Brilliant's 2005 Season Summary

Hi everyone,

Sorry this is a bit late this year, we had a major hard drive crash and are now on a new laptop. A boat is a very tough environment for a computer.

We are still in the marina at Almerimar, Spain. Marina life during the off season is not very exciting for cruisers, but we make the best of it. In Almerimar this winter there are probably over a hundred folks wintering over, mostly from the U.K., a few Scandinavians, a mix of other Europeans and two other American boats. It's a good group and we have a cruisers net every morning on the VHF radio to exchange information, sell and buy "treasures of the bilge" and pass out the social events calendar.

Living in the marina is a wonderful time to work on boat maintenance and improvements projects and we are staying very busy. But after a short time, the sea beckons and new horizons start calling and I find myself at the navigation table planning our routes for the upcoming season.

Below is a summary of last years travels. If you missed any of "Brilliant's" Logs from last season we have recovered all the logs and can send them to you. We also have available our 2002, 2003, and 2004 logs on the hard drive as well, if there are some truly interested folks.

The log should start again in mid April as we are planning on heading east along the coast of Spain towards Barcalona. We have a new digital camera so we're hoping we'll be able to send along a few pictures as we go. For those that do not want to receive the pictures (the files can be large), please let us know and we'll start another group for non-photo folks. As always if you don't wish to receive the log just drop us an e-mail and we will remove you from the list.

Pete & Stephanie Peterson
s/y "Brilliant"



Brilliant's 2005 Season Summary

Underway: 8 April-16 October 2005

Total Distance Covered: 2995 Nautical Miles (3447 Miles)
Total Distance Covered since retirement April 2002: 9219 Nautical Miles (10,609 Miles)


2005 Ports of Call:

Malta

Misida Creek, Valletta, 79NM

Italy

At Anchor, Outer Harbor, Licata, Sicily, 25 NM
Guest Pontoon, Porto Empedocle, Sicily, 28NM
Yacht Club, Sciacca, Sicily, 68NM
Quayside, Porto Nuovo, Pantelleria, Italy 40NM

Tunisa

Rafted, Fishing Harbor, Kelibia, 65NM
Monastir Marina, Monastir, 41NM
Quayside, Fishing Harbor, Beni Khiar, 29NM
Rafted, Fishing Harbor, Kelibia, 42NM

Italy

At Anchor, Porto Nouvo, Pantelleria Island, 141NM

Malta

Manoel Island Marina, Lazaretto Creek, Valletta, 56NM

Italy

South and West Coast of Sicily
At Anchor, Porto Palo, 32NM
At Anchor/Town Quay, Siracusa, 32NM
At Anchor, Porto Palo, 67NM
Outer Harbor, Licata, 23NM
Outer Harbor, Porto Empedocle, 27NM
Yacht Club, Sciacca, 41NM
Marsala Marina, Marsala, 11NM


Egadi Islands, West of Sicily
At Anchor, Punto Longo, Isola Favignana, 10NM
At Anchor, Cala Fredda, Isola Levanzo, 7NM
At Anchor, South Coast, Isola Favignana, 12NM

West and North Coast of Sicily
Town Quay, Trapani, 20
At Anchor, San Vito Lo Capo, 20NM
At Anchor, Mondello, 35NM
At Anchor, Cefalu, 50NM

Aeolian Islands

At Anchor, Porto di Pomente, Isola Volcano, 8NM
At Anchor, North of Conetta, Isola Lipari, 15NM
At Anchor, Isola Filicudi, 250NM

Sardinia

At Anchor/Marina, Arbotax, 45NM
Free Marina, La Caletta, 14NM
At Anchor, Porto Brandinghi, 6NM
At Anchor, Porto Della Taverna, 15NM
At Anchor, Gulfo di Aranci, 3NM
At Anchor, Isola Porri, 19NM
At Anchor, Porto Cervo, 10NM
At Anchor, Gulfo Arzachena, 52NM

France

Corsica
At Anchor, Bonifacio, 13 NM

Italy
Sardinia
At Anchor, Baia Reparata, Capo Testa, 304NM

Spain

Baleares Islands
Menorca
At Anchor, Cala Teulara, Mahon, 3NM
Floating Dock, Isola Clemintina, Mahon Harbor, Mahon, 3NM
At Anchor, Cala Teulara, Mahon, 13NM
At Anchor, Cala Porte, 11NM
At Anchor, Cala Galdana, 140NM

Ibiza
At Anchor, Ibiza Harbor, 278NM

Costa del Sol
Puerto de Portivo Almerimar Marina, Almerimar, 135NM

Gibraltar

At Anchor Gibraltar/La Linea border near the Airport, 37NM

Spain
Costa del Sol

Marina La Bajadilla, Marbello, 52NM
Marina Caleta del Velez, Malaga, 63NM
Puerto de Portivo Almerimar Marina, Almerimar



Favorite Anchorage: We decided the Isola Favagnina in the Egadi Islands just off the west coast of Sicily provide us the best in weather, clear water for swimming, a great selection of anchorages.

New Equipment/Modifications that improved our cruising life:

- The new Single Side Band (SSB) radio a Kenwood TS-50S/AT-50, HF Transceiver and Tuner - While we had been doing fine for the pass three season without the ability to transmit on the HF bands, it was really fun to be an active member of the Mediterranean Cruisers Net. The new radio also did wonders to improve our ability to receive weather information and news.

- ICOM M402 VHF Radio with DSC and a Command Mike for the cockpit that works like a second station. With a new antenna and antenna cable the difference has been amazing. We call someone on the radio and they can actually hear us. It is also tied into our GPS and in an emergency will transmit our position as well as the emergency signal.

- The PUR 80 watermaker - Added last season greatly extends our ability to stay at anchor without worrying about finding a place to fill up the water tanks. We ran into a string of ports along the west and north shores of Sicily where we were unable to find potable water on the docks. The watermaker kept our tanks full of fresh water for over 30 days.

- The Standing Rigging - We spent big bucks replacing all the stainless steel standing rigging (the wires that keep the mast up). While we could see nothing wrong with the old rigging, it was 15 years old and the peace of mind we have now is priceless.

This winter's projects include:

- A new water lift muffler for the engine.
- Installing an amp meter to see the output of the Alternator
- A new set of navigation instruments. Including speed/depth/wind and a nice new plus a repeat at the navigation station below.
- And many any small things that we hope will make life aboard just a bit better.

15-05 Brilliant's Log, 14-16 October 2005

Hi Brilliant's Crew,

I'm sorry to say, this will be the last log of our 2005 season as we are
settling into our winter quarters at Almerimar, Spain. We are very
comfortable and happy with our decision not to cross the Atlantic this
season and look forward to our next season in the Med. I will send a
summary of our season in the next week or so.

Pete & Stephanie
s/y "Brilliant"




Brilliant's Log

14 October 2005, Friday, Gibraltar, 36-09N/05-22W

Departure from Gibraltar. Passage to Marbella, Spain.

A beautiful clear morning with a light west wind promised us a good day for sailing. We took a quick trip into La Linea on the Spanish side of Gibraltar, before our departure, to pick up some fresh bread and to send the
last log out at the internet cafe'. Then tried to say goodbye to the other boats in the anchorage who we had been waiting to cross with. Unfortunately most of them took advantage of the calm morning to go ashore. We wish them fair winds and calm seas as they depart.

