JANET'S JOURNAL

April 25, 2005

Italy, Sardinia and Corsica

After 6 months home we flew back to Rome to retrieve our boat near Ostia. It was with trepidation not knowing if anything was going to go wrong and delay our splash down the next day. Of course we didn't expect a broken rudder and a starting motor that wouldn't start.
On arrival in the yard, Wednesday 27th the lift manager said we were being put in the water 'oggi' .

Tomorrow? said Al. "Yes" said the manager. A total communication problem as the word 'oggi' means today. We'd left the boat wide open and were preparing to air out the dampness but before we knew it the boat was on a trolley and moved to the lift. At the moment our diesel engine wouldn't start and rudder couldn't turn.

Once in the water the crew pulled 'Solara' to a side dock where we had to get a mechanic to repair the steering by lubricating the proper places and later replacing our starting battery since we could only start the engine on the house batteries. The rudder had been repaired during the winter but at extra cost to us. How did it get broken in the first place?

April 27-May 3

It was a busy few days once in our berth. Since the batteries hadn't been charged properly over the winter we had to buy 4 new batteries. When the batteries were replaced the SSB radio was affected which now didn't work. We rely on this radio for everything so we were very upset.
On top of this the rigging that was supposed to be finished before we went away had to be completed quickly on our return. The canvas after being fitted looked bad at the dodger windows which were scratched and marked. We couldn't see out of them and a repair had been made on one side. What had happened? The zipper which was suppose to be fixed on one side had been put in the wrong place and useless. We found that out later after leaving port. We went on a road trip anyway just to try and forget temporarily all these problems.
I concluded that the Italians are a happy people who talk a lot but don't get them to any repairs. They say they are coming at 09:00 and arrive 1 or 2 hours later. They'll have something done in a certain time but a week later. We like their food though.

May 4-14

We postponed the car pick up one day and headed toward Siena in Tuscany. Our itinerary included Florence, Ferrara, Venice, Urbina, Assisi, Spoleto and Tivoli in Umbria. Our favourite places were off the tourist route. Florence and Venice were good for 1 day but we planned 2 days for each. There were way too many tourists and expensive restaurants etc. We found a small family hotel outside Venice in Maestre, a bus ride in to the Grande Canal.
We used a web site called <www.dakloos.nl> to get accomodation. This is a dutch site given to us that sponsors the homeless and the rates are reasonable. We picked our next hotel the night before and had no trouble. Our car had been arranged at home which is suppose to be cheaper. The Italian drivers are wild but we kept to our speed and let the crazies pass. It was a good break but our thoughts were on the next passage, paying off all the service people, good and bad, waiting for weather and preparing the boat again for sailing. It's now the 3rd week in May and a low is passing through. Hopefully we'll leave on Friday for Sardinia, an overnighter.

May 20, Friday

The wind is down although the surge in the marina continues to jerk the boat around as it has done for several days. We expect high waves outside the marina. Once we were disconnected from power and water , (I call them our umbilical cords) , we took off the lines tied to the dock and motored away after waiting for a huge yacht to come in which took up all the entrance.
The waves were still high from the previous F7 winds but diminished through the night. The sails took time to adjust after rerigging since we hadn't taken the boat out for a trial run. All of a sudden the traveller shackle undid which caused another delay before we really could get underway. Finally we had a good sail all night in NW winds of F4 down to F3 but the boat kept a 3-5K speed 15 degrees from our rhum line which put us 30M S of Porto Cervo. It was better to sail than to motor. Once near land we motored up to Cala Volpe just S of Cervo into the light wind.

May 21, Saturday

We anchored in the quiet bay just after noon along with several boats. SE winds caused us all to cosy in to the east side away from the open bay to the east. It was still cold at night but we saw several people swimming from German boats nearby. The water was cold but the air was hot.

May 22-24 , Sunday -Wednesday

We left Cala Volpe and sailed to Porto Cervo. We left mid morning for the short 10M trip. The SE wind allowed us to use our headsail only but still gave us 6k for most of the way. The wind swept through the anchorage but it was comfortable on our boat. We stayed on board admiring the beautiful setting developed many years ago by the Aga Kan and his cronies. The Porto Cervo yacht club is famous for its races and developing ocean racing.
During the night the F5 winds shifted to the prevailing NW and we spent a quiet time when it completely stopped.
We got the dinghy out and explored the harbour. Fortunately the dinghy was fine including the motor after the winter. It was good to get our feet on dry land again and feel the warm sunshine. There were many beautiful flowers in bloom all around as the whole harbour is landscaped.
On the way back from exploring the wind came up and we have been experiencing F7 and F8 all afternoon from the NW. Guess we'll be here for another day at least or longer before heading out again. This part of Sardinia is suppose to be a windy spot. At least there is a good Supermarket which provides anything we'll need.
Another day in Porto Cervo while we wait for calmer weather to head north. We dinghied over to the older harbour which had many more stores, a bigger Supermarket, and many tourists who seemed to bus there just to see the place and shop. It is too expensive for most tourists including the marina which costs around 150E for each night. After several tries we found a phone which works for our phone card since we had some time left on it. We left messages to several family members and mailed postcards. We stopped for a drink on one of the patio restaurants. One beer and one soda cost us 14E. We couldn't believe the price since Al later bought 6 beers for 5E in the Supermarket. We came back in choppy waves which soaked me through. Now I'll have to do a washing.

