Back to the Balearics

 

It seems a long time since we last wrote a blog – time for an update! We returned to Valencia late on Tuesday 21^st August after almost four weeks back in UK. Delighted to be back in the warmth of Spain and on board again. Ione was in good order apart from being caked in red dust so most of Wednesday was spent with a hose. Even the rigging was covered in dust so the only solution was to climb the mast with the hose pipe and spray from the top. There was much mast climbing around us for similar purpose. We also took delivery of our liferaft after an expensive service. Unfortunately the excellent and helpful local liferaft agent do not service Ocean Safety rafts so they had to send it to Barcelona with the transport significantly adding to the cost – note for the future: when buying a liferaft check the availability of service stations, Ocean Safety have too few!

 

 

 

 

However we managed to round off the day very pleasantly with Reed and Maren Erskine (USA) from Cayenne, also OCC, whom we had previously met in Rota and in Cartagena.

 

Marina Real Juan Carlos 1 is secure and cheap, but a long way from anywhere. This is where our bicycles – new models in May – came into their own and we were able to get to the nearest supermarket in 10 minutes, as opposed to a 30 minute walk, and view the extensive beach packed with humanity. Staying in Valencia also allowed us to invite Richie Mackie to join us for the day from his house in Gandia. Richie had been the most wonderful carer for Uncle George in the last few months of his life.

 

 

 

 

By Saturday it was time to venture further afield. Valencia is flat and cycle tracks abound (with Boris Bikes everywhere) and it was only about 30 minutes ride to the centre of the town. After the floods of 1954 the river was diverted around the town and the old river bed now consists of gardens, sports arenae, very modern museums designed in state of the art architecture, and cycle tracks everywhere. We visited the museum of Fine Art. Some superb pictures by Sorolla and a few Goyas but too many formal portraits of local dignitaries. After the gallery we did our tourist bit – lunch, the Mercado Central, the Llonja, a drink of the local (non alcoholic!) speciality, horchata, made from tiger nuts – before riding home. Exhaustion from all this exercise was tempered by drinks on Cayenne with Reed and Maren.

 

Valencia is of course the home of paella and Sunday lunch is a ritual, so on Sunday with Reed and Maren we went for a paella. A bit disappointing. Too much rice and too little meat.

 

 

 

 

On Monday we made (for us!) an early start to bicycle into town to catch a tourist bus. For €16 this took us on a tour around the town for an hour and then out to La Albufera, half a dozen miles to the south, past the rice paddy fields brilliant green before the harvest.

 

 

 

 

La Albufera is a huge shallow lagoon – depths between 1 and 3 metres – with massive floating reed beds and huge quantities of eels, cooked as a local delicacy. Traditional houses called barracas are built with roofs thatched from the reeds. Our €16 trip included a 30 minute ride on a big motorised punt around the channels of the lagoon. With Reed and Maren we also had a rather better paella there than the previous day!

 

By Tuesday 28^th we had been in Valencia for a week and, with a fair forecast, it was time to move on. After refuelling we were away by 1100 heading towards Mallorca. Winds were variable, mainly SE force 3, give or take a bit, so the 155 mile, 27 hour, passage to Mallorca was made half under sail and half under engine. Our planned destination was Cala Tuent, just north of Soller on the west coast, where we knew the water was clear and the swimming excellent.

 

En route we had noticed that our speed seemed low and that we needed higher engine revs, so we were suspicious that we had picked up weed and barnacles in Valencia. However the quality of the water in Marina Real Juan Carlos had not encouraged swimming to check the bottom. Just off cala Tuent we also found that the rudder had become stiff around the centre point, so it was with some relief that we dropped anchor in the cala and could swim to investigate the problem.

