arrival; however, the
following morning it was deserted and offered better protection from
the slight swell running into the bay. Thus we moved into the eastern
bay and spent the morning swimming and exploring the hinterland
behind the beach. After a leisurely lunch we set off eastwards again
but this time with a moderate north-easterly wind, hence it was a
beat to windward for us to get to our next objective, Fornells, where
there is a natural harbour and good shelter from a forecast strong
north-easterly blow. The forecast was right!
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| Fornells waterfront |
We entered Fornells
under reefed main and genoa, sailing up the harbour to pick up a
mooring on the eastern (best protected) side and just short of the
castle on Isla Sargantana. That night we had the first thunderstorm
of the season and the following day did not disappoint with strong
winds and heavy rain all coming in from the NE. Thus it was we stayed
here for two days, biding our time until the winds abated.
Finally on the Tuesday
morning it dawned bright and clear, we were able to use the dinghy to
go ashore for some fresh victuals and to do some sightseeing around
the town before getting under way again and heading for Cala
Tamarells (which is now almost impossible to anchor in due to an
anchoring exclusion zone) and then on to Cala Grao, a mile further
south, to anchor for the night. Tamarells is the more secluded of
these Calas but the north side of Cala Grao is the more secure
anchorage, especially in north-easterly winds.
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| Mahon harbour |
The next morning we set
off for Mahon, the beautiful natural harbour on the eastern end of
Minorca. It is easy to see why this natural harbour has been fought
over so many times over the centuries. There are still many examples
left from the British occupation of some 100 years. We initially
berthed on the public quay and a helpful restaurant owner told us
that the berth had not been used for some months. With this
information I set off for the Harbour Authority Offices ready to pay
my dues. They were having none of it! Vacant or not they had no
interest in letting us stay in the berth! Hence I phoned the Royal
Yacht Club of Mahon who could not have been more helpful, provided a
berth for two nights and were less expensive than the adjacent
marina. The added bonus was the use of all the club facilities as
well.
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| The beach at Santo Tomas |
After two days touring
the delights of Mahon we set off to explore the south coast of
Menorca. Mid day on the 8th of June, general election day
in UK, we set off for an anchorage on the south coast. It was a
splendid spinnaker run/reach all the way along the coast until we
reached Son Bou where we started looking for a suitable anchorage for
the night. In the end we settled for the very eastern end of the
beach at Son Bou, in the shadows of two large hotels but protected
from the swell and south-easterly wind. Here we stayed overnight
enjoying a sunset supper and a peaceful night.
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| Sunset at Cala Santandria |
The next morning we
moved 8 miles along the coast and into Cala Son Saura where we
anchored under sail and settled for a very pleasant afternoon,
enjoying dinner onboard as the sun set.
Next morning dawned
bright, sunny but windless and was forecast to remain so. As a
consequence we decided to double back slightly and anchor off the
beach at Santo Tomas for the day. In the evening we moved into Cala
Trebeluja, a delightful Cala with good anchoring conditions and a
sandy beach; an ideal place to anchor and spent the night at the end
of an exhausting day of doing very little!
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| Stern to, Ciutadella |
The following morning
we sailed for Cala Santandria which is just short of Ciutadella. Our
aim was to spend most of the morning getting there, lunch on arrival
and then spend the night at anchor in the Cala before moving on to
Ciutadella the next morning. We managed to get a place in the main
part of the Cala, drop the anchor in the centre and tie back to the
rocks on the northern side. Although on the doorstep of Ciutadella
the Cala was pleasant, relatively quiet and a tourist draw for the
spectacular view of the sunset that it offered.
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| Ciutadella |
Ciutadella was the old
capital of the island before it was moved to Mahon. This is
definitely my favourite place in the Balearic Islands. Not unspoilt
by tourism but similarly not overrun by it either. The yacht club was
very welcoming; providing us with a berth in the centre of the
harbour on the side nearest the club facilities, thus we settled to
enjoy a very pleasant stay. Lunch was on the terrace of the Yacht
Club and dinner was taken in a small backstreet restaurant by the
name of Bar Saint Jean which offered a tasty selection of Tapas
accompanied with a very agreeable local wine.
