Skipper’s
Log 2006 – Part 4 - Mallorca&Menorca toBarcelona
We left
Restless 2 in
Soller for four weeks, while we flew home to Denmark. On the 20th,
Poul Henriksen flew out for a holiday, using Restless as a base. He sailed
restless from the quay and anchored out in the bay. He had with him his
daughter and granddaughter. After about 10 days they flew home, and his wife
Linda flew out.
We returned
to Restless on the 8th August,
and Poul met us at the airport with a hire car. A good friend, Ragni
Malmqvist, flew out with us. Just as the last bag was lifted aboard from the
dinghy, it started to rain heavily and there followed a mighty thunderstorm for
the next few hours. I stayed up until midnight with the motor running, in case
we needed to clear out quickly. Several of the nearby boats dragged their
anchors – almost the norm with charter boats – but our anchor held fast as Poul
had found a patch of sand to dig the anchor into. After midnight, the wind died
down, but we were left with an uncomfortable swell.
The next
day, we took the tram to Soller town and met up with Poul and Linda. They had
found accommodation in the town for the rest of their stay on Mallorca.
Dan with
Linda, Poul and Ragni
The next
day, we went for a long walk up to the lighthouse on the southern side of the
bay. We could look down on Restless, bobbing at anchor.
We had
packed a lunch, which we eat , while looking out to sea.
Rie and
Ragni
Soller bay
We moved to
the Port Authority quay on in the afternoon, so we could fill up with water and
top up our batteries. With the availability of shore power, we hoovered the
boat throughout. The rubber dinghy, which had been afloat for just two weeks,
had a good covering of barnacles and weed on the underside. This we scraped off
and washed the remaining slime off with soapy water.
The next
day, 11th August, Poul collected Rie early in the morning and they
drove to Eroski, a good supermarket in Soller town to stock up. We said goodbye
to Poul and Linda today, and left Soller just after midday. The wind was fine
on the bow along the west coast. We looked in to Cala Colabra, where the tour
boats go. This was an interesting place, but we didn’t stop, as our destination
was Cala de Vincente further along the coast.
Cala
Colabra
The coast
along here is dominated by high vertical cliffs and there is a depth of around 60 metres right up to the
rock face. When we came to Cala Vincente, there was a big swell rolling
straight in. So I took the advice of a local sailor I had talked to in Soller,
and looked into Cala Val de Borca, just a little further along, easily missed
if not known about.
Cala Val de
Boca.
Here we
found shelter in what must be the wildest place we have anchored. There were
steep cliffs up either side and we watched in amazement as we saw a wild goat
climbing up the one side, foraging in the clumps of grass. We still rolled a
little when the wind swung us sideways on to the waves. The night was dark,
with no background lights, so we could see millions of stars.
The next
day, 12th August, we
continued round the NW point of Mallorca, and into the bay of Pollensa.
There were no berths available in the harbour, so we anchored NE of the
harbour. The wind blew up in the evening, but here we were protected from all
directions. We stayed aboard this evening as a dinghy ride ashore would have
been a wet bum affair.
The next
day, we took the dinghy ashore and looked around the town a little and had
lunch in a side street café.
Then we caught a bus to the old town of Alcudia. Being Sunday,
the regular shops were closed, but the Sunday market people were just packing
up as we arrived. However, we had an interesting walk around the town and saw
the two main portals. One had a causeway over a moat and the other still had
the remains of a wooden portcullis.
The ancient
city walls were really thick, and in good condition where they had survived
modern building. The modern town of Alcudia
is outside the fortified walls though –that is where all the big shops are – we
didn’t go there.
We caught
the bus back to Pollensa, and found a Spar shop open, so topped up with
supplies. The water in the bay was clear and clean, so Rie and Ragni enjoyed
swimming around the boat.
We left
Pollensa around 8.30 am on the 14th August and were soon sailing
with a fresh SE breeze. What a relief to be sailing without the motor on. Our
destination was Ciutadella, but when we were 12 nm off and sailing at a good 6
kn, we changed course for Fornells on the northern tip of Menorca.
Ciutadella is not a good place to be, as in certain conditions they get a big
surge into the harbour, a mini sunami. In June, about 40 boats were damaged
here, as a result of a storm surge.
We arrived
in Cala de Fornells at 8.30 pm and found the place covered with moorings. We
found a place to anchorwell into the cala, and had a peaceful night in this
unspoilt place. The cala is long and narrow, and well well protected from
swell, except from the north.