May 24, Wednesday

We're up early and left Porto Cervo at 07:30 for Port Palma on the Isola Caprera , part of the South Maddalena Island chain, between Sardinia and Corsica. So far we've been sailing through beautiful scenery of barren rocky shores in light winds.
The bay is wide and well protected from the NW to the NE. There are 2 sailing schools which take up much of the area but one can anchor at the head in sand at 4-5m. We arrived early and spent a quiet day where I could wash some clothes and have a shower. We don't know how much water we have left on board as the guage doesn't work. We watched all the people in their small school sailing boats learning to tack and jibe around us.

May 25, Thursday

We left Porto Palma at 07:00 for Spargi Island, a close jumping off place before going to Corsica. We motored , although the wind was blowing, as we planned to go around Stephano Is. to see the Italian naval yard and that of NATO manned by the US. The yards seemed very small and insignifcant tucked near Madelenna Is with its small town appearing to climb the hillside. There were many ferries constantly moving to and fro between Madelenna and Palua on the mainland.
As the wind continued to blow from the NE our plan to anchor on the SE tip of Spargi I was changed to the SW at Cala d'Alga where there was more shelter. We anchored in mostly sand and weed with the occasional rock to watch out for. There was a small beach which attracted the odd power boat to see the National Park which is a nature area with no inhabitants. We took the dinghy in to shore, passing an anchored power boat with 2 nude people sun bathing and another couple on their boat tucked in behind some rocks and enjoying the sand and whatever. The main beach, unfortunately, was not clean and garbage had been left lying around. There was no hiking trails but Al climbed the rocks to take a picture of Solara from a high spot in the anchorage. I sat amongst the interesting, rounded shaped granite stones eroded over many centures by wind and waves. Mostly the bay was quiet and beautiful so we decided to stay one more night. A German family anchored nearby.

May 28, Saturday - June 1, Wednesday - Corsica

We left Cala d'Alga in the morning for the short 12M trip to Bonifacio, Corsica. It is a very historic port city and one of the most protected in the Med. After tying into the marina which lies alongside the busy main street we explored the surroundings. The large citadel (fort) is obvious sitting high on the cliffs protecting the harbour in all directions. The old Genoese conquerors held this island for centuries, since 1195, and their influence is still felt today. Now it is French. The walk to the old town at the top is steep but it's a delightful mix of winding streets and steps where most of the people live. We had lunch there one day, although expensive, reminded us that French food is still the best.
Many tourists visit here by bus or ferry and fill the waterside restaurants at lunch. The shops sell the usual but strong on woven baskets and coral jewellery. I walked to the the nearby hospital and was able to get my monthy B12 shot by a flamboyant French male doctor or nurse with an earring. It only cost me 2.80E. It was a very sterile procedure.
We are waiting for a reduction to the W, SW wind which was predicted and should pass soon. We met a nice New Zealand couple on 'Dolce Vita' who are planning to cross the Atlantic as well this year. We hope to meet up with them again.

June 1-2, Wednesday and Thursday

We left Bonifacio in much quieter weather. Our next destination would be dictated by the winds. We motored at first but finally sailed to Isla Rossa on the north shore of Sardinia in 12-13k when the winds moved NE. Isla Rossa coming from the west looked formidable but after passing the promontarty it was a quiet spot in front of the sandy holiday beach where we anchored for the night. There were some swells coming in around the corner but not enough to bother us. It was a quiet night.
We left Rossa early in light winds which picked up considerably later in the morning when we could then sail most of the way to Stintino, 30M away and very near the NW corner of Sardinia and our last Italian stop.
The waves near shore became 1-2m as we approached the harbour. Our new friends from NZ were there to take our lines on the free pontoon. It was a marina that never got finished so there was not water or power. Doce Vita had left Bonifacio some time after ourselves but motored all the way to Stintino without stopping for the night.
It was noon and all stores were closed but we braved the heat to walk to the town nearby. We found a nice restaurant and later in the day Al came back to use the internet. There are 2 marinas here which charge 45E for each night. Stintino is more of a fishing village than a tourist attraction.
Later the winds were whipping through the harbour and setting our wind generator whirling. Good for it. We retired early deciding to leave for the Balearics the next day since the winds were coming from the E and NE to push us along. It would be 2 days and a night to reach Mahon, Menorca.

June 3-4, Friday and Saturday

We left Stintino at 06:30 in rough seas which calmed down considerably once we were west of Sardinia. Going through the Fornelli passage, 2.4m at one spot, was tense but the current was going our way and it was only 1km long.
At first we had good winds ,18-22k, probably due to land effect but by 11:00 we had to motor as the winds died right down. We kept busy by reading , resting, and eating but I was looking forward to reaching Menorca. A bird like a dove landed on our boat early in the moring and stayed here all day changing its perch from the boom to the bow. Often land birds get tired and need a place to rest. It seemed very content to stay but trying hard to keep its balance on the ropes. Maybe it will stay with us closer to some land. We've had birds before but they either fly away or die on the boat. Al pointed out a sharp fin in the water and thinks it is a dolphin. There is very little life in the water.
It is time to think about night time. We'll take 2.5 hr watches and it will be cold. We mostly motored in the night. It was cloudy and dark. I couldn't see the bird and it was gone by daylight.

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June 4 - July 15, 2005 

Balearic Islands to Barcelona

Saturday, June 4
We arrived at Cala Taulera about noon which is the closest anchorage to Pueto de Mahon. We'll probably stay here instead of finding a berth in the port 2km away. It's a long dinghy ride to town and wet as well. But it's free.

