Time has 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? We had some great moments - encounters with local legends, live music, old friends and a chance meeting with a sister boat.

Time to Leave the Med

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.

Magical Menorca

We'd left the west coast of Mallorca to visit the large bay of Pollenca, known for being an all weather anchorage. The all round shelter was very appealing. 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 have some fun exploring the area and restock the stores.

Playtime in Pollença Bay

A weather window gave us a chance to move on from Soller and visit two stunning calas on west Mallorca's coast - Cala Tuent and Cala Sa Calobra, famed for the stunning Torrent de Pareis - a river that has cut a narrow passage between two tall cliffs. After two great days we continued north, with winds that couldn't decide what they wanted to do.

Wild West Mallorca

5
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.

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

3
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

1
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 Passage in the Med

2
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

4
In May we took the choice to leave the marina, despite there being a 12nm navigation limit at that time, imposed during the easing of lockdown restrictions. The marina fees were eating large chunks out of our income, after all, we usually only spend a handful of nights in a […]

Freedom Tastes Great at Cabo Tinoso

4
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

7
Here is the summary of our 2019 season: a run down of our route, followed by a cost review. This season was a shorter one than previous seasons, bookended with a month long stay in Monastir whilst we took some land travel and an early arrival into our winter berth […]

Sailing Summary 2019