Moxie has left the island
Moxie - Beck Family Adventure
Mike, Denise, Asia and Aranya Beck
Sun 16 Sep 2012 11:57
Hmm, there goes another summer then, we have left Ibiza and are heading south back down the Spanish coast. We are thinking that we will spend the winter in Portimao on the algarve and learn how to surf, then head back into the med next year. So the atlantic crossing is put back another year. Yes I know it seems a bit crazy but we have our reasons and when we are sorted we will explain. during winter, actually very soon, I could do with an income too if anyone is listening.
Fishing is picking up with plenty of bonito that are increasing in size and today a small dorado for the table.
Yesterday we bashed into a 20 knot headwind for four hours, why do people do this? Well, Mandy, the reason is to avoid those pesky marinas leeching our hard earned savings. So we left denia and bashed into a very steep short, typical Mediterranean, chop and anchored in Calpe right in close behind a huge (but not quite gibraltarian size) rock. So on the opposite side of this rock there's 20- 25 knots blowing from the south, big breaking swell visible just past the point. We tucked in to a nice calm anchorage with 10 knots of Northerly because there's a massive wind eddie right behind the steep rock, so despite being tucked away from the blow we find ourselves on a lee shore for the night. Fine at least the swell is only 300mm here and the holding is good and I still have 50 euros in the morning. Anyway overnight the wind pretty much dies as forecast and we find ourselves beam on into the swell and actually not sleeping at all. Makes me wonder why we rock babies to sleep, surely if it worked for me 40 years ago it should still work now right?
What happened to the lost months then. Well we pretty much hung around with M&Ms on Tengy explored the south coast of Mallorca a bit more finding some spectacular anchorages, found our way to Cabrera with the almost impossible booking system for bouys, snorkelled and swam every day spotting plenty of new species sting rays, octopus, gurnard, flounder, barracuda. Salvaged a couple of masks and snorkels and other lost gear from challenging< for us) depths. Thankfully we Avoided any further storms or anchoring incidents, we went to Ibiza, formenterra, and espalmador. The girls have become expert knee board riders behind the tender, actually they are just using body boards so we are not quite at the jump/flip stage yet. We had the conroy family out again this year for a week of sun. And we have met lots of new boat friends.
Moxie has treated us superbly again this season, the girls got to briefly catch up with Bianca who we met last year and made a new boat friend Jordon. we are sad that summer is closing down for the year but we will recharge over winter and head out all guns blazing next year. I seem to be out of lazy holiday mode and do intend to post some pictures and places on the maps soon.