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?

August 28-September 9 - our last 12 days

Meeting Hugh and friends and beautiful Minorcan horses

We sailed from Cala Son Saura in Minorca in a light north easterly and when the wind increased we hoisted the cruising shute which billowed out beautifully and took us all the way to Cabo Farrutz, the north eastern point of Majorca. As we came into Alucudia we spotted Far Out, our American friends' boat, and bobbing in the water close by were Rick and Barbara enjoying an afternoon swim!
We had kept in touch by e-mail and had planned to meet up before we set sail for the mainland. They like us had plenty of stories to tell which occupied two nights of constant chatting!
Alcudia, backed by dramatic mountain ranges, had, rather surprisingly, a wide range of yacht services and companies that were touting for business, so we decided to research them all to see if we could find an even cheaper place to overwinter Moonshadow. Up to now we had dismissed the Balearics for overwintering since we had been quoted prices around 7,000E, compared to 2,400E on mainland Spain! We only had a few days left to make our choice.
We spent two days in Alcudia comparing prices, but after putting our hopes up we found out that Moonshadow's draught was too great for the shallow harbour where she would be lifted out of the water. So it was back to plan A – overwintering at Sant Carles de la Rapita.
Before we left we sailed into Pollensa and later in the day took Hugh and his girlfriend Amy, together with her sister and mother for a sail, swim and a snorkel in a nearby bay. It was perfect sailing weather and Hugh enjoyed the tacking and the girls had a go at steering.

Our final trip along the north western coast of Majorca was dramatic. Massive cliffs swept down to the sea, making us feel like a small pin floating in the water below. There was very little civilisation along this coast of mean looking cliffs, and the winter winds had done their work, slashing against the rocks, producing unexpected caves and sudden outcrops of grass and firs in the occasional sheltered craggy ledge.

We sailed into Soller harbour and anchored for the night in preparation for our 24 hour trip to Sant Carles. For me night sailing was a new experience and one that went well after I had learnt the different lights that boats display at night to signal their course. In fact it is quite welcoming to see a light appearing in the vastness of the dark ocean. Your only concern then is to check it is not on a collision course with you! Nightime at sea is a great opportunity for reflection when the gentle lapping of the waves against the hull and the starry sky are your only companions.
We made it to Sant Carles by midday the next day after a mixture of motoring and sailing. The marina, only opened last year, is part of a vast harbour area, which at the moment is totally under utilised. It is owned by MDL marinas who have provided first class facilities with showers, swimming pool, leisure room and restaurant and bar area. They appear to be responsive and service minded.

We spent the last four days of our holiday preparing Moonshadow for overwintering. The sails were all packed away in sail bags, the deck was scrubbed and the engine serviced with plenty of oil. We were hoisted up on land so that we could clean the propeller and touch up on some hull work. This winter preparation work was undertaken mostly in heavy rain – the first we had experienced since June! – so we didn't feel so bad about leaving our sunshine holiday behind!

Packing sails and Moonshadow on land at Sant Carles

Our last night was spent spectating a bull run in the streets of Sant Carles. Not quite our thing but the crowds were obviously enjoying it!