Sunday, June 5
Nothing is opened when Al found out on a long excursion into town. Instead we decided to visit La Mola off our anchorage where there is offered a guided tour of the large fortress. It took 25 years to build and when finished became obsolete due to out-dated artillary.
It is extremely large taking up a whole peninsula. Impenetrable but never tested at the time. Recently it was used when young people had to spend 2 years in service and during the Civil War in the thirties when the Menorcan Republicans were imprisoned and executed by Franco forces. During the 2nd WW Italians bombed the island and the fort which couldn't be protected from modern artillary.

Monday, June 6
We took the long dinghy ride into town. We updated the cell phone, faxed information to Palma, Mallorca and found an internet which was much cheaper than Corsica. Al found a haircut place and we later found a small Supermarket and had lunch on the boardwalk overlooking the harbour. The wind had come up so the ride back was very wet. The weather appeared to be too windy for an overnight trip to Mallorca until Thursday. 

Tuesday, June 7-11
We stayed around Menorca for several more days. In that time we found a better SM close to the fish market and below the daily fresh market. We could put the dinghy on the Minerva restaurant pier which was saved for dinghies on mooring balls in the harbour. It usually takes a few days to know where everything is in a town and then it's time to leave. We'll come back but must head over to Palma to have a few things fixed ,especially the radio.

Friday, June 10
The wind really died down too much which meant we had to motor most of the way to our first stop in Mallorca. We left Mahon about 14:30 and arrived in Ensanada de Rapita on the SE corner of Malloarca about 08:30 the next day. There we spent a lovely quiet day with a slight swell coming from the open bay. The water was a beautiful aquamarine colour and good for a swim.

Saturday, June11
To go the 20M to Palma we left early and arrived about noon. The harbour was extremely busy being the weekend, and there was pleasure craft coming and going. We had to tie up on a special dock before getting a berth at Club Real de Palma. The fuel dock was right there which was convenient for filling up. We got help getting stern to as the boat doesn't back up too well in the wind. Anchoring is much easier. Al took a long walk and scouted out the town.

Sunday, June 12-19
Sunday is a nothing day in Spain. No stores, no museums, no life, so we took a trip on an open sightseeing but to get an idea of the city. Afterwards we had lunch in a touristy sidewalk restaurant which was not too good and we should know better than to cater to those places.
We walked back to the boat but first found an internet which we frequently used while in Palma. It was only 2E an hour. Our main concern was getting the radio fixed and Al has spent many calls on our cell phone to find someone. He was successful getting the windows in our dodger replaced after being scratched up in Italy. The American expat was very efficient although not cheap. We can now see through the front window. He also found a man representing Spectra watermakers so we now have a watermaker that works, we hope. It will be good to have the water when crossing the Atlantic. Also, a man came about the radio. We're keeping our fingers crossed that with ICom's UK contact he can restart the radio. 
When that's all done, we'll do a last minute shopping and plan a 3 week anchoring trip around the Balearics.
Thursday the radio man Kenneth ,a Norwegian, came back. He was conscientious and trying very hard to help but needed his boss's imput. The ICom contact was no help and actually a hinderance by leading us in the wrong direction to finding the problem. It was finally discovered to be a connection near the battery that had been disconnected by the man who had put in the batteries and swore he hadn't touched any radio connection. Earlier I had accused the guy that everything had been fine with the radio until he had worked on the new batteries. "It's nothing I did", said he. Another Italian mess on top of everything else.
Well, one more day for shopping and walking around before leaving. We have enjoyed Palma and there is much to see. The office will be open Sunday morning and we can return our bathroom card and faucet connection for our 60E deposit.

Sunday, June 19
Now that the radio is working we have done some e-mailing and tried the various nets. There is poor reception in the marina. We left Palma in the morning for an anchorage. We'll go to the one we liked before arriving at Palma. So we anchored at Ensanada de Rapito again in clear blue water with sand underneath for good viewing of the small fish beneath us. It was great to get out of the marina and swim. There was no wind so we sat quietly amongst many recreational boats around us but by suppertime we were almost alone in the large wide bay.

Monday, June 20
We left early for a new anchorage after motoring around the SE point and heading up the east side of Mallorca where we would eventually leave for Menorca at the shortest distance between the islands. Our next stop was Cala Mondrago, a very sheltered bay with 2 beaches, hotels and bars. It was very busy and more and more charter boats appeared. The hotel rented paddle boats and we seemed surrounded by holidayers. This was OK for one night as most of the bay became deserted at sundown.

Tuesday, June 21-22
Another early start with no wind. There is a definite high pressure here and the temperatures in the 30's as well.
It is bathing suit weather and we've started to swim everyday. We've decided to go into Porto Colom for some supplies and an internet. The anchorage in the harbour is very shallow with a soft muddy bottom. You can't see the bottom and wouldn't want to swim there. In a storm it would be very sheltered. We didn't want to stay so when we finished with our business in town we pulled up anchor to find a quiet cala.
At noon we found Cala Magraner just 10 or so miles from Colom. It is surrounded by high cliffs and full of nesting cormorants and gulls. It was full of bird noises but not people noises, quiet and with sparkling clear water. It was a good place to spend 2 days since there was little wind and no swell coming from outside.
It was time to get some quiet boat work done. There were 2 Fathers' Day messages from Carolyn and John. We both forgot about the day just like Mother's Day.

Thursday, June 23
The two days we were in Cala Magraner we saw boats coming and going but in the nights we were alone and secure. We left later for Cala Molto near the NE point of the island and a good place to sail across to Menorca. It was a windy corner and the points of land accelerated the winds to 20K as we were taking down our sails.
Cala Molto and Cala Guya are separated by a sharp stony peninsula. One side is a busy touristy beach with lots of activity but we went to the other bay in quiet clear waters. All the anchored boats were here. We were in 5.7m of water over sand. Another good place and a quiet night.