The next
day we had a late start and took a dinghy ride into the village and found a
supermarket. It was also a chance to get rid of our rubbish.
The village
has developed as an up market tourist resort – no high rise hotels here – but
there were many holiday villas blended nicely with the older buildings.
To the
south of our anchor place, there was a yacht club from where a large fleet of
Lasers and Laser Pico sailing dinghies came. The youngsters seemed to have a
great time in the breezy conditions.
Later in
the day, I returned to fetch water in cans, it took a long time to fill 50 ltrs
from a drinking fountain!. On the way back, I became completely soaked as the
wind had picked up from the south and kicked up a nasty chop.
The next
day we sailed off our anchor, and as we came along the fairway, we saw SY
Hitropia and exchanged greetings with Wayne and Angie. They were waiting for a
fair wind to sail over to Sardinia.
As we
reached the entrance, a large millionaire class motor cruiser came in, complete
with helicopter and a 10m motor cruiser on deck!
We had a
fine sail all the way, until the last hour as we approached Mahon, when the wind tuned against us and
freshened. As we motored up into the fine deep harbour of Mahon,
we saw “Chinook” and exchanged greetings with Brian. Luckily, there was a
vacant mooring buoy nearby, which we expertly picked up first time. Brian came
over for a chat and coffee, and he explained a few things about Mahon’s facilities. We
called up Ribeira do Porto, and they came
along in a big RIB and checked us in. This was the first mooring buoy we had
picked up since Fowey in England!
The cost to us was about 16 € a night.
In Mahon harbour there are
many mooring and anchoring possibilities, there are two big square shaped
pontoons opposite the town, and nearby, a watering pontoon where two yachts can
take on water at a time. We took the dinghy up with canisters – 50 ltrs. a
time.
Water
run.
Some really
big cruise ships come into Mahon,
adding to the fine views from our mooring. Again, we swam from the boat – this
has become a regular habit in this clean warm water. We went into the city by
dinghy the next day, we looked into a church and heard the end of a mass. We looked
around the fish market and the general market, and stopped for lunch at a
pavement restaurant.
Ragni
inspects the fish.
Large
cruise ships were moored along the quayside, just off the city centre. A fine
staircase goes up from the quay to the Plasa Esplanada, where the markets were
to be found.
Mahon Harbour
The main
part of Mahon
is built high up on cliffs overlooking the harbour, with the remnants of once inhabited
caves being visible in the cliff face.
Mahon’s foundations.
We returned
to the boat for a relaxing afternoon, intending to go back later to see some
folk dancing in the market square. But, in the afternoon it became wet and
windy so we abandoned the folk dancing and carried on reding.
Better
weather today, the 18th August, and after breakfast I went over to
Brian, on Chinook, for a chat etc. I sold him some unwanted charts and a pilot
book. Afterwards, Rie and I fetched more water in the dinghy, Rie being under
instruction on the outboard motor. We spent the afternoon reading and relaxing,
Ragni and I both finished our books at the same time. In the evening we went
over to Chinook where Brian had cooked a fine meal.
Chinook
Restless from Chinook
On 19th
August, Brian and I sailed down to the old fort in his dinghy and went for a
guided tour of La Mola. It
was an interesting tour, through the various underground galleries of this 19th
century fort, which took 25 years to build. Menorca was handed back to Spain by the British, following the treaty of Versailles. The Spanish
queen, Isabel II vowed that it would never fall out of Spanish hands again, and
ordered the building of the fort. It has an impressive defence system of dry
moats, which are covered by firing positions from all angles, backed by
galleries, along which soldiers and munitions could go.
Gallery Rifleman’s
position
However,
the fort was obsolete from completion, as there were rapid advancements in
artillery in this period. The rifled cannons produced by Vickers in particular
gave ships more accurate and heavier firepower. Above the high cliffs, there
are a couple of giant modern cannons, capable of 35km range and sweeps of 270˚.
These were installed at the end of the civil war, and could defend the whole of
Menorca. 16 cannons were ordered, but only
these two were installed. The guns were supplied by Vickers of Sheffield.
Fort
La Mola
The redoubt
View over Mahon anchorage
There were
many fine views over Mahon
from the fort, it stands on a peninsula and gives 360˚ firing cover.
