The Isalas Baleares and Mainland Spain

Dry-cured hams

Local Sailor, Menorca

Hello To You All Again.

Well we truly are in the Western Mediterranean now.  This is the area where one’s adventures are either just beginning in the Mediterranean, or drawing to an end as you head for Gibraltar and beyond.  Either way it is a delightful introduction, or farewell, to an incredible part of Mediterranean Europe.  Spain, in this region, falls under one of today’s ten most visited nations on our planet, and it is their Islas Baleares, 50 miles off the Spanish Mediterranean coast that we were next heading for.  The four main Islands which make up the Islas Baleares – Menorca, Mallorca, Ibiza and Formentera, each have their own rich history, and even though very touristy, they have a special charm for yachting and boating people, as there are still many secluded bays and coves left unspoilt to visit.  In saying that there are areas which have become quite over-run with tourists with high rise apartment blocks, hotels and nightclubs, crammed along beachfronts and over hillsides which I am sure must irritate the locals. Their beaches are plentiful and the waters in most areas lovely and clean.  Some of the anchorages now have mooring buoys which one is charged for.  We tried to avoid these.  We were surprised to find the Islands so green with pine forests dropping from the mountains to the water’s edge.

Puerto Mahon, Menorca

The 245nm trip from Corsica to Menorca was a fairly good run.  We did strike lumpy seas for a time, and during one of those extra “black” nights, which is never very pleasant, but with reefs in both the main and the jib, and the winds never more than 27kts, we are able to sail most of the way.  Menorca is the most easterly Island of the group and is only 26 miles long and 11 miles wide.  We arrived on the south east coast just after midnight and decided we would drop anchor in a protected bay outside the port of Mahon and enter in in daylight.  Puerto De Mahon is said to be the second deepest harbour in the world.  It is a long natural harbour with just as long a Naval History, and is said to have been founded in about 206 BC.  It is also said that Christopher Columbus was born here, but like many other ancient famous people, we find lots of places like to hold claim that the famous were born, lived or died here.  Due to the location of this Port it has been used by many well-known fleets including that of Lord Nelson.

Sardinia and Corsica

Lost at Sea !!

Hello Again

 We left Monastir, Tunisia for Sardinia late afternoon on Thursday 24^th July and covered the 240nm in two nights and a day.  Our second night was an interesting one avoiding thunderstorms for a time, so by the time we arrived outside Villasimus Marina, which is situated on the bottom south east side of Sardinia, we were tired, and after dropping anchor went to bed for some catch up sleep.  Early afternoon and it is hot.  Our anchorage is another gorgeous one with clean clear waters, so I decide on going for a swim.  Oh help, we have a MAJOR problem !!!!!!!!  As I was swimming around the boat I noticed we had lost, yes bloody well lost, our port prop !!!!  HOW – we have no idea.  WHY – we still have no idea.  WHEN –  Saturday 26^th July.  WHERE - we think somewhere between 3 and 38nm off the southern coast of Sardinia as we were using the port engine before that. Alec thought our speed was a little slow once we had dropped the sails to motor into the bay, but put it down to the sea conditions as we were motoring straight into the wind with a bit of a sea running.  Then, when we dropped anchor he had trouble keeping the boat straight as he reversed to dig the anchor in.  The port prop was last removed 14 months ago and has done over 5,000nm since.  This time in the boat yard in Tunisia we did not have to touch it apart from giving it a clean and painting on another coat of prop speed to help stop the growth of barnacles.

 

South side Arbatax

We spent a couple of hours in the water looking around just where we had anchored just in case it had fallen off there, but no luck.  So the following morning after searching through the cruising guide for a marina that had a travel lift big enough to lift a catamaran, we upped anchor and headed on up the east coast 56nm to a place called Arbatax. We contacted our Insurance Company who came to the party thank goodness.  It was then a matter of just waiting for the replacement prop to be shipped down from Denmark.  We were told it could take up to 11 days.  In this day and age with express mail delivery etc. we found that quite absurd,  but there was nothing we could do about it but wait.  Emails went back and forth between us, the Insurance Company and the Italian agent who we had to go through.  We thought the guy must be bringing it down on the back of his bicycle from Denmark !!!!

Sicily, Malta, Lampedusa, Tunisia

Evening Drinks, Sicily
 

Yes we have moved on again

 Our stay in Marina di Ragusa was only a brief stopover of two days and two nights.  We sent Simon and Kay into the old city to do some sightseeing, while Alec and I attended to some ‘boat’ jobs and provisioning.  We met up again with Sam, the young English guy who did a bit of a botch up job on repairing our sails and side clears last season, but all is forgiven and he came and had lunch with us on-board. We ate gelato – Italian ice-cream of which there are so many wonderful flavours, sampled the local wines, and had dinner out where I ordered my usual calamari.  Alec ordered fish, something that has so far evaded our lines this season, even though we have had a couple of strikes!!!!

Local Fishing Boat, Malta

 Then it came time to untie the mooring lines and set sail for Malta.  We decided on a night passage for this leg as the winds were going to be more favourable for us.  And they were.  We managed to sail the whole way arriving just after 0700.  Kay stayed up to help me with my watch, but with only one eye open !!! On arriving into Sliema Creek, Malta we once again tied up to our mooring – the free, three mast 100 ft. blue yacht which has sadly been tied up to huge mooring blocks and left to ‘die’ there. One morning as we were going ashore, the South African Captain from an Italian owned Super Yacht, but registered in Nigeria - Now that all sounds dubious for a start, but we actually saw the yacht he was on and went over to say hello - was giving the blue boat the once over.  He recognised her from earlier days.  Some general info for all of you that have used this mooring – He told us she was once painted black, built in the 70’s, been around the world about 6 times as a training vessel, very fast (which is easy to see by her lines), and was called SUNSET 77.  He had worked on her in the 1980’s. At some stage she was sold to the owner of Captain Morgan Cruise Boats in Malta, and has gone nowhere since.