Friday, June 24
We left Cala Molto early as the distance to Menorca would take 4-5 hours. We were able to sail most of the way to Cala de San Saura on the SW coast of the island. Because of hot weather the beaches were busy and many boats were anchored around the bay. There are so many charterers often manned by a group of German men. A time away from their wives perhaps. This beach was full of nudists and mostly young Spanish people with good figures. The Germans also go nude but don't look as good. There are many English on this island too but they better not take off their clothes.
Most of the daytime boats left and there were only 3 cruisers left. It was rolly from the sea outside although we had tried to tuck ourselves behind Punta Gobernado on the SE tip of the bay.

Saturday, June 25
We needed to get away from the rolly bay and left at dawn for another anchorage. They were hard to pick as the winds were from the SE causing swells in most of these bays. The Pilot book is very helpful. We motorsailed 3M into the wind and rough seas to Cala Santa Galdana. Many of the bays have buoyed beaches which cut off many good anchored spots.
I chose Galdana because there is a supermarket and a chance to put my feet on land. It is a beautiful bay but spoiled by a large hotel and development. The beach is lovely and enjoyed by hundreds of people. There was no end of activity. We took the dinghy in a couple of times to scout around.
Once the evening came the sea breeze brought in the swells and all the boats started rolling. Al tied our stern to an empty buoy and backed the boat close. We stayed to the wind and didn't roll much. We're starting to get buoy weather and email from the radio. It's great to have it back and working.

Sunday, June 26
We chose a bay called Cala Covas next but when we looked around, the small quiet bay already had 4 boats tied to shore and there was no room for us. It would have been beautiful there for a couple of days. Instead we sailed to Mahon where we planned to stay for awhile. As we passed the south shore of Menorca we saw too much development but that is where most of the sandy beaches are located.

Sunday, June 26-Sunday, July 3
We have been in Mahon one week partly because we wanted to see the city again without rushing and also had to wait for the right weather to sail north. It looks like Sunday or Monday would give us winds from the E or SE.
We did the usual things and decided to stay in the anchorage with many other boats. Many glass bottomed tour boats would pass us during the day so it wasn't a quiet place. Our usual haunts were the internet, the supermarket and restaurants. I found the private clinic and had a B12 shot by an incompetant male nurse who wanted to give it to me on the hip and I said no to that. It cost me 6E. 
On Wednesday I felt very shaky and tired so stayed on the boat Thursday while Al took the long dinghy ride to town. That night I was down with some kind of intestinal bug which stayed around for another day but by Saturday I felt better. This bug actually kept me feeling punky for a couple of more weeks.
Sunday was a quiet weather day so I suggested we leave for a different anchorage before the high northerly winds would appear again on Tuesday. We needed fuel and water. Al thought the dock was closed on Sunday but when I phoned over there we found they were open until 1:30. We quickly prepared the boat. It took awhile to get fuel as they were busy with a large power boat so it was almost noon before we left the harbour.
It was a very busy day outside the harbour with all the various weekend boats enjoying the day and the motorsailing by the beautiful coastline made for a lovely passage. We arrived in Cala de Addaya by 14:00.

Sunday, July 3-Thursday, July 14
Cala de Addaya is a long narrow bay but very sheltered and pretty. There is a small marina here and a fairly new built up area of white stucco and red roofed homes and condos surrounding the hillside. There are beautiful flowering bushes and trees dotted here and there as part of the landscaping of the private homes. Many English retirees have settled here and as well there are rental units like a type of time sharing. We climbed stairs to the top where there is a view of the Med well beyond the islands near the bay opening. At the top we also could choose a few restaurants and a good supermarket. We're here for awhile and don't have a long dinghy ride.
On Monday it was July 4 and Independence Day for the US but no firecrackers and only 1 US boat in the bay. On July 1 we also were alone amongst many European boats so didn't celebrate Canada Day. That night the wind came up from the south due to a front passing through. Al once saw 29K on our wind indicator. Some boats after turning around in the new direction got too close to each other. There was a bit of excitement for awhile. Later in the night the cold front brought strong northerlies so we turned back in our usual direction. We saw lightning for the first time that night. A French boat was only 10' away from us that night but they let out more chain on their anchor and we brought some in.
We are continuing to stay in this bay because of cold northerlies and waiting for the best time to leave for Barcelona. Our reservations aren't until the 20th but Al would like us to get to the mainland earlier in case another front appears. We rented a car for the day on Thursday to visit Cuitadella, the other big city in Menorca.
It was quite interesting and made a good change from sitting around the boat.
We thought of sailing to Fornells but after driving over there in our rented car it seemed like another tourist town which covered up the original quaint fishing village it was purported to be. The bay there was larger and wider which meant any big swells from outside made its way through easily ,especially in the strong northerlies we were getting.
So here we are in Addaya. We changed the oil Saturday morning. Did a bit of laundry, made water, and Al swam but the bay that day was full of stinging jellyfish. The supermarket is good and we eat well. The 'Irish Pub' up the hill makes good hamburgers and shows sport on the big TV screen. The time share office has a decent book exchange as I am going through several books each week.
I miss female company, some partying, and cruiser visiting. Hopefully that will change. We're looking forward to Carolyn and TJ's visit the end of the month. We spend a lot of time checking buoy weather and I have introduced myself to G4FRN (Bill), our MMUK contact who we'll use on some passages for weather this side of the Atlantic.

