Sunday August 25th.

Since our last post two weeks ago we have been continually on the move.  Angela and Graham Bush joined us on Sunday August 11th. and we had a night at anchor in Santa Ponsa, a delightful bay to the west of Palma.

An Indian feast in Palma with Angela and Graham Bush.

From here we set off for the island of Ibiza, about 50 miles south west of Mallorca.  We departed before dawn and had three hours of darkness in which to dodge brightly lit fishing trawlers, then treated to a magnificent sunrise over the distant Mallorcan mountains.  Sadly, the wind was light and we had to motor nearly all the way but were happy to sight our destination Santa Eulalia, a large resort on the east coast of Ibiza.  We anchored in the outer harbour and collected Catherine Bush to join the crew. During the night the wind dropped completely and the boats at anchor turned sideways to the swell from the sea giving us a massive and uncomfortable roll.  It was our worst night by far, although our guests thought it was perfectly normal.

Santa Eulalia, Ibiza. A most uncomfortable anchorage.

Terry spent most of the night in the cockpit watching an old wooden boat which was rolling uncomfortably close to us.  We now know why people spend hundreds of Euros to tie up in the local marina.

Since then we have spent every night in a different anchorage in Ibiza and Formentera. Most of them in small protected coves with sandy beaches, marred only by jelly fish of various species appearing in two of the bays, only in the afternoons however, mornings one could swim in the crystal waters without fear.  August is the European holiday season so it is extremely busy with many yachts in all anchorages, both Ibiza and Formentera are most popular destinations for French, German, Italian and British sailors at this time of year. Super yachts (enormous motor boats) abound, Exotica was very small fry!

With Catherine and James at Ibiza.

Our son James joined us for a few days at San Antonio and from there we sailed to the island of Formentera, south of Ibiza.

What you do in Formentara.

There we anchored in Cala Saona, off a fabulous and very popular, golden sand beach.  There must have been five hundred craft of all shapes and size in this wide bay.

James and Catherine leave in the early morning.

The next day we dropped off Catherine and James in Ibiza town to take their respective flights home and then the two of us sailed back to Mallorca.  This was the best and longest sail we have had so far.  The weather over the past six weeks has been sensational, warm and sunny, day after day, but not much wind so the motor has been used frequently to get us from place to place and charge the batteries. Our water maker has allowed us to be independent of marinas so we have anchored every night. We did, however, sail all the way back to Port Andratx on the southern tip of Mallorca where we had two nights on a mooring in the bay and a run ashore in the dinghy for dinner.

Exotica on a mooring in Port Andratx

We returned to Palma yesterday, via a stop for a swim in Palma Nova, for a big clean up.Two weeks of dirty washing will give our onboard washing machine a good workout!

Sunday August 11th.

For the past few weeks we have been sitting comfortably on our mooring in Palma but unable to make any prolonged voyages because we have had no registration.  Nowadays the authorities want to scrutinise all the boat papers as soon as you enter any port.  These papers include, registration, proof of ownership, proof that VAT  (GST to Australian readers)  has been paid and proof that the boat is fully insured.  Failure to produce these may result in fines or worse and since the governments are looking for every opportunity to make some money, then yachties seem to be a particularly tempting target.

We have been making regular day trips to local anchorages and beaches and getting used to handling the boat. But on Thursday last our British registration finally came through, much to our relief, so now we are free to travel any where we choose. This week we are hosting Angela and Graham Bush and plan a trip to the island of Ibiza which will be an 80 mile passage, perhaps over night.

On Friday a boat called Mischief arrived and moored across from us.  Some may have read of the exploits of the highly eccentric mountaineer and explorer Major Bill Tilman. Before the Second World War he was on some of the Himalayan expeditions and after the war he took to sailing very old boats to extreme locations such as the Arctic, Antarctic, Iceland and Greenland.  His boat was called Mischief and is immortalised by him in the books he wrote about his travels such as “Mischief” and “Mostly Mischief”.  The boats he sailed were barely seaworthy, frequently got stuck in ice fields and he struggled to find and retain crew who could tolerate his ascetic ways. There were a number of mutinies all described in the books in a very laconic style.  Mischief was finally lost off Jan Mayen Island, near Greenland in 1968 and Tilman himself, at the age of 79,  was finally on a boat on the way to the Falklands which disappeared without trace.

The yacht that is moored near us is an exact replica, built in Bristol and completed in 2008. She is a Bristol Pilot Cutter and in her build and rig represents the culmination of 500 years of development of the working sailing ship prior to the advent of engines.  She is gaff rigged and all the sail handling is done by block and tackle.  She does have an auxiliary engine to get in and out of ports but everything else appears to be authentic.  There is even a wood burning stove which they say makes sailing around the north of Scotland quite agreeable.  Her owner Richard Boissevain is a great enthusiast and has sailed the boat around the UK and France and now in the Mediterranean for some time.