The tidal streams of Gibraltar are significant, running as much as 3 knots. As we learned coming into the approaches to the straight it is very important to carefully plan any travel in the area with the tide tables. For our departure back to the east we didn't need to depart until one hour before high water which was at noon.

The ride out of Gibraltar Bay was much easier with the current as we wove in and out of the many huge merchant ships at anchor. Listening to their chatter on the VHF radio had entertained us on those days we had been stuck aboard "Brilliant" in the anchorage. As we reached Europa Point we turned left, brought the genoa out and shut the engine down. The wind was dead astern, the sea was flat and we were making over six knots in less than 10 knots of wind, sailing wing and wing. With the stress of the decision to go or stay behind us we were very relaxed.

To confirm our decision or just to encourage our progress, we were joined by a pod of dolphins. They stayed with us for almost an hour, riding the bow, jumping and playing. There was one of the groups who seemed to specialize in leaping and crashing over on their sides. It's a special thrill that we never tire of, lying on your stomach on the fore deck, watching dolphins playing in the water just a few feet beneath you.

We made a call to the marina in Almerimar, where we had spent all that time fixing the engine and waiting for our new gearbox and were lucky that they still had a winter space available for us. We could have easily done an overnight passage directly to Almerimar, but we'd decided that with that detail taken care of, we,d take our time and enjoy the sailing along the Costa del Sol.

In the afternoon the winds increased, still on our stern, and "Brilliant" was racing at over seven knots. Really great sailing! We arrived at Marina La Bajadilla near the town of Marbella, Spain just as the sun was setting.

Log 36.8 NM



15 October 2005, Saturday, Marina La Bajadilla, Marbella, Spain, 36-30N/04-53W

We had hoped for an early departure, but the marina office didn't open until 1000. The thought of just leaving was tempting, but it wouldn't have been right for only 11 euros. Taking advantage of the extra time we did a few odd boat chores and lingered over our coffee while we waited.

Underway at 1030 we motored for the first hour, then the breeze filled in as forecast from the east. We fell thirty degrees off of the rhumbline course and started sailing. The flat seas and light wind made for a great sail and the favorable currents helped move us along.

As we tacked to windward just offshore we shared the sea with many other sailboats out enjoying the fine weather and great conditions. There are many marinas to choose from along this coast. We wanted to get as far as we could before sundown and ended up on the east side of Malaga, Spain.

Arriving at little after dark, the marina was already closed, but the very nice young duty marinaro helped us get checked in so we could leave early next morning.

Once we were settled I got to work on a minor problem in the engine compartment. I had noticed that our seawater cooling pump had started to leak a bit and wanted to open it up and see if I could quickly fix the problem. After about an hour of fiddling with it, it was clear I would need to rebuild it. I got it all back together and decided we would have to live with a bit of sea water in the engine bilge for one more day.

Log 52.3 NM


16 October 2005, Sunday, Marina Caleta del Velez, Malaga, Spain,
36-44N/04-04W

Passage from Caleta de Velez to Almerimar.

With another long day ahead of us we left at 0600 to insure we would arrive at Almerimar in daylight. It doesn't get light until after 0800 in Spain this time of year, so we enjoyed a moonlight cruise along the coast to start our day.

The winds were initially light out of the west then veered towards the east southeast and we were able to sail close hauled (this is actually sailing into the wind) for the first three hours on our rhumbline course. Then suddenly and I mean suddenly the wind went from 11-12 knots to nothing. We started the engine up and continued on our way.

Motoring the rest of the day made the passage seem much longer, but we arrived safely at 1730 and went directly to our winter home. It was great to see our friends Nic & Ginette from "Marano" waiting for us on the beach. Once the boat was secured and we were cleaned up we headed over to "Marano" to catch up on news and for a delicious dinner.

Oh! that little leak from the seawater cooling pump filled the engine bilge with water (actually less than a gallon), but didn't cause any other problems. Looks like my first winter project will be to rebuild it and the spare.

Log 63.0 NM

14-05 Brilliant's Log, 29 September - 13 October 2005

Hi Brilliant's Crew,

I'm writing this log while anchored in the shadow of "The Rock of Gibraltar." For a while there, with all of the problems we seem to have had I didn't think we wouldn't be able to make it here this year. Our hoped for one week stop in Almerimar turned into three, but at least we seem to have gotten most everything working right again.

Being in Gibraltar brought the reality of our upcoming first Atlantic ocean crossing clearly into focus. While both of us had many fears and concerns about our first ocean crossing, we have done everything we can to prepare "Brilliant" and ourselves for the next step. We arrived on the 5th of October with high hopes of a quick stop at Gibraltar for some sightseeing and then out into the Atlantic and on to the Canaries. Unfortunately, the weather has conspired against us.

Since we arrived here we have had first strong east winds followed by strong west winds with lots of thunderstorms. But that isn't the problem, it's that we have arrived late in the season to go to the canaries and the steady north winds that would blow us to the Canaries are starting to become variable. We are having to become serious meteorologists as we watch the normal Azores high pressure move off to the UK and a low pressure develop over the Madeira Islands bringing the wind from the south. Looking ahead on the weather fax there is little change before the next week. We have enjoyed visiting Gibraltar and have been waited patiently for our weather window with dozens of other boats, but it hasn't come yet.

The extra delay here has given us enough time to realize that we what we really want to do is stay one more year in the Mediterranean. Our biggest regret leaving was that with all the problems this past summer, we have had to rush through Sardinia, the Baleares and Spain. Now we'll have the time to go back and see them at a slower pace next summer. We are staying! The Caribbean will be there next year.

Pete & Stephanie
s/y "Brilliant"




Brilliant's Log

29 September - 3 October, Thursday-Monday, Almerimar, Spain 38-41N/02-47E

While waiting for the new gearbox to arrive, I started our engine and discovered a new problem. Just what we needed. The alternator that charges our 525 amp hour house battery bank when the engine is running was no longer working. I knew immediately what the problem was; when fixing the heat exchanger some seawater had spilled on the alternator and had caused some corrosion inside. Remember the old axiom, "If something breaks, look at the last thing you fixed for the source of the problem." I was able to find an electrician on Wednesday from another boat in the marina and with his help pulled the alternator apart and cleaned it up. We reinstalled it and it worked! An easy fix. Now with the engine running right again I pulled out the old gearbox to be ready for the new one to arrive on Thursday.

In was Saturday afternoon before he gearbox finally arrived. Not bad only 12 days to get here after the initial promise of 5 to 6 days, one of the joys of cruising. It only took about an hour to have the new gearbox installed and adjusted.

On Sunday we decided to do a short shakedown cruise to make sure all systems were working right. The engine started right up and the gearbox worked! We made our way to the fuel dock to fill our tanks and pay for the marina stay at the office. As we started the engine to head out the alternator light came stayed on telling me it wasn't giving any charge to the batteries. This was the problem I thought was fixed. After checking the belt and a few other things without fixing it. We decided to continue with our shakedown to see if we had any other problems. Within 5 minutes the light went out and all indications were normal again. Intermittent gripes are not comforting when you are planning on crossing the Atlantic.

