Islas Vedras, Ibiza.

Salara had sailed along the Spanish coast to Torrevieja and although I had considered heading for Calpe and having a shorter trip across to Ibiza I had abandoned the idea and decided to leave from Torrevieja and do an overnight passage there. Salara had been anchored in the outer harbour of Torrevieja so with no fees to pay it was an easy matter to lift the anchor and set off. I left via the fuel berth where I filled my spare fuel cans and it was just after 1100 hours as Salara left the harbour.

The sea was calm and there was no breeze as Salara motored east. I had every confidence that fair winds would arrive soon as forecast. At noon the promised breeze set in from the southeast and Salara was able to sail steered by the Hydrovane, we were 101 miles from our landfall waypoint on the northern tip of Formentera. That is how she continued throughout the day as the breeze freshened and slowly veered to the south and at midnight Salara was 33 miles from her waypoint. By 0500 hours she had eight miles to go and as I did not want to arrive in the darkness I furled the genoa to slow her down, the breeze was dieing anyway.

At first light I started the engine and motored the remaining few miles to anchor behind the sand spit that runs between the islands of Formentera and Espalmador. It had been a very easy trip for me with very little to do apart for the navigation. However I was definitely ready to go to bed and catch up on my lost sleep.

When I awoke in the early afternoon the anchorage was in it’s usual turmoil and Salara was rolling badly. This is caused by the wash from the ferries which run regularly between Ibiza and Formentera and the many motor boats that visit during the day. Jetskis and RIBs zoom about with everyone having a great time. In the evening they all disappear back to whence they came and the anchorage quiets down.

I stayed for one more night but left fairly early for Port Roig on Ibiza a couple of hours away. There was no wind so Salara motored all the way there and I dropped anchor close inshore in 5 metres of water.

I had been having trouble with the pressurised freshwater system so spent the afternoon lifting floor boards and delving into tight spaces to check and tighten plumbing connections some of which were leaking slightly. Despite my efforts I still had a problem as the system fuse kept blowing. I decided to use the manual pump in the galley to draw water from the tank until I had sorted things out. So I went for a swim before it was time to cook dinner and spend a quiet night in what is a lovely anchorage.

The following morning I moved again, this time north to Cala Terida and again for lack of a breeze Salara had to motor all the way. I enjoyed the trip as the coast is pretty spectacular as you pass between Islas Vedras and the mainland of Ibiza. Cala Terida is less spectacular as it is low laying and backed by a large tourist complex but a popular anchorage non the less. I found Salara a spot among the yachts already there and dropped anchor for the night.

As I had time to spare I again confronted the freshwater pump problem. This time I completely replaced the pump and pressure switch which I should have done to start with and saved myself a lot of trouble. Salara carries lots of spares and it certainly pays off so I had a cold beer to celebrate my success.

In the morning Salara was on the move again heading to the port of San Antonio via the difficult and shallow passage between Isla Bosque and Isla Conejera. Again I wanted to check how the Navionics system performed. I have been through here using transits and my Mark One Eyeball previously while biting my fingernails to the quick. All credit to Navionics it piloted Salara through and when the reef and its rocky fangs smiled at me I was able to smile happily back. I was still smiling a little later when I anchored Salara in San Antonio.

I did not plan to stay for long in San Antonio as whenever Salara is here a crisis occurs and this time was no exception. The following afternoon the wind blew into the anchorage from the northwest at over twenty knots causing yachts to drag their anchors. Salara was OK but never the less I decided to move her further into the harbour close to the permanent moorings.
I did this but almost immediately I was told to move on by the moorings attendant. With much grumbling I found another spot and anchored there luckily annoying no one.

The next day I changed one of my Camping Gaz bottles for the exhorbitant cost of 28 euros, I visited the supermarket and stocked up with food and beer. Then the next day I steered Salara back out to sea as we felt the need to sail. This time Salara sailed around Isla Conejera and back to the anchorage at Cala Terida. My plan was to head along the coast to Portinatx and then across to Porto Santo in Mallorca.

The next morning Salara once again braved the passage between La Bosque and Isla Conejera and then motor sailed along the north coast of Ibiza to the pretty resort of Portinatx where she stayed at anchor for a few days while awaiting a fair breeze to push her to Santa Ponsa, Mallorca, fifty nautical miles further east.

Eventually the forecast was suitable so Salara left early one morning and although she had to motorsail for the first few miles the promised breeze arrived so she was able to sail for the remainder of the trip until she dropped anchor during the early evening in the crowded anchorage at Santa Ponsa.