August 8 – August 28: Minorca

Beautiful bays in Minorca

The trip to Minorca was pleasant but wearing as the wind was on our nose for most of the time, so we were delighted to glide into a calm and peaceful cala just outside Mahon harbour and dip into the cool water. After close on 13 hours at sea Cala Taulera was a real haven.
It also proved to be a perfect setting off point the next morning to visit the fortress of Isobell 11 on La Mola, near Mahon. This extensive military fortress was built by the Spanish government in 1848 in response to the threat by France and Britain who were both eyeing up Mahon harbour as a strategic harbour for their fleets. It apparently took 25 years to construct but was out-dated before completion!
Mahon harbour
We left the peacefulness of our anchorage for Mahon the next day to seek out a buoy or pontoon nearer to the town. Mahon is nestled in a huge natural harbour and is a hideaway for luxury yachts. Consequently mooring fees were well over 100e – something to keep well away from! We managed to find a buoy in Cala Longa, another small cala in the harbour entrance which still required a 20 minute dingy trip into the town.
Everything about Mahon was expensive and rather showy. To crown it we had an oil spillage in the dingy which took two hours to clean up! Things brightened up considerably when Maria arrived, even though I got her time of arrival incorrect by 12 hours!
We left Mahon the next day early in the morning and headed out in a brisk north easterly of 10-12 knots which proved an exciting welcome for Maria who was immediately at home on the waves. At lunchtime we moored up in the Cala Coves, a narrow inlet with high rocks each side with over 90 caves most of them inhabited in the Bronze Age. It was an amazing place with loads of small cave entrances carved into the rock faces. Most of them had been sectioned off and the bones, tools and remains found inside were now museum pieces, but others we could clamber into and just imagine how life must have been for families living in the coolness and ruggedness of these caves. Below the sapphire waters supplied a welcomed dip after our excursions into the rocks. Maria was of course in her element, itching to climb the craggy cliff faces.
When we returned to Mahon to collect Maria's friend Ali, the harbour was much quieter than during our previous visit and we were able to pick up a buoy closer to town. The next day we made our way up the east coast again looking for a secluded cala. Somehow, once you have tasted the solitude of nothing but cliffs, clear water and a few boats around you, any other anchorage is second best.
Laying up
The forecast was for light easterly and north easterly throughout the following week which was completely the wrong wind for sailing to Sardinia, as planned so we changed our plans and started to look at the remainder of the Spanish coast and beginning of the French coast for laying up over winter. The 'manyana' attitude everywhere meant that we had little response from marinas we had been contacting by email and phone calls were equally fruitless.
After a few more wearing on line sessions we have now put our hopes on Sant Carles de la Rapita along the Spanish coast halfway between Valencia and Barcelona. With the reassuring thought that we may have at last found an over winter home for Moonshadow we were able to get down to enjoying the rest of our holiday with only three weeks left to go.
Minorca is continuing to be peaceful and unspoilt. We spent two days in Port de Fornells, a huge sheltered harbour om the north coast of the island, bordering a small village with little development except for some large executive homes. Great place for watersports of all kinds. One of the prettiest harbours we stayed at was Cala de Addaia hidden in a picturesque corner of a large lagoon and surrounded by gentle hillsides, covered in shrubs and trees with no houses in sight.
Completely unspoilt
It is refreshing to know that you can still find an anchorage where you are completely on your own with just beautiful scenery around you. That was the case when we sailed into Port de Sanitja. On one side a kindly gently sloping headland lined the bay with the Cavalleria lighthouse at its head, on the other side coarse juniper bushes and reedy grass protruded out of the stony ground. The inlet was breathtakingly peaceful and certainly had a historical feel about it especially when we realised we were moored just a few metres away from a Roman military camp from 123BC! The rocks that lined the eastern side of the bay were gnarled and twisted into amazingly grotesque shapes which reminded us that during the winter the east winds constantly battered the island, shops closed down and the bars and restaurants went into hibernation. We were the only yacht in the anchorage!
We moored once again in Fornells with the idea of visiting a fiesta the next day. We nearly didn't make it as our dingy had disappeared the next morning! Fortunately, a Spaniard on a boat closer to the harbour had seen the empty dingy heading for land and had managed to catch it and securely tie it behind his own boat. Life without a dingy would have been very difficult!
Fiesta time
We made a brief visit to a fiesta in the small town of Ferreries where we stood sweating among the crowds that cheered and shouted as the mayor of the town announced the grand opening. Fiestas are held in each town in turn to honour their patron saint and horses play a leading role, rearing on command through the crowds! We had become so used to our peaceful way of life that we found the electric crowd rather daunting so we decided to give the evening celebrations a miss and instead visit the stud farm where these beautiful black Minorcan horses are bred.
We planned to catch the first day of the classic yacht race so we tacked to Mahon in a lovely sailing wind of 10-12 knots staying the night before at a pleasant anchorage on the eastern side of Isla Colon which surprisingly had laid buoys which we did not have to pay for. When we arrived in Mahon we found that the Classic Yacht race had been cancelled undoubtedly due to lack of entries and the impact of the recession.
We visited Son Martorellet, the Minorcan horse stud, and saw about 15 beautiful black stallions, four of which performed some of their high school moves in an airy, immaculate indoor school, the roof of which had been lined with cork for insulation. One of their trainers told us that the horses perform the same routines six days a week and to train them to the level required took three to four years. Amazing dedication on behalf of both horse and rider.
Our last night in Minorca once more characterised the beauty of this unexploited island. Our anchorage was in Cala Son Saura, a wide bay, with two quiet beaches where we dropped the anchor 6m down and could see the sandy bottom clearly through the azure blue water. Our last swim in Minorcan waters was one to remember!

