We woke to find many more yachts had joined us in the bay. The norwesterly wind had picked up and this bay offered the best protection. Ros and Garth also woke to news that their son David had gone over the handlebars of his push bike overnight, had been knocked unconscious for some time and was now in the EA at Royal Melbourne. The intention had been to sail to an outer island today but as internet connectivity would be uncertain there, we opted for a lay day, to ensure communications while waiting for more medical updates. The day was spent quietly snorkelling the protected coves and chasms of the bay, catching up on sleep and generally preparing for the passage to the Balearics. This was the first lay day since we left Australia on 9 June, so no one minded at all! Atlantic salmon with potato mash and coleslaw was enjoyed for dinner and by then there was news that David was stable, out of EA and waiting for an MRI when neck swelling had subsided.
As David's condition seemed stable and Andrea was with him, next morning we prepared to sail, after another quick swim for those who were keen. By 10:00 we headed out of the bay and set our course for Ilsa Menorca, the most northern island of the Spanish Balearic group. The wind was still from the norwest at about 20 knots, the quartering sea not the most comfortable but it was a whole lot better than our previous passage. Wind strength was predicted to decrease through the day, so we needed to make the most of the stronger conditions for as long as possible. Ros managed to injure herself when attempting to secure a turning block on the foredeck, which resulted in some nasty bruising but thankfully, nothing more serious. Bruises are very easy to collect in this type of adventure!
The day and night passed, with all of us coping with the demands of the passage. The skipper was keen to pole out the headsail, but decided it would create unnecessary pressure on the crew, so we would make slower speed but be less vulnerable to wind shifts. The swell was not commensurate with the decreased amount of true wind as the hours passed, due to the sea taking a while longer to abate. The sun set and the full moon rose in all its glory, which provided silvery illumination throughout the whole night. Venus and Jupiter made another appearance, along with a sprinkling of distant stars. Two different pods of dolphins came to play with Trilogy and stayed for a long time racing along, under and around the bow, until something else took their fancy and bid us adieu. No shipping was encountered and so we felt very much alone in the vastness of the ocean, apart from the friendship shown by the dolphins.
The three hour watches continued and we all managed enough sleep to stay alert. The skipper was forever vigilant and on call even when he napped, and we kept the routine going all the way to the Balearics. Constant checking of wind shifts became paramount, so that the sails remained powered up and we maximised our speed at greater than 7 knots. After all, we did not want to make landfall at night and our ETA was 18:00. Land was sighted on the distant horizon, with about 20 NM to go. It seemed to take forever to sail the last stretch, but with a shifting of the breeze, we went to a beam reach for a lovely run to the finish line.
What greeted us was a deep narrow inlet with substantial fortifications on the headland known as La Mola. The port and starboard markers were quite close together and once the entry was negotiated we immediately turned to starboard to enter a narrow rock walled channel leading into an almost completely enclosed bay called Cala Taulera. The small bay was filled with yachts and other craft and the anchorage was tight, but our determination to drop the anchor won through and we did just that around 18:30!
Our greatest desire was to have a swim on arrival, but we thought better of it as we knew that most of these boats did not have holding tanks. As many of the boats headed back to the main harbour on dusk, we settled for GNTs as the sun set admiring the high walled fortifications on Isla del Lazareto, enjoyed baked pork fillets with a mustard cream sauce washed down with copious red and an early night.
Next morning we entered Puerto de Mahon and we're delighted by the vista. There was a feeling of Sydney Harbour but on a smaller scale, with sandstone cliffs, large areas of green vegetation and housing of various grandeur perched on all vantage points. The buildings were mostly painted white with arches and shuttered windows and terracotta tile roofs, interspersed with an occasional deep rust coloured house, which made the scene most attractive. As we nudged our way up the busy waterway, which has the same bends that exist in Port Jackson, a very large TransMediterranean ferry honked at us to get out of its way. That resolved, we pushed up to Marina Menorca and secured the lines.
Another busy day doing our chores in the heat, we were glad to flop for a while in the evening before heading to the floating Ristorante Minerva, where we dined on whole sea bass, roast lamb and seafood paella (pronounced pay-ya). The local wines are quite acceptable and the evening sunset was again mesmerising. All was most pleasant except for the cigar and cigarette diners who blasted us thoughtlessly. We are left wondering why Europeans in general do not seem to be heeding the risks associated with smoking.
Baileys for all back on Trilogy and off to bed we stumbled.
Postscript: David is home in a neck brace but still has considerable pain. He has been told to rest for two weeks.