Arrived in Porto Colom, Mallorca! Thanks for The Help So far!!

[Richard10002]

I've spent a super week in the anchorages around Islettas near Palma, (lat39d 32m 05sN lon 2d 35m 30sE actually 4 anchorages of which this position is the nicest), and only on the last day discovered the delivery guy from the local beach club restaurant, Tel: 670 223 006 for sandwiches, salads, paella, drinks - delivered to the boat. I had a lovely roast beef sandwich with chips 12 euros.

On the advice of some here, i'm now moored on a buoy in Porto Colom, so can go ashore without worrying about the boat and the anchor, (not sure what the buoy is going to cost.

Didnt know the channel for the Port Authority, (who own the buoys), so I called the marina and they said just find a vacant one and pick it - so I did..... possibly the last one available with any depth, (2.5m).i presume someone will find me and introduce me to the registration and payment system - or maybe I'll call at the Port Authority office and declare myself.

Looks nice, and there's a great, (so far), PAYG hotspot - 16 euros for a week, which should enable me to use Skype, so that will save me loads more than 16 euros.

I'll be off for a look around in the tender shortly, (or maybe tomorrow - there's no rush).

Anyone know where is the best place to land the tender for the supermarket and restaurants and stuff? - I'm guessing the Port Authority pontoons, but a heads up would be handy so i'm not going off in the wrong direction in my not very fast tender.

This was really to say thanks to those who have provided info on various places in Mallorca and Ibiza, and all the anchoring support so far. Sleep fairly comfortably if I'm dug in in sand - wont ba anchoring in weed again.

Cheers

Richard

 

[davidbains]

Some time since I've been there Richard but the pontoons sound right, a small air conditioned minimarket used to be there in the nw corner. Stinking hot here in Monfie, 36C in the cabin with the fan on!! Does make you wander about the weather breaking and thunderstorms returning. Family arrive on Fri and heading south on Sun. You're well placed now for your crossing to Sardinia. Do follow the weather.

 

[redbreast]

Hi noticed you mentioned the heat We are planning a year out, trip with a boat soon and one of my questions was how best to cope with the heat, does it depend on the boat you get or the amount of power avaiable . to allow cooling devises. Cheers

 

[Richard10002]

So far, i open all the hatches, fit a Windscoop to the forehatch, (may get another one), and go for a swim if it gets too much. Seems to work up to about 35C

or get a boat with a built in generator and A/C.

You also acclimatise to it over a period of time.

 

[farquart]

Hi Richard sounds like your having a great time, my girlfriend and I did the trip on a £7,000 boat over 2 years so when you spent 12 euros on a sandwhich I nearly spat my cornflakes out. Anyway I am posting to let you know about Cabrera which is a national trust island not far from where you are. You can get a permit from the capitainerie and can only stay 1 night this time of year, but is worth the trip.

This is a 14th century fort that over looks the entrance to the harbour

Our Contest 29 circa 1968

We are now back in England with our first child, but would love to be livaboards again. You must be having a fantastic time.

 

[Richard10002]

[ QUOTE ]
Hi Richard sounds like your having a great time, my girlfriend and I did the trip on a £7,000 boat over 2 years so when you spent 12 euros on a sandwhich I nearly spat my cornflakes out. Anyway I am posting to let you know about Cabrera.....

[/ QUOTE ]

I know what you mean about the sandwich, (and dont forget the chips, a really big plate - couldnt eat all of them!), but I had not been off the boat for 6 days and, apart from fuel to charge the batteries, ham and cheese sandwiches, and soup, all from stores, I hadnt spent a penny/cent. I did it just because it was there, it was a novelty, and I wanted to be able to say that I had lunch delivered to the boat.

We wont be able to get to Cabrera unfortunately. It looks beautiful. Single handed I just do the trips I need to and, when the crew arrive on Sunday, we're off, subject to weather.

You're right, I'm having the time of my life. Every now and then I have to pinch myself to make sure it's not a dream, and occassionally i burst into uncontrolled laughter. Long may it last - just hope the rents keep coming.

 

[simon]

Land at the fuel pontoon and there is a good supermarket directly opposite.

 

[Richard10002]

Found the supermarket, ice from the little petrol station nr. fuel pontoon, and 2 x Camping Gaz 907 on order with Ferreteria Artigues for Saturday, (Marina 14 - 07670 Porto Colom tel 971 825 521). Great shop.... quite a bit of boaty stuff as well as usual hardware store stuff.

Job's a good 'un!

Going to investigate car hire places at Cala Marsal later, (2 crew arriving Friday and Sunday and a taxi costs about £60, so got to be worth getting a car).

Cost of the mooring is L x B x 0.112777 + 16% tax per day - beats the hell out of marina charges! 29 euros for 4 days, less than half the cost of a night in any marina we've stayed in.

