Into the Balearics

 

We’ve been posting our location on the website pretty regularly but we haven’t included any pictures or words since we returned from 8 days in UK on 28^th May.

 

It was excellent to return to Santa Pola and the Mediterranean sunshine so we celebrated with a meal at our favourite little family-run tapas bar. The Spanish seem to be coping with the high unemployment by returning to their roots. Eleven members of the family now work in the bar, at least two of whom have been made redundant from other jobs – and who are also probably claiming benefits.

 

 

From Santa Pola we headed further up the coast towards Altea where we stopped for the night in the bay of El Albir, just a mile short of Altea, where there are eight free mooring buoys under the cliffs. A few of these were occupied when we arrived but by dusk all had left and we could enjoy the sunset all on our own.

 

Friends Gwen and Glen were staying in Javea and came to spend the day with us, meeting us in Altea. We took them across the bay to El Albir for a swim before returning to Altea for some heavyweight provisioning and our last night for many in a marina.

 

From Altea, heading towards Ibiza, it seemed sensible to stop for swimming and the night at El Rinconet near Moraira, which was as attractive as we had been told.

 

Saturday 2^nd June saw an early start to head towards Ibiza. Our initial plan was to go to Sant Antoni but when the wind dropped light and the engine came on, course was altered for Espalmador. Plans are made to be changed, so when the wind returned with more east than forecast it was back to plan 1: Sant Antoni. However a few miles short of the town, calas seemed more attractive than harbour anchorages so we put in to Cala Basa.

 

 

Cala Basa beach is a popular spot with small ferries arriving from Sant Antoni and a couple of upmarket bar / restaurants ashore. Punters on sun loungers being served food and drinks (wine bottles in ice buckets) by uniformed waiters. However by sunset all was peace and quiet.

 

 

In contrast to the smart Saturday evening, Sunday morning brought a baptism ceremony on the beach. Total immersion and much chanting and clapping. We spent the afternoon strolling on the rocky and pine-covered hillside beside the cala. Very relaxing.

 

 

The little island of Espalmador, just at the northern tip of Formentera, is renowned for its turquoise waters and we spent a couple of days there, much of the time in the water. There are supposed to be mooring buoys here, laid to protect the sea grass, and we had booked a buoy by internet and had the booking confirmed, however on arrival there were no buoys to be seen. We have been told that none had been laid in 2011, so it may be the same this year. One failure – we were too lazy to go ashore but later found that we could have wallowed in hot mud baths a little way back from the beach!

 

Our second night was very social, meeting up with Robbie & Jax (OCC & RAFYC members) on Spring Dawn. We had been tracking each others’ progress around Spain and Portugal for several months, but this was the first time that we had caught up with each other, so an excellent cause for celebration.

 

 

With the wind in the south it was an ideal opportunity to visit the north coast of Formentera and explore the north-facing Tramontana beach. After a lunch time anchorage and swim in idyllic conditions we settled for the night anchored off the village of Es Calo Sant Agusti.

 

 

This was quite a find, not being in the Pilot book. A tiny harbour with small slipways leading up to boathouses for open fishing boats, a bar, a restaurant and a supermarket. This, although small, was amazingly well stocked so we could do a major re-provisioning only a few steps away from the dinghy. They were even able to get a new gas cylinder for us by next morning.

 

 

Whilst having a drink at the bar, out popped this emerald green Formentera lizard!

 

 

 

Next stop Cala Llonga, a few miles north of Ibiza town on the east coast, for another social evening with Robbie & Jax. A long cala with a beach and several hotels at its head but attractive cliffs and trees at the entrance.

 

 

The winds indicated that we should move back to the west coast, so we headed for Cala Salada. Again an attractive spot with two beaches and fishermen’s huts in the cliffs, however a very uneven bottom and weed made anchoring a problem. At 0210 we found our pushpit touching the bowsprit of the nearest boat (with whom we had had a drink earlier!) So it was up anchor and re-lay but with a degree of unease, so a case of dozing in the cockpit for the rest of the night.

 

Next an internal locker catch broke – after that we were wondering what would be the third issue. Not long after breakfast we found out – the anchor windlass started to pull the anchor in without being touched! We thought we had better make a move out to sea: the controller stopped and started correctly on hauling the anchor until the last moment when it rammed the anchor home and blew a fuse. We then found we had no spare 125A ceramic fuse, so it was a case of jury-rigging with copper wire, estimating the size needed. Eventually we decided that the controller had got damp and just needed a couple of hours in the sun – it has since performed perfectly.

 

 

For our final night in Ibiza, we dropped anchor in Cala Blanco in the extreme north of the island with a degree of trepidation, however the windlass worked well and it was wonderful to be in an almost deserted cala with no real beach and just a couple of private houses. By nightfall we were alone, with the hook well dug into sand. This was our ninth consecutive night at anchor and we have become quite good at minimising water usage. Wash up dishes and rinse in salt water before using a pint of fresh. Our main fresh water usage is a quick hose off following swimming.

 

Sunday 10^th June brought fresh S and SW winds so it was ideal weather to cross to Mallorca. After a dawn start the 60 mile passage was easy, fast and comfortable and before 1500 we had got into Palma Bay, anchoring for the night near Palma Nova where the peninsula gave some protection from the W and S. Being a Sunday, it was a crowded anchorage with lots of huge power boats / super-yachts (many British flagged) including Northern Star, over 70 metres long and costing over €550,000 per week for a charter party of 12.

 

The evening was peaceful: lights from the front and hotels but not a lot of noise, however by 7am the wind had swung through 180° and freshened and, in company with at least 6 other boats, we found ourselves dragging onto a lee shore. One attempt at re-anchoring did not work so we headed slowly out into Palma Bay to contemplate over breakfast.

 

Marina costs in Palma are reportedly ruinous, so with some trepidation we first phoned Marina Club de Mar. Sure enough the nightly price was €85 plus VAT, plus water, plus electricity. We then phoned the Real Club Náutico to be told €43.15 per night all in, water, power, wifi and access to the Club swimming pool all included. After ten nights at anchor, we thought we might treat ourselves for a couple of civilized nights.

 

 

So here we are in Palma. The marina is excellent: safe berth, good laundrette, loos etc and an excellent chandler at the marina gate. We are also finding Palma delightful: the marina is just by the walls of the old town and away from the tourist hotels. Good shops, easy provisioning, bicycle paths to take us to the cathedral and old medina and amazingly not apparently packed with cheap package tours. We may even be tempted to spend a third night here!

 

Sarah & Tony Boas

Ione – 12 June 2012