Sue arrived back off her UK flight late last Sunday, and as the weather was favorable (ie sun plus winds from the NE), we decided to head off that same day for Ibiza.

Brian was OK with being chucked off to spend his last day sightseeing in Palma (before catching his 6pm plane), so after our farewells we cast off and slid away westward.  

We’d also been in touch with Robin Leigh and Skalliwag who were still in Porto Colom, and agreed to rendezvous with them on the Monday (so they could catch up with Sue) in a the small Cala St Michel on Ibiza’s NW coast.

We arrived after dark at 2200 Sunday night, and slid into the calm bay to drop anchor.  It was black as with no mooon, but by the lights of ther hotels on the cliff sides, we could see the others had yet to arrive.

Unfortunately, we were both awoken at 0400 when the wind had swung right around to the NW, and our previously calm anchorage  became very uncomfortable.  Due to it’s funnel like shape, the swell from the NW was being surged into the bay causing the few boat (including us) to lift and buck under the incoming seas.  Rain was spattering our naked bodies as we struggled to slow the loose gear in the rising winds – and it appeared to be getting stronger every minute.

So rather that risk being trapped there we got dressed and hauled anchor to motor through white topped breakers at the bays entrance, and hoisting a reefed main and furled headsail, headed off further westward.  First plan was to seek some shelter on one of the the SW facing bays - maybe the largest bay at San Antonio.

As we set sail the rain started with a vengance and an hour later it was still pouring down with a thunderstorm flashing and rumbling above us.

Dawn had almost broken as we levelled with San Antonio – and from what we could see the large bay there did not look too sheltered – so it did not take long for us to decide to continue sailing hopefully away from the gale, and towards Denia on the mainland.

It was only another 40 miles, and with the winds we were experiencing should not take us long.  The temptation was due to the large protected marina there – plus we’ve good pals who have a villa close by.

The thunderstorm continued to flash in a very impressive way right across Ibiza as we left it in our wake.  The winds stayed strong – so we were able to maintain 8 knots – and fetched up off Denia around midday.

We'd made telephone contact one hour before, so Stuart and Moira had been able to secure a berth reservation, and were waiting on the jetty.

By 1400 we’d collected up a huge pile of washing, tidied the boat, and by early evening were sitting on their patio exchanging stories, sipping beer - with the laundry room going flat chat in the background.

They’ve a huge 5 bedroom lux villa set into the hillside just above Javier – a small coastal town just 5 miles south of Denia.  Feel almost spoilt to be enjoying their pool / big soft spare bedroom / bar fridge etc so much.

Since then we’ve been gale bound.  So our stay has extended from a planned three days to almost a week.  The weather, which was windy but hot for the first two days, has turned nasty as gusty wet gales roll in from the NE to lash the coast. 

We’ve not had a boring time as Stu and Moira are great hosts, and we’ve been able to spend the days ducking below to avoid rain showers, doing odd jobs on both our and Stu's boat.  But it is still blowy, with big seas crashing against the coast, I do feel for Robin Leigh and Skalliwag – both now at anchor and sitting it out in San Antonio - it can’t be comfortable.

The forecast today is looking OK. 

They predict the gales will ease tomorrow, but the strongish NE winds will remain at least for 3 days more.  That would be ideal for our run from here to Gibraltar.  If we can latch on to the back of this weather system and ride it down the coast with the stronger winds from behind, we should be able to make it in just under 3 days. 

It will be a gamble, for it the weather system outruns us we’re almost sure to see southerly winds replace the NE'lies – and they would not be ideal for us when heading SW!

But for now, it’s back to the soft squidgy loungers, open log fires, and when the sun breaks through, the dips in the pool.  Lucky eh?

Cheers

JOHN