Into the Jet Stream

Not much of a conversationalist...but a welcome hitchhiker

Well, we were now on a mission – Lagos or Bust!  Our trip from Stintino (Sardinia) started out well.  We had a friendly hitchhiker (a little bird) stop with us for some time and a huge whale potted about (as they do) on the edge of the continental shelf looking for a snack.  Our last eight hours turned sour though as the wind and an accompanying swell hit us - side on.  Yes, we could have changed course but the result would have been an African landing not Spanish. We were set on arriving in the Balearic Islands, so the Cap’n took charge of the slalom ride whilst GS gripped her bucket firmly.  We arrived eventually at a wonderful anchorage, Cala Taulela, (Menorca) and after removing a cuttlefish from the deck and seaweed from the head, calm was restored sufficiently to sleep soundly.   

Finding a calm & restful anchorage at Cala Taulela, Menorca

Mahon, Menorca

Town Dock & friendly Mermaid at Mahon

Next day was recovery day, so we headed off into town for a “proper” English breakfast, another of those treats we’d really been missing…  At the dock we came across a big “poser” boat.  For the technical minded, it can do 50kts but uses about 1000L per hour – we use 4L.  It also had the capacity to shoot a rooster tail 10m in the air.  Feeling most inadequate, we jumped into Bruce for a bit of coastal property speculation.  Some rather lovely homes dot Mahon bay, a tempting location where you might toy with settling– until reality and tyranny of distance hits. Oh, and lack of funds!

Window shopping along Mahon Harbour

Those mansions look quite small to me... 
You wouldn't like them, I'm sure!

We crossed from Menorca to Mallorca in almost perfect calm, heading for an initial stop at Porto Colom, another well protected anchorage.  Nosing about, looking for an anchorage we came across one of those crabby boating itinerants, who shouted at us.  Now the Cap’n just thought he was being friendly, so the GS, up at the bow, translated his Spanglish to English, much to the amusement of the anchorage.  Having circled once, the Cap’n still uncertain of the intended message circled him again.  Now, that’s really like poking a pig dog in the eye with a stick – not a good thing!  Meaning clear at last, we moved well away.

Taking the challenging route into Santa Ponsa

Our next day took us (and a whole raft of butterflies) to one of our favourite anchorages, Santa Ponsa.  Here we noted an Aussie 80” Oyster "Free Spirit", whose owner came by and said hello.  Nice!  This was only the second Aussie boat (the other, Hugo, at Le Grazie) we had seen this year.  They must all be in Greece?  We then shouted ourselves a dinner out (roast lamb, no less) to sustain ourselves for an early morning crossing to Ibiza.  San Antonio proved to be busier than we last remembered (3 years ago) and with a wind blowing into the anchorage, we upped stakes moving further into the bay.  Knowing that San An had supermarkets close at hand, and ahead of us we had at least 3 or 4 anchorages along the Spanish mainland coast, we wanted the fridge (or that part still functioning!) full. 

You can get an idea of the size of these cliffs along the coast of
Ibiza by looking for the copper coloured sailboat anchored at its foot.

San Antonio (a thoroughly wild town) & a space-age Spanish ferry

By now, the quest for Vinho Verde was driving us on. (Vinho Verde, Portugal’s green wine, or green s**t - affectionately coined I’m sure, John!)  So, with the weather in our favour and conditions much improved since leaving the Mistral behind, we started to do big steps, knowing that there were plenty of marinas at hand should we need to seek shelter.  Finally, the Rock (Gibraltar) came into sight, so we rested at La Linea Marina until the tide and winds were right to escape through the Straits (with 25kts pushing us past Tarifa) and pop back out into the Atlantic.  Ah, the Atlantic, bringing back those vague memories of tidal action and swell.  A last ditch effort brought us straight to Lagos and we tucked up into a cosy marina berth just before a rather nasty weather system arrived from the NW bringing 30+kt winds.   

Raging & serious bushfires along the Spanish Coast - the specks are planes
dropping water on the fires - there were 6 planes, all working together.

Is it a rock or a prehistoric monster
(after having a sneak peek at Medusa?)

Calm seas at night

And a few friends came to cheer us along the way

So, here we are, balanced on the very edge of Portugal, cleaning WJ3 until she sparkles and getting ready to haul out after 5 years in the Med – with our minds half wondering what next year will bring. 

(After haul out, we make for Barcelona for a few days sightseeing, so the blog will continue for a wee bit yet!)

Finding Moitessier's "Joshua" at La Linea Marina
Or is it just a copy?

We're getting close!  Early morning calm as we arrived at La Linea to dock.
Then it blew up, reaching 25kts very quickly!