Days 454 to 456 : 20th to 22nd September 2018 - Cala Coves, Mallorca, Mrs Chippy and Porto Colom

Thursday 20th September 2018 - Cala Coves

By the time we got up, Mrs Chippy had already left and we very soon were lifting anchor ourselves and doing a drive past "No Plans" to say goodbye. Our plan was to head to Cala Coves as recommended by Paul on Mrs Chippy, and although hopeful that No Plans would join us there, we knew they were feeling a little in need of a quiet day.

It was a quiet 3 hours motor round and we did a little school on the way. The views were amazing... I quite like Menorca!

 Once in to Cala Coves we anchored with long lines back to the rocks and had a swim before a late lunch. Then, after a brief chill out Esmé went for a row which was punctuated by the excitement of the Poseidon Police coming and inspecting everybody's anchors to ensure we weren't illegally anchored over the Poseidon Grass which is protected here in the Balearics.

It was a good opportunity for a little learning as I talked to Esmé about the fact that we protect our environment and try to anchor on sand rather than the Poseidon which both reduces carbon monoxide and produces oxygen.

Some people seem to think that the Poseidon Police are a little over zealous but I am really impressed that this area is doing something so positive to protect our beautiful environment.

I then took the kids out to explore while Patrick had a rest as he had been feeling a little under the weather. They donned walking shoes and I dropped them off, suggesting that they explore the windows, doors and holes in the rocks.

I have to say I was enjoying the peace and quiet perhaps a little too much as when I heard the kids call I noticed I had inadvertently drifted a little close to the nudist in his secluded spot on the beach (I never know what's appropriate when people are naked.... it seems polite to give them a bit of distance but then this beautiful environment is there for all of us to share!)

I was somewhat concerned to see that the kids had gone "a little" further than I expected and I called for them to make their way back, reflecting on how much more confident they are now than at the beginning of the trip as I rowed back to pick them up off the rocks.

Next up was a change into swim stuff and another dip before heading back to the boat for tea and an early night.

 Friday 21st September 2018 - Onwards to Mallorca (Porto Cristo)

The morning was actually a little chilly, with the decks damp with dew even at 8:30 when we started to get ready to leave, first collecting the long lines and then hauling up the anchor. It was to be a 40 mile trip to Mallorca and we had identified a Cala just north of Porto Cristo we thought we might be able to anchor in overnight, with the fall back plan of Porto Cristo if it didn't work out.

There was a fair amount of breeze in the morning but predictably it was on the nose and, being unsure of our anchorage for the night, we didn't want to waste any time. We motor sailed for a while but eventually dropped the main and rolled the headsail away leaving just the mizzen up to steady us.

It was a long day.... we'd got into the mentality that 40 miles wasn't much after our long 1 and 2 night passages, but this day's 40 miles seemed endless. Towards the end the sea built into some short sharp chop which although didn't slow us considerably, was certainly uncomfortable and annoying. Disappointingly the Cala we had hoped would provide a nice overnight anchorage proved a little too exposed for our liking so we headed south to Porto Cristo and anchored there instead.

Everybody anchored on the south side of the inlet despite the marked anchorage being on the north so we followed suit. There was plenty of space to free swing and it was just fine for an overnight pit stop. The boat next to us decided to take a long line ashore which surprised me as it would mean if the wind went easterly we could swing into them... they didn't seem concerned when I spoke to them about it and there was nowhere for us to tie a long line too so I decided to leave it, our boat has a big wooden rubbing strake round the outside which protects us!

A real treat of mince, avocados, and wraps for tea before reading to the kids and enjoying some quiet time on deck.

Saturday 21st September 2018 - A surprise meeting with Mrs Chippy

We decided to head for Porto Colom for the night (hopefully on a pontoon but perhaps picking up one of the mooring buoys there) before heading back to the Porto Cristo Anchorage for Sunday night and into Porto Christo Town Quay on Monday to hide from the forecast winds. It was only a couple of hours away so we did a little school before leaving to make up for the lack of school on Friday.

About an hour after setting off we were surprised to hear Mrs Chippy calling us on the VHF. Despite not having AIS at the moment due to a second lightning strike, they had spotted our orange mast and called us. They were heading further south than us but were planning a lunch stop so we agreed to meet at Cala MitJana, a tiny place about 2 miles south of Porto Colom. There we rafted up alongside them and enjoyed a lovely 3 or 4 hours playing in the water and generally having fun. It was such a joy to meet up again. (Thanks to Jessica and Doug for some of the pictures!)

By about 3pm it was time to depart so we headed for Porto Colom and found that if we hadn't pre booked a berth on the public quay we would have to wait until 7pm to find out if they had space. We opted to take one of the mooring buoys instead which cost us 19 Euros but included showers, water, and a safe space to leave our dinghy ashore.

We then rested up a while before having showers and heading out for dinner. I did my usual trick of checking out TripAdvisor for the best "Cheap Eats" options nearby and found a tiny restaurant in the old town near the church. It was a little walk but the kids didn't complain as there was a playground en route.

The old town was just perfect. The first time in the Balearics that we had felt like we were seeing the real authentic island. Old people were sat out on deckchairs on the pavement, chatting away in the cool of the evening, looking on as kids ran around the square. We found the restaurant and got the last table that wasn't reserved... always a good sign when a place is busy with locals. I ordered my first Spanish Cava of the trip whilst Patrick opted for a beer before contemplating the menu. At this point my heart dropped as the first few items were "Pigs snout" "Tripe" and something else that neither I or the kids would fancy trying. However after a more in depth investigation we selected some bread and olives, goats cheese salad, Spanish omelette, mini chorizo and Serrano Ham on Toast.

The food was amazing, and although not really to Esme's liking, she tried lots of new things and then filled up on the bread. The rest of us loved it!

As we meandered back to the boat we passed the church, now with its doors open and kids playing inside while the service was ongoing. We walked along the waterfront in the old town, the kids stopping to play on rope swings hanging from trees before heading off for a last play at the playground and a night time dinghy ride back to Laurin.