Menorca
Marita3
Mark & Helen Syrett
Thu 6 Jun 2013 09:07
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39:53.275N 04:16.578E
When we left Sardinia our plan was to sail to
Mallorca. We anchored overnight off the south west tip and the following morning
the crew asked the skipper if he was sad to be leaving Italian waters. The
skipper replied ''no'' and then prophetically said ''we have not left yet''.
That of course was an open invitation for the anchor windlass to fail! After
half an hour of heaving and grunting the skipper had 45 metres of chain and the
anchor in the anchor locker. Then the question of why it had not worked?
We made slow progress at the start of our passage
due to a delay in the westerly winds turning north and then east but then had a
good second day. It was early the second morning that we decided to divert
to Mahon, Menorca as it was 70 miles shorter and meant that we would have an
early morning arrival on Thursday rather than a dark night (no
moon) arrival in the early hours of Friday in Mallorca. Also there are a
good array of engineers who might be able to help with the
windlass.
We arrived this morning at 0800 after a good sail
through the night, a beautiful sunny morning and calm water, and are now
moored stern to on the Marina Mahon. 45 euro for the first night and then 27
euro for subsequent nights somewhat more palatable than the 105 euro per
subsequent night they would charge us in July---August is fully
booked!
We tried the anchor windlass as we entered the
harbour and it worked perfectly so we think it is a faulty, probably corroded,
connection so we will double check all the connections. The heat and
general humid climate of Thailand was not good for Marita.
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