|
|
Mahon Harbour, Menorca
17.3.2000
39deg 53.61 North 4 Deg 16.42 East
15.40 Hrs
19.4C
50% Humidity
Baro 1023
Wind NW 3
Outside the Mahon harbour the seas are still rough from a Tramontana wind that blew the last few days. The are strong northerly winds and are common in the winter months. Gales in the winter can be expected up to 10% of the time around Menorca and are usually even more frequent to the NW in the Golfo de Leon. However the weather forecast and Barometric maps seem acceptable regarding our proposed trip and we may leave tomorrow.
Mahon and Menorca proved to be a very interesting, we hired a car (5,000 psts first day 3500 psts second day etc) We traversed the island and visited the ancient "talayot" and "taula's" which are 4,000 old villages in amazing condition. At this time of the year we also were there on our own and got a much better chance to "feel the history".
In Mohan we ate in the local tapas bars which were filled with Spanish , the quality and value for money was excellent. Five of us ate for 5,000 psts a meal, which consisted of tapas, and I had the menu of the day.
If you order a glass of wine they leave the bottle and charge you for what you drink.
Our O'Brian visits were successful and we found many of the places he mentions. One could imagine the bustling navel base and the colorful local inhabitants.
Each day we get up and have breakfast followed by "Ships business" which keeps all trim aboard. We are now refueled with petrol and only need to top up with water and change a gaz bottle. Water here is 100 psts per 50 litres and we can get it direct to the ship from the floating pontoon before we leave. With Jan returned to Ibiza we have restored gear and rechecked everything.
We have stored the spare sails in their bags in the center area and ensured a "bed" area is there for the person on standby watch. A watch starts as 2 hours on standby when you must be dressed etc followed by two in control of the ship. You then get four hours "free" and the rota starts again.
This next trip will be nearly 200 nms at 112 deg magnetic till we pass southern Sardinia then 330nms and 92 deg mag and we will be due south of the island of Volcano some thirty mile then to the Straits of Messina.
I think we will be very lucky to get to Greece direct but we travel in hope!
I've just had my pre trip haircut on the stern and even though its after 18.00hrs the sun was warm on my back.
Tonight Robert and Verena are out to dinner aboard another boat, I will check the navigation waypoints and tidy up the chart table.
We have stored our Mahon gin bottles bought from the distillery and our vittles.
Leaving Mahon Harbour, Menorca
18.3.2000
39deg 53.61 North 4 Deg 16.42 East
08.00Hrs
8.5C
70%% Humidity
Baro 1021
Wind NW 3
So now we are off, we may not get close enough to Sardinia to get phone contact, so we could be out of email reach for three or four days, more if the winds turn against us.
A large cuise liner the Black Watch has just arrived in port as we depart for Greece.
Please
find
above
photograph
of
Octopus caught on the
quayside.
|