The rest of the shakedown went well with all systems working. The new gearbox has a higher reduction ratio which is something we needed. We were over pitched with the new propeller we put on the beginning of last season and could not run the engine at its most efficient speed. The new gearbox fixed the problem and we can now cruise with a much higher rpm. The engine is happier (hopefully less carbon buildup) and we are happy too.

Getting back to our slip, we shut the engine down and restarted to see if the alternator problem was really gone. Charge light stayed on again. It was a long evolution of troubleshooting the problem using Nigel Calder's "Boat Owner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual. Finally trying to bypass the regulator with a test light I'd made, to see if that was the problem, it fixed itself again. This was really strange, because I couldn't figure out what fixed it and gave me zero confidence in the alternator and the external regulator.

An evening of starting and stopping the engine with the alternator working every time, still didn't give me confidence after all the other problems we've had. We made the decision to wait one more day and pick up another regulator as a spare and a second alternator w/regulator so that should this one fail again during our passage we had some options. Not a cheap decision, but it gives us some peace of mind.

Log 5 NM



4-5 October 2005, Tuesday-Wednesday, Almerimar, Spain, 38-41N/02-47E

Passage from Almerimar to Gibraltar

We cleaned the decks one last time with our unlimited fresh water and made all our preparations for getting underway. I hiked over to the marina office to checkout and met Stephanie at "Marano" to say good by to our friends Nic and Ginette. We had such a great time cruising with them and will miss their company as we make our way west. We are looking forward to seeing them somewhere in the western hemisphere next year.

It was 1250 before we motored slowly out of the marina and cleared the breakwater. The wind was from the east southeast and gave us the opportunity to start sailing immediately. With only 8 knots apparent wind we were making 4 to 4.5 knots and were on our way.

For the next seven hours we were able to sail despite the uncomfortable following sea. En route we talked with Nic & Ginette on the VHF once an hour. We had been having trouble with the radios all summer and I had replaced our antenna and the wire running through the mast. Nic had also replaced his antenna so we wanted to check them out. The radios worked great and our last check at 26 NM was still very clear. We ate an early dinner, having found that it was easier to cook the big meal in daylight and then have something light in the evening. The sails were starting to flog as we rolled in the chunky seas and we finally decided to start the engine around 1800. Unfortunately, we ended up having to motor all but one hour for the rest of the trip.

The night watches were easy with the shipping traffic well to our south and we both got to enjoy visits by many dolphins. These were small dolphins and came in large pods that would play off our bow. They were also taking advantage of our navigation lights that apparently attract smaller fish. They seemed to be doing very well with their fishing.

There was absolutely no room in any of the three marinas in Gibraltar for us, so we pulled into the fuel dock at Waterport. Check-in formalities were very easy at the Port Authority/Customs office and after we finish fueling we motored over to the anchorage on the Spanish side of the runway that is across the frontier between Spain and Gibraltar.

In the anchorage we found boats we knew; "Quarterdeck", "Magnum" and "Kittywake". We weren't going to lack for company here. While we were getting settled we had dinghies stopping by to chat and fill us in on the local information. Cruisers are great! "Brilliant's" crew was pretty tired after the trip and retired early.

Log 135 NM


6 - 13 October 2005, Gibraltar, 36-09N/05-22W

Sightseeing Gibraltar/La Linea, Spain, waiting for weather and tides. Decision time.

The famous profile you see of "The Rock" does not face the strait, it faces north on the land side of the penisula. Anchored so close we have a ringside seat to enjoy the view. It's impressive to see the different moods of the rock as the weather has changed and watch as clouds form above it as the winds lift the moist sea air.

It was less than a mile dinghy ride to the Waterport quay where we could tie the dinghy up in Gibraltar. We have really enjoyed sightseeing Gibraltar and took advantage of a local tour guide to get the full "Rock" tour. Everything from Europa Point to natural caves and the man made tunnels, plus the Gibraltar apes. But the best of Gibraltar for me is the English Pubs with great beers and pub food! Taking the dinghy to the other side of the frontier we found the very cosmopolitan Spanish town of La Linea. There we found great markets and cheaper internet.

In the anchorage we had quite a social life with visiting other boats and
they visiting us. Weather of course was the main subject of discussion.

So many boats are here waiting for the favorable winds to carry them to the Canaries and we were too. But the extra time really gave us the opportunity to look at what we wanted to do. Our plan had been to get to the Canaries no later than the middle of October then fly back to the states for about six weeks, visiting family and friends. As the days flew by it became obvious that we wouldn't make it to the Canaries in time to do a six week trip to the states and still get back in time to leave for the Caribbean by the middle of December. It was a very hard decision to make because we both feel ready to go, but the decision to stay was finally made.

Log 0 NM

13-05 Brilliant's Log, 11 - 28 September 2005

Hi Brilliant's Crew,

We are safely moored at a beautiful resort marina in Almerimar, Spain. It's on the southern Mediterranean coast in an area known as "Costa del Sol". It's about 130 miles east of Gibraltar. Work to get "Brilliant" ready for passage to Gibraltar then on to the Canary Islands is on going. We still hope to be on our way by the end of September or at least no later than the first week of October.

Our passage from Ibiza to Almerimar, Spain was rather uneventful. We left the anchorage at 0500 on Sunday the 11th hoping the forecast for NE winds was correct. It turned out to be a mix of headwinds for the first half of the trip. We briefly thought about heading into a port on the south coast of Spain to wait better wind, but continued. The second half was a downwind run, but with really rough seas and either too little or too much wind. It was funny, the best sailing we had was the first and last three hours of the trip where "Brilliant" was making better than 7 knots on flat seas coming out of Ibiza and again just coming into Almerimar.. We tried to spare our ailing engine with the two stripped bolts on the exhaust pipe flange and the slipping/dripping gearbox, but were forced by the conditions to run the motor for almost half of the 58 hours it took for the trip. We arrived at 1430 on Wednesday the 13th with 25 plus knots of wind blowing to make mooring more challenging.

Log 278 NM


It's been over two weeks since our arrival and the work on "Brilliant" has been almost nonstop. Projects have ranged from replacing the aft head toilet hose (it clogged up on the passage from Ibiza), removing the manifold/heat exchanger and redrilling and tapping the two stripped bolt holes, running a new antenna and wire for the VHF from the mast head, to re-sealing leaking windows. Lot's of help available from other cruisers when we've needed it and always more advise then you ever need.

Our main setback at the moment is that we have to wait at least until the 29th before our new gearbox (transmission) arrives from the U.K. If you remember from last years log we had problems with the gearbox in Chania, Crete. This time we've decided to replace it rather than trying to fix it again. Once it arrives, it's only a couple of hours work to swap the old for the new one, we just need the new one.

We finally found a replacement anchor for the long lost "Bruce" anchor. It's a 20 kg. (44 lbs.) Delta that we hope will serve us well for years to come.

Even with all the work we have still been able to have a busy social calendar. When we arrived, we were greeted by Robbie & Barbara from "Felix II". We met them the winter of 2001 in Chania when they had wintered there and we were still just thinking about buying a boat. They were an inspiration for us and answered many of our questions about the cruising life. We only managed a lunch with them to catch up on the news as they were returning to England for a few weeks. Just lucky we arrived when we did or we would have missed them. Also passing through were Joe & Suzy on "Suzy Q" we'd met in Siracusa and "Quarterdeck" with Paul and Sandra who we met in Mahon.