August 1 – August 7: Majorca

Palma's magnificent cathedral and

Palma harbour

First impressions of Majorca were that it is far more commercialised than Ibiza and it really feels like coming back to civilisation. Our first night was spent in Santa Ponsa bay, a large area with good holding over sand, but surrounded by development, which seemed uncomfortably obtrusive after the peaceful calas we had been experiencing.

The day before discovering Palma we anchored between two small islands Las Illetas. We took the dinghy ashore to roam one of the small islands which was deserted and the second led to an exclusive part of the mainland with posh bars and elaborate Spanish homes with their glistening white walls, tall, wrought iron gates, and carpets of flowing brightly coloured flowers.

We had heard that Palma was very expensive to moor, but we needed water and supplies so we headed for one of the nine yacht marinas in a huge bay that provides berthing for several thousand yachts. We had heard from other sailors that the quay known as Pier 46 but now taken over by Viva Yacht charter was an excellent place to berth as it was close to the old town and the magnificent 13^th century Gothic cathedral.

This turned out to be great advice. We motored into the vast harbour, which was home to a large slice of the super yacht market, fearing the worst as far as harbour charges were concerned, headed for Pier 46 and proceeded to moor up to a vacant berth as though we owned the place. We struck a deal of 50E for the first night and 40E for the second with a guy called Henry and there we were, just a short walk from the beautiful old town, the cathedral and the Almudaina Palace. Brilliant. The city turned out to be the most beautiful we have visited so far, wide flagged walkways, a beautifully kept old town which constantly provided the mounting excitement of what is round the next winding corner and even a cycle path through most of the city. So it was bikes out and off to explore.

It was well past midnight when we checked out a large screen that had been erected in front of the cathedral where we found hundreds of people, hanging out watching the ancient American movie - Moon River!

During out time in Palma we saw The royal palace of La Almundaina, walked around the towering Gothic cathedral and took a trip to Soller on a narrow gauge railway through the mountains, where farmers had hacked out towering terraces in the harshest of landscapes to grow their olive and fruit trees.

After two days in Palma we sailed in a lovely breeze to Ensalada de Rapita, a long, sandy bay where we anchored in readiness for our visit to the Isle de Cabrera a beautiful nature reserve that required a permit to visit.

Sadly, the visit did not materialise as just a mile or so away from the island, the engine of the boat overheated and our only option was to sail back in the direction we had come before the wind dropped. With Anders's skill and a lot of luck we sailed into the harbour at La Rapita and asked if there was an engineer available to help us. We had learned never to take no for an answer, so this coupled with Anders charm actually effected a visit from an engineer within the hour! The day turned out far better than expected as the problem was the sea water impeller that had one broken fin, rather than a far more serious and costly problem.

Our last night on Majorca was spent at Porto Colon, after visiting many calas along the east coast that were already well populated with boats. We anchored in the harbour area and had a welcome 38^th anniversary dinner ashore at the local yacht club.

We had planned one more night in Majorca before leaving for Minorca to meet Maria, but on hearing from fellow yatchsmen that bad weather was due in a couple of days, we decided to make the 13 hour crossing to Menorca the next day. The alarm was set for 5.30am!

I meet a headless man outside Palma cathedral

July 21 - July 26: Ibiza and Formentera

Cala Raco des Mares and sunset in Ibiza

The passage to what was going to be Formentera but turned out to be Ibiza took 13 hours and 50 minutes. We motored for half the way and then a lovely close hauled force 4 brought us rather north of our target. However, after a long day it was no disappointment to find a peaceful anchorage at the eastern tip of Ibiza in a small bay called Cala Moli with towering rocks on either side and a beach. The clear turquoise water had never looked more inviting. We were in the water within seconds of anchoring – bliss!

This was to be one of many picturesque calas or bays that we were to find around the Balearics. It was a brilliant area for cruising with so many hidden bays, some popular, others almost empty. The landscape was far greener than the mainland with rich pine forests stretching down to the sea.

As we made for Formentera a couple of days later we passed some spectacular rocky islands, with amazing jagged formations including Isla Vedra that was the location for the Bali Hai photography in the film South Pacific.

Formentera was different with much lower islands where sandy rocks, some firm, some crumbling formed a lunar-type landscape. It was far less developed than Ibiza and its 5,000 inhabitants are supposed to have the longest life expectancy in Spain. Is it something to do with the fact that nudism is commonplace here?

