San Jordi to Porto Petro

Altea
Sun 15 Sep 2013 18:17

39:21:40N 03:12:64E

15 September 2013

The morning is calm, as usual, and the water is absolutely crystal clear. The jelly fish are gone, and J and Francesca go snorkling, feeding bread to the multitude of fish, including a very pretty Dora (John Dory) that seems to paddle with its dorsal and underbelly fins in a completely different way to all the other fish. She comes to the surface and bats her big blue eyes at us. You would swear she had eye lashes. There is no chance of John Dory being ordered in a restaurant any time soon.

We eventually set off, motoring a bit and sailing when the wind gets up. We nose into a couple of calas, including Mondrago, where there are dragon shaped rocks on the floor of one of the caves, but they are not really wide enough for Altea, and the South Westerly wind is blowing a swell that curls in and would make them very uncomfortable. After a couple of nights of rolly anchorages we are keen to find some shelter, so we carry on to Porto Petro.

We have been here before and we take the left hand spur, to anchor in the same spot where we picked up a buoy previously. We have to anchor bang in the middle so that we have room to swing if the wind changes.

Just as we are settling in, Janice comes back into the cockpit saying that they can't find the spinnaker halyard...

It turns out she had been chatting as she pulled the halyard to find the end and put up the anchor ball. And she had pulled, and pulled... At this point I have to take responsibility for not having tied a knot in the end of the halyard to prevent it being pulled into the mast and up, up and away. Anyway, it was a gonner. I spent a few minutes gazing skywards looking for inspiration. We talk about sending someone up the mast, but decide to defer a decision as the wind is blowing now and evening on the way.

Paul, Francesca and Laura head off in the kayak to explore.

When I am happy that the anchor is secure, J and I follow on in the dinghy. We find the others installed very comfortably on the terrace of a bar overlooking the small boat harbour. Laura with a nice new hat.

As we walk along the front to find a restaurant I notice that the wind has changed 180 degrees, so I shoot off in the dinghy to check that all is well. Now that I am more familiar with it, the 20hp engine really makes the rib fly, and I enjoy a top speed ride back. Sure enough we have swung right round. There is always a risk of the anchor tripping when it does this, but we are ok...which is just as well as the rocks are not too far away. We had picked exactly the right spot to drop the anchor. The catamaran that had anchored behind us was gone. There would have been no room for them now.

Once again, I decide to stay on board to make sure all is ok. I am very pleased with myself when I get the dinghy back on the davits all by myself, and then a bit sorry for myself as I settle down for a microwaved spaghetti carbonara, while the others tuck in on shore.

The wind stays quite strong and I keep checking my transits. The best one is the massive TV screen that I can see through the window of one of the large villas that surround the Cala.

It is pitch black when at last I see a strange craft coming towards me. It has two white lights, close to the waterline. Then only one light. Then two. Then none. Then two. Then it heads off to inspect the rocks where there is a line of white surf breaking. Then it heads out to sea. Eventually I can hear shouts of "left, more on the left..no right" and the kayak wanders into view with the four crew paddling like a well oiled machine. A very well oiled machine as it turns out.

All come safely on board and I am very pleased to sit down and enjoy the crepe that they have brought back for me as a consolation.