Nic & Ginette, our cruising partners for this season, are wintering here and have been trying very hard to convince us that we should stay and cross next season. It's tempting, but as soon as we have the gearbox in we should be ready to go.

There are still plenty of projects to keep us busy, but we did find time to rent a car and drive up to Granada, on the other side of the Sierra Nevada mountains and visit Alhambra. Alhambra was the last Moor stronghold in Spain and was conquered in 1492 by Isabel & Ferdinand. The fortifications and palaces have been beautifully reconstructed and preserved. What a fabulous site! To control the throngs of tourists that visit, the authorities tightly control the numbers allowed in the site at one time. We arrived around 1030 and weren't allowed in until 1400. That gave us time to explore the town of Granada for a little bit and to have a wonderful lunch, sitting in an outside restaurant on a sunny plaza.

We are very hopeful that the new gearbox will be in tomorrow, then it will only be the weather holding us from proceeding. The forecast is for strong NE winds at near gale force until at least Saturday. Oh well, it's a very nice marina.

Pete & Stephanie

s/y "Brilliant"

12-05 Brilliant's Log, 29 August- 10 September 2005

Hi Brilliant's Crew,

We have traveled from Mahon, Menorca to Ibiza, both in the Spanish Baleares Islands. It's still a long way from Gibraltar and our hopes of crossing to the Canary Islands before the end of September are fading. The reality is we have some engine work that must be done before we can feel confident to go and the weather has really been against us.

It looks good for a departure from Ibiza tomorrow with one forecast calling for the winds we need, NE, and another one saying SW, the direction we need to go. I think we'll believe the first one and hope the second is in error and head out around 0500. It's around 280 NM to Almiramar on Spain's Costa del Sol and we hope to be there by Tuesday evening.

Pete & Stephanie
s/y "Brilliant"

P.S.: Just needed to add a short note on an amazing bit of poor seamanship. Today the winds have started to shift from the SW to the NW and all the boats in the anchorage have been watching anchors closely. As the wind shifts, a boat lays at a different angle to the anchor, and there is a real danger of it pulling out especially in 15-20 knots of wind.

As we sat in the cockpit this afternoon we watched several boats drag and struggle to reset, while checking to make sure that both of our anchors were doing alright. Then a boat named "Whippet" with US Virgin Islands homeport came in. We watched as their anchor attempts failed three times, not an unusual occurrence in this poor holding area. But on their last last attempt they had a set too close to two other boats already at anchor. As the two boats expressed there concern about "Whippet's" closeness, it started dragging the anchor again.
This time he managed to snag one of the boat's anchor chain and now there were two boats dragging through the anchorage. We were very relieved that we weren't downwind of this jumble. The crew from another boat went to the aid of one of the single-handers. When I saw them still struggling to untangle two anchor chains while bumping into a third boat, I jumped in our dinghy to see if I could help.

It was quite a show. With three people hauling on one anchor, I managed to get one anchor loose from the the tangle and "Whippet" was free. As the second boat started to pull up their anchor we then found that they were also tangled up on "Marano's" second anchor. As Nic, who had also joined the fray, and I hauled in his anchor we found another of the tangled anchors, got it loose, then "Marano" was free. I put the found anchor in our dinghy and as I looked up I saw the third boat had his double anchors up but tangled in the second boats chain whose anchor was in our dinghy. Are you following all of this? I then dinghied between the bows of the two boats and unhooked first one then the second anchor and another boat was free. Finally I dropped the anchor of the second boat and headed the dinghy home. Whew! All because "Whippet" just didn't know what he was doing. Anchoring is hard, but it's harder if you're stupid.


Brilliant's Log

29 August 2005, Monday, Cala Teulara, Mahon, Menorca, Baleares Islands, Spain, 39-52N/04-18E

A hard search for help.

Our hoped-for good night's sleep, after arriving early Sunday morning, on the anchor did not quite pan out. The wind piped up at around 2330 and our "Beast" the wind generator, roared into life and ran all night. The anchorage was providing very good shelter and even though we were very close to shore the anchor held well and we were secure.

In the morning at around 1000 we made the 2.5 NM trip, with Nic & Ginette from "Marano," from the anchorage into town. Stephanie and Ginette went in search for a new Spanish phone card while Nic and I went to look for a mechanic to fix "Brilliant's" engine. Our first stop was at Pedro's Boat Centre, the largest service facility in Mahon. We talked to a young lady behind the counter and she said "Pedro told me not to take anymore jobs. We are just too busy." I asked to speak to Pedro in hopes of pleading my case and was directed to where I could find him.

Pedro, it seems, was overwhelmed with end of the season boat repairs and getting boats stored for the winter. He said he could not help and that, "His batteries were getting very low." I probably didn't make any points when I responded, "My batteries are getting low too!" In reference to the fact that I didn't trust the engine to charge the batteries. Pedro was nice enough though and provided me a list of numbers for other mechanics and yards in Mahon. We thanked him and went on our way.

My brain was kind of scrambled with the stress and I was getting very concerned about getting "Brilliant" repaired. Nic and I wandered aimlessly through a couple of chandleries (boat stores) as I avoided the issue of finding another mechanic. I finally resolved to try the first name on the list.

We caught up with Stephanie and Ginette and dinghied down the quay to Sunseeker Yachts. This is a very large company that builds large power boats out of the UK. We have a sailboat, but the problem was mechanical and I figured that power boats must need mechanics so I thought I'd try them. I walked into the office and the young lady at the reception counter (yep, it was that up scale), spoke with an English accent, I knew I was in. She said Frank the service manger was out, but she would have him call me.

Now when a mechanic says they are going to call you back, you always take it with a grain of salt, but Frank did in fact call. He asked about the problem, with an English accent, then offered to have his "engineer" (that sounded expensive) take a look at it in the morning. When I explained that I was out at the anchorage, he suggested that I could either pick his engineer up in our dinghy or we could take a mooring on the quay while they looked at the problem. Wow, there was hope and I was ecstatic!

We accepted an invitation to dinner on "Quarterdeck" a Canadian boat that Nic & Ginette had met while awaiting our arrival. Paul & Sandra have been on a very slow circumnavigation on their 45' sailboat... 17 year so far. They were very gracious hosts and in addition to the excellent dinner we tapped their experience for information on what to do about our engine and a rigging question we had. Then Paul dazzled us with some amazing card tricks. A very pleasant evening.

Log 0 NM


30 August 2005, Tuesday, Cala Teulara, Mahon, Menorca, Baleares Islands, Spain, 39-52N/04-18E

No luck with repairs, but a great mooring.

At 0800 we hauled the anchor and gently motored into the main harbor of Mahon and found our way to the Sunseeker quay. After hovering off their main dock for fifteen minutes I finally called Frank and he sent the marinaros out to show us a mooring spot on the quay and help with the lines.

It was amazing, the "engineer" was waiting as we got "Brilliant" moored and the passerelle (gangway) over to shore. He came aboard and took a hard look at the problem and left to consult with his boss, Frank. While we were waiting we went ahead and took advantage of the free water and filled our water tanks. It had been since Arbotax (Sardinia) that we had filled them and we were making water with our watermaker to just stay even.

