Meeting mates in the Med

Mallorca just keeps getting better and better, so much so I am beginning to think it's not real. We met Dave at Porto Cristo. Dave is an old college mate who helped us get the boat up from Ipswich after we bought it. ( Attempt 1 – Ipswich Haven to Thames estuary and Attempt 3 – Ipswich to Pwllheli attempt 2 failed because we couldn't get out of the marina as the lock gates were being serviced)  We left Porto Criso after re supplying and cleaning the boat. had a great champagne sail to Cala Agulla anchorage for an overnight stop. An almost empty, enormous anchorage that was very quiet. We had for company 3 massive yachts and the most amazing rainbow ever. The colours where so vivid. We're not in Kansas anymore.

Then on to Alcudia, another lovely seafront holiday resort with an amazing old walled town a short walk away.

We had to check out the fuel dock and beach for landing our dinghy so I took the opportunity to show Dave how fast our dinghy went.

We had a lovely couple of evenings in the walled old town. So clean you could eat your dinner off the streets.

We found an amazing restaurant, Satyricón, a beautiful converted cinema. 

Finished our evening with a jug of sangria

Then next day Dave tried to escape so we decided to let him go and dropped him at the bus stop. It was a long swim otherwise. 

The next day we had a visit from Mandy's mates daughter, India who is over from Australia looking for a job as crew on a super yacht. We had a lovely sail around the corner to Barcares in Porto Poleca bay to drop her off.

We then anchored in the massive anchorage of Porto Polenca, our home for a few weeks while Mandy goes home and leaves me doing boat jobs. Before she left we had a walk up a hill to get a bit of exercise. I have never seen so many cyclists in my life. The streets of Pollença are littered with lycra.

Great view of the whole North east of Mallorca and our anchorage. Pollença bay is a great place to practice your tacking. 

 

Mandy left for the uk and left me alone at anchor for 7 nights. Time to get my head torch on and start my jobs. It was almost the most lovely calm anchorage with no mad winds and loadsa space. Just one day it rained like Britain. Some friends around the other bay had a hail storm.

I went for a swim every day and had a lovely peaceful time except at 3am one morning I woke up to this bloke parked too close. Biggest anchorage in Mallorca and he parks here. I didn't sleep well that night.

The day before Mandy got back Shil & Helen arrived and the tools went away. When I left the uk I thought I would never see Shil again but he's been out twice now. And they are coming to see us in the Caribbean. The only problem with being on anchor is the dinghy ride too and from the boat.

Had a lovely few days in Porto Polenca and had another visit to Alcudia old town and walked around the city wall.

Delicious meals and even had a swim.

Then they were off 😒 and it was time to leave our favourite anchorage of Porto Polenca. We headed down to stay in Cala Rijjada marina for the night so we could meet Chris and Nick before we set off to Menorca. The journey down was a little lumpy but we had a beautiful golden hour sunset at sea.

Then into Cala Rijjada harbour for the first time in a month which means cleaning the boat with all the free water.

I've only known Chris for 50 years and haven't seen her and Nick for a while so it was great to catch up. 😮 Had a wonderful time with them. They saw the boat and we saw their pad and went for a great meal with a magical view of a citadel which looks unreal.

Time to leave magical Mallorca and head to Menorca. We had the most wonderful sail across, 25 miles, 13 knots of wind on the beam, flat sea. We set the sails and enjoyed the ride for 5 hours. Good job as Mandy had a really bad hangover and slept most of the way. The universe has a way of balancing things out though and our first 2 days in Menorca were extremely rolly and we couldn't do a thing, couldn't even launch the dinghy and get off the boat.

But eventually the swell died and the sun came out. We went ashore in Serpentona to have a walk and some lunch.

Then back for a swim, clean the constantly growing beard off the hull and replace our tattered, weather beaten flags.

Time for Mandy to work for 3 days and me to do boat jobs and prepare for our next visitors Nick, Jen, Burkey and my wonderful daughter.