OLYMPIC II: Meeting Lloyd in Ibiza and Sailing to Mallorca. Saturday 12th Sept to Thursday 17th Sept.
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.
Lots of money here in Palma.
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.
The plan was as follows.
Get diesel then tack up to San Miguel for a chicken Vindaloo. Chase a weather window across to Mallorca and find a suitable bay. Bum about in Mallorca for a few days then drop Lloyd in Palma.
I had pre-emptively booked the Real Club Nautico in Palma for 2 nights. At the end of the trip. One night for a blow out first at Senora Miggings Paella joint...then a day to ourselves to carouse the flesh pots of Palma.
Saturday night. N 38o58.61', E 1o18.08'
Using all the help from the marina including a marinero and a RIB, we slotted in to a space and set about watering, scrubbing decks and generally enjoying a set up. Also took the opportunity to walk across San An to a Mercadona and top up with freshers for a week. It did feel a bit strange walking on dry land. We have become amphibious and salt water and sailing has softened our feet. Blisters abounded.
Lloydy got in early and rocked up at about 1845. Saluted the quarter deck and asked permission to come aboard. (We have traditions, the army has standards...the crabs have bad habits).
Once we had a celebratory glass of cold beer, dunnage was stowed and we finished abluting. Glass of fizz to toast a friend's arrival and thus we went to the Marina restaurant for dinner, on the grounds that it was considered the best restaurant in San An according to TripAdvisor. And very fine it was too - too much and a doggy bag was required.
Post prandial detour to Cafe Del Mar to tick that box and get stuffed for a 9€ bottle of beer. Still, box ticked.
Sunday.
Diesel and setting off all by the book, if a little alarming to a crewman who had never seen how they tie boats up in the med. (Stern to...with 2 weighted lazy lines hanging off the quayside all just waiting to snag your keel, rudder or prop)
€78 of diesel was welcome. Clearly I'm learning the sweet spot for consumption and economical pace. Filled the small petrol can for future outboard motor orientated evolutions.
Wind..as ever...was on the nose. We needed to head North East and we had a F4 NEly. Rather than just use the donk, I had enough crew to work up tack upon tack.
San Mig was San Mig. We took the dinghy ashore for a cold beer and some tapas after Lloyd had snorkelled half the bay...declaring it excellent.
N 39o05.081' E 1o26.308'
The pressure cooker delivered a fine vindaloo and we ate that with naan bread, cardamom basmati and a fair deal of glad rapture. We were however mindful that we had a 50 mile crossing from Ibiza to Mallorca early morning. Retired with full bellies and glad hearts.
Monday.
Reveille was 0700 for a first light departure from the unlit bay. Groggy eyes but we weighed and headed out at 0740.
Sunrise is now 0745 so despite nautical twilight we headed off using Mk I eyeball. We were blessed with 10kts NWly..so enough for a motor sail with all canvas up and maintain 5kts with 1500 revolutions. Economical but quick enough to get there with daylight in hand.
Destination Capo Andtratx! (Sounds like an infection).
A truly glorious crossing.
At about 1130 the wind died and we had a glassy smooth sea. With Ibiza and the southern mountains of Mallorca and the mountains of the mainland in view, we had a genuine sense of the Balearic Sea being an inland enclosure of the Med herself.
We spotted dolphins to starboard at about 100 yards but they didn't come closer.
(NB: It appeared to be 3 dolphins, a large one, a medium one and a juvenile - possibly the pod we had seen on the way out and back on OLYMPIC I?)
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| Stock image - but these were the Striped Dolphins judging by their colourings |
So for noon at 600m depth we stopped the boat and dived off into Crystal clear water to experience the weird depth of field you get in very deep water with sunbeams.
We adjusted course for Isla Dragonera.
Arrived circa 1630.
Good shelter and apparently reasonable holding. The NWly was holding with only a slight swell and we collectively reckoned it may offer a reasonable night.
We dropped anchor in about 10m, so 30m of chain. A snorkel below revealed rock and weed seabed, with the anchor laying flat on a rock base. Hm. Not bitten. A lot of chain but the skipper's twitch was set off and maybe this wasn't going to be any holding at all - or worse an anchor fouled with a rock and a sporting evolution to break it out.
It was then that we started paying attention to a 42' Catamaran that was sharing the bay, about 100 yards away. There was a bit of a hullabaloo aboard, people peering over the side and a swimmer in the water. They appeared to be very stuck and incapable of weighing anchor.
We swam over to help.
The vessel was crewed by a party of Germans of which only one spoke any English and they indicated their anchor was indeed stuck.
Lloyd snorkelled down - it was about 10m deep. The anchor was wedged under a rock ledge and was very stuck and normal winching wouldn't free it.
We suggested they tension the chain, then drive the boat forward hard and we will indicate to them to winch up if the anchor broke free.
Two attempts and a large rock chunk breaking off later and the anchor was free without a trip-line required.
They cheered as one and we were immediately invited aboard. Beers were produced and a bottle of schnapps and shot glasses as they all wished to thank us for helping with palpable relief.
They invited us to dinner - have another shot...have a beer chaser - and another shot, and another with much handshaking and thank yous.
At this point we were merry and waving to Missus stuck back on Roobarb - and I decided we need to call it. The anchorage would be untenable. Time to go as we had about an hour of daylight.
There was a PORTS-IB buoy field in the sheltered bay opposite - the whole bay was a Posidonia prairie so anchoring was out of the question. Santa Elm
(PORTS-IB are local authority owned and run moorings and buoys in the Balearics. If they are free - they are very cost effective. But they are limited. Best advice is that if you think you need one - find the slot or buoy first, note the number, check the price and boat limitations and pay online once you are tied off.)
