Azure waters and wild seas

The pretty streets of Valdemossa

The amazing gorge at La Colobra

Our last few days in Minorca were spent in peaceful anchorages, no shops, jet skiers etc just lots of sapphire blue sea and just a few boats, most of them returning home by dusk.

Walked the Roman remains again at Puerto Nitge, Anders' favourite anchorage, then sampled Cala Pregonda with its moonlike landscape and red and cream rocks, all showing signs of the drama of the winter storms. After a windy night the beaches were full of jelly-fish so we were pleased to move on to Cala S'Escala where we were surrounded by French boats. It seems the French and Germans are in abundance this year with very few British yachts.

The trip to Majorca was uneventful with little wind. It took seven and three quarter hours until we slid into our anchorage outside Alcudia harbour and opened a longed for beer. After the solitude of the past days Alcudia was like being propelled into a package holiday with little means of escape! It was Sunday evening and as supplies were low we decided to dingy in for dinner. The shock of seeing so many people and having to actually sit in a crowded bar next to them, made us very twitchy. We downed a pizza and a bottle of house wine and returned to the peace of Moonshadow. Are we becoming boat hermits and losing the ability to socialise?

Next morning Alcudia took its revenge as we woke to strong winds blowing into the harbour. We left early in search of a more sheltered anchorage. With over 20 knots of wind and swell it was an exceedingly fresh passage to Cala Molta, a beautiful anchorage we had visited before when we left for Minorca. Here we enjoyed crystal clear waters and great snorkelling with lots of sea bass swimming around.
The next day we sailed to Pollensa in about 12 knots and took a mooring in the Port Authority marina for the same price as Porto Cristo (€35.33) Stayed here two nights and chatted to Jean and Maggie who had left their home country of Switzerland to sail the world. Our images of Switzerland were shattered when they told us that mists descend into the valleys in the autumn and stay until Spring creating a damp and depressing environment. We were also introduced to their four month old blue-nosed Amazon parrot Tropicano who could live to the grand old age of 40 years!
Little wind next day meant we had to motor down the northern coast of Majorca towards Soller. The scenery was stunning. Towering cliffs streaked in all colours from the wind and waves. Cala Calobra, a deep gorge through which the Torrent de Pareis thunders down in the winter opened spectacularly to a small stony beach where bathers were shrunk to the size of tiny dolls in the shadow of such towering cliffs.

Soller harbour and the electric tram that takes you from the port to Soller town

Soller harbour was our next stop to avoid a strong north easterly forecast for the next morning. We arrived just after midday and were told all the moorings were booked but if someone did not turn up by 7pm then we could have theirs. We anchored in the middle of the bay and decided to ride out the swell and wind there. It turned out to three very bumpy nights and days! We took advantage of the bad weather and visited Soller town one day and Valdemossa the next. The bus ride, mainly on the wrong side of the road at every bend was as stunning as the town. We were glad we were not coming round the opposite corner, especially after we witnessed a motor cycle accident en route.
We met another 'Moon Shadow' under the helm of German student Margareta and her grandfather who had sailed across the Atlantic in their newly purchased 32 footer. Also witnessed the arrival of a massive three masted schooner called Adix and owned by a British company.
Set off for the return to Sant Carles Marina at 10.30 am on August 31 arriving to a beautiful sunrise at 8.30am – 22 hours later. Saw very few other ships or yachts during the night whilst taking turns with the watch.
The night crossing was very 'rolling' in the following swell but as always held the magic of being alone in a vast Mediterranean sea under a starry sky.

Sunrise as we returned to base at Sant Carles marina

Minorca August 8- 19

Mahon, Cala Grao and Cala Galdana

Left the peaceful anchorage of Cala Molto and sailed for five and a half hours to Cala Galdana, Menorca. It was very busy with visiting yachts. I was invited to dance on a neighbouring Spanish boat that was blaring music!

We stayed the night as wifi was at hand and we managed to skype Maria who assured us that our entangled stag was now clear of his adopted headdress and was back with his mates!

Next morning took a picturesque walk along the cliffs en route to another beach. Spanish families everywhere climbing up rocky paths carrying children, lunch boxes and deck chairs – must have been a good two mile walk! We admired their determination. We were just carrying a camera!

