6th / 7th / 8th August - Formentera to Ibiza to Mallorca
Posted at 7:31 AM, Tuesday, August 9, 2005
Arrived yesterday late afternoon into Andraitz on Mallorca after stopping over for one night in Cala San Miguel on the north west coast of Ibiza.
aid our goodbyes and promised to link up again in the next ten days with Spectra. Headed north to Ibiza and Cala San Miguel. That was where we had a bouncy night before a NW'ly a month or so ago - but this time it was perfect for anchoring with only light breezes from the east. We'd had those all day - forcing us to motor there from Formentera - but the upside was we arrived with batteries (for once) fully charged!
On route we tried storing the dinghy - complete with engine - across the back of the baot and supported by the bathing platform. It worked well - giving us an extra knot over towing it - and is a trick we will use again when day sailing.
Left San Miguel yeasterday in a gusty E'ly wind and had a great beat, just able to lay Andraitz to our north - on starboard tack in one leg. The boat rocketed along - constantly twix 7 and 8 knots - in an avererage of 17 knots of breeze.
Had to throw in one tack for a cargo ship who appeared to miss seeing us - or perhaps chose to ignore our presence. We were heading around 50 degrees - going NNE. He was heading perhaps 230 degrees - going ESE. When at 3 miles off it looked like we were on converging courses - and we were unable to point any higher to effect a turn to starboard - I switched on the radar and its marpa facility. True to my own guess - were we to hold our course he and we would meet. I waited until he was 1 mile off to see if he would adjust his course to pass in front of us - but no change. So we tacked over ourselves and slid off to the east - and resumed our course once he was clear.
We may have been the 'stand on' boat - but discretion is the best part of valour when the other vessel is a couple of thousand tons of steel!
Andraitz anchorage was full. Tried to slip into a possible spot close in to the port town - but the swinging room was limited and as this has such a bad reputation for holding - pulled it all up 15 minutes later to find somewhere better. Came out further from the port - still on the eastern shoreside - and dropped into 11 metres. Even though we put out 40 metres of chain - when the expected rainstorm and associated gusts came through at midnight - we still dragged for about 10 metres before it gripped again. The beauty of a forecabin is when this happens - you hear it. So with few other vessels close to us - we put out a total of 50 metres and it did the trick. Spent the next 30 minutes using the binoculars to follow the fun further up where the anchorage was most crowded. They actually called out the lifeboat to help untangle and move a few of the yachts up there who had obviously also had holding difficulties. One even dragged right out of the anchorage and almost across to the other side of the bay - before the lifeboat got to him. Also watched a rib / dinghy blow past out yacht - I was not about to go chase it and leave Swagman unattended - but someone will be pissed off in the morning when they see it gone.
As the rain had stopped I chose to sleep out in the cockpit - just in case it did blow up again. Actually from then an uneventful night for me - or maybe just I slept through it all! Woke to slight overcast but still warm morning and no breeze.
We aim to sail from here to Palma - maybe stoppover here or in Cala Camp de Mar tonight and arrive Palma for Weds 10th. We'll clean up and prepare for Rob Louise arrival on 11th - and then head off on a weeks itineray to visit San MIguel (Ibiza), Saona (Formentera), Ibiza Town, Deia, Soller, Camp de Mar and end up back in Palma (Mallorca). Or maybe not dependent on wind directions.......
Catch you all later - but remember if you park in Andraitz - add 20 metres to your scope!
Cheers
JOHN