Isla Vedra

The bays around the island were magical and quiet but on our third night everything changed. We had sailed round the whole island in just a gentle breeze and then anchored in the shelter of a high headland on the east coast. We spoke to a neighbouring boat owner who confirmed that from the forecast he had heard this would be a sheltered spot for the night. As we sat in the cockpit eating dinner, most of the day trippers left with their boats and there were just three of us left. We took a trip in the dingy to explore the caves and a quaint little harbour neatly chiselled into the sandstone. There was a beautiful sunset as we watched the sky turn deeper and deeper red. It was the perfect end to another lovely day. We slipped into our warm cabin at about 11pm and the peaceful lapping of the waves against the side of the boat rocked us to sleep.

We both awoke up at 3 o'clock. The waves were no longer lapping they were shouting angrily and the wind was howling in the rigging. We climbed up in the cockpit to see a dark, menacing sea that was getting crosser by the minute. We took down the bimini to reduce windage and Anders checked the anchor every 15 minutes to see that it was holding. Although we were being pummelled constantly by increasing wind and swell we decided to stay put until daylight as this would make navigation through a narrow passage to shelter on the other side of the island much easier. Once dawn arrived Anders lifted the anchor by hand as unfortunately the automatic windlass had gone out of business a few days earlier. We were both safely clipped onto the boat as the rocking was now fierce and it took a lot of concentration to stay upright.

I took the helm, spreading my feet to try and cement them to the cockpit floor as Moonshadow rolled through the angry waves. Anders put up a small amount of sail to give us some stability. It took three hours to sail through the gale to the safety of a bay on the other side of the island. Once safely moored it was time for breakfast and plenty of sleep.

As the pilot book had warned us the Mediterranean is very much an area of calms and gales and the latter are often unpredictable. Being an easterly wind it was probably a levante we had experienced which is caused by a depression between the Balearics and the north African coast.

The next day was spent enjoying a beautiful sandy beach and taking a mud bath in a small inland salt pan together with an English couple on Espalmador, a privately owned island which welcomes visitors to its shore. The sand was a silky cream and the beach totally unspoilt. 60 yachts anchored in the beautiful bay.

Formentera was obviously the refuge for the rich. The harbour charges of 165E per day were to keep rifraf like us well away. It certainly did the trick. However, we did manage to moor in the marina for a total of three hours for 10E during which time we were fortunate to use the services of a local engineer to fix the windlass andto top up our water supplies for 4E!!

Enjoying a mudbath at Espalmador and windlass repairs

July 15 – 20 From Torreveija to Altea

Washday in Altea harbour

After a week's break from the intense sunshine to return to the Uk for Jane's lovely wedding, it took us a day or two to acclimatise to the heat once more.

While in the UK Anders had stocked up on some essential items such as more fans for the cabins, a gas dectector, anchor chain markers, a bilge blower and various screws and brackets that had been hard to find in Spain. We spent a day sweating profusely and fitting some of these new acquisitions. I find it hard just making sandwiches while Anders had the cabin sole of the boat up and grovelled around in the bilge fitting new cables.

As always he completed the tasks with wonderful dexterity just checking with me on the colour of the wires. Anders is colour blind but that does not stop him getting the connections right every time!

There was plenty of action on our last night in Torreveija. A long line of boats packed full of cheering passengers snaked round the harbour at dusk, followed by a very noisy fireworks display. The long breakwater was packed with Spanish families intermingled with a few surprised tourists who like us wondered what was going on. The Spanish celebrate a series of saint's days during the summer turning out in full force to celebrate and without a hint of having too much to drink. Everyone has a smile on their face and they are great family occasions.

Although Torreveija was not our favourite place in terms of the local town and surroundings the harbour was exceptionally good with great showers, plenty of space, pleasant walkways and a very reasonable charge of just 19E per night. If it wasn't so out of our way it would be a great place to overwinter especially as Anders had managed to do a deal with the Swedish commercial manager Robert who promised us 50% off the six monthly fee. Still at least we had his quotation in our back pocket.

We left Torreveija on July 17 in a lovely southwesterly that skimmed us along the coast in the direction of Villajoyosa. It was great to be out on the sea again. The beauty of the clear blueness was ecstatic. I was beginning to learn about and appreciate the vast appeal of the sea that had consumed Anders with a passion from childhood. He knew the meaning of every ripple, every breath of wind had a message and it was the art of interpreting this great union of wind and sea and its effect on our boat that was the everlasting fascination and challenge. I was coping rather clumsily with this concept but nevertheless learning a little more about the wind every day.

Villajoyosa was a small compact very Spanish holiday resort, almost devoid of tourists. In contrast to the modern harbour and yacht club which was shared with the fishing fleet the old part of the town was filled with haphazard, worn buildings that appeared to tower rather perilously above us as we walked through the cool alleyways created by their tight alignment. Families sat chatting, children spun round on bikes and an occasional thin looking cat loitered in doorways.