 

The problem emerged as (a) a propeller covered in barnacles but more importantly (b) a bolt had come loose from the plate supporting the rudder bearing on the skeg. The bearings had been replaced in Cartagena but may not have been fully tightened and the vibration from the barnacled propeller probably shook the bolt loose. The bolt had dropped about 1 cm and so was fouling the rudder. It took quite a number of dives under the hull first to find the right size Allen key to fit the bolt and then to tighten this with a ratchet spanner, however this was achieved and all seems well. The next issue was to clean the prop and reduce vibration and drag. Again this took many dives, but at last the prop was reasonably clean.

 

 

 

 

Only then could we enjoy the sunset in Cala Tuent.

 

On Thursday, with the forecast for a blow coming in that evening, we left after breakfast to seek the relative shelter of Soller. Certainly Ione was going much better – no prop vibration and better speed – and by 1100 we were anchored in Soller.

 

However the peace was not to last. By noon the wind had picked up considerably and over the next 2½ hours we dragged three times, hauling and relaying the anchor each time. We were not the only ones to suffer and several boats peeled off to go into the little marina. By 1430 we had had enough of it and also decided that we would swallow our pride and pay the money so hoist the dinghy onto the deck and headed for the marina. Solidly tied up at last! The water and electricity on the pontoon had failed, however this reduced the price for the first couple of nights from €42 to €29.

 

 

 

 

In the end we spent five nights in Soller as the Tramontana blew, bringing gales to Menorca and strong winds plus swell to the NW coast of Mallorca. However this was no hardship as we had a hugely social (and rather boozy) time with Griff & Jane on Simbaroo (CA), David & Samantha on the cat Elle’Ar (CA), Frank & Judy on Oyster Shalini. and Jean-Noel & Katherine on Goutte@ Goutte. Not good for the liver but great fun.

 

 

 

 

On Monday 3^rd we took the tram from the port to the town of Soller. In the railway station there are two amazing free permanent exhibitions. One is of 50 or so prints by Miró, who lived in the town and the other of three dozen ceramics by Picasso. The latter also lived for a while in Soller and the exhibits had been collected by a railway worker who later opened and ran the local island newspaper. Wonderful exhibitions and not the sort of thing you would expect to find in a small town railway station.

 

By Tuesday the swell had eased so we headed south in too little wind (typical – it either blows too much or not at all in the Med) to anchor in Santa Ponsa, joining up again with Simbaroo, Elle’Ar and Shalini. During drinks aboard the latter we were delighted to meet yet again Phil & Gill Gordon from Deliverance (OCC), last seen two months ago.

 

 

 

 

With the problems which we had had both here and previously dragging our Bruce anchor through weed, we were losing confidence in it. From the Rocna and Spade websites we downloaded PDF files of their anchors and, begging cardboard from the local stores, started model making origami to see if either would fit.

 

Testing the anchor models showed that the Spade would not fit but the 20kg Rocna was ideal. Then a real stroke of luck – the warehouse for the excellent chandler at RCN Palma was located in the Santa Ponsa industrial estate and had the relevant Rocna in stock. A quick taxi ride, a bill which was the same number of euros as would have been pounds in UK and we were the proud possessors of a new anchor. The next day we lay alongside Simbaroo, cut off the old Bruce and fitted the Rocna.

 

With the new anchor installed we set off to anchor. This time in Cala Blanca, a few miles back west from Santa Ponsa. A very attractive spot where we spent several hours lazing and swimming, however with high cliffs to the west evening would come early so we headed back for a further night in Santa Ponsa.

 

 

 

 

Leaving Santa Ponsa we have now come round to Cala Portals on the west side of the bay of Palma where we have spent the last couple of nights. An attractive spot but yesterday, being a Saturday, the five yachts here were surrounded by thirty motor boats. Luckily almost all of these leave in the evening and some peace and quiet is restored.

 

Today we will go into Palma and then plan on Monday to meet cousin Dennis & Dereka who will come to stay with us for a couple of days sailing.

 

Best wishes to all

Tony & Sarah

Ione – Sunday 9 September 2012