39:33.9N 02:37.9E

Majorca seems to bring about a little of “je ne sais pas quoi” in people.  Is there rivalry between nudism and the ‘wet T shirt look’?  Who knows……

The day started out quite boring.  Off to the Consulate.  In the pilot book, it gave the address as being in Plaza Mayor (the main square).  Got there to find it had moved about 10 mns down the road.  It turns out this was 5 years ago!  Two editions of the pilot book out of date, but the original offices still had this little sketch of where to go to find the new place. Place was deserted, just us and the inevitable Spanish guard, two girls from the Consulate, and “someone” in the back office.  No problem with them issuing an Emergency Travel Document.  Needed passport photos (machine on site), copies of Ryanair flights home (computer with printer free to use in next room), and a few Euros.  Next problem is that they need confirmation that we are leaving Majorca on IOLA.  When we had thought of doing the ARC, I bought an impressing stamp and some red and gold seals, in case I needed something to astound the local customs officials.  Well now it is being used to keep the British Consulate in Palma happy.  They will be presented with a suitable document tomorrow confirming, by her Captain, no less, that she leaves Majorca for Sardinia in the next couple of days. 

‘Just need confirmation from London about your lost passport’…… Well, today is a bank holiday in the UK, so everything is shut.  Has to go to a different office….can’t say how long…. Happy to call you on the mobile when we get it through….  This has now happened, but I have an ‘old’ passport, i.e. no photo.  Fortunately they will accept my UK driving licence, with photo ID, as proof that I am whom I say.  By 9 am tomorrow, I should be in possession of my Emergency Travel Document.  (As an aside, I have had to cope with Bank Holidays in the UK, in Spain, and in Cartagena.  Someone, somewhere, must be able to make sense of this.  Maybe Mr. Hollande, in his capacity of Socialist leader of Europe, would like to take this on.  It’s just crazy, all these people taking holidays at different times.)

Back to the boat.  Lesley decides to do the washing, making the most of “free” water and electricity.  Everything is going in.  Shirts, undies, sheets etc…   Well, we end up with sheets having to be hung in the cockpit.  Needless to say, they are still damp as they come out of the washing machine, and her T shirt ends up being ‘wet’.  I explain, patiently, that she does not need to compete with Vera  (You may recall the nudist beach coming in to Cartagena, last September).  I get the sort of look that bodes ill for a cosy supper on the boat – I think I am developing a taste for beans on toast.

Tomorrow we head East along the coast of Majorca, probably staying in a marina near the South East corner of the island.  The barometer has shot up today, and the forecast for Wednesday to Saturday is good, so hopefully off to Sardinia.  It’s a 3 day crossing, so possibly no blogs or emails unless I can get the satellite link working in time.

Should be a brief update maniana.