The narrow streets of Villajoysa

Our final stop before heading for Formentera was Altea recommended to us by a bubbly lady from Holland who had opened a bar in Villajoysa. "Go to the old town of Altea it is full of art and craft shops and you will love it," she said.

Benidorm - to be avoided!

Passing the brash high rise buildings of Benidorm it was great to tack out into the blue and finally head inland again to the towering mountain setting of Altea. Once again a very Spanish resort with an excellent harbour and a very picturesque town. The steep stone winding steps to the church on the hill seemed to go on for ever and one wondered how anyone managed to bring in provisions to such a seemingly hostile location. There was obviously an easier route than the one we took as the quiet alleyways suddenly filtered into a picturesque square around the church which was packed with people, bars and art and craft shops.

As Altea was our last port of call before the 14 hour passage to Formentera in the Baelerics we stocked up on food, drink and cooking gas. We were planning to anchor on as many occasions as possible since we had been told that the harbours were very expensive. This would mean our dingy would be our lifeline to the shore.

The alarm was set for 4.45am in readiness for a 5am start – the pleasures of sailing!

July 2- July 10: Puerto Genoves to Torrevieja

Two dips before breakfast and a walk on the cliffs was a good way to launch into July. Our course was set for Garrucha and after that fairly long hop we could make our way more slowly up the coast towards Alicante where we were flying from to Jane's wedding.

One night in Garrucha harbour was enough as it was a busy industrial port with poor facilities. There was a constant stream of lorries loading sand onto massive ships and the bathing facilities were poor so we were pleased to be at sea again early the next morning.

Our course was set for Cartagena, one of the oldest cities in Spain and it turned out to be a fabulous natural harbour with wonderful Roman remains in the city that had only been discovered in the 1980's. A magnificent amphitheatre had been uncovered and through its discovery the history of the area had been traced back 3,000 years. The town had a great feel of traditional Spain with lots of decorative old and new buildings. Apart from plenty of money being spent on marketing its Roman treasures, spacious palm tree lined promenades had been built all around the harbour, a large section of which was reserved for the Spanish navy.

Cartagena harbour and the Roman amphitheatre in the town centre

Cartagna Royal yacht club facilities were also open to us so we took a refreshing dip in their swimming pool and managed to connect to their wifi facility – a rare experience as half of Spain has never heard of it!

We left Cartagena at lunch time with the aim of making for the inland lake Mar Menor just 25nm away. As we approached it on a very hot afternoon we rounded the Cabo de Palos lighthouse and saw a number of yachts moored in the bay – a perfect place for an afternoon swim. The anchor was down very soon and we took a number of dips before hitting the cold beer and crisps. We then decided to spend the night at anchor in this bay together with an American yacht who we make contact with. It was a Hans Christiansen from 1978. Hull number one – of a very seaworthy sort. The couple had sailed it for 6 years and it was their home and they were on their way to the Canaries.

This is very much what sailing is all about. It is very much a voyage of discovery as quite literally you never know what is round the next corner. The anticipation of all these new experiences is what drives us on. There are those magic moments in quiet anchorages when you sit in the cockpit after a long day's sail sipping wine after a dip in the azure sea Your body tingles with the coldness of the dip and you feel you are in heaven. Then there are those hot, dusty moments when sweat pours off you and you would do anything to be cool!

It was very much back to civilization when we arrived at Torrevieja – a typical overpowering Spanish holiday resort but with an excellent marina called Marina Salina with good facilities. The young girl at the reception was the first person we had met who spoke good English. We were also starting to look for a harbour where we could leave Moonshadow for a week so we were keen to negotiate reasonable fees. Fortunately, Robert the commercial manager was Swedish which also helped!

We did a long sail the next day to Puerto de Campello which would have been a perfect place for commuting to Alicante. We were squeezed into a very narrow mooring rather late at night and although it was a quiet and peaceful harbour they did not have space for us to stay more than a few nights.

The next day we returned to Torrevieja. It was in the wrong direction but the bonus was that the wind was aft of the beam and for the first time we could use our colourful cruising shute which helped us to skim through the water at 7 knots in a lovely keen wind of about Force 5. On arrival at Torrevieja we anchored within the large and sheltered harbour as we had seen many other yachts there on our previous visit and knew it was safe. We spent the next day on boaty work and washing – two things that are always with you even if you are on holiday!

