The never-ending list of repairs
14 September 2010 | Espalmador, Isla Formantera, Balearics
Peter
Before leaving Palmanova, Ruth and I took the dink into town and discovered the mother of all supermarkets. This thing was a cross between Safeway and Costco. The food was just as cheap in quality as it was in price, but we relaxed our quality standards for food a long time ago - high quality food is difficult if not impossible to find along the seaside communities of the Med.
But what I really scored on was wine! I bought 8 bottles of red wine. Wine is so bloody cheap here in Europe it really makes you wonder about the Calif./Wash. vintner conspiracy. The cheapest, a 2-year-old red, was 0.99 euro!! I mean, just the packaging costs more than that in America! My big splurge was a 6-year-old red that I paid a whole 3.35 euro for!! That works out to about $5 for a 2004 red!! That same bottle is probably $20 in America. And all of it is nice wine - very mellow and smooth.
The 75 nm trip from Palmanova to Ibiza/Formantera went fairly uneventfully, if you don't include almost hitting a rock at 5.8k while your family sleeps down below. But I will save that story for another time. I am still recovering (emotionally) from the experience.
We motored the first half, sailed the 2nd third, and ended up motoring the last quarter. (BTW, I am Will's math teacher, and I think he is doing a marvelous job!) We had left the anchorage at 0400 in Palmanova and arrived in Formantera at around 1630, just in time for Will to play with Orion and Rigel on Juno (who had left the previous afternoon).
In Palmanova I had managed to install the new windlass remote and windlass breaker and I am pleased to report they are looking and operating better than new! But just before completing the repairs to the windlass we developed a gas leak in the outboard motor fuel line where the fuel line connects to the motor! A quick (all-day!!) trip to the town of Ibiza secured us a new connector. Just after I installed the new one and fixed that one of the dinghy oars decided that was the time to break! The oar can still be used, it just can't be broken down into two.
I guess things happen in threes, but after this third break I was left shaking my head wondering when the chain of breaks would end so I/we could get on with our lives. I know that cruising is supposed to be "fixing expensive yachts in exotic places", but this is getting ridiculous!
Shirish on Juno radioed us to tell us there were open mooring at Espalmador. Along the island of Formantera Spain has laid moorings in selected anchorages to protect the sea bottom. I guess there must be some grass or something down there they want to keep the anchors from tearing up. Anyway, during high season you need a reservation for a mooring ball. But in Sept. there are more balls than boats.
It is a beautiful anchorage - protected on the east and north by the island, and on the south by a long, thin rock. So we have nearly full (270 deg.) protection from the incessant ferry wake. The waves are not so much the problem here. There are so many dang ferries running all over the place that it chops the water into a washing machine leaving nearly every anchorage uncomfortable. But not this one.
There are some mud baths I plan to check out this morning. Maybe because of these baths, or maybe because of the remoteness of this anchorage, but it seems that full frontal nudity is as much the norm as anything! Darn. I wish I was teaching Will his Physiology class now. Then I could say "See, Will, his little peepee means he ain't much of a man.", or "Looka the melons on her, baby!" In any case, it seems that Will - who is just starting to notice that sort of thing - will get a full dose over the next day or two. Better, I guess, that he gets it in this setting than in some cheesy movie!!
Today is Ruth's birthday. Happy...what is it? 29? 39? Anyhow, one of those '9s', I am sure!! Nope, didn't get her a thing. I was too tired and sleepy in Ibiza yesterday afternoon to go into town and shop, so just she and Will went. But I have my gift in mind. I just gotta get somewhere to get it. (It is tough enough shopping for a birthday present for your spouse. But while living on a boat the task just gets rougher!) For those of you who think I am a cheap, SOB of a captain/husband to skip over a gift today, then you don't know Ruth like I know Ruth. You are right about me being a dingbat of a husband. But gifts aren't what wind her watch. Sure, she likes them. We all do. But it doesn't 'float her boat', so to speak. So just back off!! (I hope to get to town in Formantera to correct my wrongs.)