17th June
We’ve been at anchor or on a mooring buoy for most of the time since the last up-date and it has been surprising how difficult it is to manage the use of power with limited means of replacing it. That is because we don’t run the engine to top up the batteries and rely on wind and solar – we do have a small petrol driven generator but using that also is kept to a minimum. Of course – coupled to that is the problem of internet connection and trying to get a steady (or strong) signal.
OK – the update since Alcudia – Wednesday 4th we left Alcudia to go to Soller after having spent a couple of days moored next to Seawalk. It was great to see them all again and they are all looking fit and well. The town is a little too touristy for us and there is a bigger problem with mosquitoes there due to the salt marshes nearby.
Soller (well - the port of Soller) is a well protected harbour with local government run berths (also has a Club Nautico) and we tend to use the government ones – because berthing for us (10 metre) for 2 nights (no water, no electricity) is just over 8 euro (low season) where-as in club nautico a 12 metre boat was being charged 48 euro for 1 night (low season)… The town of Soller is a short bus trip from the port (or you can use the tourist tram) and is well worth the visit. The town is a good example of the old traditional buildings of the region, although now mainly for tourism; the majority of people coming via Palma by the train which has a torturous path through the mountains and has old wooden carriages. We hope to get back to Soller to do the train trip (at least the dramatic part) and maybe go for a hike in the mountains. From Soller we sailed to San Telmo with strong winds from behind which were expected and lessened during the day but the swell was larger than we had expected; however it was good to get back to actually sailing. At San Telmo we used one of the moorings that have been provided by an organisation that are trying to protect the seabed grasses and the life that relies on that grass. Their funding is provided by the EU and they say it is to reduce the amount of anchoring and damage done by so many boats in the area; however it is only in selected areas that may be popular anchorages ( there are also other large areas that are not fit to be used as anchorages and have weed). That said – it is free for the time being, although they must be booked at least 3 days in advance, and the fish looked large and health and easy to catch…
San Telmo to Ibiza on Saturday 7th was a long haul because the anchorages that we looked at in the north east end of the island were all affected by swell so we went all the way to San Antoni in the south west. We arrived and anchored in a clear area near some other boats but had to take a chance on whether the anchor had hit a clear patch of sand, or would be prevented from digging-in by a patch of weed, due to the wind on the water and failing light. Anyway the anchor held good but in the morning the wind had strengthened and a few boats around us were starting to drag; it appeared that we were still holding well and not moving ( so I worried about maybe having snagged an old mooring chain on the bottom) but when it was time to bring the anchor up we had been well dug-in to a clean patch. We were quite far out and it was a bit roly from all the tour boats and ferries but we did get the chance to move onto a vacant mooring nearer the shore, on Thursday.
Since being in S Antoni we have finally met up with Bob (Chalky) & Di on ‘Sheer Fantasy’ - we had been told to look out for them by Bob & Nicky (Capalan) way back in La Rochelle. Their plans seem to be quite similar to ours so I expect that we will see a lot more of them in the future. We also met another Scottish couple - on Jade – Norman & Pat who have been travelling for several years.
Saturday 14th we went to Ibiza town with Jaap & Diana and had a delicious meal in the old town (thanks Jaap). The sights around the town are entertainment in themselves – who needs the telly !!. While in the town we also had a telephone call from Robert on Pegasus who had arrived in the evening so we had a beer with him & his crew before having to dash of for the bus back to S Antoni. Pegasus is making passage towards Lisbon and were going to make best use of the weather so left the next day to continue their journey – it’s a pity we didn’t have more time to have a good chat but I hope they have a good trip back home.
We have also had to source a new St Andrew’s Cross for the boat and I can only say ‘Thanks a million’ to Jane in Kilties Bar - if you get a chance go and see them in Kilties, please go and have a pint.
3rd June
Now at Alcudia.
Sailed round from Pollensa to Alcudia yesterday, left about 12 and arrived about 4 pm only about 12 miles but the wind was light (looks like the wind is very light for the rest of the week). However we sailed all the way and only had the engine on for 15 minutes to get out of the harbour and then to pick up the mooring - after having sailed up to Seawalk and surprised them at there mooring; it's good to see them again and catch up with their news. More later.
Sailed round from Pollensa to Alcudia yesterday, left about 12 and arrived about 4 pm only about 12 miles but the wind was light (looks like the wind is very light for the rest of the week). However we sailed all the way and only had the engine on for 15 minutes to get out of the harbour and then to pick up the mooring - after having sailed up to Seawalk and surprised them at there mooring; it's good to see them again and catch up with their news. More later.
3rd June 2008
1st June 2008
Now back in Pollensa, Mallorca, arrived here yesterday from a small anchorage (Cala Morells, Menorca) where we spent the night after we had left Fornells.
We had 9 nights in Mahon before we left for Fornells and Kiara headed for Ibiza to meet up with one of their daughters. The staff of Sunseaker are excellent, very friendly, time to chat (of-course it’s still not busy so that makes a difference), they keep the area of the quay clean and check the boat ropes & electrical / water connections regularly, facilities are also very good and clean. (can’t give them enough praise). The only real down side is the amount of wash from the tour boats going past ( and the pilot boat), there is meant to be a 3 knot limit in the harbour which is duly ignored by the majority (it seems). The large cruise ship and the regular (large) ferries are no problem – and what a site to see them coming and going to the port. Mahon is also one of our favourite places and there is a lot to see in and around the city.
