Time had caught us unawares and it was time to make plans to head south and west.
With a distance of 550nm to Gibraltar, we were keen to break the journey into small legs. For that we needed the cooperation of the weather. Did it play ball?
Timeline
We spent almost two weeks in Menorca, visiting a variety of anchorages. Softer than it's big sister, but no less beautiful - the jagged coastline softened by idyllic sandy beaches and calas.
Sailing Menorca is Magical
We'd left the west coast of Mallorca to visit the large bay of Pollenca, an all weather anchorage. Being on constant alert for changes in the weather can be exhausting! It was a safe place to catch up with some boat jobs, to explore the area and restock.
What to do in Pollença Bay
A weather window provided opportunity to leave Soller and visit two stunning calas on west Mallorca. Cala Tuent and Cala Sa Calobra, famed for the majestic Torrent de Pareis, a river cut passage between two tall cliffs.
After two great days we continued north, with fickle winds.
Sailing West Mallorca – A Magical Sail Along the Wild ...
Third time lucky! We took a chance to visit the anchorage of Soller on Mallorca's west coast, having been thwarted twice before.
It's a beautiful horseshoe bay, surrounded by the towering mountains of the Tramuntana mountain range.
Sailing to Soller: Third Time Lucky
A wind free day had us motoring from Santa Ponca to Cala Deia on Mallorca's west coast.
It was a beautiful day for enjoying the scenery.
The cala is very pretty, backed by the Tramuntana mountains.
And amazingly, we had the place all to ourselves overnight!
A Compromise Win at Cala Deia
Whilst sailing from Ibiza to Mallorca, the wind died and we had to motor. Just after switching on, the engine stuttered and died. Diesel bug had blocked one half of our fuel system. Read on for how we dealt with this.
Attack of the Diesel Bug
We had our best passage ever in the Med, sailing between the Spanish mainland and Formentera.
After a few days relaxing, we headed on to the north of Ibiza and the visually stunning anchorage of Punta Grossa.
Our New Best Overnight Passage in the Med
We'd been chased away from the rugged peninsula of Cabo Tinoso by swell which was bending around the headland and making life uncomfortable. We headed east to Mar Menor and experienced one of those days that are memorable for the wrong reasons.
The Curse of the Mar Menor
Leaving Cartagena marina, post COVID lockdown, we travelled a few miles west to Cabo Tinoso where we relished the freedom of the wild anchorages. We explored ashore and relaxed on the calm, blue water, before moving west to Azohia when the winds turned east.
Freedom Tastes Great at Cabo Tinoso
We were finally able to leave the marina two months later than planned and headed out a short distance to Cabo Tinoso. Emerald wasn't going to let us relax however, and threw several unexpected problems our way.
Little Steps to Freedom 2020
A summary of our travels and expenses for the year 2019, where we left Marina di Ragusa for Tunisia, then headed north to spend three months on the French Cote d'Azure. From there we sailed south down Mediterranean Spain to our winter berth in Cartagena.