The difference in comfort and convenience between Mischief and Exotica is very considerable.  I do not think we would be tempted to swap.

Monday August 5th.

Approaching Cabrera

We made our first passage to the minimally inhabited island of Cabrera on Friday.  The wind was a moderate breeze directly on the nose so we motored for the first couple of hours but were able to sail for the last part of the journey and found that Exotica handled very comfortably close hauled on both tacks with full sail set. Just before arrival we started up the generator and then the water maker which we have just learned how to operate.  In half an hour it produced 70 litres of fresh water from the sea.  When it turns off there is a self-cleaning process which uses about 70 litres of fresh water from the tanks so the sum total of water made was zero.

We had booked a mooring buoy in the only permitted anchorage, since Cabrera is a national park.  The bay is very well protected and encircled with hills dominated by a remarkable 15th. century castle. We swam in the very warm water, had an excellent meal of mussels and had a very comfortable night.

In the morning we inflated and launched  the dinghy for the first time and fired up the new outboard – a Honda 2.3 HP air cooled and very light.  We had a great trip round the bay until we ran out of petrol, fortunately within a hundred meters of the boat.

We set off for Palma at mid-day on Saturday and had a great sail home with a broad reach and the wind up to 23 knots.  We practiced reefing both the mainsail and the genoa and found the systems to work really well.

As we entered Palma Harbour and came into smooth water Terry went forward to collect and attach the fenders.  He put his weight briefly on the forward starboard lifeline which suddenly gave way and precipitated him overboard.  Julie saw the line go loose and thought a fender had gone into the water and was very surprised to see Terry’s head bobbing along the side of the boat.  She quickly threw the lifebuoy, which we have only just bought, and reversed the boat so that he could climb back up the swimming ladder.  The harbour was very busy at the time but as far as we could see nobody noticed.  This was a very salutary experience and in different circumstances could have had a much worse outcome.  The lifelines have now been triple checked and are all fine.

There must be something about the Clarkes and fresh water in the bilges, as true to recent experience, we found fresh water under the galley area and in the main bilge! Frank had promised us “this is a dry boat”, luckily he was here to service the engine and found the air conditioning pipes were dripping condensation caused by the outside humidity. So, air conditioning is rationed after spending a morning on our hands and knees drying out the bilges!

You may think all is rosy on Exotica, well, not quite. We are having some difficulty with registration and the Bill of Sale has spelling mistakes so we are rather stuck here in Palma until these can be resolved. The online broker in UK is proving less than efficient. But there are worse places to be!

July 29th. 2013

Exotica on our marina berth in Palma

Finally, after three weeks waiting the white smoke went up, our bill of sale came through and we are now the proud owners of Exotica.  The deal has not been without its interesting problems and the laws of libel restrict me from expressing my true feelings regarding the yacht broking firm, the previous owner, the ANZ Bank and the Spanish postal service, all of whom have added to our grief in the last few weeks.

However, now the bill of sale has finally arrived (albeit with our names mis-spelt) we are legally owners of our Jeanneau 49 Deck Saloon, our very comfortable waterbourne apartment.

Hoisting the Red Ensign.

We had a ceremony in the middle of Palma Bay where we lowered the German flag and raised the Red Ensign.

We also hoisted the flag of the Nepean Hospital Cruising Association.

We have secured the marina berth in Palma de Mallorca until next May which will give us ample time to explore the Balearic Islands and totally familiarise ourselves with the boat.  It is in a wonderful spot, very private, 10 minutes walk to the centre of Palma, close to the toilets and showers and we have use of the Club’s swimming pool and gym.

Despite the delays in transfer of ownership we have actually been aboard the boat for two weeks and have had a number of sailing trips into the bay. Our first guest, Terry’s sister Margaret, was present for the handover ceremonies.

We spent our first night at anchor at Portals Vells, a pleasant bay about 15 nautical miles west of Palma. Having secured the mooring we looked around and discovered next to us a brand new Beneteau Oceanis 45′ yacht flying an Australian flag.  We swam over for a chat and found them to be owners from Perth who are related to great friends of ours in Sydney. This led to our first dinner party aboard.  The subsequent night was less than successful as there was a significant swell entering the bay, despite the wind being quite light, and we rolled uncomfortably until dawn when we upped the anchor and retreated to a smoother anchorage off Palma Nova beach.

The weather in Mallorca has been sensational, hot sunny days with predictable light winds and water temperatures of 28 degrees, so comfortable for jumping off the boat when too hot. We have been reminded of Australian summers over the last 2 days, there is a bush fire in Paguera and five aircraft have been continuously swooping over the marina filling up with water from Palma Bay in daylight hours.

