Jul 5th 2005 - San Antonio to Pto de San Miguel (Ibiza)
Posted at 6:44 AM, Wednesday, July 6, 2005
As we've been hanging out for a night at anchor in the idylic cala's on Ibiza, we picked out a promising cala on the horth side of Ibiza - as the breeze was coming from the south west. We chose to visit Cala Portinax.
It read up well in the pilot and was round on the top of this island.
The guys went shopping in the morning at San Antonio, whilst I did boat chores like pumping up the dinghy ready to tow behind us. We eventually departed San Antonio around midday for the 17 mile trip fully stocked for more than a few days.
Good breeze building as we travelled - so we slid off around the island with the wind basically from behind us and pushing us along at approx 7 knots. Sailed close to the cliffs 50 metres off, in very deep water twix 60 and 70 metres. We chose to sail inside one or two of the islets on this route - going into drift mode when the wind was blocked by the islets - but always picking up the wind again as we cleared each.
Hardly any buildings at all along the wooded cliff tops. Ibiza appears as a lovely green island - at least on this northerly side . Had the bimini up to keep off the sun. Very hot day.
We slid into a few cala's along the way just to see what they were like, and one, San Miguel, looked great.
It is narrow at the entrance, widens only slightly and has two great beaches at the head of the bay. It had what appeared to be an islet on the starboard side of the entrance - but in truth it is connected to the rest of Ibiza and set on top is a beaut hotel of some kind.
One could hardly see the buildings but the glimpses through the grounds showed it was obviously not for backpackers.
We arrived mid afternoon into Cala Portinax which was both deeper and wider than San Miguel and with more building / tourism development. This was only the second time we'd used the anchor so as you can guess - we had some fun educating all on how to use it properly whilst we circled around the bay.
The Hanse 461 has its anchor hidden away in a big anchor well on the foredeck.
To deploy it one has to lift a contraption that holds the anchor from the well using a halyard and winch. The complete device is lowered over the front of the yacht and is screwed into position with a huge hand bolt.
It is a clever arrangment as when hidden, the bow of the boat is uncluttered and stylish, yet when deployed the anchor is far eough away from the plumb bow so as not to risk damage to the gelcoat when raising the chain.
Anyway - back to the days story.
We chose a spot twix the ten or so boats already anchored and Stewie lowered the anchor using the power windlass into 7 metres of water. At the point we lowered it the wind in the protected cala was virtually zero. Only as we began moving in reverse to ensure the anchor was set, the wind suddenly came in from the east with some force and we found ourselves skitting backward with the anchor obviously not holding.
All around us the other boats, who had clearly lowered anchors also in no breeze, were equally moving around - so we were not the only ones with frantic crew leaping about.
But as sods law has it - could we get the anchor back up? Yes - you guessed right.......
I did at one point give Sue the wheel and ask her to hold it head to wind (30 knots) whilst I went forward to help. All I had time to identify was that the windlass clutch was slipping - and that there is apparently no manual ability to crank the chain back up - when I had to dash back to take over from Sue in controlling our backward drift.
Stu had put down about 20 metres of chain. By now and with so sign of the wind abating - we had been blown / motored in reverse back into 25 metres of water depth - and heading straight towards a cliff face.
So assuming the anchor was simply hanging from the bow and not on the bottom - I managed to grunt up the power and steer out in reverse - with the anchor still hanging 20 metres down off our bow - and the dinghy side on and nearly full of water at our transom.
Luckily for us and them - a big motor cruiser in our reverse path was also dragging and by the time we were close enough to worry about them - they too had cleared thier lazy luch away, got thier anchor up, and got underway out also.
We continued back in reverse right out of the cala and into the open sea, where at last I could leave the helm and go forward to help sort out the windlass problem. A bit of manual grunt and a metre at a time, we hauled up the anchor and chain by hand until the anchor cleared the water and could be reset into it's fitting.
A re-read of the pilot book informed us of the difficulties of setting an anchor in Portimax.
A re-read of the windlass manual informed us how to tighten up the clutch.
We really will have to consult these books a little more often in future.
The wind was now 25 knots plus from the east so recalling the narrow entrance to San MIguel which was only 5 miles back - we powered away in front of the swell - and 45 minutes later was sliding past the islet and into that secluded and more protected bay.
