Back to Alicante

With a good wind forecast we set off at dawn.  The wind was a bit fitful but eventually settled in and we made good time back to Spain.

Leaving gorgeous Ibiza at dawn

We arrived at Moraira mid afternoon and anchored in about 5m of water.  We like this place as it has water almost as clear and warm as Ibiza.

We did our usual swim to check that the anchor was properly dug in - a guarantee of a good nights sleep!  We spotted a silver glint on the seabed and found a pair of stainless steel boarding ladders that had been lost overboard at some point.

The salvage process was a hoot.  Not sure what we're going to do with them but they were too good to leave on the seabed.

The next day we headed off to Altea, we initially anchored off the beach but decided to head in to the harbour for a night tied to something solid - the quay, with mains electric and hot showers.  Once we got in we also remembered that this place had a swimming pool! Bit of a change from swimming in the Cala of the Balaerics, not as nice but very welcome.  Steve and Tina, from Midnight, were already there so we had a good catch up and introduced them to Carajillos - espresso and cognac  - they went down very well.

Next day, after another swim in the pool, we sailed off towards Alicante.  Neither of us fancied going back into a city marina - nice though that Alicante is - and so we changed plans and sailed to Tabarca - an ex-pirate island, some 12 miles past Alicante.  Our last night at anchor - loved it, the peace, the way the view changed as the boat swings around the anchor.  Diving off the back of the boat to swim - idyllic.

An impromptu group

Tabarca church

Entrance to the village

Reluctantly the following morning we sailed back to Alicante.  Fortunately the wind was perfect and we had a fantastic sail right back into the outer harbour at Alicante. Powered up and going - we, and the boat, loved it.

The largest sailing ship in the world moored in Alicante

Leaving in the dark - it has 42 sails!

Three days to clean and tidy the boat, fill the fuel and water tanks, put the covers on and then head off to the airport.

At least we got back to the UK and the sun the was shining.  All was going well until Northern Rail cancelled the train from the airport.  Got home eventually.

First thing we did when we got home was check out the cheap flights - back on the boat 10th September!

Jen and Becca Visit.

After a day of frantic scrubbing and hoovering - we have a full size cylinder hoover on the boat! we were ready for Jen and Becca.

The weather forecast wasn't that brilliant so we decided to stay another night in the clubing capital of Ibiza. We think the girls enjoyed it - they didn't get back until 5.30am so we're fairly sure they did.  Later that morning we sailed off and had a great fast sail in 15-20knots of wind. We headed further south east to find an anchorage without swell and dropped the anchor in Cala Tarida.  Great location - great beach and just look at the colour of the water.

Tropical waters!

We sailed past this famous rock arch

Fun on the water

The enterprising locals even came along in a dinghy making Majito cocktails for the boats at anchor.

Fresh cocktail anyone?

Mmmm - lovely

We had a wonderful time. And so did Derek - Jen and Becca's inflatable mascot.

Derek, the new crew member

Sadly and all too quickly it was time for the girls to go.  We rowed ashore and  found a taxi to take them to the airport.  Didn't want them to leave but work called. Sad to see them go.

Jayne and Martyn joined us in Tarida and cheered us up with a chilli and wine night on their boat

We stopped for another day or so before heading a little further along the coast with a view to heading back to the mainland.

Another good sunset

We paused at Cala d'Horta - another place with beautiful tourquoise water, waiting for a good forecast.

From Cabrera to Ibiza

We sailed back from Cabrera to the mainland, tried to get into a tiny cala on Mallorca but it had three boats in it already and we didn't fancy trying to squeeze in, it wouldn't have been a peaceful night! So we carried on across the Bay of Palma and returned to the Isla de sa Torre, we stopped a couple of nights here and met up with a lovely Dutch couple, Ben and Nelly, they live full time on their boat, keeping it in Torrevieja - another couple who really rate that harbour. We then scooted along back to Santa Ponsa and stopped for night or two waiting for a good weather forecast to cross back to Ibiza.