After an hour or so the "engineer" and Frank showed up to look at the engine. Frank said the heat exchanger and manifold would have to be pulled out and he wouldn't do anything until any parts like gaskets, etc. were ordered and on hand before beginning the job. Ouch! He did suggest we go to Palma de Mallorca because they have better access to the parts and recommended a mechanic there we might try. That wasn't what I wanted to hear, but at least I had a chance to talk to an expert in English and fully understood what needed to be done. A plan was starting to form in my brain on where to go to get it fixed at least.

It was noon before we left the quay and motored just across the harbor to Isola Clemintina. Isola Clemintina is an interesting answer to over crowded anchorages. It's a large square of a floating dock moored in the middle of the bay with laid moorings, fresh water, electricity and room for 20 yachts to tie up. While there is no direct access to shore, it's just a short dinghy ride over to town and we were in need of some those amenitities. Also at 40 euros per night it was still cheaper by 25 euros than any of the marinas in town. Stephanie took advantage of the fresh water to catch up on two weeks worth of laundry (hand washing 28 pair of underwear, twenty-one shirts, a dozen dish towels, etc., takes a lot of time and water, as well draping the boat in drying l laundry).

We enjoyed a good afternoon and evening safely moored to our island, with lots of dry clothes to fold.
Log 2.7 NM


31 August 2005, Wednesday, Isola Clemintina, Mahon Harbor, Menorca, Spain

Let's have a party!

In the morning I repaired the blown water lift muffler. I'd had no luck finding a replacement, in my search of the chandlers the day before. So after talking with Paul from "Quarterdeck" I realized that I could probably repair the muffler myself with a little epoxy resin and fiberglass. It turned out to be a pretty simple job and I'm hoping it will hold until I can find a replacement.

As for the rest of the engine jobs, I found a leaking aft seal on the transmission and low oil. I topped up the oil and it seems to be working better, but I can't do anything about the seal without a new part. Still haven't decided if I should just replace the whole gearbox. I decided we needed to make our way to Palma where I had talked to a mechanic who could take on the job of pulling the manifold and heat exchanger and repairing the two stripped bolt holes.

We were enjoying the island so much that we decided to stay one more day to take advantage of the large "back porch" it provided. So "Marano" and "Brilliant" invited "Quarterdeck" and "Magnum" (the folks from Bonifacio who loaned us the gas generator) over to help us finish some of the tuna we both still had aboard.

We took a quick trip to town to pick up a few things for the dinner and to wander through the old town. We even took the time to stop for a drink in at a cafe' and sit outside just watching the tourist walk by.

The party was a huge success. The island had a charcoal grill with the charcoal provided and we cooked up marinated zucchini and onions and grilled the tuna. Lot's of other food and good wine flowed. Many sea stories and just a good time with other cruisers enjoying a warm evening.

With the season ending tomorrow the young marinaros (dock hands) were on the last day of their summer jobs. We invited them to join us for a glass of wine and a little something to eat. As young men will, there had no problem jumping right in, though they were disappointed that all we had was Spanish wine. They'd hoped for something imported.

For those who have expressed interest in the older French couple on the catermeran in Bonofacio, we have an update. According to Danny and Leslie on "Magnum", who remained in Bonofacio after we left, they did okay. The two young men we sent to help them got them settled by the beach. Later, another boat helped them move again. They were last seen, safely moored to a dock in the marina .We wish them well, but hope they will realize that it may be time to hang up their sails

Log 0 NM


1 September 2005, Thursday, Isola Clemintina, Mahon Harbor, Menorca, Spain

Moving back to the Mahon anchorage.

Based on work that still needed to be done we had hoped to stay one more night on the island, but because the rates didn't drop, for the off season, as we were originally told we decided to move back to the anchorage.

We stayed as long as we could on the island, but finally had to leave and went back to the anchorage where we first came into Mahon. It was less crowded then it had been and again we had no trouble finding a good spot to drop the hook.

The decision was made that, with the water lift muffler repaired and the transmission functioning ok, we needed to spend a couple of days visiting a couple of calas (coves) on the south shore of Menorca. With an early departure planned for the next morning, we made one more trip into town to internet and do some provisioning.

Log 2.9 NM



2 September 2005, Wednesday, Cala Teulara, Mahon, Menorca, Baleares Islands,
Spain, 39-52N/04-18E

An easy trip to Cala Porte.

The winds were light and we motored slowly for the first hour. As we rounded the southeast corner of Menorca the morning breeze filled in and we were able to shut down the engine and sail. We had hoped to stay at a deserted cala, but when we poked our nose in we found it already full. It is a truly beautiful spot with a narrow entry, high cliffs, clear water and no development. But, there just wasn't room for two more boats. We motored the half mile further west to Cala Porte.

Cala Porte was quite a circus. With all the rental paddle boats and hundreds of people on the small beach. The high cliffs were well developed with hotels, restaurants, and cafe's. Certainly not what we were after, but we were able to find room for both "Brilliant" and "Marano" in the small cove on a sandy bottom and good holding. The water was crystal clear and warm. Arriving at 1000 in the morning we had a great day to relax and enjoy the sun and good swimming.


Log 13.0 NM



3 September 2005, Thursday, Cala Porte, Menorca, Baleares Islands, Spain, 39-55N/04-08E

Another easy trip to Cala Galdana.

Our 0800 departure gave us a fair ride to Cala Galdana. We motored halfway there and then sailed the last 5 miles. Cala Galdana is the largest cala on the south side of Menorca and was even more developed than Cala Porte. A large area was buoyed off for swimming and another area was full of mooring balls for small boats. We came in, put one anchor off the bow, then ran a second anchor out from the stern. This let us squeeze into an area between some moored boats without having to worry about "Brilliant" swinging into them with wind shifts.

We were in early again and spent the day swimming and enjoying a clear sunny day. Menorca is mostly limestone, and has wonderful sea-caves all along the coast. We had not been able to explore any, until now (Stephanie has a 'thing' for sea-caves, if they aren't too deep). There was a wonderful, small cave near "Brilliant", with a opening for light half way in, and beautiful colors on the walls. In the evening we dinghied into town for some FF&V and a dinner out. At dinner we made new plans to leave the next morning and rather than going to Palma we decided that with a good weather forecast we should head directly for Almerimar on the Costa del Sol. A 380 NM trip that we hoped to do in a little over three days.

My thoughts were that as long as the engine was babied it would get us to Almerimar and we could take care of the repairs in a more reasonably priced marina rather than the high priced ones in Palma de Mallorca.

Log 10.5 NM



4-5 September 2005, Sunday-Monday, Cala Galdana, Menorca, Baleares Islands,
Spain 39-56N/01-03E

Cala Galdana to Ibiza.

We departed at 1000 after a leisurely breakfast. Motorsailing the first hour we made our way to the southwest in light SSE winds. After making some water we shut the engine down at 1115. We were able to only make 3-4.5 knots in the 8-9 knot SSE breeze while going against a current of .5-1 knot. It was slow going, but the seas were flat and we were enjoying the sail.

By late afternoon the wind started to veer to the south and we found ourselves close hauled but still making the rhumbline for the southern end of Mallorca that we need to clear. It was during this period that we were blessed by a visit from half a dozen dolphins. They played on our bow for about 20 minutes while Stephanie and I laid down on the foredeck watching them.

By around 1800 the wind had veered further to the south and decreased. Unable to keep our speed above 3 knots we decided to motor directly south for a couple of hours and get a better cut on the now southerly wind and maybe make the southeast corner of Mallorca undersail.