Left the bustle of the harbour and sailed west to a narrow cala outside Ciutadella called Cala Blanca. Very comfortable for 2-3 yachts but no more. Crystal clear water and small beach with a diving centre. It was cute and unspoilt with cafes climbing up the rock faces.

Next morning we took a bus to the ancient city of Ciutadella. Fabulously unspoilt with towering austere buildings overlooking cool, clean narrow alleyways. Some of its medieval city walls are still there and we visited the cathedral and museum with artefacts dating back to 4.000BC – the Neolithic era. A city to be remembered.

With the forecast of a real blow coming our way in the next couple of days we set sail for Mahon, where we hoped to seek shelter and stock up on food. Took a lunch stop at San Bou beach where we had a great walk and swim in its clear water. We walked along the water's edge for three miles to view the ancient church remains at the end of the beach tucked into a headland and dating from 300AD.

Had a great sail in 15 knots of wind tacking to Mahon.

We had been told at Porto Cristo that once signed in with the Balearic Port Authority we would no longer need to check in with an army of paperwork if we moored at a government harbour. We were also assured that the price of 35.33E including power and water that we paid at Porto Cristo would be the same at any other government run harbour in the Balearics. Sounds good – but in reality it's rubbish – at least as far as Mahon is concerned. We were quoted 75E for a floating pontoon without facilities or access to land or 150E for a floating pontoon with facilities! Fortunately, we had never planned to moor up anyway!

We anchored instead in our favourite Cala Taulera , a peaceful, unspoilt bay in the shadow of the La Mola fortress. Already about 45 yachts had anchored so it took us some time to find a safe spot. After a rocky night, the wind picked up to 35k by 9am and we started to drag on our anchor. We put out more chain and decided we had to stay on board to keep watch until conditions calmed. Around midday a Swan left its mooring on the far side of the anchorage we made for his place and found it a lot calmer, since we were out of the northerly that was whipping across the low promontory in the middle of the bay. Did a brief tour of Mahon later in the day which involved a very wet 40minute dingy ride there and back!

We decided to make it out to sea the next day to enjoy five hours in 15 knots of northerly. It was a challenging sail but we made little headway and our planned harbour would have been turbulent so we turned back for a more peaceful night at Cala Taulera.

The wind reduced next day and the sea took on a blanket appearance as we motored to Cala Grao. This totally unspoilt cala next to Isla Colom had a long sandy beach with a small community of upmarket houses tucked into the hillside all painted to postcard perfection.

The northern coast of Minorca is definitely the prettiest and most unspoilt. Fornells is great for supplies and wifi and then you can make for the peace of the calas dramatically edged with meanest looking rocks you will ever see. This is due to the work of the tramontana.

In Fornells we met a friend from last year David who was still wearing his leopard skin thong! (He is in his late 70's). He bemoaned the callous ways of Mahon harbour and their high prices which encouraged endless gin palaces but excluded sensible sailors like us. We agreed wholeheartedly.

August 7 – 39th wedding anniversary

Anders escaping from our 39th anniversary, Spanish style sailing boats and our anchorage at Porto Cristo

Could the fact that Anders spent the morning at the top of the mast mean he is trying to tell me something.? Yes, it's our 39^th wedding anniversary and yes I have my hand on the main halyard that could let him down with a bump at any time!

In reality there is no conflict just another annoying repair job!

The roller furling for the genoa has been stiff for some time and this was caused by the halyard wrapping itself around the forestay at the top. After another turbulent night at anchor outside the harbour of Porto Cristo we decided to take a town quay mooring to sort out the problem.

With the help of a friendly Frenchman on the next boat Anders was duly winched up to the top of the mast to remedy the problem by fitting a shackle around the halyard to deflect it towards the mast. We will see how successful he has been when we set sail tomorrow.

We are constantly on a wifi mission to check the weather and skype the girls. Internet connections are extremely variable with a local bar or hotel being the best options. In vain we have tried to dingle our unlocked dongle bought in the UK. No luck with a British '3' sim card. You spend your allowance, which has to be done on line, just trying to top it up! So we bought a Yuigo Spanish sim card thinking it would be a cheaper option and that doesn't work either! Apparently, you need to buy a local dongle as well as they are configured differently to ours! This recommendation didn't work either. Will we ever solve the saga?

