4th - 5th August 2005 – Link Up with Spectra – Ensenada del Cabrito (Formetera)

Posted at 7:14 AM, Saturday, August 6, 2005

Finally did it yesterday and met up with Andy, Becky and son Joe from Spectra.

We awoke to a fine but still morning in Cala Llonga - and leapt overboard to freshen up.  Sue even surprised herself as we swam the 400 yards to a small beach – had a quick breather – and back for breakfast on the boat.  We departed Cala Llonga at 1100 for the 2 hour trip back in a south west direction towards Formentera.

Spent most of the trip under autopilot as I completed one chore I've put off for a while.

Many years ago son Alex woke up after a boozy night in Perth, clutching a huge Ozzie flag.  He must have liberated it from a flagpole somewhere in town the night before.  Anyway - we carried this on the last yacht and when the occasion arose - flew it from the masthead - until on a particularly blowy day - it tore along its full length.

I've kept it - and kept planning to one day sit an sew it up.  It's a big flag - I'm a slow sewer - so it's always been a chore set aside for another day.

No longer.  I spent the two hours with blue whipping line and a needle and 'da-dah' - we now have a dog bollocking huge Ozzie flag flying off the back of the boat.  It's so big when we stop it drags in the water - but looks just great when we are charging along and its flying.  I'll take a picture once I get into a port and can recharge the camera.

As we passed south of the Ibiza harbour entrance, we felt like we were joining the M25.  There were so many boats leaving there and heading in the same direction towards Formtentera.  Most were power boats – most we very large – and most were going very fast.  Lots of rock and roll from the stirred up wash as we plugged along at our 7 knots under engine.  Absolutely no wind. 

Could not avoid all this as the main passage twix the two islands – Freu Grande – was even narrower that day.  It was half closed off by some official dive boats with a long line of big buoys marking something substantial underwater.  Not sure what it was – but lots of small Guardia Civil RIB’s directing boats to avoid the area of activity.

Once through the gap we turned more south and aimed for the only port on Formentera at Sabina.  We knew Spectra was close by somewhere and used the binoculars on yachts parked close in to Espalmador (northernmost part of Formentera and supposedly the greatest beach on all the Balearic islands) - and checked out the anchorage just north of Sabina itself – but no joy.

Decided to entered the small harbour at Sabina to refuel and top up our water tanks.  We had been pretty frugal with both were about half empty since we last filled a week ago – so seemed opportune to top up in one hit.  Fuel was easy-peasy on pontoon directly opposite the harbour entrance – but to take on water one has quite a palaver to go through in Sabina.

Radio the capitanaire – get advice on what berth to take – moor up stern or bow to – walk to office to give Eu50 deposit and pick up a portable meter – then connect and use what one wants – and take it all back to the office and then pay.  Seems like a lot of admin for the Eu2.60 they actually charged for the 200 litres we put in the tank - and the deck wash we gave the boat.

Then fortunately had a call on the mobile from Andy – and found Spectra at anchor only some 500 metres west of the harbour in a wide bay named Ensenada del Cabrito. 

The bay is 5-8 metres deep – weedy bottom over rock – and clearly not the best holding - were there to be any strong winds.  There weren’t - and nothing greater than F2 was forecast either – so we anchored close to Spectra and joined them for a drink or two.

They’d chosen to anchor here as Becky’s mother has a beach house that backs onto the inland sea which one can enter by dinghy from this bay.  She and others in the family spend each summer here.  Lots of small craft moored up in there where they are totally protected due to a very small and shallow entrance.  You’d not get a yacht in unless it drew less than ½ metre – and even then I would not try it!

We ended up at 0200 this morning onshore in Peurto de Sabina - eating out. 

It was all too late. 

Absolutely ratted.

How we got there and back - don’t even ask.  I seem to remember getting clos to running out of fuel in the dinghy – and Becky falling in at some stage - but we made it OK.

Lovely to see them again.  We’ve a BBQ ashore with the whole family later today.  I’m  considering making it a NO ALCOHOL day.

Cheers

JOHN

PS Uploading this the morning after the BBQ.  Changed my consideration.