Paradiso.
The cala gave immediate protection from the gusting wind with its high wooded sides, and it opened up after passing the islet to show us a couple of sandy beaches at the head with two big (ugly but actually not obtrusive) hotels set on the port had side. I checked again the windlass clutch mechanism as we drifted around - and finally down rattled the anchor into 8 metres of crystal water over a sand bottom.
The anchor set like a dream, the motor went off, and we all relaxed.
The girls sorted out the boat whilst Stu and I explored in the dinghy. There were a couple of beach bars but we only found a need to try out one. Back on board Sue had hit the water (the instruments showed it was 25 degrees plus) and once we returned from the bar we both did the same.
A lot of other boats also pulled in towards late afternoon / early evening - so by nightfall we were closely hemmed in with most anchored 20 metres apart - and all enjoying the silent night close around us.
Off to a beaut night sleep by around 0100 in a peaceful, tranquil setting.
But at 0300 things changed.
Sue woke me and I felt the boat moving around under our feet. On deck I realised the easterly wind had gone right round to the north east - the direction of the famed Tramontana. This is the same winds know as the Mistral in France, normally a strong dry wind which at sea, can be a dangerous. For us it was creating an uncomfortable swell which coming from the north / north east, was now rolling directly into our previously idyllic anchorage.
The wind was not actually strong - 10 knots at first - and the boat was not going anywhere as the anchor was well set. But the other yachts had varying lengths of chain out - so were all swinging to differing scopes - and some were coming real close as the boats were swung about.
We thought is safer to set an anchor watch whist suited me now I was awake. So all others went back to bed and I settled in with a strong black coffee to keep an eye open until dawn.
I had all the instruments on including the chartplotter so could see if we were to ever drift. We didn't.
But by 0430 the wind was up to 25 knots and the swell rolling in now had whitecaps on top as each rolled directly into the cala entrance. We and all other yachts were oging up and down over these crests like roller coasters - and as we were possibly 70 metres from a cliff face - with another smaller boat that had anchored twix it and us - and the rebounding swell made for a very confused and bouncy sea - it was hardly what you'd call comfortable.
Spent most of the night sorting out things that fell over or out down below.
All the washing up in the sink leapt out onto the floor.
A full cup of boiling coffee flew out of the mug and over one of my hands.
The leftovers from the evening pasta and salad leap across the saloon at one stage.
And a gin bottle stored up high wanted to share Stu's bunk.
That's the best offer he's had in a while - but seriously it could have given his head a big clonk. It missed.
A smaller yacht inside us swung back and forth all night - at one time less than 1 metre separated us - but apart from the risk that other yachts further upwind may drag back over us - I did not find it at all worrying. Most other yachts also had someone or more on deck keeping a lookout.
By early hours several of those windward yachts began to slip on the continual large swell. ll who did eventually up-anchored and moved off to hopefully find better shelter elsewhere - although I'm not sure they'd find it on this north side of Ibiza.
Dawn came at 0630 to show a really confused sea - like a big washing machine really with it all crashing up cliff faces around us and bouncing back. Over half the boats had gone in the night. There was no sun - and the wind was gusting 30 knots.
The others arose at 0700 and no issues this time in using the windlass, we up-anchored ourselves and pounded out in heavily beaking seas through the narrow entrance - boat rising and falling through some pretty big seas.
We jung a right into a protected Cala Binirras - to stow the bimini and set up the dinghy for towing in heavy seas - and off we went on a westward course aiming to go right around the top of the island and seek shelter from the northely wind in the south facing main harbour at Ibiza town.
I was one tired peep once we were out to sea. We hiosted only the gib and ran the negine at 2,400 revs, but made close to 8 knots to windward to clear the main cape on the northern tip - and slide off wind down towards Ibiza. Immediately we had the island twix us and the wind - we were again protected and getting baked. So up went the bimini again and once erect, I collapsed below leaving Sue and Stu to motor sail this 25 mile hop. They did it with no drama.
Stu has begun to ask me if sailing is always like this? Or is it just sailing with me? IN actual fact - I think he enjoys the drama.
So - my first and interesting experience with an unforcasted wind.
See you later.
Cheers
JOHN