18th / 19th / 20th August 2005 - End of our 2005 Summer Cruise
Posted at 7:16 AM, Saturday, August 20, 2005
It's actually raining as I type this under cover in the cockpit parked up at Marina Alboran in Palma Mallorca. It's great to feel cool for once this summer.
We had a relaxed morning in Andraitz on Thursday 18th, then moved on to park up for the afternoon off the beach at Magaluf for a final dip in the Med, and as the sun set moved onward to our winter berth in Palma.
A nice sail. 10 knots of warm breeze - great way to end the summer trip with family in company.
Bob, Louise, Chris and Clair got away by cab early Friday 19th for their plane, and Sue and I spent the rest of the day cleaning the boat inside and out. Sometimes this boat feels small - with chores like this it suddenly seemed huge!
I got Sue to haul me up the rig in our bosuns chair (well as high as the second set of spreaders anyway) to wash off the red dust that accumulates over the summer around here. So much dust is looked as if the wires were rusty. Considered going up to the top later to remove the rest - but suspect this current heavy rainstorm will do ther job for me (Thanks God........I do not like heights).
We're parked right now in Alboran Marina. For other sailors benefit this is a small facility used mainly for charter fleets and sandwiched twix Marina de Mallorca and Real Club Nautico on the Passeo de Maritima. We think it's currently good value, working out to be Eu38 per day, but once summer ends other clubs / marinas may have cheaper rates still. This berth was organised by Hanse Palma who have undertaken to check out and clean the boat regularly in exchange for being able to show possible buyers over it - suits me...........
Our plans are to visit end September to maybe move to another local facility if we can find one equally as secure etc, as well as set her up ready to handle a Mallorcan winter alone.
For those others who may wish to stay here over winter - we've taken local advice and that is:
1. Ensure your mooring spot has some form of wave break protection twix it and harbour entrance due to SE storm surge.
2. Make up mooring lines to include metal springs to protect from any form of surge which may find it's way to us.
3. Remove all and every item that may add to windage or risk being nicked, but well fender sides as other boats will bump.
4. Add a clipped on anode to subsidize the regular ones bolted to shaft / saildrive / prop.
Guess this about rounds up this years summer cruise. We've both really enjoyed ourselves and grown to love this yacht.
The Hanse 461 in standard form is really set up so well for short handed sailing - moves out like a race boat - and has more style down below than any other yacht I've ever seen. Great - and we look forward to taking her further afield next year.
Take care - and thanks for taking time out to bother reading what for others could be a boring story!
JOHN