Kevin, Lesley & Catherine were out on holiday (near Cuitadella) from Oxfordshire but sadly the weather was not great for them. I worked with Kevin in Oxfordshire a couple of years back and it was good to see him again and most importantly he brought out the new modem to replace our old one ( and return Diana’s spare). Thanks Kevin.
One other thing, while in Mahon I had the opportunity to do a bit more Amateur Radio (mostly afternoon or evening) and had some good contacts with gb50rmm on 20 metre band at 13:30 utc (Portsmouth Royal Marine Museum), 4x4fr on 17metre at 16:30 utc (Rafi, near Tel Aviv), a92hb 17metre 16:35 utc (John, in Bahrain; but from Annan, Scotland), 2e0bus 17 metre band at 17:45 utc (Mal in Tintagel, Cornwall), and mm0lgr 20 metre band 20:10 utc (David from Maybole, Scotland). Still a lot to be heard both east and west (UAE, Jordan, Qatar, Italy and Portugal, Spain, America, Trinidad) and a little bit north and south (eg Norway / Sweden, France, Germany, Croatia, Kazakstan and Canaries, Niger to mention a few. One of the best I heard but couldn’t get through to because everybody was trying to contact the station was the Bulgarian base in South Shetland Islands (lz08km). The marine bands are all still a bit quiet except for the Dutch net on 8.101 Mhz at 18:00utc.
In Fornells we met Klaus and Christiane from Germany who are on a Vancouver 34 (Joanna), which they keep near St Tropez. They are having about 6 weeks holiday before heading back up home and back to work. We had an evening on Joanna which was great – Christiane interpreting between Klaus & Trevor and Carolyn trying to remember her school German lessons. Next morning (before we sailed to Cala Morells) they came for coffee while we showed them Balchis and how we can sail her from the wheelhouse.
The anchorage in Cala Morells is well sheltered and good holding in the sand but a little small. The moorings for the local boats were still on the bottom and luckily we were the only boat in the bay so we didn’t need to put out a line to the shore (to stop the boat swinging around) which we would have to do if there were more boats in. The weather forecasts are not very accurate these days and 3 out of 3 were wrong; both for the passage to C Morells and for the passage here to Pollensa. However we did hear on the radio a warning that there were to be tidal surges in Cuitadella when the water goes from its normal 3 or 4 metres to less than 1 metre (several times); a local phenomena which is called ‘Resaca’ or ‘Seiche’.
Now back in Pollensa, Mallorca, arrived here yesterday from a small anchorage (Cala Morells, Menorca) where we spent the night after we had left Fornells.
We had 9 nights in Mahon before we left for Fornells and Kiara headed for Ibiza to meet up with one of their daughters. The staff of Sunseaker are excellent, very friendly, time to chat (of-course it’s still not busy so that makes a difference), they keep the area of the quay clean and check the boat ropes & electrical / water connections regularly, facilities are also very good and clean. (can’t give them enough praise). The only real down side is the amount of wash from the tour boats going past ( and the pilot boat), there is meant to be a 3 knot limit in the harbour which is duly ignored by the majority (it seems). The large cruise ship and the regular (large) ferries are no problem – and what a site to see them coming and going to the port. Mahon is also one of our favourite places and there is a lot to see in and around the city.
Kevin, Lesley & Catherine were out on holiday (near Cuitadella) from Oxfordshire but sadly the weather was not great for them. I worked with Kevin in Oxfordshire a couple of years back and it was good to see him again and most importantly he brought out the new modem to replace our old one ( and return Diana’s spare). Thanks Kevin.
One other thing, while in Mahon I had the opportunity to do a bit more Amateur Radio (mostly afternoon or evening) and had some good contacts with gb50rmm on 20 metre band at 13:30 utc (Portsmouth Royal Marine Museum), 4x4fr on 17metre at 16:30 utc (Rafi, near Tel Aviv), a92hb 17metre 16:35 utc (John, in Bahrain; but from Annan, Scotland), 2e0bus 17 metre band at 17:45 utc (Mal in Tintagel, Cornwall), and mm0lgr 20 metre band 20:10 utc (David from Maybole, Scotland). Still a lot to be heard both east and west (UAE, Jordan, Qatar, Italy and Portugal, Spain, America, Trinidad) and a little bit north and south (eg Norway / Sweden, France, Germany, Croatia, Kazakstan and Canaries, Niger to mention a few. One of the best I heard but couldn’t get through to because everybody was trying to contact the station was the Bulgarian base in South Shetland Islands (lz08km). The marine bands are all still a bit quiet except for the Dutch net on 8.101 Mhz at 18:00utc.
In Fornells we met Klaus and Christiane from Germany who are on a Vancouver 34 (Joanna), which they keep near St Tropez. They are having about 6 weeks holiday before heading back up home and back to work. We had an evening on Joanna which was great – Christiane interpreting between Klaus & Trevor and Carolyn trying to remember her school German lessons. Next morning (before we sailed to Cala Morells) they came for coffee while we showed them Balchis and how we can sail her from the wheelhouse.
The anchorage in Cala Morells is well sheltered and good holding in the sand but a little small. The moorings for the local boats were still on the bottom and luckily we were the only boat in the bay so we didn’t need to put out a line to the shore (to stop the boat swinging around) which we would have to do if there were more boats in. The weather forecasts are not very accurate these days and 3 out of 3 were wrong; both for the passage to C Morells and for the passage here to Pollensa. However we did hear on the radio a warning that there were to be tidal surges in Cuitadella when the water goes from its normal 3 or 4 metres to less than 1 metre (several times); a local phenomena which is called ‘Resaca’ or ‘Seiche’.
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