MINORCA

Having enjoyd Majorca very much, we left Alcudia and traveled across the thirty mile channel to Minorca. All the islands are very different. Minorca is very green and far less mountainous than its neighbours. There are numerous calas to anchor in, and most of them are totaly unspoilt.

                             
                                                  MAHON HARBOUR AT SUNRISE

On Fri 7h we arrived in Mahon, after having had some lovely gentle sailing along the south coast of the island.  We decided to have lunch at a waterside restraunt in the port and I remarked how quiet it was compared to the last time I was here some years ago. It was so quiet that we decided to go and have a look at the old city, which involves quite a climb to get there.

Well what a suprise. It was litterally like Wembley on cup final day!  There were thosands of people lining the streets having partys,dancing, and drinking a local speciaality, Pommada, a coctail of Minorcan gin and lemon. In one very crowded road there was a roar and then a procession of about 100 Magnificent black stallions was rode through the crowd. It was ;

FIESTA

These horses are unique and are bred here on the isand, and the riders can and do make them rear onto there back legs which when you see it close to is quite awsome. What an experiance we thought it cant get better than this. It did.

On Saturday our good friend Mick Naylor arrived from the Uk and we told him all about the horses that we had seen the day before, The Festa was continuing (four days) and we took Mick up to see what was going on. It was another day of partying and we got into the spiit drinking Pomada and enjoying the atmosphere . We rounded a very crowded corner and found ourselves in a square in front of the cathederal,  a brass band was playing wild music and a mass of people dancing clapping and cheering. There were TV cameras on swinging booms. Then came the horses again. It seemed impossible that  they could possibly get through .The band increased the tempo, the crowd went wild and the first horse reared to his full height and surged foreward. The crowd  then just went into a frenzy, people holding up the horse at his breast whilst others supported the rider hanging onto the near vertical back of his stallion. This continued for some time for the entire procesion of horses. How no one was seriously hurt we do not know but we did see ambulance crews  treating injured spectators. .

We eventually got away and had a few Pommadas and the party went on (without us) untill about 6am the next morning.

FIRE AT SEA
It is always said that one of a sailors worst nightmares is a fire at sea. Well we have had one and can tell you it is pretty hairy. On the Sunday we had a pleasant sail along the south coast as we were taking Mick to a very attractive calla that we had found, Calla Porter. We furled the sails and started the engine. A few seconds later smoke was coming out of the hatchway at an alarming rate. We stopped the engine and rushed below to investigate. What ever it was it was in the engine compartment. All the hundreds of safety briefs that I had given as an instructor clicked into place. The golden rule being do not open the compartment to look, it will only supply the fire with more Oxygen! We let off two entinguishers through the hole in the casing that is there for that very purpose. The cabin was now full of smoke and we were adrift out at sea with no engine! After a few miniutes I ventured a look inside, and imediatly shut the door. The fire was still burning with flames on the port side of the engine. We let off a third and larger extinguisher which thankfully and eventually put out the fire.

We then sailed the boat into Calla Porter, which is very narrow, and was thankfully empty, and dropped the anchor. All the electrical wiring on that side was totaly burnt out and it would seem that most of the flames and smoke had actually come from the so called "fire resistant" lining to the engine compartment !

The next day sods law of the sea worked its normal way with the wind blowing into the narrow calla and making it impossible to raise our anchors and sail out. After some time a passing French yacht, who had only come in to take photographs, was hailed and they kindly and skillfully took us alongside and towed us out to open water. We were then able to sail the boat back to Mahon, and bring the boat to an alongside berth under sail.

We are now fully repaired and all is well again, although we are considerably poorer having paid a substantial bill !   It would seem that the starter motor had burnt out and that the heat from this spread the damage to the adjacent wiring and also destroyed the alternator. (I suspect the powder from the extingushers did this ?)

Quite an experaince and congratulations to Mick and Mandy for helping to deal with what could have been a very serious situation.

LAYING UP FOR WINTER
After our experiances we have made the decission to keep the boat here in Mahon for the winter and have found a very sheltered and nice  friendly Marina at the head of Porto Mahon . It is only a few minutes from the airport, with regular inexpensive flights to the UK.

We will spend the rest of the time continuing to explore the island.

Ray