38:59:04N 01:32:43E

 

30 August 2013

 

I forgot to mention yesterday the drama that unfolded as we approached Ibiza.

 

We had picked up a mayday on the vhf, from a vessel in distress.  There had been a fire on board, and there were 12 crew.  We contacted Ibiza Radio who were coordinating the response, and offered assistance as we were 20 miles away and could be there in about 3 hours.  They put us on standby and then stood us down as there was a vessel closer at hand and a helicopter on the way.  From the radio transmissions we gathered that one of the crew then became lost, as he had jumped into the sea to relieve the burns on his legs, and he was swept out of sight.  Fortunately the helicopter located him and he was picked up by the rescuing boat.  At the time we thought that the boat on fire was a yacht called Endeavour – it turns out this was the name of the rescuing yacht.  The vessel in distress was a fishing boat.  A terrible incident for all involved and fingers crossed all are well.

 

Anyway, this was all behind us as we set out in the morning.  We had called ahead and found a berth at a marina in Ibiza town, where we could refill the water tanks and pick up J and C who were flying in that day.  We were very excited that they would be with us for the week.  It would be the first time J had seen the boat.  We also needed a convenient place from which S could catch his flight home.  His time on board had flashed past and been all too short, but duty called.

 

We set off and had decent wind for sailing.  We reefed the main as there were still ominous clouds around.  Even so, with L on the helm, as we rounded a headland we were hit by a squall as black clouds and rain rolled in, and we were overpowered.  With more than 25kn of wind we were going to reef again and came up to the wind to roll in some more sail.  However, S then saw a twister forming in the thunder clouds.  It did not find its way to the sea so there was no water spout, but still we doused all sails and went into the nearest Cala for the perceived safety of numbers and at least one other yacht with a taller mast than ours, in the rather selfish hope that his was a better lightning conductor than ours.  I saw  fork of lightning strike the stone tower on the end of the point, but nothing came close to us.  Even so we had placed the portable electronics into James’ biscuit tin and in the microwave as makeshift Faraday cages.

 

When the weather settled we carried on to Ibiza town.  Unfortunately the space allocated to us in the Marina was too tight to get in.  There was not enough distance between the rows of boats even for us to have reversed out, assuming we could have barged our way in.  So we passed it up.  We then found a berth in the marina next door.  Super.  Then we asked the price.  €700 for one night.  No thanks.  It turns out that this was the most expensive marina in the med (along with Puerto Chervo in Sardinia which we had had the misfortune to visit on an earlier trip).  There were a few super-yachts in the basin, and we were happy to leave them behind.

 

We called ahead to the only other marina on that coast and had to grit our teeth at its expense and headed up to stay at Porto Santa Eulalia.  This time the space was still only half a boat wide, between an old sail boat and a flared sided motor cruiser.  The sail boat’s dinghy was also in the way.  A first attempt was aborted as the dinghy swung in our way.  The second time, after the marinero had at last given in to our request to moved the dinghy, we nudged our way in.  It was a grotty spot with oily water and a view of the harbour wall. 

 

Still, we were sorted out.  Settled in, we had a nice meal on the marina strip.  After too long without meat, J and I had Ibiza lamb shoulder.  S and L had fillet steak. Both very good. Then we were off to the airport and timed it just right as our taxi pulled up as J and C exited the airport building.  We chatted about football transfers and caught up on other less important news on the journey back to the boat, and after a good catch up retired to bed, as S had to be up early to catch his flight home.