UTC 1554

We are back in San Antonio.  A very nice trip back from Formentera. 

We started at UTC 0920… That was the time that at least some wind started to appear….  I’ve scanned all available weather models… None was forcasting the wind from the direction it was coming… But it was a good direction to go, and it was at least 7 knots…  So, we lifted the anchor… 

One thing for sure —  the boat is going about 1.5 - 2.0 knots faster then before… All trip today — another proof of the simple fact! ;-) 

It was a strange weather at the beginning.. I do not remember so many cloudy days in a raw in that area.   In my new polarised glasses it looked so bad… that I’ve change them…  The world started a bit better and brighter, but not much, really….  The thought crossed my mind — as soon as we ’see’ that the weather is not good — we started to feel all symptoms of ‘bad weather’… Suddenly, the 7 knots of wind, 60 degrees — which was so comfortable when the Sun was shinning… became chilly, uncomfortable, and ‘rapidly growing up’… the moment the Sun went behind the overcast clouds….  Why the clouds appears so quickly and overcasts, it is a different story…. But it was the same wind , the same 7-8 knots, the same seas…. A pure game of imagination… 

The weather forecasts… I’ve checked all 5 models, available for me… No one was fitting the actual picture…  We have about 7 knots on a close reach… Steady… Nice… The boat liked it and with the centerboard down — we were nicely gliding towards our turning point — the most South West Point of  Ibiza….   There has been 2 different forecasts, which may be considered partially predicting the conditions:

— one predicted 7 knots winds,   but  from the South East… ( That what we were waiting dreaming of… Nice run, with 110 — 120 degrees astern…. And then — it should veered… and we should go to San Antonio on beam reach… )

    Well, we got 7 knots… but from the West West Nord… 

—  the other forecast — was suggesting the right direction… But the wind should be 15-18 knots, with gusts to 25…. Plus swell….  I have no complains that this forecast has not materialised…. Though, at the middle of the passage leg — I thought that was it,  it  was coming… But it has appeared to be my polarised glasses…  Changed back to normal ones… and life became much better!    Special thanks to Okley to make my life easier! 

Approaching the I. Vedra… On the way to the Formentera, I had the hard time to pass this island… It does not look high or big… But somehow, it really marks the boundary of rapid wind shift… With becalming just near the peace of rock… 

Remembering all that — and knowing that it is not only my imagination, the friend passing after me experienced the same challenges —   I decided to give a lot of space to that island….  Well… 

No matter how I tried…. as approaching the island….  The wind started to veer so rapidly that suddenly we were going right into it… Than we tacked…  and started to move into the sea, in direction opposite from our  point — San Antonio… 

I said we tacked….  I made it so… badly…. My face is still red for that… The worst — the ferry has been passing by… Their destination was probably Valencia….  But my running over the deck, sorting out the sails,  putting the boat back to speed, then repeating all those monkey tricks….   The ferry captain has been definitely entertained… Slowed down and was observing f from the distance what is going on for a couple of minutes… and then, praying that his boat has engines, not sails… speeded up and showed me how the real boats should go around that rock… 

But we managed… We turned around the rock…  The wind turned too… Now again, we have a nice North Westery…  pleasant, nice… Especially after the Sun showed… ( Hello, weather gurus… None of you has been telling that! )… 

I’ve put back my polarised glasses… and right in time… The boat,  which has just accelerated to her levely 7.5 knots was speeding up right into the fishing net boy…. I bit further, aside  a guy in a tiny fishing boat has been taking the net out of the water… He was doing it slowly… because it has been quite a lot of fish inside… ( Yes, I’ve been using binoculars, after adjusting the course… )…  And now again… We were going in a bit wrong direction ( because of the net ), but also with a slap on the face… I’ve been trolling the fishing line all the way… Forget about 1 single fish — which would be plenty for me…  Even some sign that the fish has been around my line — would had been nice…  I told myself and calmed myself down, saying that probably no fish in that area — ferries, boats, etc…  And here we go — fishman and his fish! 

The rest of the passage to the I. Canajera  passed with no surprises…  As was expected — no promised following winds… We nearly got becalmed,   moving at the 3.3 knots with the variable speeds…. At the same time, the small boats which were moving close to the shore seemed enjoyed the real wind since when we converged for rounding the Canajera islands, they were running riffed sails, and they were really gaining on us most of the time… 

Being tired of my flapping yankee sail, I’ve furled it… Then turned around the island… And here we go…  Beam reach,  17 knots of wind… From where ?!   With only main sail, we nearly instantly doing 7 knots, and keep accelerating… 

The challenge now — we have about  2nm to go to the harbour, where the friend is waiting…. We suppose to slow down and to remove the sails… But… the boat want to run and to accelerate… 

We did not make to the harbour, where the friend was waiting… To much boats inside… By the time we came there — to much swell… The harbour — is tiny…  In those conditions — going inside would be not secure… Too windy… small boats inside — too close to each other… One wrong move…  So, after making a few attempts — I’ve abandoned the stop and moved a few miles further, to my ‘old San Antonio’ place… 

Sometimes it is a funny feeling… Like returning home… 

We are on anchor,  practically the same place where we have started from 2 days ago… 

The boat is secured and cleaned… 

The wind calmed down… Only a bit of swell reminding of strange wind … 

The people are preparing to watch the Sun set, and to applause on it success… ( I guess, it reassured them that at least is something stable in their world… )

The beer is cold and waiting… This message is over…  

A wonderful day of sailing  has gone… 

A new sound from the shore… somebody is warming up the jazz… 

Could this day be better ?  For sure… No, let weather forecasters go… forget them… But if we managed to get the fish… the day would be more complete, for sure! 

But no complains!  Everything is so good! 

Talk soon, 

Michael.

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