OLYMPIC 1, first passage. Tabarca to Formentera, 11th to 13th August

Tabarca is a small island about 15 miles Northwest of Torrevieja - kinda the gateway to the Balearics. I may have mentioned it before. 

We used it as a first sail destination and now we used it as a stage post as we needed to do diesel and the likes before heading out. 

Thus begun our first proper sail - out of sight of land, living off the boat and getting used to her ways.

After gassing up and generally faffing and trying pack away in 37 degree heat we spent a good 3 hours chugging over.

This time the conditions we fine and we had good holding in 10 meters in sand and rock.

Tabarca, dawn.

We spent the day pottering about, generally being 'retired' (IE doing eff-all) but I prepared 'crossing food'. 

• Stuffed wraps
• Brandy laced very strong coffee (No 'pressing nautical matters' here - IFYKYK).

We then had a hearty hot lunch. And on to digging out the night gear. 

• Powerful binoculars, previously only used to spy on the neighbours and bird watching in the Serengeti.
• Lifejackets
• Harnesses (Basically carabiners and climbing harnesses)
• Hand-bearing luminous compass
• Handheld VHF
• Cigs (oops)

Night routine is dangerous and if you go over the side, you're brown-bread. My routine thus, is that at night, you cannot come on deck unless you're in a life jacket, and you remain clipped to a strong-point at all times.

Cumbersome I know - but i know of too many who have vanished into the night.

We left Tabarca at 1600, expecting either a 15 to 18hr crossing. 106 miles with a total eclipse.

The eclipse was a damp squib as cloud cover over the  mainland obscured it.

A total eclipse of the heart

And so into the night.  

Once the eclipse effects had passed, the clouds melted away and we were greeted with the bowl of stars overhead. It being Perseid season we had hoped for some shooting stars and post midnight we weren't disappointed - at one point there were green fireballs crossing the sky every two minutes. The only shame was that Mrs had'nt got her sealegs yet and so skulked below asleep dosed on Stugeron and scopalamine - and thus missed the lightshow.

Clear skies indeed but we had 18 knots on the nose the whole way. That, with a slight slop meant running at 2200 revolutions. Thirsty work...about 3 or 4 litres an hour. (Experience since has shown that chugging along at 5.5 kts may make the crossing a tad shorter - but diesel here is 2€ a litre - and burning 100 litres for a night trip wasn't worth it. Oh and I really need a jet-wash and reactivating my copper-coat)

Our course ran almost parallel to the coastline until Capo Nao receded into the distance. But slow progress indeed. 

Dawn broke and with it landfall.  No decent pics exist.

Es Vedra stands out and with that fine on the port bow in time could make out the Cabo Babaria on Formentera itself.

As the sun rose across the Med, off our starboard bow I could see a fishing boat trawling away. Usual surface disturbance astern (gulls etc). Following them was a small of Dolphins. We have heard that there is a pod living between Formentera and Cap Nao - so we were pleased to see them.

Which ladies rudey, go front bottom nudey?

We made into the anchorage off Isla Espalmador and the long sandy spit north of Formentera. Very very busy. At least 300 hundred boats - but I was pleased to notice that the traditions of Formentera have continued - judging by the distinct lack of swimwear and casual nudiness.

It was a long slow motor, not quite what I had in mind.

But we had done our first 'crossing', made a proper landfall, seen dolphins and got the hook down and had a good day in hand to laze about and not worry about clothes.

Welcome to Ibiza.