We have an engine and generator service on Wednesday and then propose to explore further afield in Mallorca before picking up friends to sail to Ibiza.

Sunday July 7th.

The House with the Opera Theatre in the background.

We completed our opera journey with two nights at the most famous country house opera of them all, Glyndebourne.  Set in the rolling Sussex Downs the highest class of opera has been performed here since 1933.

On successive nights we saw Falstaff by Verdi and Ariadne auf Naxos by Richard Strauss both outstandingly performed.

Looking as if we are enjoying ourselves.

In the long interval we had picnics on the lawn, somewhat of a trial on the first night as a sea mist enveloped Glyndebourne, the temperature was about 12 degrees and a strong cold northerly wind was blowing.  It was hard to maintain the appearance of enjoyment under these circumstances but the English managed it.

The next night. Very much better. JC with John and Dennis

The second night, Friday, was a beautiful evening and dining on the lawn between two acts of sublime music was as near to heaven as one can get.

On Monday July 8th. we return yet again to Palma and, all being well, take possession of our floating home.

Thursday July 4th

The Opera House at Longborough.

We have just returned from a week at Longborough, a small village in the beautiful Cotswolds where we have attended what we consider to be the ultimate artistic experience, namely a complete, professional performance of Der Ring des Nibelungen by Richard Wagner.  This seventeen hour epic was staged in its entirety over four alternate nights at a small private opera house converted from a barn which originally housed chickens.

Needless to say the size of the house, with an audience of 500, necessitated a smaller staging and a three quarter size orchestra, 70 players as opposed to 110 in a major house.  Nonetheless the intimacy of the ambience more than compensated for this and we experienced playing and singing of international standard.  Particular mention should be made of the Brunnhilde, Rachel Nicholls.  In her first complete realisation of the role she was outstanding, superb voice and completely inhabiting the part.  The Siegfried of Jonathan Stoughton, again his first, was superb and both are destined for great careers in the Wagner repertory.

Standing in front of the rolling Wolds.

This is another venue where black tie and smart picnic is the norm and the weather was moderately kind giving us two beautiful evenings to enjoy the rolling English countryside during the long intervals.

We attended with about ten other Australians and were privileged to host the conductor, Anthony Negus and his wife, Carmen Jakobi the Assitant Director, on two occasions plus other members of the cast in the cottage which we shared in the village of Longborough less than a kilometre from the Opera House.

Left to right. Carmen Jakobi, TC, Dennis Mathers, Jane Mathews, Conductor Anthony Negus, John Studdert

Sadly the Melbourne Ring has recently imploded with the sudden departure of the conductor, Richard Mills.  We were hoping that Anthony Negus, who has prepared and conducted this Ring so superbly over the last seven years would be invited to rescue the production.  It appears, however, that they have picked a 33 year old Finn who has never conducted a complete Ring.  We await the results with some trepidation.

Monday June 24th.

For those not interested in opera, the sailing will, hopefully, recommence after July 8th.

We have returned yet again to the UK to attend seven operas in the next two weeks.  We are eschewing the large Opera Houses such as Covent Garden and instead patronising small but enthusiastic and professional companies performing in theatres attached to country houses in the south of England.

Last night, Sunday, we were at Grange Park outside Winchester for Eugene Onegin by Tchaikovsky, arguably the most popular Russian opera.  The performance in the 550 seat auditorium was superb with excellent playing by the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and the singing and acting by the principals was of international standard.  One of the other pleasures of this opera are the dance sequences, one in each of the three acts, which gives great opportunity for the costume designer and choreographer to excel, which they did.  This is a wonderful confection of an opera run through with great tunes but, in true Russian style, ends sadly.

Grange Park is not all about Opera however.  There is the interval when the audience takes their dinner.  Many bring picnics but a select proportion dine in the main house. From the outside it looks like a large country house and was originally owned by the banking family of Baring, amongst others.

However, on entering the main door, you discover that the inside is a completely dilapidated ruin, with bare brick walls, roof beams open to view and netting strung across the ceiling to stop plaster falling on the diners.

Note the netting suspended from the ceiling.

Here two hundred and fifty of the audience were served a full three course meal of very high quality by a huge team of young waiters.  The service was swift and immaculate and the food excellent.

With Terry’s sister, Margaret

Our table was on a small landing half way up the main starcase on one side of which the treads were completely missing.

Sadly the English weather served us poorly, being chilly with a strong, very cold, breeze.  However this did not deter either ourselves or the full house of elegantly dressed enthusiasts.