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| Monument to the defence against the Turkish invasion, Ciutadella |
Next morning it was off
again but this time for the transit to Majorca. We sailed at 1030
having done the usual routine of buying bread at the last minute and
filling up with water, (which in a sailing vessel is more precious
than fuel). Once clear of the harbour, which has had a very extensive
new outer breakwater added since my charts and pilot were published,
we set sail for the 24 mile crossing to Cala Molto on the eastern tip
of Majorca. As luck would have it most of this crossing was downwind
in light winds and the spinnaker came into its own.
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| Cala Molto, Majorca |
By 1630 we were
sailing onto the anchor in the Cala, quickly secured and settling for
the night.
By next morning the
wind had shifted somewhat and it was going to be a light airs, biased
beat, south-westwards to our next destination, Cala Petita. With the
wind in the southerly sector it was difficult to find a Cala, on the
south east facing coast of Majorca, with decent shelter from the
swell. Cala Petita, although small, as its name suggests, seemed to
offer the best option, provided it was not fully occupied.
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| Cala Petita |
In fact we
were fortunate and on our arrival, at 1830, there was only one small
motorboat anchored in the Cala; we were able to drop the anchor on
the centreline and tie back to one of the exposed rocks further in.
We had less than 0.5m under the keel and certainly no room to swing
but because of the dog leg in the entrance to the Cala the seas were
not entering in any significant way and we were very comfortably
placed. Another quiet night....
From Cala Petita we
moved on next day to Cala Mitjana, another Cala offering shelter from
then swell but this time we were far from alone.
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| Departing Cala Mitjana |
The Cala was full
with other vessels from motor catamarans to yachts both larger and
smaller than us. It was obvious on arrival that we would have to
anchor and tie back to avoid swinging into other vessels. After a bit
of research we found a spot, reasonably well into the larger northern
arm of the Cala and almost out of the effects of the swell. A few
minutes later we were secure and ready for a slightly delayed lunch
followed by an afternoon of relaxing in the sun (again).
Next morning we moved
on again heading to the southern tip of Majorca, this time to anchor
in Cala Caragol; an open Cala but one facing south-west and so free
of the swell which was still running in from the south-east. We were
one of four yachts anchored there, each on their own patch of sand.
The bottom is a mixture of rock and sand so care is needed to avoid
getting the anchor trapped or dropping on a shelf of rock with little
or no holding. The beach on the other hand is pure sand and lightly
populated making it an ideal spot to swim ashore for a bit of walking
exercise along the half mile or more of beach. Given that the
anchorage was calm and quiet we opted to stay here overnight and to
set off mid morning next day.
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| Cala Portals from the restaurant |
By now we were on high
season tourist prices and for that reason not one of us was keen to
spend too long in the bars and discotheques of Palma or to pay the
very high prices demanded by Palma's marinas. Thus we decided to head
for Cala Portals on the western side of the Bay of Palma and spend
the next night two nights, Saturday and Sunday, there before heading
into Palma for a single day. Sunday lunch was taken in the restaurant
ashore at the head of the Cala and very good it was too. Saturday
night had been calm and quiet but on the Sunday night, soon after
darkness had fallen, we were forced to move further offshore, out
into the centre of the Cala, due to the onset of an easterly wind.
C'est la vie.
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| Palma marina |
On the Monday morning
we phoned ahead and were lucky enough to get a berth at the Real Club
Nautico di Palma which offered us superb facilities and interestingly
enough was not over expensive, well not in Balearic terms anyway,
€100 per night for Kurukulla. Thus it was we spent Monday afternoon
sightseeing in Palma, the evening enjoying dinner ashore and the
following morning seeking out supermarkets etc. for our preparations
for leaving.
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| Palma cathedral |
By 1400 we were ready to go and by 1600 we were anchored
back in Cala Portals but this time tucked into the southern arm of
the Cala to avoid the swell which was again rolling in from the east.