We had a lovely anniversary dinner in Sirocco restaurant overlooking Porto Cristo harbour which is packed with traditional Spanish boats. Next day after stocking up with really cheap, quality fruit and vegetables in the local market, we set sail for Cala Ratjarda. It was a congested harbour with the south easterly not suitable for anchoring, so we rounded Punta Agulla and settled in a bay of azure blue water called Cala Molta. Lovely, just a few boats including two Swedes who we had an evening drink with on board their yacht. They had bought a house in Italy and were sailing their boat from Umeå in the far north of Sweden to their new home.

Dramatic rocks and steep tree clad hillsides make this bay a peaceful leaving point to for Menorca which we can just make out in the far distance as the sun goes down.

Porto Petro - Porto Cristo

Porto Petro, Cala des Mort

The old town of Santanyi

Porto Petro is a small harbour attractively edged by curvy, green pines and gnarled rocks. We found a great anchorage in a small finger bay adjacent to the main harbour. Here Anders had many a happy hour adjusting lines to moor us stern to so we could reach the shore without the dingy. However, the nearby rock turned out to be a popular diving platform for the local teenagers, so we decided it was a more comfortable option to anchor a little distance from the shore.

It was a true Spanish seaside village, without the tourist paraphernalia. As Ant and Su had recommended we ate at Caracola Restaurant one evening and we struggled to make our way home after a two course dinner, which turned up in very generous proportions, together with a litre of local wine!

We stayed in this harbour for two further nights, but unfortunately the heavy swell meant that we were rolling about in our berth and it was out with the sea sickness wristband again!

To avoid the turbulence in the harbour we took a morning visit to Santanyi an old Spanish inland town about 10 miles from the harbour. Plenty of original buildings and relaxed Spanish atmosphere especially when it came to the bus home!

To ensure a good night's sleep we motored for about an hour in 25 knots to Porto Colom. This is a spacious harbour with plenty of shelter in all winds. We ended up staying here for two nights. Anders changed the engine oil and did some maintenance jobs and I tried in vain to get our Alpha network up and running. In the afternoon black clouds appeared and the rain began to sheet down in true Spanish thunderstorm style.

We seem to be adopting a very laissez faire attitude this holiday since we have no particular target to meet. We sail when the weather is good and sight see or do boat maintenance when the wind is poor.

Consequently we are dawdling along this coastline, making the best of the wind when it comes. We are now in Porto Cristo and for the first time this holiday we have taken a town mooring at 35E including electricity and water. The reason is once more to solve a problem. Our foresail is in a crumpled heap on deck after the roller furling jammed! Miracle man Anders hopes he has solved the problem.

We visited Las Cuevas del Drach – amazing caves apparently used 3,000 years ago. As well as the breathtaking drama of the stalactites, a multitude of long needles that drop from the ceiling , there is a massive subterranean lake on which at the end of the tour a small orchestra on a boat trimmed with tiny lights emerges from the deep darkness playing Alborada (Dawn Song) by Caballero. Just magical!

Isla de la Cabrera

While Es Trenc offers the most spectacular beach miles long and sapphire blue water, nothing can compare to the remoteness of Isla de Cabrera, a group of fifteen islands south of Mallorca.

As a designated National Park, procedures for visiting are seemingly tight. The saga starts at any of the ports that line the south eastern coast of Mallorca. Here there are varying responses to the request "We would like to visit Cabrera."

First there is paperwork to fill in with boat and passport details. If the harbourmaster is having a good day he may fax your request to the Cabrera office which according to the leaflet is in the centre of Palma. Being diligent we went to track them down at the head office address on our leaflet to find it had moved to an industrial estate outside town. So we had to bank on receiving a reply to our fax.
This we realised was another problem. One sailor who had been waiting two weeks for a permit was told after an irate phone call to the head office that he would have to wait a further week. After a few days wait with the harbour master shaking his head as soon as we appeared at the office door we decided to chance our luck and sail for the islands anyway to arrive on the date we had booked but which we had received no confirmation for.