Leaving Cabrerra

At last we had a good forecast and set off at dawn, the forecast wind didn't materialise at first and we motorsailed but by midday the wind filled in, and from the right direction! miracles do happen.  We had a lovely sail back to Ibiza and even managed to goosewing down the side of Ibiza - flat seas and a steady wind directly behind us - another miracle.  We carried on past Porinatx - our intended stop as the sailing was so good.eventually anchoring in Cala Churacca.

Nice goosewing sailing for a while

The miracle didn't last though - the anchorage proved very rolly so we didn't get a lot of sleep.


The next day - early! - we set of for Cala Port Sant Miguel as the weather looked like it would turn and blow strongly from the south - Miguel has good holding and good shelter.


We got ourselves nicely snugged down into Port Miguel a couple of days before the weather front was due to hit and decided to go to for a walk.  We ended up walking to Cala Bernirras, in flip flops, and back through the woods - great views but a lot, lot longer than we thought!

A walk inland

Our friend Martyn and Jayne arrived and anchored nearby - great to see them again.

Jayne ad Martyn arrived

A fleet of large catamarans sailed in and moored up together, dropping their anchors and backing up to a cliff with ropes tying them back to the cliffs - well tucked in out of the expected winds.  They stayed for the next few days while the wind blew out - the clients on the yachts were taken off and ferried back to the airport by car as the winds were too strong for them to sail the boats back to their home harbour in time.  The charter boats skippers remained and eventually sailed the boats back alone once the wind eased.

Once the winds eased we stowed the anchor and headed out, initially we had a great sail "racing" the other boats that left the security of the cala at the same time. After half a days sail though the wind dropped and left a sloppy sea behind and we ended up motoring to Port Sant Antoni.

We'd booked a couple of nights on the harbour quay whilst we sorted out the boat ready for the arrival of Jen and Becca.

Palma and the Archipelago of Cabrera

We had a wonderful day wandering the sites of Palma, treating ourselves in the chandlers and earrings shops.  The restaurants were surprising good value and whilst there were some seriously upmarket eating places, good value Menu del Dia were easy to find.  That said its a very wealthy town, half the shops seem to be expensive shoe or handbag emporiums.  There was noticeably a lot of German money invested in the place too, far more than any other place we've been to in the Balearics, where in general the balance of foreign investment seems fairly even.

Sailing into Palma harbour

Lovely parks

My new bonnet!

Many individual shops

The calas near to Palma get packed at the weekend

The Cathedral was magnificent, the Arab baths serene, the tapas good value but above all its a really nice place to spend some time; beautiful architecture, some good street life,(especially the musicians), lots of life.  The only time it felt crowded was when 3 huge cruise ships off loaded their captives, sorry clients, into the town at the same time.  For a brief period they were everywhere. 

Arab baths - interesting and serene

Our berth proved to be in a top location, just a few minutes walk from the old part of the town, but far enough out of the way not to be bothered by crowds - a very lucky find.

Great location - View of the Cathedral from our mooring

The big boys were out practicing for a regatta

About mid day on Wednesday we set off again, reluctant to leave but looking forward to a couple of nights in the secluded natural harbour on Isla Cabrera. One of a string of islands about 30  miles from Palma, off the SE corner of Mallorca.  The archipelago is a nature reserve and you can only sail in and stay if you pre book a mooring buoy in the harbour.  After some trials with the internet we’d managed to get a two day stay on a buoy at Cabrera. 

We had a lovely sail over to Cabrerra

The pictures probably speak for themselves - we absolutely loved it.  During the day there are a couple of trip boats bringing people in to walk with Rangers around the island but after 5pm the peace descends and its simply fabulous.  After a couple of days here we’re feeling so laid back we’re horizontal.  Carole’s hammock on the foredeck helped a little as well.

A castle stands at the entrance to Cabrerra Cala

A pretty perfect place

on our buoy

Our boat issue the other side of the bay

The island was a military base for years and some of the military buildings are now used by the rangers and the army canteen is a now a very rustic bar whetting the whistles of the thirsty sailors who’ve managed to get there.  

Looking from our mooring towards the castle

The water clarity was simply stunning - no anchoring at all is allowed and so the water is little disturbed and crystal clear.  The seagrass meadows beneath our boat looked like you could reach down and touch them.