Although popular with many small boat owners and therefore
occasionally crowded Cala Portalls is a beautiful Cala and one of my
favourites.
Tuesday's forecast
promised a speedy reach across to Ibiza and thus we confidently set
off in the early to mid morning, sailed off the anchor only to find
ourselves having to start the engine 20 minutes later, when beset by
a still calm, and motor as far as the south-western tip of Majorca.
From here we were able to hoist the spinnaker and reach across
towards Ibiza touching 6-7 knots at times but mostly 4-5. By the
halfway mark the wind had shifted and it was too tight a reach to
sustain the spinnaker, thus we hoisted the No1 genoa and continued at
a slightly more sedate pace but were still able to complete the 50+
miles by dusk and reach Cala del Lleo before it was completely dark.
Cala del Lleo is an open Cala to the east, not difficult to find but
has a significant number of rocks scattered around its fringes and
some further out, many of which only just break surface.
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| Departing Cala del Lleo |
It is not a
Cala to enter by night! On arrival there was one other yacht anchored
in the Cala. We sailed in and anchored some 75m further into the Cala
but in the rapidly diminishing light this was as far as my nerve
would take me. We anchored on a patch of sand, in 7m of water, and in
the morning light this proved to have been a very good decision! The
nearest submerged rocks were 50m away.
From Cala Lleo we set
sail towards Ibiza but again our enthusiasm for the night life was
somewhat lacking. Instead we headed for the anchorage off of the
beach called Playa de Caballet which, given the westerly wind, was
calm and quiet; well almost. What Neptune did not send our way the
never ending succession of power boats did, passing at 20kts plus and
putting up enormous wakes sending us rocking and rolling at anchor
every few minutes. I am sure there should be a 6 knot speed limit
within two miles of the shore to prevent the damage and discomfort
they cause. None ever look backwards to see the chaos they leave in
their wake, or if they do they don't care! After one night at anchor
off Caballet we had had enough and we set off the following morning
to find somewhere more tranquil. This was to be Cala Raco des Mares
on the north shore of the main part of Formentera. Although well
populated with boats few were surging past at speed and the whole
place was calm and relatively tranquil; that is until a Portuguese
registered super yacht pulled into the anchorage at midnight with a
disco party going on on the after deck. Fortunately their near
neighbours let them know what they thought of this idea and calm was
restored after a short period.
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| The ugliest sailing vessel afloat! Anchored off Formentor. |
The next day we
returned to Caballet for a second try but this time we determined not
to stay overnight but to head south to Formentera and anchor on the
east side of the northern promontory near the northern tip of the
island. Visible across the promontory was the most ugly sailing
vessel I have ever seen. The modern equivalent of a very expensive
folly?
From here we set off
next morning to our final anchorage in the Balearic Islands at Cala
Sahona, on the western side of the island, ideally situated to be
ready for a late evening departure westwards towards the Spanish
mainland again. Cala Sahona was also crowded with boats when we
sailed in, hence we anchored as close to the beach as we could but
even this was a long swim ashore. In the end we were not sorry to be
leaving the islands; too crowded.
At 2230 we sailed off
the anchor and set sail westwards towards Alicante, our next port of
call and Yorgos's departure port. For the first five hours we were
doing a cracking 6-8 knots on a port tack beam reach, fantastic
sailing. Then the wind dropped but not for more than an hour and then
we were on a starboard beam reach for the next eight hours doing a
similar speed!
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| Alicante marina and Castle |
Again, as we approached the mainland the wind fell to
zero and came up an hour later from the opposite direction hence we
found ourselves again on a port tack reach and surging along even to
the stage where we had to reef for a pair of hours. In the end we
arrived in Alicante at 1430, sailed into the harbour, and by 1445 we
were alongside the reception jetty of Alicante marina negotiating for
a berth. At €50 per day this was somewhat more reasonable than the
Balearic prices and we settled on a two day stay.
More when we
leave.............
