5^th May   MAHON – MENORCA

39 53.7 N   04 15.4E

Clive and Julia were flying out of Palma on 6^th, S out from Mahon on 6^th, and Paul Smiddy joining at Mahon on 6^th, classic foul up. C and J decided to spend 5^th and 6^th on Mallorca rather than risk trying to catch 5pm ferry from Mahon in order to return where they had just come from.

S and I left at 7.45, C and J throwing us the stern lines. In spite of the assurances of the marinero the previous evening, who had clearly little empathy with King Canute, the wind and swell had not died in the night, they were as strong as ever.

S dropped the two fixed lines. The stern lines were free. We motored forward. A load of fishing line (nylon) had got entangled with the two fixed lines. The bow caught it, stopping them from dropping further in the water, and leaving the line from the quay out at an angle, instead of just dropping. I reversed slightly to free the nylon, and the lifting line from the quay on my port side was caught in my prop. Great. I was about 2 ft off the quay, being pushed onto it with swell and a westerly wind. So, out of neutral, into forward, the rope cutter worked, the bow pushed the nylon (it was a whole bundle of filaments) until it broke, the fixed lines dropped, and we were free.

The trip across to Mahon was in a heavy swell, the wind behind us, but with the jib up we made good progress, and saw about 6 yachts heading the other way.

The entry into Mahon was a revelation. I was aware that it had been the centre of the British Navy in the 18^th century, but the fortifications were splendid, great gates with coats of arms above, a long Cala with Mahon on one side, villas on the other, islands with various other fortifications, it was like entering another century. We saw another Rassy (a 48) coming in, I think he’d come from Corsica, he was registered in Bastia.

We headed down right to the end of the harbour, where Marina de Menorca is. I called several times on VHF, got no answer. Eventually a guy working on a boat gestured to us that there was a berth on pontoon 6, cycled round to it, took our lines and saw us sorted. It turned out he lived aboard the boat we were berthed next to, he wasn’t marina staff. I went to the marina office. Closed Saturday afternoon, and all day Sunday… we needed gate passes for entry to the pontoon. So I ended up sticking insulating tape over the lock so it wdn’t close, and S found a handy bit of stick with which to prop it open as a back up.

We went to town, which was interesting, British architecture in the old houses, sash windows, shutters etc. But it was very quiet, nothing happening, though it was early evening, perhaps things took off later? We had a snack, in a pizzeria by the waterfront, right by the Sunseeker Marina Estrella, which ended up filling us, and headed back to the boat, knackered as usual.

Covered 55 NM today