June 23rd, 2013

Exotica on the dock at Palma

Of course nothing is ever quite as straightforward as one would like.  It took two days to complete the survey since it required the simultaneous presence of the owner’s representative, the lugubrious Frank, the surveyor, Ian, ourselves and a convenient time for the boatyard to lift the boat out of the water on the crane for inspection of the hull.  Normally this organisation is all done by the broker, but sadly he is in England and the rest of us are in the Balearics.  We thought the surveyor was going to organise the lift and he thought we were, so there was significant miscommunication.

On the lift at Audax Boatyard

Frank is obviously unhappy that the boat is being sold and was less than helpful but nonetheless the survey was completed including a short equipment sea trial outside Palma Harbour which gave us a brief view of the sails and assurance that the motor was in good order. Frank’s reluctance to hoist full sails in a 20 knot breeze and comment that “we do not go out in these conditions”, gave us some cause for alarm.

and At sea with Frank

The written report which ran to 21 pages was very positive and revealed very few deficits, none of which are major.

The deck seen from the bow.

Nonetheless we do not propose to complete the deal until we have had a performance sea trial with the owner and broker so that some of the more recherché elements of the equipment, such as the water-maker and the plumbing of the generator have been explained.  All being well this should be on July 8th. when we return yet again to Mallorca.

We returned to a wet and windy England on Friday, for a long planned feast of opera. Seven operas including a Ring Cycle in the next two weeks.

Tuesday 11th. June

Well I have just paid the deposit for the purchase of our Mediterranean home.  ‘Exotica’ is the last boat we saw in Mallorca and instantly fell for.  Although now eight years old the boat has been little used and hardly at all in the last year, however she has been scrupulously maintained by the aforementioned Frank and is in superb condition.  The decks are pristine with the teak beautifully kept and down below the woodwork is a rich, warm mahogany colour.

In addition she is also equipped with such luxuries as a generator, air conditioning, a water maker, a washing machine and satellite communications.

The brokers acting for the owner are in England and we felt it would be sensible to return to the UK to deal with them face to face.  In consequence we have been in the UK for a week negotiating the deal.  Although it is a bit like buying a house, (and not much different in price), the process for conveyancing boats is a lot less formal and is all over in fourteen days from acceptance of the offer, so we have to organise a survey and sea trial in short order.

We fly back to Mallorca tomorrow – Wednesday – to complete the deal before returning to the UK towards the end of the month for a feast of opera.

Friday May 31st.

Well we may have found our perfect boat.  She is a Jeanneau 49 DS called Exotica and we had to return to Mallorca to find her.  She has all the equipment we have been looking for and is in beautiful condition.  More about that later.

We spent a week in Barcelona.  Despite a good look and even a sail on Ulises, it seemed to us that there was just too much work required on the boat and it simply wasn’t worth it.  So it was back to the internet, although we felt we had exhausted all the options in this part of Spain and that France or Portugal beckoned.  However an English broker website came up with a couple of options so we stayed on in  Barcelona for another three days and took a good look at a Wauquiez 48.  This was too old and definitely not for us.

However the other option seemed much better but the boat was in Mallorca and unknown to all the local brokers there. So another cheap flight and we were right back where we started from.

Accommodation was not easy to find in Barcelona and we ended up renting an apartment right in the centre of town. Very handy but decidedly basic.  The sort of place we used to live in as students – but it had a washing machine which we required.

Although the stay in Barcelona was less than successful from a boat finding point of view it was extremely good culturally.  We managed to get tickets to the opening night of a new production of L’Elisir d’Amore by Donizetti at the Liceu.  This was an enchanting evening at one of the world’s great opera houses.  Rolando Vilazon was superb as Nemorino and the orchestral playing breathtaking.  Another night we attended a performance of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas and a concert of Handel arias and concerti on the final evening.

Every visitor to Barcelona should join Nick Lloyd’s Spanish Civil War and George Orwell tour on a Saturday morning, truly insightful. The Discovery walking tours brought Barcelona alive and taught us how to choose the best Tapas bars.

And so we returned to the waterfront in Palma and kept an appointment to view Exotica, (not exactly our choice of name).  She was alongside the dock and we introduced ourselves to Frank, who has been the captain of the boat since it arrived here as a new boat eight years ago.  Frank is very German and has cared for the boat, on behalf of its German owner, as if it was his own baby.  He was patently less than enthusiastic at the prospect of its being sold and taken away by us. Thus, although polite, answering all our questions and demonstrating all the many improvements he has made to the boat, his manner could not have been described as matey.  In fact he was quite intimidating.  At one point I indicated a particularly clean and tidy piece of work and he replied, without a trace of irony, “Of course, this is a German boat!”

We went back to have another look today when Frank was absent and had a much more relaxed viewing which continued to impress us.  We always felt that the boat would find us rather than the other way around and this is what we hope may have happened.  Now it is a question of negotiating a price and we plan to return to England for a few days to do that.

More photographs later as we felt Frank disapproved of our taking snaps.