We sailed from Cuitadella with intentions of anchoring somewhere along the Southern edge of Menorca, as the wind forecast >laughs loudly< was supposedly coming from the North East, so PLAN A .. head south around the island and then head for the capital of Menorca Mahon to refuel.
Looking at the charts I decided Cala Galdana was a big enough and safe anchorage to sit out the 25 knots forecast for the following day , so we slid into the bay , no other yachts in there we had it to our selves and also PRIME POSITION ...wow , first time ever we have anchored and dropped back to the safe swim zone buoys, normally we are in the cheap seats miles away from the beach and rolling from the constant traffic.
We dropped anchor in 6 meters of water and laid out 50 meters of chain - paranoid - I like sleeping at night safe in the knowledge we are NOT moving and you will NOT see me running around in my birthday suit trying to re anchor at 03:00
We sat back with a bottle of wine and watched the sun set over the hillside in the distance, a feeling of being at one with nature, the LED anchore light was plugged in and we sat back inside the yachts cosy interior and recapped on the days adventure.
The following morning at 07:00 we were awoken by the sounds of heavy machinery and jack hammers chipping away at concrete - the local hotel was getting a makeover and we were downwind of the noise, I wasn't moving now it was blowing up a little and we knew the wind was on its way.
The forecast was for the North Easterly to continue until mid day drop from 25 knots to nothing and then veer to South before settling into a Westerly wind the following day, so we sat back and waited.
Around 16:00 another yacht came into the anchorage , a French boat , he called and asked where our anchor was laying and how much chain we had down , he looked a little gob smacked and asked twice ... 15 meters monsieur ? ..NON 50 meters ...5 ... 0 ... Sacre bleu I think he said ?
the French yacht dropped her anchor and maybe laid out a measly 30 meters of chain , we watched for the next 4 hours as he jigged from cockpit to pulpit (front of boat) checking his anchor wasn't dragging , eventually he gave in with the rock and roll and motored back out of the Cala - we were to see him again in Ciutadella when we refuelled - he spent the night in another marina , I did feel a little smug at that point I must confess.