La cantina is the only bar; in fact the only anything on the island

Leaving the pub car (tender) park

evening

There is also a few way marked paths that you can use - almost all of the island is out of bounds - too many rare species of plants, lizards, birds etc.  The black lizards - found only in the world on this island were cheeky enough however to take a run around the bar area.  

Steps inside the castle

pub 'car'park

A shallow mooring

I'm in there somewhere!

Island walk

The black lizard is only found in the world on Cabrerra Island

We don't want to leave! Sadly the bouys are all booked for the coming weekend so we’ve got to move on, back to the “mainland” of Mallorca.

The greatly named Pinus Noblis - very rare

Fishy companion

To Mallorca

We stayed for a couple of days in Port Miguel .We also got a great walk in over to Cala Breninas, it started off as a short walk to the top of a cliff to take some photos but 8 miles later our flip flops finally brought us back to where we'd left the dinghy.

Our boat at anchor in Port Miguel Calla

A walk in the interior

Then we headed back up to Portinatx to wait for some wind to blow us across to Mallorca.  We swam and paddle boarded - there is an infamous video doing the rounds of that experience! 

Dave's infamous video - the only fall, but caught on video

After a couple of days it was obvious that no wind was coming so we picked a day of almost no wind and motored and motor sailed across to Cala Sant Ponsa on Mallorca - a 50 mile/ 8 1/2 hour trip.  

On dolphin watch

Beautiful crystal clear waters to anchor in - I love it when I can see the anchor hit the bottom and you can lay the chain out and then dig the anchor in - it means we have a much more relaxed sleep at night also!

At certain times a fan is just what you need

Walked some of the small hills around the town of Santa Ponsa, terrific views in the distance but the near ground was full of housing.  We treated ourselves to a proper Spanish meal out that night, lots of fish and tapas, just loved it.

A morning walk

Again after a couple of days we decided to head of towards a cala the pilot book describes as idyllic - Portal Vells - bad decision to try to get in on a Saturday, the cala was simply packed with so many boats you could almost walk across it - super yachts rubbing fenders with tiny old day boats.  We gave it a miss and went the the cala next door - two boats and us but that filled it; it was so small but beautiful.  We stopped over night but the wind got up and swung around so at 0100 we re-anchored a little bit further from the rocks despite the fact that we had two anchors out and both seemed well dug in - its never good for your sleep if you can hear waves hitting the rocks when you're in bed.

Islands dotted about the coastline 

This calla too small to merit a mention in the pilot book

The next day we meandered slowly over to a large anchorage behind Illa de Sa Torre, passing the infamous Magaluf resort on the way - it was about 12.30 pm but the party people seemed to still be in bed - the beach looked empty.  We passed some amazing houses set upon cliff tops but with large party areas carved into the rock faces below the main house. When we got to the island the anchorage was filling quickly but we got a good spot and settled in for an afternoon of swimming and watching the anchoring antics of charter boats.

By 1900hrs the majority of the boats left and we had a peaceful night.  Up the next day after a short lie in, then Carole jumped in for a swim while I sorted the dinghy out and hauled it onto the foredeck so that it would be out of the way for when we got to Palma.  We were only 5 miles away but again no wind at all meant a motor into the harbour of the capital of the Balearics.  

Just love the snorkelling

Great backdrop of the cathedral as we entered the harbour. We had sorted out a berth at a charter yacht base in Palma harbour - it had space as the charterers all pick their boats up and leave at the weekend meaning that we could grab a berth on Monday and Tuesday for what is considered over here to be the bargain rate of €70/night. (this was the cheapest we could find!) Seems a lot to us but we wanted to see Palma and so decided to pay up and shut up.  

Sailing into Palma harbour

Not a bad location!

Palma is a lovely town 

This park very alhambra-ish

As it turned out the berth (stern to a concrete pontoon using slime lines - see earlier for what they are!) was a five minute walk from the cathedral and in a great location.  After a short walk and a beer in town we got back to the boat and revelled in the luxury of a plentiful supply of water, and washed the boat, the towels, the rug, ourselves.  When you’re anchoring a lot, water is precious and you get used to not wasting any at all or the tanks empty very quickly; Carole in her role as water monitor soon lets me know if my shower is more than 30 seconds long!

Off to explore Palma properly tomorrow.