Thursday, July 14
We finally left Addaya for Barcelon 130nm which is an overnight passage. After the big winds slowed down in the Gulf of Lyon we had to motor much of the way, arriving in Port Vell, Barcelona about noon. On the way we were excited by seeing a large whale which was breaching, (Jumping high in the air), several times. We hadn't seen a whale that close since the Pacific and it was a spectacular sight. After it passed us you could smell it a long way away. It was a very fishy smell. We'll be here for some time and what we do from here will be up to our guests.
Barcelona is a very lively city with lots to do so we'll be busy.

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July 15 - August 3, 2005

Barcelona and back to the Balearics

Port Vell, Barcelona - We saw as many places that were interesting here in Barcelona as we could before Carolyn and TJ arrives. Of course, La Rambla, the old city with its narrow windy streets, the Joan Miro Gallery, and Gaudi's buildings were a few sites not to be missed. We learned the bus routes we needed and the metro. After a few days I found the closest Supermarket, internet cafe and fresh market. I was able to do laundry at the marina. We tried many good restaurants and went to 2 concerts. One was a guitarist playing at the large cathedral and one flamenco group at the wonderful Palau de la Musica built between 1905-08 with its lavish mosaic decoration. It is Barcelona's most important concert hall and we were lucky to get tickets while visiting the city. I found the 'jazz' group wonderful and the male dancers thrilling. The mainly Spanish audience were so excited, calling out 'ole' many times. It was a memorable time for me. Al just closed his eyes and tried to sleep, can you imagine?

We met 2 American cruising boats which were heading across this year but with different timings. I spent a couple of busy days seeing sites with the two women, that didn't interest our husbands. It was tiring but fun to be with other women for a change. The 6 of us did much reminiscing of our circumnavigations. 

We now know Barcelona enough to show Carolyn and TJ who arrived on Friday, July 29th. We took the bus to the airport and taxied back. TJ was so excited and got use to the boat quickly. He took alot of discipline and was always trying Carolyn. She really has a handful. We ate out every night and Al took TJ for a couple of busy days while Carolyn and I took a train to the Dali museum and another day for a bit more sightseeing for Carolyn. After walking back from the old city a couple of young girls asked me for directions on their map and while I was trying to help them I had my wallet taken out of my purse without knowing it until the next day. Al and Carolyn were farther ahead and had left me alone for that brief moment. We had been warned about pickpockets.
We finally made a decision to sail overnight to Ibiza and Carolyn and TJ would take a ferry back to Barcelona the day before leaving for Canada.

Tuesday, August 2:

Our plan was to go overnight and arrive near Port Antonio the next day but severe thunderstorms and rain kept us in port. This was our first rain since May in Italy. It couldn't quite take all the dirt accumulated from the city but Al had washed our boat several times while in the marina.

We left in better conditions but had to motor once again. It was a dark night but the stars were brilliant. Carolyn took a watch and did well avoiding an oncoming ferry. There were a number of large freighters which seemed to take a specific course closer to the mainland. TJ slept right through and neither one were seasick. We began to see Ibiza early morning. The sun doesn't seem to rise until at least 07:00 since we're near the end of this time zone.

Thursday, August 4:

We decided to go to Cala Portinatx just a few hours west of Port Antonio. It was a busy beach resort bay and lots of water activity around. Al took TJ for his first ocean beach. Of course he had to bring some of his many trucks. During the night a swell came in and we rocked and rolled for awhile.

Friday, August 5

We had a place planned for the next day closer to San Antonio but the winds were from the SW and not favourable to the spot we had picked. Crossing the large bay we discovered Cala Bassa, a pretty bay but again full of beach activity as well as tour boats bringing more people. I stayed on the boat but C and TJ had more beach playing. We also swam off the boat in the clear water. There were many fish feeding around us but not good for eating. TJ liked to throw them bread.

Saturday-Sunday, August 6,7

We had to anchor in Port San Antonio today as C was leaving Sunday AM on the ferry. It's a busy port and noisy with English young people who don't sleep until 3 or 4 in the morning. Not a good place to stay long but we could provision and do laundry here. The noise everywhere went on to the wee hours. We're sure there is much drinking and drugs as well.

In the morning we reluctantly bid C and TJ goodbye. Al took them to a spot close to the ferry where C wouldn't have to walk far with all her luggage. As the ferry pulled away at 11:00 we waved goodbye to the small figures way up on the bridge. We're now waiting for an email message that she's home safely.

The rest of the day was extremely busy with provisioning and laundry to do. We found a decent SM up the hill and the laundry would be open at 4pm where we would take our 3 big bags of clothes and do email in the same place. It was expensive but handy, 9E per load wash and dry and 4E per hour for the internet. Before 19:00 Al and I pulled up anchor to get some fuel and then go to Cala Bassa again for the night which was quieter. Unfortunately the dock had run out of diesel and several boats had tied up to get some in the morning. We decided to anchor again and go first thing the next day.

Monday, August 8

It was a jam of boats maneuvering around each other waiting for fuel to arrive from a truck. By 10:30 we got fed up especially when boats were cutting each other off in line. It would have been another hour or so of waiting. We then set sail to Formentera about 20nm south of Ibiza and almost joined to each other by a long peninsula. We were glad to leave this hedonistic town full of bare topped men, drinking on the streets and sitting in bars all day long. It was a young peoples party place and we really looked out of place.