A good easterly was forecast and we sailed splendidly at 6-7 knots into the beautiful sheltered bay with its rolling hillsides and castle carved into the highest rock at the harbour entrance. Built in the late 14^th century, the winding stone staircase that leads you to the battlements has a snaking stone handrail, beautifully curved and crafted out of the same stone slab as the staircase. The wide sheltered bay has a spaciousness and peacefulness of its own. Speedboats and water skiers are banned says the official literature. This promise was momentarily disturbed by a fleet of fifteen motorboats, carrying German flags that swooped in alongside us as we sailed into the bay!
Announcing our arrival on the VHF we were told to take a buoy and check at 4pm if our mooring reservation was to be honoured. As we lay off Moonshadow in the centre of the bay and took the sails down, the motor boats thankfully disappeared as quickly as they had appeared.

We drank in the beauty of the islands. Clear blue transparent sea, loads of fish, lizards that stop in your path, then glide at speed into the undergrowth. The climb to the castle is spectacular, the yachts receding to toy replicas in the sapphire sea as you ascend. The wind funnelling through the lowest part of the island from the east creating deep ripples and a cooling breeze.

The lack of modern facilities ensures that Cabrera brings you closer to nature. After a tough climb to the castle we took the stony path around the bay that led us to a small deserted beach where the water was so transparent it was almost invisible. To swim in such purity is a privilege.

Sailing at last July 17- July 25 Sant Carles to Porto Petro

Sunset at Sant Jordi

Having fun with Ant and Su

After a morning of last minute preparations we left St Carles at 1.45pm. We topped up the fuel tank and waved goodbye to Simon, a helpful English harbour hand who had been our saviour putting us in touch with Bob, the engineer.

The sea was calm with a slight breeze as we sailed past the now familiar coastline and out beyond the flat promontory that snakes out to sea from the marina. It was great to feel the sea breezes again. The wind was on our nose so we had no option but to motor which turned out to be a real test for our new engine with 21 hours non-stop. The wind increased gradually during the day and evening and by 12.30 when Anders took over the night watch and I went down below the swell started to increase dramatically to around 30 knots.

I then had a bad bout of sea sickness so left Anders to cope with the mounting seas. The swell was so strong that Anders could not motor into Soller and took the sensible decision to sail with the wind down to St Telmo, a wide picturesque inlet sheltered by Isla Dragonera. Here we recovered from a demanding first day and night at sea.

St Telmo had clear waters and an upmarket feel to its narrow streets, all flowing with red and purple flowers that cascade in abundance over the stone walls.

Here we met Su and Ant who we had previously met at St Carles, our winter marina, and spent a pleasant couple of days eating and sailing together on their Swan 44. Ant a true racing man was always trimming to the maximum while Su and I were happy to spin along with the wind without quite the same degree of urgency. Anders enjoyed handling a well built performance yacht.

The next day we set off to sea separately taking photos of each others yachts in full sail. They sped on towards Palma Bay and we sailed into Andraitx a busy fishing port for fuel and water. Here we met the sea warden Connor, appointed by the Balearic Islands Ministry of the Environment whose duty it was to direct seaman to low ecological impact anchoring points. He zoomed around the bay in his boat handing out leaflets about protecting the marine plant posidonia oceanic, which is exclusive to the Mediterranean (a project obviously funded by the EU). Rumour has it that some business man has pocketed the grant money and only set out a small proportion of the buoys required.

We average about one disaster per day during our cruising and sometimes I wonder when Anders' patience will run out. Our two days socialising with Ant and Su did distract us from the fact that the fore head was not pumping out properly, but we set that aside and used the aft head instead.

Today we set out in a calm sea and motored most of the way to Cala Portals – a popular Palma Bay anchorage for the rich and famous. Just as we managed to squeeze ourselves between the vulgar, oversized motorboats, the anchor winch decided to give up the ghost so Anders had to let out the chain by hand. While everyone else had zonked out into sunning and bathing mode Anders was on the deck surrounded by tools once more inspecting the damage. The main drive shaft had sheared which meant a new part would have to be ordered from Vetus!