Our colourful cruising shute

June 21 - July 1: Costa del Sol

After five days in Gibraltar – the cheapest mooring charges yet – at £22 per night we made our way into the Costa del Sol on June 21. The day dawned with a heavy mist that lifted gradually but was still shrouding the Rock when we left at 11.30am. There were lots of large container ships in the harbour and it was nice to say goodbye to Gibraltar's heavy land and sea traffic and head out into the Med.

Sadly there was little wind so we motored nearly all the way to Estepona, stopping briefly for a refreshing dip. This was an impressive and neat harbour brightly painted in blue and white with lots of restaurants and shops along the quayside already giving a flavour of the costas to come. However, as before there were masses of empty tables in the cafes with only the popular ones doing any business. To compensate for 42E per night we were given a free bottle of Spanish wine!

Estepona harbour

The next stop Fuengirola was a typical Spanish tourist town with loads of tacky bars along the seafront and beyond – great for youngsters. We visited an interesting market with around 800 stalls selling everything from lovely Spanish fruit and veg to the usual jewellery and clothing. Good deals on local oranges, tomatoes and cherries – much cheaper than anywhere else.

Our next harbour was Caleta de Valez where we arrived after another misty day quite late in the evening. The harbour was quiet but there was plenty of activity on the beaches which were packed full with families, tents and bbques! We discovered it was the festival of San Juan (St John) which was celebrated with a dip in the sea at midnight and making three wishes. This cleansing of body and mind was celebrated with much laughter, music and excitement so we had an interesting walk along the promenade witnessing the celebrations and eating the best ice cream I have ever tasted.
For the past couple of days we had noticed that the sea at times was streaked with strands of yellow so we were pleased to find out that this was not as sinister as we expected but was in fact millions of fish eggs about to be hatched!

Puerto del Este where the Thomsons joined us

Nina, David, Luca and Anya were due to visit us from the 25^th to the 29^th so we were keen to find a small, attractive harbour with few tourists and a real flavour of Spain. Fortunately, thanks to the excellent pilot book that we study daily to make our passages we found just that at Puerto de Este. Up to now we had avoided harbours that charged high mooring fees, but on this occasion it was worth the 54E per night.

The harbour was neatly tucked behind a towering rock draped in flowers and palm trees with just a couple of cafes and a shop and pleasant walks around the harbour. The beach was close by and it turned out to be the perfect place for the Thomson family. At night David and Nina slept in the fore cabin, Luca was securely tucked into the pilot berth and Anya slept on a cushion underneath the saloon table! It worked a treat and we had some lovely warm atmospheric evenings eating and drinking in the cockpit surrounded by the towering mountains and white balconies and tiled roofs of the Spanish homes that dotted the hillsides.

It was sad to wave them goodbye on the Monday morning but we were soon off on our travels again – this time to Almerimar, one of the largest harbours in the Costa del Sol. There was little wind so we motored all the way much to Anders's distress! The harbour was huge with space for up to 1,000 boats, but as it was very much an artificial rather than a natural harbour it lacked authenticity and once again had a haunted feel. Massive apartment blocks were deserted as were most of the restaurants. There were also more abandoned looking boats in the harbour than we had seen before. There were many character yachts for sale and it would certainly be a place to check out if you were looking to buy a boat. The recession is very real here and with 17.5% unemployment at the moment the building and tourism industry has been hit the hardest.

Before we left this harbour I had the pleasure of hoisting Anders up in the missen mast to fit a halyard to hoist the wind scoop that we had bought to bring more air into the aft cabin. The sheet jammed on the winch and for a few tense moments Anders thought he may have to spend the rest of the holiday up there – fortunately wise words from Anders soon sorted out the tangle and he was gently brought down to earth!

Anders at work on the missen and relaxing the next day at Roquetas del Mar

Next day we took a short hop to Roquetas del Mar. It was a quiet fishing harbour with few visiting yatchs but they had not heard of Wifi which we were frustratingly searching for on a number of occasions. The castle near the harbour was however, well worth a visit.

To date we have only anchored on two occasions as safe, sheltered bays are difficult to find. However, the next stop was the most picturesque of the holiday so far. We had planned to go into St. Jose but a peaceful, panoramic bay just before the harbour caught our eye. One or two small boats were anchored there and everyone was taking a dip. The water was crystal clear with just fish and a sandy bottom visible to the eye. We anchored and literally dived in. The azure water enveloped us in its refreshing coolness. It was a great end to a very hot day.

One of our most peaceful anchorages at Genove's, near Cabo de Gata