Our plan seemed to be working and at 2000 we were sailing again making way at better than 4 knots and able to lay the course for the channel between Mallorca and the islands just south. It only lasted for an hour and half before the wind moved to the SSW. We pressed to within a mile of the shore before we were finally forced to turn into the wind and motor. It took until 0100 to clear the channel and find some sea room. Unfortunately there was no wind in the lea of Cabrera Island.

Stephanie found the wind again at 0130, SSW at 11 knots. Our rhumbline course was also SSW so we decided to fall off to a heading that allowed us to continue to sail. Our heading was just south of west 265 degrees, but we were making over 5 knots.

Sailing close hauled means you are sailing into the wind and "Brilliant,"
when we really try hard, will sail at about 40 degrees off the wind which is respectable for a cruising boat. The wind over the next five hours slowly went south and we were finally heading SSW with hopes of clearing the southern end of the next island, Formentara, undersail. Unfortunately, the wind and seas had risen during this period and we were now pounding into a 12-15 knot breeze and 1.5 meter seas.

At 0815 we made the decision with "Marano" to abandon our plan for Almerimar, with over 250 miles to go, and instead make for Ibiza. We just weren't having much fun and the forecast had changed. It was now calling for stronger winds and seas... all against us.

We enjoyed a brief spurt of speed as we fell off the wind on a westerly course for Ibiza. Unfortunately, the wind followed us and after an hour and half we were again close hauled and struggling to make the rhumbline. To make it even less enjoyable the wind increased to 17-20 knots and the seas grew larger. After reefing both the jib and main our ride improved, but we were pretty happy with our decision to head to Ibiza for some rest.

The strong winds held and even with the reefs in the sails we averaged around 5 knots and only missed our land fall by 3.5 NM. (By this I mean we continued to sail as close to the wind as we could, but were blown off course). At that point it was either tack back out to sea or motor the last couple of miles, we choose the engine and entered the harbor of Ibiza at1700. It had taken us 70 hours to cover 140 NM.

In the harbor we looked for a berth on the public dock, no room. We did find berths at a yacht club. After getting the boats moored at the yacht club we realized they were untenable, as the many ferries going in and out would send a very uncomfortable surge when their wakes hit our boats. The price was also rather high for what they offered, at 50 euros a night. We lasted about 15 minutes before we case off and headed to an anchorage we'd seen behind the new breakwater near the harbor entry.

Safely anchored, we made a few phone calls to family, Too tired to cook, we had heavy pupu's for dinner and retired early.

Log 140 NM


6-10 September 2005, Tuesday-Saturday, Ibiza Harbor, Ibiza, Baleares
Islands, Spain, 38-54N/01-27E

Stormy weather and grim forecasts

Here we are again, waiting for wind. It is not that there is no wind, just that it is coming from exactly where we want to go. We are in a good anchorage, and have put two anchors out, so there is no worry about dragging or the wind shifting direction. Every day, we and "Marano" check weather from several different sources, to see when we might leave.

We have made several trips into the town of Ibeza, for internet, supplies and just to walk around. Ibeza is renouned as a party town, with lots of disco's nightclubs and "beautiful people". However, it is now September, and the season for that is over. There are still shops open, and cruise ship docking, but it is fairly quiet. The only thing is, prices have not changed and everything is expensive.

So, we are rapidly going through our stock of books. Sitting and waiting for weather means lots of reading. There is routine maintenance to do, as well as housekeeping chores, but no big projects to start. We really need to be tied-up for those.

Log 0 NM

11-05 Brilliant's Log, 16-28 August 2005

Hi Brilliant's Crew,

We are finally anchored at Mahon, Menorca in the Spanish Baleares Islands. It's been a very rough period for "Brilliant's" crew. Engine troubles have continued to plague us and the weather has been against us. There were times we were so frustrated that we really began to question what it was we were doing. But we have persevered and are working to get everything working right again.

Colyn and Glenn as we opened the Islas Baleares pilot book you left us,. we found a poem pasted inside the cover. It couldn't have been more appropriate for us at the time. The poem was "Don't Quit", thank you very much.

All is well aboard "Brilliant". We plan on at least a week here on Menorca, but once repairs are complete we will either be rushing the last 600 miles to Gibraltar or looking for another winter mooring if we don't think we can clear the Mediterranean for the Canaries in time to catch the right winds.

Our new Spanish cell phone number (from the states); 011-34-697-533370.

Pete & Stephanie
s/y "Brilliant"

P.S. Happy Birthday 25 August to our son Devon 31 years old.



16 August 2005, Tuesday, Bonifacio Harbor, Corsica, France, 41-23N/09-09E

Sightseeing Bonifacio and an aborted departure.

We made our dinghy ride into town in the morning and finally found an internet cafe'. We spent three hours shopping and sightseeing around the harbor, through the old town and the old citadel.

On the way back to the "Brilliant" we stopped by "Marano" and with an excellent forecast for the trip to Menorca, Baleares, Spain, we set a time to go at 1300.

It takes time to get underway when you have two anchors out and two long lines to shore. First we haul in the second anchor from the dinghy. We use a Fortress anchor that weighs 21 lb. with 10 meters of chain and a braided rope rode. It isn't so heavy that it make for a hard job, but it does take time from the dinghy. Then it has to be stowed in the aft lazerette (large locker built into the deck). We then release one of the stern lines that were tied to the rocks near shore, they are about one hundred feet long, and get it coiled and stowed. With the boat ready to go we release the last line to shore and the boat swings with the wind on the remaining anchor and chain. There were no other boats in our cove, so we didn't need to worry about bumping into anyone. With the boat now only on the single anchor it's just a matter of stowing the last line and getting the dinghy engine lifted off and stowed on the stern pulpit rail and then the dinghy up into the davits. Easy!

With all that finished we were hauling in the chain and anchor as "Marano" came into view. We started motoring out into the channel and were looking forward to a 48 hour passage to Menorca. But it wasn't to be. It quickly became apparent something was not right with the engine again. It seemed sluggish and I couldn't get the rpm up. Once again passing the helm to Stephanie in a very busy channel, I dove for the engine compartment.

There was water in the engine bilge and it only took a few seconds to find the source. One of the exhaust hose connections wasn't tight. We decided to turn around and get back in our cove to make the repair. Better there than out at sea. We told "Marano" about our problem and said it would be less than an hour and we'd catch up with them.

I checked and the cooling seawater was flowing. So it must just be the hose clamps that need to be tightened. I tightened the clamps and tried the engine again. It wasn't leaking, but still no power. I put it in neutral and revved the engine up and there was a loud pop. Engine off. The exhaust hose had blown out and separated at another connection. We weren't going anywhere today. To make it worse, I'd left the aft engine compartment door off while I was testing and when the hose blew it sprayed the aft carpet, ceiling and our bed with a lovely blend of seawater and greasy exhaust. It's ugly.

We passed the word to "Marano" and began to get the boat secure again. The bit about getting untied now had to be reversed. Two lines to the rocks near shore and a second anchor dinghied out and set. This time however with the bad holding in the cove it took five tries before the second anchor finally set. It was after 1600 before we had the boat secure and, being tired and depressed about the whole thing, I decided to think through the problem again and attack it fresh in the morning.