The wind was tight on our nose and when it increased we still had to motor or take forever to tack back and forth. Because it was August everywhere the anchorages have been crowded which causes real problems around us. We can be secure but someone nearby will anchor too close or drag.
In the night at Puerto de Espalmador the wind came up and boats dragged or slowly motored out of the anchorage in the dark before hitting others. Needless to say Al was up most of the night watching around us.

In spite of the crowd it was a beautiful spot in front of a long beach as well as a reef with breaking waves. The mud baths were nearby and occasionally you would see a group of mud covered bodies walking along. We took the dinghy in and I swam off the beach with its lovely sandy bottom. No commercialism unless you count 2 tourist boats crowded with people who pulled up on the beach for the day. August has been a bad month for crowds as it's holiday time throughout Europe.

Wednesday, August 10

We left early to get diesel in the port of Savina on the mainland of Formentera. Since the dock wasn't opened we were first in line and could tie up and wait. We expected SW winds and felt we should anchor in the bay just west of the town to shelter from the wind. The barometer was reading low and we were expecting it to pass soon so we could head to the mainland of Spain. Again a crowded bay with everyone thinking the same thing.

It took awhile to sink the anchor as the holding was bad. The number of boats increased until we found a family house type power boat very close to us full of people with 2 dinghies tied to the stern. As it became dark, about 21:00, the SW winds came up and we settled down for the night. All of a sudden I felt a hard bump at our bow and Al quickly went to see what had happened. The power boat in front of us had dragged and one of the dinghy motor propellers had hooked onto our anchor chain. One of the men on the boat got in the water to unhook it but someone started to motor the boat away and the man in the water got his hand caught between our chain and the propeller. There was a painful sound but he showed all his fingers, thank goodness. We didn't sleep well that night in case of anymore 'incidences'.

Thursday, August 11

We moved back to Espalmador the next morning expecting north winds this time and planned to move west the next day. Even though crowded it is a lovely spot for swimming and relaxing. No further mishaps.

Friday, August 12

This would be an overnight so waiting for north winds was important. Most of the way though was motoring and we saw few boats except when nearing the coast of Spain. Our goal was to go to the coast near Cartegena. There were few good anchorages north of Cartegena but we had time to go further south before anchoring.

There was a sheltered spot from the north winds at Ensenada de Mazarron just behind Pont de la Azahia. It was quiet, clean and with a sandy bottom. The main holidayers were Spanish and we had a quiet night.

Sunday, August 14

Our next stop was Garrucha where we could anchor inside or at the south side of the harbour. It looked too busy on the inside so we anchored just off the beach beyond the yellow buoys planning to tie up at the fuel dock overnight.

There were no stores opened as it was a holiday weekend including Monday, August 15, a national Spanish holiday. As well, the city was having a 4 day fiesta and at night the carnival site near the north end of the harbour kept the music, fireworks and noise going until 5am. The fuel dock had been claimed by 2 other boats rafting together so we stayed put hoping the noise wouldn't be as bad. Of course, it kept us awake even though our boat sat quietly with little rocking. In a south or southwest swell that spot would have been uncomfortable.

Monday, August 15

We had been requesting buoy weather everyday on our computer and read a reasonable report for the day. We were also told that the German forecast was giving force 6-8 and 2m seas for Tuesday. It was time to go around Capo Gato, the division between Costa Blanca and Costa del Sol before the Tuesday winds.

When we started out there was little wind and we had all sails at full. Later the wind came up stronger and on approaching the large cape we had to reef to our 2nd reef and use our stay sail, the fist time since the Red Sea.

We were getting up to 37kts of wind and force wasn't much less south of the cape which we thought would shelter us from the NE.

It was hard to anchor into 25kt winds but we finally became stable in 5m but the wind blew all night. A few boats tried to anchor and just gave up, returning back to some port. The best shelter was just NW of the Cabo Gato light but seemed busy with fishing boats and one other anchored sailing boat. We spent a quiet night after the winds died down. So much for our predictions for Monday.

Tuesday, August 16

The bay behind Capo Gato had sheltered waters which made for a good sail and motorsail to Almiera. Once there and talking to someone in the marina on VHF we were told that they had no room for our sized boat. It was still early and we had time to head toward Almerimar, a much better location. We were now basically heading west as Cabo de Gato is an important turning point and opposite the island of Albaron, an area noted for high winds. We arrived at Almerimar about 15:00, took on diesel and were given a berth with no hassle. It was windy and there was very little help for us trying to make stern to in our heavy boat.

Wednesday-Tuesday, August 17-23

Almerimar was somewhat secure but our dock had no gate from local traffic and we were told about 2 thefts on our dock recently. The bathrooms had no toilet paper and the showers had intermittent taps that had to be pressed continually. Outside of that we had a reasonably priced internet (2E per hour), a self-laundry, a small shop that bought our used Port books and a good supermarket. We enjoyed the various restaurants and the small development seemed full of tourists except there were many unsold and empty looking apartments.

On Thursday we rented a car to visit a few places we wanted to see while in Andalucia. In spite of the security problem we took our chance, locked the boat tightly and left nothing that looked tempting on board. We loved Granada, although very hot, and saw the Alhambra's gardens (one has to book some days in advance to get tickets for the buildings). We had seen Granada in the early 60's with no problems of tourists. What a difference! The next day we walked the old Islamic quarter called Albayzin. The streets are narrow ups and downs with a very good view of the top of the Alcazaba, the fortress of Alhambra. The heat was getting to me and I had to get back to our hotel to rest and cool down. Since we walk everywhere the heat and I don't mix. Skipped dinner that night as my inners were not working well.