In the loop gallery which has 45 casemates.
Brian checks out the cannon
After the
tour, we just managed to get back on the one thankful of petrol. In the
afternoon we went shopping and in the evening we all had a meal aboard
Restless. Brian was with us, as this would be our last evening together. We
discovered we could get on-board internet access, so we booked an air ticket
for Ragni, to return from Palma
on Tuesday. Now we have to get her there in time.
When we
hauled the dinghy aboard this evening, we saw we had lost one of the oars –
bother. The retaining nut must have worked loose when we were parked between
other boats on the dinghy dock.
Three mermaids
On Sunday 20th August we left Mahon at 7 am, after
clearing a fuel blockage and bleeding air out of the engine first. This would
be the first leg of our homeward journey. Before leaving Denmark in August, we had a family conference
and we decided we would not go further east than Menorca
this time.
Today, we
had a really fast trip, under both motor and sail to Puertocolom on Mallorca. We covered 65 nm in 10 hours. There was a good
sea running, although the wind was not that strong, and we surfed down the
backs of the waves. We arrived in Puertocolom around 5 pm and anchored opposite
the refuelling quay, as there were no vacant berths on the pontoon. Ragni and
Rie had a swim in the dark, surrounded by phosphorescence, an exciting
experience.
The next
day, our first priority was to book a hire car for tomorrow. It took a long
time to find the hire car office at the other end of the bay. We booked a
Chevriolet Maitz for 43€ a day, inclusive of insurance etc. We spent the
afternoon on board, Ragni & Rie swam from the boat as usual. In the
evening, Ragni treated us to a meal at a quayside restaurant.
Tuesday, 22nd
August, and we were up early today, as we should collect the hire car at 8 am.
We took the dinghy into Cala de Baso and left it on a stone landing for the
day. I collected the car and picked Rie and Ragni up down by the shore, and
then drove to Palma
airport. After the first few kilometres, the road became wide and fast and soon
became motorway, all the way to the airport. The motorway speed limit here is
120 km/hr. We arrived with plenty of time to spare, and saw Ragni through check
in and security.
We then
drove into Palma
to find a replacement oar for the dinghy. We visited about six chandlers, and
the supplier’s showroom with no success. In the end our last chandler, Marco
Nautic, suggested a solution, we bought a pair of oars that could be modified
to fit the dinghy. We stopped for lunch on the way back to the car, and then
drove inland.
We visited
the old town of Binissalem,
and then drove on to Inca.
Benissalem
Inca is the centre of the leather industry on Mallorca, and we passed a Barratts shoe factory. There
were many shops selling leather goods. We found a good supermarket in the town,
so took advantage of the car to do a good shop. Then we drove cross country
towards Puertocolom, along narrow country lanes through farmland.The south and
west part of Mallorca is relatively flat,
whereas the Tramontana mountain chain run from Pollensa in the north to
Andraitx in the southwest. On returning to the boat, we saw another Danish
boat, “Pinochio” from Copenhagen.
We had a quick chat as we sailed past.
Local
boat in Puertocolom
After
breakfast on 23rd August, we hauled up the anchor and moved on to
the fuelling quay where we filled up with diesel and water. Then we left
Puertocolom and motored along the coast with very little wind, but still a NE
swell. This swell was made worse by the many motor cruisers thundering past –
mostly flying red ensigns. It was a very hot day.
We cast
anchor in the late afternoon in Ensenada de Ratjada where there were many
Spanish boats at anchor. The water here was crystal clear over sand, and we
both had a dip followed by a shower on deck.Later in the evening, most of the
Spanish boats cleared out and headed towards Palma, some at high speed. We watched a
beautiful sunset over the reef and settled down for the night.
The next
day dawned fine and sunny with a light breeze. We watched as crews from
neighbour boats swam in the pale green water.
clear
water
After
breakfast, we hauled up the anchor and sailed out of the anchorage. The wind held
until we arrived at Cabo Blanco, after which we had to motor, After passing
Cabo Fifuero to the SW of Palma, it started to blow from the NW, and by the
time we approached Andraitx it was up to 18 kn.
Tramontana mts in background.
We were
lucky to find an empty berth on the public pontoon in Andraitx . The weather
here is still very warm, and it makes a nice change to have shore power and
have the fan running all the time in the main cabin. We will stay here for a
few days now before heading towards Barcelona.