After dinner on board we walked around the amazing crumbling sandstone rocks and massive caves which lined the Cala and were reputedly first inhabited by the Phoenicians around 1200BC! During the night an easterly started to blow straight into the bay with moderate swell so we left early to take a look at Puerto Portals, reputedly the poshest marina in the Balaerics.

We anchored outside the marina and took a trip by dingy to saturate our curiosity of the massive motor boats that were crammed along the pontoons. We felt uncomfortable in this world of affluence where everything was too expensive to carry a price tag. We did however find a very congenial pizza bar just out of town.

Next day sailing across Palma Bay in 6.5k was great. We met up with Ant, Su and Sam for a beer, swim and a farewell dinner at Platja del Trench before Su flew back to the UK. Great fun to find friends on a similar wavelength.

Warnings of tramontana nudging northern Minorca had little effect on us next day when we sailed in a light wind to Porto Petro, highly recommended by Ant and Su. For the next few days we hopped in and out of harbours and paid two visits to Palma in the hope of acquiring a Spanish sim card for our computer. No luck nothing worked in spite of a helpful English speaking Romanian – so the wifi saga goes on.

ENGINE REMOVAL AND INSTALLATION (for the technically minded!

Once we had got over the shock of having to buy a new engine rather than re-conditioning our 40 year old girl that had already been re-conditioned once, the next stage was to decide which engine to buy.
With Bob's advice we trawled the internet and finally settled for a Beta 50, a Kubota based engine adapted for maritime use by Beta Marine in Gloucester. It was going to take four weeks to arrive.
Before making our way home for a welcoming break, Moonshadow was lifted from her sea berth onto land in order to inspect the prop and start the work of dismantling the engine.
This was an amazing experience like taking the guts out of a body. Bob and Anders disappeared into the depths of the engine room where spanners were clinking, bolts were flying and hammers were banging.
The head came off and wiring, hoses and the shaft were disconnected as were the engine mountings. The compass, steering binnacle and crash bar were loosened off and the cockpit floor and damp head lining were removed.
This gave us the immediate solution to the disaster. Damp had been leaking in via the cockpit floor and when Anders took the injectors home to have them re-conditioned, the leak found its way into the engine and proved fatal.
It took six weeks for the engine to finally arrive at Sant Carles, so in the meantime we took a welcome recovery break at home.
When Anders returned to Moonshadow with Bob on June 24, not surprisingly, there was no sign of the engine. He chased up the delivery company who first said they had no record of the engine being sent!
Thankfully this was a total red herring and the engine delivery was promised for Friday. It finally arrived at 6pm that evening on a pallet in a box van with a driver who had no means of unloading it. And more to the point was very uninterested in doing so!
Luckily Anders had met up with two yacht delivery drivers who helped to drag the engine within its wooden box onto a pallet that was raised to the right level by wooden blocks.
There it stayed until Monday while Bob and Anders stripped the old insulation out and cleaned the bilge. The engine bed was re-built and a new spacer, manufactured by a local engineering firm, was fitted between the prop shaft and gear box. New insulation and sound proofing for the engine room was sourced from a UK company and actually arrived within the promised five days.
All the water pipes in the engine room were renewed and the hot water tank was renovated and painted. On installation it was necessary to reposition periphery engine equipment such as the sea water strainer, anti siphon valve and the domestic water pump. The accumulator tank was refitted and clipped securely, rather than tied with string!
Surplus cabling was removed and the rest of the cabling was traced through and securely clipped to bulk heads.
The cockpit floor which had previously been supported by a large piece of plywood , was instead strengthened by glass fibre and sheets of 18mm ply. This work was completed by a local contractor who gave Anders an unexpected surprise when we found the panels had been securely fibred to the concrete floor of the boat yard! It took Anders a day to chip them away and file them down!
The whole job was completed by July 13. It had been a massive project conducted in stifling temperatures in a small cramped engine room.

Well done Bob and Anders!

FORGET THE HOLIDAY! (May 6 -July 13)

Think you are on holiday forget it! Today is the day that our sailing boat engine came out. After ten days of pre-work to get our boat ready for a summer of sailing in the Mediterranean we discovered that the engine had seized.