 

[Perry]

What a great little supermarket that is, it was shut when we visited in June so we just had an ice cream and cracked towards Port Adriano.

 

[jonic]

Hi Richard

Glad you are enjoying Colom. El Barco to the right (by some distance, but you can dinghy right outside) of the fuel pontoon does the most spectacular Tapa of Lamb Chops and Dates in Bacon.

We are in Alcudia and leave for Ibiza tomorrow, but via Soller, so won't see you.

Have a great trip /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

(Still pinching myself after almost 5 yrs on and off..........it's the worlds best kept secret)

 

[Richard10002]

Seems I'm missing everyone, (MartynK and Medreamer and you!). never mind... very glad to meet Lemain in San Antonio after 10 years of speaking via the internet - we were anchored in a little bay, (Cala port del Torrent), just outside the harbour when there was a shout from a tender - "is that Richard Faulkner?", everyone on board thought it was a set up, but it was pure coincidence! I guess that's how it happens - hard to plan anything with sailing.

Colom is good so far. dingy'd to the SW corner tonight, walked almost to Cala marcal to investigate car hire, then had dinner in the Square, to live "music" and dancing, (public, not performers) - very nice.

Unlike many places, there dont seem to be any restrictions on where you leave your dinghy here. Asked the Port Authority and they said anywhere you like if there is space.

Sorry we missed each other - martyn said "maybe next time", but it will almost certainly be a while before we pass through again ... but you never know!

have a good trip - I guess you are anchoring/mooring buoys rather than looking for marina berths?

 

[jonic]

Best laid plans etc....

I have been struck down by the Mallorcian sore throat virus lurgy so we are still in Alcudia on pontoon 5 if you are heading this way.

Fair winds

 

[Galeone]

Hi jonic
you`ve been struck by the Mallorcian sore throat virus. Can you tell me about it? I was 3 weeks ago from Palma to Port Colon and
back to Palma all of the crew had a bad cough afterwards. I`m still
not recovered yet. Are there are othher implications?
Glad to hear from you. Harm

 

[Anonymous]

[ QUOTE ]
.....very glad to meet Lemain in San Antonio after 10 years of speaking via the internet - we were anchored in a little bay, (Cala port del Torrent), just outside the harbour when there was a shout from a tender - "is that Richard Faulkner?", everyone on board thought it was a set up, but it was pure coincidence!

[/ QUOTE ]

A Rogue always stands out, Richard /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif It was good to meet you, I couldn't believe my eyes....I was just going over in the tender to check out the cala as a place to take the yacht for swimming in the day. Your incident with the jellyfish put me off that idea /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

I'm glad you're into moorings now. So many yachtsmen are becoming marina-minded and we need to get more demand for moorings and anchorages. Of course it is all led by marinas wanting to make money and they make the argument that people at anchor or moorings are 'water gypsies' and second-class citizens. The truth is that in the Med you don't want to be in a marina unless you have infirm visitors (and air conditioning). You can't use a wind scoop effectively in a marina and you get the extra heat from the sun on the buildings and hard standing.

Enjoy your summer! We are back in Almerimar for a week and will then go down to Gib and hopefully Smir and/or Melilla. Probably do Gib last to fuel up if diesel is still cheap there?

BTW, Can you remind me the name of that mobile phone card you are using for internet connection, or direct me to your thread? Was it Oygo?

 

[Richard10002]

[quoteI'm glad you're into moorings now. So many yachtsmen are becoming marina-minded and we need to get more demand for moorings and anchorages. Of course it is all led by marinas wanting to make money and they make the argument that people at anchor or moorings are 'water gypsies' and second-class citizens. The truth is that in the Med you don't want to be in a marina unless you have infirm visitors (and air conditioning). You can't use a wind scoop effectively in a marina and you get the extra heat from the sun on the buildings and hard standing.

BTW, Can you remind me the name of that mobile phone card you are using for internet connection, or direct me to your thread? Was it Oygo?

[/ QUOTE ]

The SIM card is YOIGO, and can be bought from The Phone House, (you need passport ID - driving licence no good), which is the Spanish equivalent of Carphone Warehouse).

We have been anchored off the active volcanic island of Stromboli for 3 nights, and will probably stay another couple of nights before heading off to get janet to the airport in Scicily for a week on Saturday..... Stromboli is continuously puffing steam and whatever out of its' crater... amazing.

had a day in the marina at Villasimius, Sardinia, 2 days in marina Di Stabia, (not as cheap as suggested here - 80e per night for 13.12m x 4.17m), excellent marina facilities, but no bars/restaurants to speak of, and miles from anywhere. we hired a car at 50e per day, and did pompeii.

1 night in Amalfi - stern to the pleasure boat quay from 8pm to 8am, (own anchor), for free... then on to Stromboli - lovely island.

Have a great summer - we are!!!

Richard