After Granada we drove to Cordoba through miles and miles of olive groves amid dry and dusty landscape. This stop was Al's favourite, situated on the Rio Guadalquivir. The main attraction was the Mezquita, a former Mosque, now a cathedral. The beauty of the mosque with its former arches open to the light and air had been filled by many small chapels that darkened the interior. We stayed in the old quarter with its many windy streets. I was feeling sicker and left Al to explore the city on his own. He was impressed by the Palace of the Catholic Kings and the Roman bridge,

Our next stop was Malaga. We didn't arrange a hotel and found after enjoying the center with a fiesta in progress we had time to drive back to our boat. We had the car for the next morning and took the opportunity to shop for some heavier provisions.

Visiting southern Spain made us realize that the history of the region is extremely interesting comprising the cultures of the Phoenicians through to the Romans, Moors, and Spanish to name the most influential.

Tuesday, August 23

At 07:30 we headed west again and after 12 hours motoring decided to stop at Ensenada de Velez-Malaga. It is just on the west side of a new marina. It started out rolly due to SW swells but it quieted down and there were no winds since we were protected from the north and east. Anchoring in Motril or off Malaga would have been better, we think.

Wednesday, August 24

Easy to leave from this anchorage at 06:30 in the dark. We decided to go to Estapona as we had information that we could get our propane tanks filled. It is hard to find someone who will fill them illegally as we have American fittings.

We stayed 2 nights to get them filled the next day and headed for Gibraltar. The winds were going to change to the west and get much stronger so we wanted to be settled in Gibraltar before that happened.
Everything was quiet following the Costa del Sol but as we rounded Europa Point everything changed. Our sails were down and our motor was doing the work. The winds went to 21kts which isn't bad but from the west and the 1.5m seas slowed us down considerably. It took awhile but after getting fuel at discount prices we were reluctantly given a berth at Queensway marina, electric and water extra.

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August 26 - September 15, 2005

Gibraltar to the Canaries

Our first impression of Gibraltar is the towering 'Rock' looming over the small city, one of the last remaining outposts of the British Empire. The English tradition is noticeable everywhere but we heard mostly Spanish or bilingual Spanish/English language by the Gibraltarians as they liked to be called. There is an obvious community of Sephardic Jews formally from Morocco that are very conservative who seem to be going to temple daily. You also see Muslims in their traditional dress and a large mosque situated high above Europa Point, the gateway to the Med. Basically if you eliminate the daily tourist you would find a very multicultural population of British, Jewish, Genoese, North African, Portuguese, Spanish, Maltese and Indian.

The Spanish border is straight across on the other side of the air strip which one has to cross to enter Spain.

Franco closed the border from 1969-1985 virtually stopping all land travel. The Gibraltarians have always been united in their wish to be independent and apart from their neighbour Spain.
History is obvious everywhere from the last stone bastions left over from the Great Siege of 1779-83 when Gibraltar successfully defended itself from the French and Spanish, to the remains of the Moorish castle in the 8thC when Gibraltar was inhabited by the Muslims from Morocco. Although it became a Spanish possession, Gibraltar was given to the British after the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713 and has remained to this day. It was an important stronghold in both WW1 and 11 and still remains a naval base. We were here on the 10th of September when the Gibraltarians celebrated their National Day wearing bright red clothing, music and speeches in Casement Square and a wonderful firework display at night right outside our marina.

Of course, Gibraltar is famous for its Barbary apes and a cable car will take people to their location where they seem to have the run of the place.

We wandered around the town each day but never seeing all the small streets hidden away. The people in this small community are very social and close knitted in their own ethnic groups but strongly united in being Gibraltarians. The street names are sweetly English and an English flavour permeates the shops but one is reminded of its position as a fortress with the remnants of fortifications, gates and gun emplacements. There are many sites offered to the visitor that reflects this history.

We were here long enough to take a bus from La Linea to Seville for a couple of days. We really liked Seville and stayed in the old quarter, walking distance to the wonderful cathedral and the Alcazar. On returning it was a matter of waiting for the right weather to take us through the strait. On checking weather-on-line at the library internet and our e-mail buoy weather we decided that the 15th would give us relatively strong east winds to take us against any adverse tidal stream and eastbound current. Ideally we would leave at High Water plus 3 hours but that would mean being in the busy strait in the dark so we left at noon and using our motor we were able to stay outside the adverse current by the shore and buck the .5kt constant current in the middle but away from the shipping lanes. The water was very turbulent near the infamous Tarifa point with its high winds and we were soon glad to move away to the west.

Our plan was to go as far west as we could as long as we had easterlies but nature is never that predictable. Soon the winds shifted south then SW right where we wanted to go which meant a change in direction. For the next 24 hours we were bashing into high seas on a close reach but with reduced sail. 'Solara' drove through the waves solidly even though her crew were just getting used to being in rough water again. We were in a weather front with all its charm.

On our third day the seas calmed down and we had 3 more lovely days, partly motor-sailing and just sailing with the wind at our back and a brilliant full moon each night. By Tuesday ,our 6th day, we were 50 miles from Este rock, the northern point of Lanzarote. Deciding to spend one night at anchor we headed for Grasiosa, a small island just west of Lanzarote. We were both tired and ready for a full night's sleep.

In the morning we headed through the small strait between the two islands which seemed to take forever as there was a strong current against us and with our full motor 'Solara' was going only 2kts. Eventually we crossed the northend of Lanzarote with full sails and followed the eastern coastline to Puerto Calero. We were warned about acceleration zones by the southern coasts of the Canaries and we started to get strong gusts pushing our boat around which meant reducing sail and hand steering. While we were jibing a school of high jumping dolphins passed by, unfortunately we couldn't get a good look. That was the first time on our passage that we had seen dolphins.