We found a free buoy, noted the number and I popped on to the App...booked the slot and for €57, we were snug for the night.
As darkness was falling, I didn't have the energy to cook from scratch, so we had curry leftovers with fried rice. The fish in the bay shall have a fine breakfast.
Tuesday N39o34.5' E2021.07' Santa Elms to Cala Portals or surroundings.
Now we were in Mallorca - we wanted to explore the interesting bays and anchorages. The best looking one with the current 48hr forecast was Cala Portals. A four pronged bay, a small marina for local boats, with excellent holding reported but a reputation of being 'busy' in the season - especially with day trippers from Magaluf and Palma. Good beaches, a few bars and a beach reserved for (ahem) lovers of 'nature'.
We slipped around 1030 - and had an expected coastal journey of under 15 miles. A good SW F2 to F3 meant we had the full sail plan out and happily bobbed along at 4 to 5 knots. We passed the famous Cap Mola, the bay of Andratx (still sounds like you get an ointment from the chemist for it) and past Cap Andritxol (That sounds like it is the ointment you get for Andratx at the chemist. Andritxol - soothes Andratx, fast!)
Around 1pm, we round Cap de Cala Figuera and turned North to investigate.
There was a forest of masts and hordes of boats. It was heaving. We poked the nose in but there wasn't swinging room. Plan B. About 2 cables to the north is Cala Xada. There is a single boat in there. The forecast promised a settled night - but the forecast for the following night was lumpy. So if we are in here, its a one night only.
We dropped the hook in 10 metres. Water not quite clear enough to clock the anchor from the deck - so the requisite snorkel investigation required. Sand and Weed and the Rocna was in cleanly. Safe.
The other boat slunk off around 4pm - so we reset, hogged the middle of the bay with excellent holdings in sand and 8m of water. Like a toad in a puddle.
Whilst Lloydy and the Missus took the dinghy out for a spin, I prepped the BBQ as daylight was on our side - and thus enjoyed a bay to ourselves with burgers and sausages. Joy.
Wednesday Cala Xada to Portals Veills - Cala Portal. N39o28.36' E2o31.35'
The away team yesterday observed that 80% of the boats had departed by tea time...so we put a plan in place - hotfoot it to Portals before the crowds and if we can get in - head on to Cala Blanca some 8 miles distant.
We did the 2 cable journey and moments later were tucked in at at the head of the first mini cala. V good holding in 7m on sand.
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| Portals - a fine place if you can get in. |
We were in at 1030. Prime spot, with swinging room - just to the left of the pic above.
By 1230 - it was full and boats were nosing in and turning away. It got so busy we ended up having to defend our swinging room with shouts, whistles and use of the loud hailer. Even then, a motor launch managed to swing into us, with not inconsiderable tutting and use of our fenders to protect the sides.
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| Which German Lady rudey, go front bottom nudey? |
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| You can make us out just to the left of 12 O'clock. |
After some lunch, and some snorkelling around the caves we felt collectively that taking the dinghy out again and walking around the bay to the bar for a drink would satisfy our curiosity.
The photos above were taken on the walk around - giving a real sense of the beauty of the bay - not in least as half of it is buoyed off to stop boats coming right in - meaning the beaches are pretty unspoiled.
I have politely declined to publish the pic Lloydy took of the Nudist beach. He was chased off by a hippy (not for the first time) for pulling his camera out.
The bay is very popular with day boats - of the large motor and day charter types. So much so, this chap turned up, offering €15 cocktails.
True to form - the bay completely emptied - leaving us and a French catamaran alone in the bay. Thus we took the opportunity to reset the anchor and the pair of us took up slots in the middle of the bay with a good 60-70 yards between us to preserve swinging room.
As sure as eggs is eggs, the barometer dropped early evening and we predicted a 'blow'. A wind shift to Easterly quarter foretold a bumpy morning the next day.
Whilst I cannot remember what we had for our dinner - I do recall the lightning and heavy rain through the night.
Update: we had albonigas linguine with runner beans.
Thursday - Cala Portals to Palma.
We had about 12 miles to go - and the wind was in the ENE - so it was going to be a motorsail if we were lucky. Angry skies, rain showers and a gloomy start necessitated the emergency rations.
Fresh baked baguettes and fried smoked bacon (the real stuff from the expat butchers in Quesada) were the required start and thus fortified, we set off for Palma.
This was a dull crossing - the only excitement being coming into a new harbour, with a booking, and the promise of unlimited water and electricity and fine food.
Palma is a major port - with Balearia and Grimaldi ferries coming and going and we counted 3 very large cruise ships on the outer mole. Add to that on the way - its a parade of destroyer sized super yachts.
A routine tie-up by the fuel pontoon, with a mere 35 litres used since Sunday - pleasing indeed.
And a short call to the marina, we ascertained they had a hurry-up RIB to help us in, and a marinero awaiting our lines.
And thus - by 15:30, we had reversed onto our slot. Stern lines and lazy lines tied off.
Power lead attached and fuse retripped.
Finished with main engines.
OLYMPIC II to Palma had concluded. We had met our first guest, and taken them to their destination with a day in hand for his flight home on the Friday.
Two days of Shore leave and the voyage home is another post. But we were pleased with the 260 miles thus far.
So not quite ENDEX for OLYMPIC II - but the Lloydy leg was done.
Next post will detail the slap up feed in the Paella joint, a food tour, a hall of trotters and an oyster breakfast.
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