I'm thinking it's like someone stuck a potato in the exhaust pipe, so I'll have to pull the long exhaust hose that goes all the way to the stern tomorrow to check that. Once I've found the problem, then I have to dinghy in and see if I can find the replacement for the blown hose and anything else I find.

On the bright side at least this happened where we could get back safely. I'd rather work these problems out like this than have it break on our Atlantic crossing.

Log .3 NM


17-20 August 2005, Wednesday-Saturday, Bonifacio Harbor, Corsica, France, 41-23N/09-09E

On Wednesday we pulled the exhaust system off the engine and I dinghied into a small repair yard. I was lucky to find a mechanic and was able to get across what had happened, despite the language barrier. Besides blowing out a section of exhaust hose, the water lift muffler was broken, and a stainless steel tube that injects the seawater into the exhaust pipe needed re-welding. The mechanic promised to get to it by Thursday. I've checked daily and when I could find him it wasn't encouraging on when he would get to it.

We had waited for the right winds to reach the Baleares and missed the opportunity because of the breakdown. Now, even after the repair is completed we may not be able to leave for another week if the winds aren't right.

The weather forecast was for a serious gale coming, so without an engine, we redoubled our efforts to make sure the boat would be safe in "our cove". I dove on the anchors and still didn't like the set on the big fortress anchor. At least five more tries and it was holding but not well dug into the rocky bottom. Then it dawned on me that I had a good sized folding grapple anchor in the aft lazerette that would work in the rocks. I put an extra 10 meter length of chain on the grapple and carefully placed it in the rocks on the other side of the cove. I watch it settle in among some large rocks and set tight against them. If a big gale comes that anchor isn't going to budge.

To stay busy we helped boats anchor as they come into "our cove". We have learned that there are only a few places to tie lines to shore and have been pointing them out and giving them lifts in our dinghy if so they don't have to swim the lines to shore. While it isn't why we have been doing it we have had three invites to cocktails and have had a chance to meet some nice Italian's on a big catamaran, an Australian couple, and an older French couple.

The Australian couple, Leslie & Danny on "Magnum", we invited over to "Brilliant" for cocktails. When they learned of our problems, they offered the use of their little Honda portable generator to help us get the batteries recharged a bit. Normally the solar panels and the wind generator can keep us going, but "our cove" has high sides and we loose about three hours of direct sunlight per day. Then we had a day that was totally overcast and no wind which really put us in a hole for power. Their generator, pumping in an extra 6 amps made all the difference and we were able to keep the refrigerator cold and use some lights in the evening.

Anytime we are near English speaking folks we offer to swap books and "Magnum" was no different. We always put our boat stamp in the inside cover of the books we trade. So it was funny to find that they had one of the books we'd previously swapped somewhere along the way. We also learned that "Magnum" had wintered in Fumicino, near Rome, and knew our America friends Talara & Bobby on "Imaginess". Small community we're part of.

Saturday morning was another overcast day. We couldn't find the mechanic on Friday, so with fingers crossed, I went in to find the mechanic. He was where he was supposed to be. He had been partially successful; he found the replacement exhaust hose, had manufactured an entirely new stainless steel piece to replace the part that had rusted through, but was unable to find a new muffler. The good news was that he only charged 60 euros.

Back on the boat I went to work putting the new exhaust hose in and trying to make an emergency patch on the muffler. I put the new manifold exhaust pipe on and started the engine. No potato in the exhaust pipe or hoses popping off, the muffler patch was holding, but a little water was leaking around where the exhaust pipe attached. Figuring it was a problem with the old gasket, I liberally applied some high temp gasket stuff out of a tube and reinstalled the exhaust pipe. The tiny touch of extra torque I applied to be sure was too much and two of the four bolts stripped the threads. I spent over an hour trying longer bolts and other tricks to get them to grab, but no luck.

Frustrated, I finally had to give up. If the gasket gunk holds we can make it to a mechanic for a permanent repair, if not we have a serious problem. It held! I ran the engine under full load for over an hour to make sure, then idled for another hour to charge the batteries. We have an engine again!

Log 0 NM


21 August 2005, Sunday, Bonifacio Harbor, Corsica, France, 41-23N/09-09E

Out of Bonifacio, stormy seas, a safe harbor

It had been one week at anchor in Bonifacio Harbor and we were eager to leave. A sunny, partly cloudy sky gave us some encouragement. In "our cove" it was impossible to determine the actual conditions outside because of the high walls surrounding us. So I jumped into the dinghy and went to the harbor entry. The wind seemed to be about 15-20 knots and the seas were high, but we only wanted to cross the Bonifacio Strait to Castelasardo in Sardinia, about 35 miles away. The decision was made, "Let's go!"

I began the job of pulling in anchors and lines. We were down to the last line ashore and a single anchor, without much scope, and the engine for the dinghy stowed, when an older French couple on a catamaran called me for help. Their anchor had dragged and they were bumping into the rocks.

We had helped them get in when they arrived and they were in trouble again. I rowed the dinghy over and jumped into their dinghy with a small outboard hoping to use it to pull them off. In the meantime their port rudder was bouncing on the rocks. When I realized we couldn't pull them off I jumped to the helm and working the starboard engine was able to ease the boat off the rocks, but I couldn't get the boat clear for some reason. Danny from "Magnum" was helping with his dinghy and said they had their anchor tight and it was holding us to the rocks. I had Michelle drop the anchor and was finally able to get them clear. I moved the boat to the center of the cove and suggested that they get their anchor up and head for the marina.

About this time I hear Stephanie calling, "Brilliant" has just bumped into a rock. We were down to the single anchor and sure enough we were now in trouble. Rowing as fast as I could I was quickly back aboard. Stephanie had the engine running and in gear holding us off the rocks and as soon as we released the last shore line we were clear. That was the last straw for "our cove". We got the dinghy aboard, Danny brought us the shore line we'd cast off and we were ready to haul up the anchor.

At this point I looked back and the older couple were in trouble again. I'm not sure what they were doing but they had been pushed almost to the beach. All I could do at this point was to direct a couple of young men on a small rib to go to help them because I couldn't leave "Brilliant". The couple was very nice, and had many years of experience, but they just couldn't cope with the situation. We hope we realize when it's time to quit cruising before we find ourselves overwhelmed as they seemed to be.

Feeling bad about having to leave without being able to give more assistance, we motored out of the harbor into some very large confused seas. The wind was 15-20 knots and we quickly set reefed sails and shut the engine down (we are really trying to baby it along). On a starboard tack we found that the wind, seas and strong current were not going to let us make the rhumb line course to Castelasardo. We tacked to the north to try to get a better angle on the wind when a nasty little squall hit. The wind peaked at around 30 knots and "Brilliant" really needing a freshwater washdown got one. It rained so hard for about ten minutes that the boat was completely scrubbed; but man was it cold. We continued on the northern tack for almost half an hour before tacking to the south again. The seas were now 3-4 meters high, the wind pretty steady at 20 knots and the current pushing us back at around 2 knots, this was not making for a fun sail.

It became very clear that fighting against wind, seas and current we weren't making any progress towards Castelasardo. Rather than going back to Bonifacio, we made the decision to make for Capo Testa, Sardinia just on the other side of the strait and only about 6 miles away at that time. We spent another hour sailing close hauled, going very fast, dodging squalls and riding some very impressive waves. As we neared Capo Testa we were able to turn to a beam reach and had a much more comfortable ride.