We entered the pristine port of Calero for a month's stay. I was flying home for a month and Al was working on varnishing the boat. It's a lovely but expensive marina, very secure but a car is almost necessary to find a proper Supermarket and chandlery shops for buying supplies in Arricife. Our fridge needs looking at again. Once disconnected from shore supply it loses its power and starts to defrost. By the time we got to Puerto Calero we had no working fridge. And we thought we were ready for our long passage across the Atlantic.

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September 21 - November 24, 2005

Canary Islands

While I was gone dealing with matters at home Al diligently varnished our teak with 6 coats sanding in between each coat. It was a big job. We had done a bit of sightseeing while we had a car, driving into the interior of Lanzarote and viewing the black lava covered island. The island erupted in many places from 1730 for 6 years and covered most of the fertile farming region. Volcanic rock is used for buildings and walls giving a bleak looking vista. We tried their special wine produced in this black sandy soil. It tasted like smoke so we didn't buy any. Most of the tourists stay on the east and south coasts where there is protection from the prevailing NE winds. There is a very large contingent from the UK staying in small condos or hotels. Our marina, Puerto Calero, was miles away from most of this activity but we needed a car to do errands in Arricefe, the main city. We enjoyed the marina. It was clean and well managed with a courtesy internet, clean washrooms with plenty of hot water, a number of good restaurants, and a small supermarket. To purchase more variety of food we had to drive to a large supermarket near the airport. We met a few cruisers but most of the people we knew anchored in Gracioso or Arrecife.

There was a well laid out marine museum at Calero which gave us a better understanding of whales and dolphins.

Before I flew home the participants of the mini Transit race arrived from Rocelle, France. There were about 75 young people who single handed to Puerto Calero taking on average 8 days with little sleep. After a rest of 2 weeks they were then racing to Brazil. What gumption!

October 21

The date of my arrival back was delayed one day. The plane from Toronto left 1 hour late, apparently losing track of one passenger. This meant I missed my 2 connections from Frankfort and Madrid. It was easy to take a later plane from Germany but I missed an alternative flight from Madrid to Lanzarote and had to wait until the next day for another. Having to run across the Madrid airport to reach my connection only to find it had just left I was very hot and tired with no sleep since Toronto the day before. Lufthansa, knowing my problem, gave me vouchers for a hotel and 3 meals which put me in a better mood. Now, how to tell Al I wasn't arriving.

Fortunately there was an internet at the hotel and I could send him a message along with a hotel number. After trying all the kids to see if I had contacted any of them and getting them concerned I finally received a phone call at the hotel and a new arrangement to meet me. Now I could relax and have a decent night's sleep.
By some fluke the airline must have felt sorry for me or someone else was looking after my interests I ended up in business class and my 'lost' luggage happened to arrive with me.

Sunday, October 23

We planned to sail to Gran Canaria by the end of the week. Our new roller furling drum had to be installed and before my departure for Canada we had a new fan put in the fridge which seemed now to solve the fridge problem. Before leaving we had a nice dinner with Martha and Richard on Transit who were also crossing at the same time.

Friday, October 28

We left Calero in the morning for an overnight to Gran Canaria. After rounding the south coast of Lanzarote with reduced sail because of acceleration zone around the base of each island the wind stopped and we had to motor the rest of the way. The glow from Las Palmas could be seen for miles and looked like a sunset. We arrived at Puerto de Mogan at the south end of Gran Canaria in the morning and were given a berth on the concrete wharf with a shaky ladder to climb up. The tide was at least 1 mile and we had to adjust our lines every time the tide changed. There were floating docks but no room there for our sized boat. We added chains to our lines at the stern or they would have worn through in a couple of days. It was an interesting spot where tourists strolled constantly, ferries took on passengers and many restaurants fronted the marina. It was a well designed resort full of pretty flowered covered buildings and lots of restaurants. Most of the tourists were German but also Scandinavian. German meals were served by German staff in German restaurants. We were lucky to be there thanks to Al having planned well in advance. A few European boats were preparing to cross the Atlantic but we saw only one American yacht. Two large supermarkets helped with provisioning, the internet was cheap and a small DVD rental store kept us entertained most evenings on our small DVD player.

Vicky arrived on the 21st. We had a rental car for 3 days driving into Palma to find a life jacket for her and I wanted to buy an extra pillow for her bed at the Cortes Ingles. We also took a short drive to the interior which had a spectacular view overlooking the Atlantic. After a last fresh food provisioning we were ready to go. The marina had put us on a floating dock the last two weeks which was much more convenient and where Al could reassemble the monitor windvane for our passage. We were further from the stores but walked past the colourful fishing boats and busy yard where boats on stands were getting new bottom paint or other repairs. For two Fridays there was an outdoor market strung along the pier above us selling cheap goods, handcrafted or otherwise, as well as African stuff. Tourists came in droves either from the ferry or buses usually from the busy hotels further east and south of our marina. The port was really busy and difficult to walk around on those days but made our stay in Mogan very interesting. We will miss Mogan.

November 24 - December 20 On Passage.

We were lucky to leave when we did as 'Delta' , a severe tropical storm, arrived 4 days later and did damage in Tenerife and elsewhere including boats in the marina a Santa Cruz.

I am going to give Vicky the opportunity to write her account of our passage which took a long time and as I write we have just entered the passage between Antigua and Guadeloupe. We finally made it after a real downfall of rain for an hour before the morning.

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