Roobarb's Reach

Lets start with weather.  Doing my yacht master theory and coastal practical was back in 98 and 99.  A long time ago.  Sailing hols in the summer on the Med can lull you into a false sense of security. Short island hops, predictable Meltemi  winds. Easy ports of refuge with plenty of options. The Balearic sea is big compared to our channel hops and coastal cruises in the UK. Plus the weather lore we had been brought up on was very much Polar Maritime orientated...with limited Azores high in the summer. So, 'Buy-Ballots' law, Atlantic depression patterns and very limited sea breeze fronts of barely F2.or more. These don't apply here.  Yes - you get predictability of sorts with a Balearic low moving through Valencia bay - but classic fronts aren't always discernible. There is an old adage that in the Med, there is too much wind or too little, and when it is just right, it's blowing in the wrong direction. ( (c) Rod Heikell, ad nauseam) It very much proved so in th...

The joy of our first guest.  I have decided to do this as a day by day version - as much as anything to give a sense of time, place and the variability of the conditions. I want to get a across the mindset, the pace and what occupies the time. As we are always  busy. I wont bore you dear readers with the journey across. I have already posted on the night time gale as we chased the Valencia low.                               Y our stateroom awaits Mr Bond. As per the previous pic (San Antonio)...we had 'popped' over to meet a very  old friend...Lloyd. Now Lloyd and I have had years  of sailing misadventures over the last 40  years. So suggesting we meet in San Antonio for a week's sailing was gladly received. Lloydy hasn't sailed the Med...however he has crossed the Pacific and I joined him for a great Xmas 20 years ago in New Zealand. Time to return the favour. ...