Coming into the anchorage was a bit exciting. As we got closer to the cape, the seas seemed to get even steeper and the surf breaking on the rocks along the shore was very intimidating. To get into the bay you head directly for an unforgiving looking rocky shore then take a hard right around a series of rocky reefs and you're in. Once safely inside the little bay we were clear of most of the swell and wind. We anchored in 4.5 meters on a sandy bottom with good holding. We added a touch of whiskey to our reheated breakfast coffee and collapsed in the cockpit.

This wasn't the marina we'd hoped for and we won't be able to get the engine repaired, but we'll be safe. Another plus we can use our Italian cell phone again. I think we'll be here for a few days until the gales abate.

Log 12.7 NM


22-24 August 2005, Monday-Wednesday, Baia Reparata, Capo Testa, Sardinia, Italy 41-14N/09-07E

Watching the weather.

The seas outside our anchorage were above 4 meters high and the wind was blowing 15-20 knots in the protected anchorage, much more out there. With little to do but wait we spent our time reading. We did manage one wet dinghy ride to the beach and took a nice walk. A little mini market that supports the many people visiting the beaches around the anchorage provided us with some fresh bread and a few other needed items.

Log 0 NM

25-28 August 2005, Baia Reparata, Capo Testa, Sardinia, Italy 41-14N/09-07E

Passage from Capo Testa to Mahon, Menorca, Baleares Island.

The quiet of lighter winds woke me a little before 0600. Looking out to the strait I could see that the seas were fast coming down. Finally we would be able to get on our way to Menorca.

We raised a reefed main, pulled the anchor up and sailed out. Once clear of the shelter of our little bay we found the seas were still two meters high and the wind was out of the west, the direction we needed to go, at 15 knots.

Still very concerned about the temporary repairs I'd made on the engine we decided that as long as we had wind we would sail. We beat to windward, making long tacks to the northwest then to the southwest slowly making progress to the west until around midnight. After waiting days for the high winds to abate, it finally did. Unfortunately, we were down to six knots of wind and making only about 2.7 knots so we decided to try the engine and motor for a while.

We cranked it over and immediately knew it wasn't right, no seawater cooling again. We shut it down and decided to make the best of the light wind we had to continue to sail and if the seas allowed it, I would troubleshoot the sea water cooling system again in the morning.

Our other problem was our batteries were getting very low again. They still had not fully recharged after days on anchor and without sun or enough wind the lights were going to go dim before too long. It was clear that we wouldn't make it electrically through the night unless we reduced our use so we were forced to shut our refrigerator down. That did the trick and we prayed for a sunny day tomorrow.

The wind came back at 8-9 knots from the west round 0400 and our speed increased to just less than 4 knots. The real issue was velocity made good (VMG) towards Menorca and trying to stay on a tack that was actually bring us closer to our destination. This evolution left us heading to the west northwest for most of the first night.

The sun came out bright and with the wind blowing again we were able to get the battery levels up again and restarted the refrigerator. The unit stayed cool enough that we still had ice cubes.

Through the day the wind slowly veered south of west and allowed us to bring our course from northwest to west, more towards Menorca on a port tack. The seas calmed in the light air and I spent a couple of hours in the engine compartment pulling hoses and trying to find the problem with the sea water cooling.

After pulling every hose and rubber cap where anything could be blocking the water path I knew that wasn't the problem. I put it all back together and it still wasn't right. Even though I'd changed the impeller on the water pump I decided to swap it for a spare rebuild pump I have and that seems to have fixed it. All I can figure is that the cam on the old pump must have worn out and was no longer working good enough to move the water. So we have an engine again.

We enjoyed good sailing for the rest of the day and were able to average around 4.5 knots as we tacked to the west and south. Mid morning we spotted a pod of porpoise, but they didn't visit us. We were probably going too slowly for them to enjoy a bow ride.

The wind died again after sunset and at 2030 we started the engine and began motoring directly towards Menorca making better that 5 knots. This lasted until about 2200 when for some reason the transmission started to make a nasty noise as it would start slipping. This was a problem we thought we'd fixed last season, ARRRGGGHH!!!! At least we knew what the problem was. When it started making the noise we'd quickly shift to neutral then back into gear. That worked for about another hour, then it wouldn't stop making the noise.

We tried sailing for the next hour making less then 2 knots for awhile before we finally stopped completely. DIW (dead in the water is the Navy term) and not much fun. Gritting our teeth we decided to try the engine again and see it the transmission would hold for a hour or so until we found wind again. It was amazing, it kept going and going without a rattle until 0930 the next morning.

Shortly after sunrise we hooked a small tuna on our fishing hand line. Unfortunately, it spit the hook just before we could get it aboard. I need to be a bit more patient and let the fish wear itself out before attempting to pull them in. Amazingly, we hook another tuna a couple hours later and this time got it aboard. It was about 10-15 lbs., just the right size for our refrigerator. We had "fresh" tuna for lunch.

The wind filled in again around 0930 from the southeast, perfect for our course. We spent the rest of the day on a beam reach making 3-5 knots directly towards Menorca.

It was very disappointing when the wind suddenly gave out on us again at 1600. Once more we went to the engine and it held together for us again.

We motored into the evening until around nine when it seemed to fill in again from the southeast. It teased us for about an hour, going from 8-9 knots to 3 then back up to 5-6, back to 3 then up to 7, before finally quitting altogether again. Motoring again.

On Stephanie's midnight to four watch, at around 0200, the wind returned, now from the northeast. We'd put the mainsail away when the wind died to keep it from flogging, so she just brought the jib out. With the engine off we were making over six knots. Not wanting to enter the harbor in the dark, she tried to slow "Brilliant" down by reefing the jib. Still making better than five knots and our ETA was still at around 0530.

By 0400 the wind was up to 12-19 knots apparent and a pretty good sea was building to 1.5 to 2 meters on our stern quarter. Rather than heaving to and waiting in the rough conditions for dawn we pressed on. Rolling in even more of the jib until we were sailing on a handkerchief, we continued to make 5 knots.

The approach to Mahon's harbor entry was straight forward and we had no trouble recognizing the different light houses that pointed the way. Once in the harbor we almost missed our turn up a narrow dark channel to the anchorage, but with the radar we found our way.

At 0540 we found a spot right next to our friends on "Marano" and dropped the anchor. The trip of 237 NM should have taken about 48 hours. Our trip had taken 70.6 hours and we'd traveled 304 NM because of the zigzag course we were forced to take against the wind.

We retired for some needed sleep and around noon poked our heads up and said hello to Nic & Ginette. They had been very concerned for the past two days when we hadn't arrived. We'd sent them a message, telling them we were leaving on Wednesday afternoon and after we changed the departure time we were never able to get a message back to them. They had us over for another wonderful fresh tuna dinner that evening. They had caught two tuna on their passage the week before.

Tomorrow we have to find our way into town to find a place to moor, find a mechanic and the pieces and parts we need to get the engine back in top form. Not to mention freshwater, it's been a month since we filled our tanks. The watermaker has kept us from needing to ration, but we'll be glad to have full tanks. The laundry is also begging for a freshwater washdown.

Log 304 NM