Well the time had finally come to leave Sant Carles and venture fourth into the deep blue yonder. After checking and double checking everything we could think of including the weather we slipped our moorings at about 1330 and waved goodbye to friends we had made over the past few months.
As we left the wind, as expected was straight on the nose so we motored out of the bay and into the med, passing returning fishing boats eager to get their catch to the local fish market.
We altered course to the desired one that would take us to Mallorca and raised the sails. We had hoped the wind would be sufficient to blow us the way we wanted to go but as always it was both a little too forward of us and rather weak and pathetic, so no choice other than to motor sail. You know the old saying ... Sailing in the med is either strong wind or no wind!
We continued uneventfully for about 8 hours, then the engine stopped, about right, not even enough wind to keep us moving, we ground to a halt. Pete dived below to check the engine, expletives escaping left right and centre. Then he yelled out, try her now, the engine spluttered into life and stopped! A few seconds later, try again, by this time I am wondering, did we go over something? Although I could hear the propeller whirring even after the engine stopped. I turned the key for a second time and she spluttered into life, hesitant groans coming from her, until she began the steady thug thug as is her norm. Pete re appeared, looking rather sheepish said...'how long has the engine been running since I put I the new hour meter?' 'About 9.5 hours, why?
It turns out the fuel feed tap was turned off and had been since he serviced the engine over winter, we had run for 8 hours on what was in the line and vapours!!!! Wow, lucky we weren't in a difficult spot when that happened.
Crisis over we ate our meal and I turned in for a few hours sleep ready to start the 4 on 4 off watch system.
The night was uneventful thank goodness, when on watch, I had just don the 0430 fix and was sitting on the bridge deck looking out the forward window thinking that the condensation was at a state where I really should go and clean it off, when I noticed a pale light straight ahead. Frantic that I had missed an oncoming boat I shot up out of my comfy position and stood looking over the spray hood, imagine the relief and sense of embarrassment when I realised it was in fact the moon rising in a ghostly crescent shape ! (Having told a friend,she admitted when they did the crossing 2 days before us, she also saw it but thought it was a ghost boat flying a white spinnaker!! I thought I was bad).
After the perfect sun rise, Pete surfaced for his watch, I gratefully handed over to him keen to fall into bed. It was this point we were joined by a pod of dolphins, 3 beautifully marked dolphins jumping and scooping the waves alongside and in the bow wave of Argonauta. How comes they always arrive when you are at a low ebb and in need of reassurance, I don't know, but they definitely made my trip once again. I retired to bed and Pete had their company on 3 more occasions, you can check out the video on our Facebook page (sailboat Argonauta).
The wind stayed pretty much on the nose and light so we motor sailed most of the trip. The island of Mallorca came into view but took what felt like forever to reach and we turned into the baya de Pollencia, choose our destination and crept into a tiny bay, where we dropped anchor just a few hundred yards from the beach and cliff edge, not another boat in sight. Definitely a good start to our onward journey at last.