I am behind on my posting...OLYMPIC II

Another crossing back to Ibiza and Formentera.

I know I have three unpublished posts.in draft...but I need to fiddle with the pics as for some reason, blogger often flips them thru 90° on mobile.

So you will have to do with a badly typed unspellchecked note.

The raw data looks like this.

We did Torrevieja to Tabarca to Formentera again last night.

We were chasing the tail of a low pressure system in sea area Valencia. This promised a solid 15kts S'ly. Ideal for cruise at 60°Magnetic. 

Checking my weather apps.

The Tabarca to Ibiza leg looked *fast*.

It was due to freshen overnight up to about 20kts. With the growth on my waterline I reckoned 5 knots for a 110 odd mile passage. Leave at 11am. Get to destination in 20 to 22hrs. 

Fine Sailing indeed

And the wind built steadily all day. By 3pm we had 20kts on a broad Reach...yielding 7 plus knots. 

Bit too quick. Our target anchorage based on forecast that AM was a beach slot in the SE corner of Formentera. Cute. Exclusive.  Clothing optional.

Prob was we are now going too fast. 7.8kts at one point.

The latest radio met gave a Gale warning in the Ibiza and Menorcan channels with thunderstorms.

So with a declining forecast, and a drop of 7mb in 8hrs it was going to 'come on to blow'.

We shortened sail to 2 full reefs main and genoa. 

Crikey...still kicking along at 6 knots.

By 0130 we had the flashes of lightning and rumbles...albeit over Cap Nao.

It was a sharp chop over a 2m swell. Mrs D had retired to her stateroom to ride out the night. Bucket provided. At dusk.

By 3 it was blowing a harsh 35kts. Even with a double reef in both sails we are now badly over pressed and trying to shorten sail alone while clipped on with a harness.

Port of refuge would be untenable in the Southerly swell. Rounding the bottom of Formentera was out. 

(A lee shore in a gale?...Hello?)

So I turned and ran North to Cala Yongal (of Blue Marlin fame)

My decision was to run down the clock to daylight and get an up-to-date forecast.

As it happened the Nly gale.to Ibiza from the depression would be safest with somewhere where the gale would run offshore and offer some relief to a swell which was becoming 'Rough at times'.

I turned back to Formentera at 0530 and decided cross the Ibiza and Formentera bar in the grey streaks of dawn.

The med looks an awful lot like the channel at 0630 in September.

So in the end I squandered my time advantage for a visual approach at dawn. Back at Ensenada de Canal. 

Excellent holding in Sand
You wouldn't think it was blowing old boots 6hrs ago!

That said, I used engine for a scant 5.hrs on this trip.

Think of the savings.