Mallorca - Porto Colom - 14 September
Dearloves
Wed 14 Sep 2005 20:45
We sailed across from Menorca to Mallorca (around
50 miles) on Sunday 11 September. The forecast was good, however the
wind was a little flukey. Some dolphins swam to within 100 yards of the
boat, although they were a different type and more wary of us than the
last ones we saw.
We started to notice a mass of grey cloud
building ahead, and as it approached us it was clear that it was a fairly
violent thunder storm. Then we saw a water spout (like a mini tournado)
and immediately put the genoa away. Very soon afterwards we were hit
by lashing rain and incredibly strong winds. J took the children down
below as the boat was knocked completely on its side (the windows on the port
side were underwater) and hail the size of peas bombarded Charlie on the
helm. There was an incredibly loud crack of thunder and lightning flashed
simultaneously. Everything was grey and the sea looked as though it was
boiling. Then the boat came upright and everything became calm, but we
were actually in the eye of the storm and another crack of thunder and flash
came together as the boat was again knocked on its side.
Suddenly everything was calm again. In the space of ten minutes we had
been through the storm and it was beautiful blue sky and bright sunlight and we
could see the mountains of Mallorca. When we looked at the instruments
(after the event) they showed that the wind had reached 50.9 knots.
Unfortunately we lost the bottom batton of the mainsail (a piece of solid fibre
glass 4.5 metres long!) which had flown out without us noticing, and worst of
all Pip's fish kite (previously attached to the backstay) had decided
it wasn't hanging on for the rest of the trip.
Mallorca from a distance
Alice after the storm
Pip and Daddy
The children were remarkably chilled out about the
storm, and we were really pleased with the way the boat coped with it - even
with the full mainsail up. However, we have decided that if we see
anything like that looming in future, we'll be a bit quicker to get all the
sails down!
The first place we stopped in Mallorca was Porto
Colom, partly because Simon Bullimore and his 3 daughters, their husbands and
children are all here on holiday this week - we thought it would be fun to get
together and we have had a great time - they have been incredibly
hospitable.
Porto Colom Lighthouse
View from our anchorage of Porto
Colom
It is a lovely harbour - very large and shallow
(about 3 metres deep most of the way across) and beautifully
sheltered.
View of entrance (i.e. opposite view
from the one above), from our anchorage
Twighlight over Porto Colom - view
from Simon's balcony
Pip helming the rib
(petrolhead)
Keoma dressed overall
Yesterday the Bullimore clan came to lunch on Keoma
and we dressed her overall for the occasion.
Bullimore boat
Children (including Simon's
granddaughter Lucy) and glass bottom boat that we went on