This was highly frustrating as Anders had spent many days changing oil and filters and preening the engine ready for start up. Our old Perkins 4108 engine had served us well and we had treated it with great respect over the years with brand new engine mountings, and a new fresh water pump.

When the big moment came she wouldn't budge on the crankshaft nut – even the largest sized spanner I have ever seen failed to entice her.

The terrible truth was soon known. Our engine had suffered from water penetration over the winter and was now rusted solid, only three of the pistons would move slightly, the fourth had given up.

We were fortunate enough to find a talented ex-Royal Navy chief engineer called Bob Bloomfield who at the time was working on another boat at Sant Carles marina, southern Spain where Moonshadow had been stored over the winter. He was prepared to help us remove the old engine and install a new one.

This involved 13 days of Bob's work assisted by Anders, and many hours sourcing supplies either locally or via the internet. Many times a day the pair could be seen racing through Sant Carles on our rusty old bikes trying to find the right size hose, bolt or fitting. When sign language failed, Anders would draw what was required. This turned out to be far more successful than Bob's attempt to describe duct tape by going 'quack quack.' The shop assistant was even more bewildered than before!

A host of challenges

St Carles de La Rapita, April 21, 2010

Volcanic dust from Iceland which caused a flight ban for five days meant that we arrived at St Carles de la Rapita marina two days later than planned – however we did well considering the disruption throughout Europe and the thousands of people who could not fly home after their Easter holidays.

Moonshadow was waiting for us up on land when we arrived at 5.30pm – in time to have a brief tidy below deck and sort out some fresh bedding for the night. We had dinner at the marina bar and hit the deck at 9.30pm.
Next morning the enormity of the task of getting Moonshadow ship-shape again really hit us. Anders' first task was to get the bikes up and running so we could cycle into town for supplies. He spent many hours changing chains, oiling and fixing brakes while I cleaned the hull side ready for polishing.
The boat was covered in a fine layer of sand and fine threads were dangling down from the shrouds where the wind generator had given up its battle with the winter storms. Both the wind generator and the radar had been damaged, but fortunately we had been able to claim the cost on insurance. Two Spanish guys from the local engineering firm Tallis Cornet had been prompt to start the work, but by mid afternoon a rain shower stopped them in their tracks and they were quick to disappear. Fortunately, they completed the job by mid morning the next day.
We are slowly getting into the swing of things. I am learning to live and move about in my restricted galley, instead of my spacious kitchen at home. It's quite an art, balancing pans and dishes on minute surfaces while serving up dinner with dexterity.
Movement on deck is equally challenging as I discovered today. I managed to inadvertently tip a bucket of dirty water over the captain who was working on the hull side beneath me! It wasn't intentional, and fortunately Anders saw the funny side of it!
The boatyard is an interesting place. Boats are being cleaned diligently by their owners - a sort of Sunday afternoon washing the car syndrome – since we have never ever done this we are a bit shocked by the gleaming examples all around us!
Apart from giving Moonshadow a brief wash and polish we have abandoned the fine details and concentrated on the urgent work in order to get her into the water as soon as possible.
With the anti-fouling of the hull completed we were lifted into the water the next morning and towed to the reception pontoon as our engine had not yet been commissioned. It was great to be re-united with the sea but before we knew it there were more challenges.
Anders was miraculously sorting engine jobs through a very small access hole he had cut in the cockpit locker. As always one job continued to lead to another. A broken oil cooler bracket had been welded at home and the task of refitting it led to the discovery of damaged threads for the fixing screws on the manifold. So it was out with the manifold, re-threading of screw holes, which was accomplished rather shoddily by the local engineering company, and refitting the whole thing.
To add to our challenges, neither the manual or the automatic bilge pumps appeared to be working. The manual pump sprung into life after a strip down and the automatic pump's refusal to work was put down to a run down engine battery. 100 Euros later we had a new battery but still the automatic bilge pump refuses to work!
We are now in our tenth day of labour and our biggest challenge yet lies ahead.
After refilling oil, replacing re-conditioned injectors and new filters we were all ready to hear the dulcet sounds of our engine firing .
No such luck! Is this the point when we abandon ship, jump in the sea and head back to Wales?