Weather!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Well what can I say we are now in Alcudia hiding from a storm! us sailors never happy too much wind not enough, in the wrong direction ,however we are also hiding from a northerly swell of 3/4 metre's in height which would make for an uncomfortable crossing to Menorca this week -end. So we plan to go tomorrow or sunday,watching some football here on sat. may delay us a day!

         The wind last night was strong whistling through the rigging and today is cool and dull no sun and we are loving it it is the 1st day without sun since middle of june sorry to all those on holiday here who want the sun but it is nice today.

ILAS BALLEIRAS
We have really enjoyed cruissing the Balleric Islands and would recomend them to any one who is considering chartering in the future. Majorca from the sea is in many places very unspoilt and quite beautiful, with many anchorages and harbours wwell away from the mass tourist areas. Much to my suprise we have also had some excellent sailing. Most mornings start off calm and serene but by miday a very pleasant breeze sets in to give perfect sailing conditions to our next anchorage or port.

Regular reaaders may find the weather site that we use interesting it is called passage weather. It gives very detailed weather and swell information together with barometric charts etc.

For some time now i have been considering entering into a tirade of my opinion of people who drive around in large and small power boats and of their ingnorance and rudeness, but i am still managing to contain myself and may save it for a very strong letter to be hopefully published in Yachting monthly or better still in Motoer boat monthly if such a publication exists !!

Ray and Mandy x

   P.S the sun is out again in Mallorca!
    

Waiting for the wind!

Well we have been in Mallorca for a week now and have seen a beautiful island from long unspoilt beaches too magestic cliffs and rocks and caves.I have swam in clear blue seas and seen a Ray(not the Skipper Ray a fish!) of some sort making its way along the sea bed.

   We have had some of the best sailing here and now are in Porto Cristo waiting for the wind to change direction it is northeasterly today and we want to go that way and there is a 2 metre northeasterly swell which would make for an uncomfortable sail so the north coast will have to wait for a day or 2 but we have been stuck in worst places so we will just have to relaxe and enjoy ourselves! I think we have been diung that for the last 4 months! so well practised at it.
      The 2 picture's are of a sunset from Ibiza the eve before we set sail for Mallorca.

                             bye for now mandy

Mallorca we made it !

I have to pinch myself when I think it is 4 months since we left home and we planned and dreamed of making it to the Med and here we are! and in Mallorca with hundreds of Spainish holiday maker's and Spain is poor well this lot are not in their speed boats etc. Anyway just a short hello we are both good and in puerto rapita a very beautiful beach area and anchorage we have cleaned Josephine of red dust again and filled with water and tomorrow will move on.

WATER WATER EVERYWHERE

Now that we are here in Ibiza water is not as readily avilable as it was on the mainland. It really is a commodity that we take for granted and then realise its impotance when you have to start being carefull. We are quite lucky as Josephines tank holds 400 litres and this will last us a week quite easily without being to carefull. WE shower severall times a day off the back of the boat after swiming etc.

However we are now down to our last 50 litres and need to go into the Club Nautico San Antonio to see if they will sell us some! Our pilot book describes the water here as "Brackish and not nice tating"!

The other problem is we also now have a very dirty boat, and we are not allowed to hose it down. Every night we get considerable condesation on the decks and windows and this combines with a sprinkling of red dust that comes over from the Sahara in N Africa to leave a unattractive coating every where.
     Above is the boat we are saving for!!!!!

Ibiza south coast 1st rock on the left

Well we have now left mainland Europe and started our sequence of island hopping. The Spnnish coast was quite wonderfull and extremely varied. So many contrasts from Coruna and the Rias in the north to the Cotas on the med coast.

WE left fromAltilia and had a very nice night crossing to Ibiza.. There was a full moon and Venus the brightest star in the sky seemed to stay on our bow all night to guide us.

The photograph above was litteraly the first rock on the left as we arrived at 0700hrs on the sat morning. It really is a most stunning and very high islet. Its name is Isla Vedra and together with its neighbour Isla Vendral stands only a short distance off the main coast of the island . The passage is quite narrow but has a min depth of 30 metres and it is quite dramatic passing through to the west coast. After a few days of being facinated by its rugged beauty we found out that it was in fact the island that was used as "Bali HI" in the film South Pacific, much of which was filmed here on the island.

Ibiza is supprissingly nice and an excellent cruissing area. with numerous callas and anchorages. The water is cristal clear and 25 deg C. WE swim and snorkel everyday.

Ibiza

We have made it and it is not just a disco island the coast is beautiful the sea is warm but good enough to cool off  in on a hot day! The Cala's are idilic and some very busy others very quiet we are just south of San Antonnio at Cala Basa enjoying lunch and will be setting off  up the north  west coast before leaving for Menorca ray will do a better tale with pictures when we get the computer ashore and not just the tablet.

About to leave mainland Spain to party on the Islands

Hello Everyone!
            We are enjoying the heat! The internet is frustrating at times new problem last night got on line at a bar could see the screen well because it was dark unlike daytime use when the sun makes it difficult in the dark I can not type I need to see the keys I am not a touch typist it is 2 fingers and a thumb.
   Anyway we are in Altea just north of Benidorm and south of Calpe and tonight we are setting off for Ibiza the party island as those who know me my night clubbing days are over but looking at the charts and reading the Bays and Natural habour's around the island are beautiful so we have just been to the supermarket and loaded the boat with food and drink and to let you all know what we are up to we have had to stop at a bar with internet access and have a beer what a hardship for us both!
      After we have caught up with e-mails we will be casting off to anchour off the Rock at Calpe to relaxe and swim cook dinner and set off at 21.00hrs approx it will have cooled down and there is a full moon and so we are looking forward to a night passage and Ray thought he would never say that .

                               next time we will contact you from Ibiza
                                          Mandy & Ray