Sundowner II log – 2005 update 17 – Ibiza to Majorca

Time to move on again with the target of Minorca via Majorca to meet Sandra's sister Tara and her boyfriend Lee in a couple weeks time they are waiting to book their flights when we make landfall.

Motoring along the coast took us to the island of Imagoes which is very small but has a good sheltered bay where we chilled and had lunch before moving on to find a place for the night. The coast is very beautiful and after exploring a few callas settled on the little narrow cala of Jonch with only just enough room to swing around the short anchor chain which meant an hourly watch through the night. By chance more than design we were now at the most easterly point of Ibiza giving us the shortest route to cross to Majorca. It was nice to be on the move again but feeling a bit relaxed after a hot day and a couple wines, also only able to have a quick dip due to the dozens of jelly fish Dennis having to keep a stingray watch for Sandra, we couldn't take advantage of the westerly wind that started to blow nicely on the 9 o'clock watch and at eleven the full moon shone on a calm sea visible to the horizon out through the entrance which would have shown us the way for the 52 mile sail but sometimes you can push your luck too far and as it happened after doing our alternative watches through the night we overslept and didn't leave until seven when the wind changed pushing us further north of our course. We were passed by numerous boats motoring a more direct course but with the forecast predicting a change to a more southerly wind we carried on and it turned out an excellent days sail, one tack taking 12 hours from anchorage to anchorage arriving in Santa Ponsa before sunset. We weren't actually supposed to be going there but when we had demonstrated the C.map to Laurent comparing it with his system a couple of days previous we had programed Ponsa instead of Andraitx a couple miles north and in the fun of sailing consistently fast hadn't noticed. The few hours before landfall were pretty exciting in the rising wind and sea but the devil on the shoulder took over and wanted to see what Sundowner could do even keeping the auto helm on and sitting back as she steamed ahead slicing the waves with her starboard bow seeming to rejoice in her freedom from the hands of the nervous novices on her back one sitting adding weight to the weather side and the other trying to work out why the coastline didn't resemble what was shown in the pilot book. Being well past the reefing point the speed was enough not to be stopped by the odd doubled up waves and just enough to send a spout of water into the faces of the admiring occupants in the centre cockpit. At turned out Santa Ponsa was ideal although it is a tourist resort it had most of the things you could want a safe protected scenic anchorage, peanut butter and a bar. The Bar Rumba was the first we found when we took a walk at eleven in the morning and it was nice to be in an English pub atmosphere for a change so after a bit of banter over a few beers and a 5 o'clock breakfast we wobbled out saying goodbye to Jerry,Mags,and jet the friendly pub dog, their motto "There are no strangers in Bar Rumba only friends we haven't met yet" is certainly true. We are now in Minorca a week ahead of schedule so chilled doing nothing utopia comes to mind - ciao.