Friday 3 May 2019

We didn’t rush to get ready to go this morning, but our hearts sank when Steve went to set up the windlass (anchor winch) to lift the anchor. It would pay out but not pull up. The electrical connections for this windlass have been temperamental and unreliable since we have owned the boat. We thought we had cracked the problem when the winch was serviced in Aguadulce but yesterday it needed a little tlc to get it going and today it was just not going to play.

We couldn’t stay where we were because there was wind coming in from the north and we would be uncomfortable at best here overnight. Steve, therefore pulled up the fifty meters of chain and the anchor by hand. He then had to feed it all back through the windlass to set it up for when we can, hopefully, next use it. I guess it replaces going to the gym.

Once away, it was glorious sailing conditions: a nice breeze from abeam, flat water and sunshine. We were soon trucking along. I don’t understand, when I see other sailing boats out in these conditions, who are motoring, which we see it a lot; too many to be due to a problem preventing them from putting the sails up.

Having said that we had to motor through the narrow channel between mainland Ibiza and the two islands off it’s southwest corner. The wind was on the nose and very fluky.

What did Eric Cantona say about seagulls following a fishing boat?

We rounded the corner to turn into Sant Antoni in a fair old chop, whilst getting out the way of a rather grand sailing yacht and a fishing boat heading for home. By now we in a F5 and we blasted up to the entrance to the harbour.

Interesting Arabic style building son one of the headlands

What delight that the marinaro answered on the VHF immediately and gave us directions to the berth. Fortunately our space was a little sheltered from the wind so we parked with no bother. I had to do a double take because one the marinaros was the absolute spitting image of Peter Andre. There was a rather splendid super-yacht at the end of the quay, that someone like him could be a guest on. I realised it wasn’t him, when he got on his bike to go to help others.

This Club Nautico marina is rather plush, but still a reasonable price, as we are outside high season. The offices and other facilities are great; there is piped music on the quay and it’s a stones throw from the shops and restaurants.

We were all tidied up just before the rain started, perfect timing.

Distance covered today	25	nautical miles
Trip distance covered	328	nautical miles
Distance covered 2019	328	nautical miles
Tricia (and Steve)