A lot has happened...

Apologies that we haven't posted anything for a while, but we have been busy! When we last updated the blog we were in Denia and since then we have crossed to the Balearics, which is where we are at the moment. I was a bit hesitant about coming here because I had heard some scary stories about the mooring fees, but Jan wanted to clubbing so we decided to check it out and I am glad we did.

The stories I had heard about the mooring fees were true - the prices here are truly shocking!!! It would have cost us over €300 per night for a spot in Puerto de Ibiza, but fortunately there is a really nice secure anchorage in San Antoni so we decided to stay there. Our arrival there was complicated somewhat by the fact that we couldn't start the engine - the battery was flat. This was more than a bit of an inconvenience, because the anchorage was really crowded (with the other normal mortals who couldn't afford the marina fees) and it was blowing 20 knots so I wasn't keen on the prospect of anchoring under sail. Fortunately we had just enough juice to start the generator so we used the gennie to charge the batteries until we could start the engine. Note to self,....check battery voltage more regularly and don't allow them to get so low again.

Anchored in the bay at San Antoni

We had been told that you shouldn't be in San Antoni if you are over 30 years old and that is pretty much correct - it is wall-to wall nightclubs and bars, but even though we are a little over the age limit we still enjoy dancing and for Jan's 63rd birthday present I had bought tickets for Sister Bliss at Eden. 

The club didn't open until midnight, which is well past our normal bedtime, but Sister Bliss is one of the founding members of Faithless and Eden is one of the big clubs there - we had a great night out and no-one teased us for being over the age limit. That's one of the things i really like about clubs outside the UK, they aren't ageist and don't have the same level of "face-control" as UK nightclubs, everyone is allowed in as long as they want to have fun.

The following day our son Ed and his friend Ru from Uni flew in for a week's holiday. They of course were determined to go clubbing, so they dragged us (kicking & screaming) to Pikes for another night of dancing. Apparently Pikes is one of the hottest tickets in Ibiza so we felt honoured to be allowed in and surprise, surprise,......Sister Bliss was doing an impromptu set there - she was excellent!!! 

After a day of recovery we set sail for Palma in Mallorca, stopping off at a few quiet anchorages en route to allow the lads the opportunity for some swimming and snorkelling.

Palma is a great city and the marinas there are amazing.....I have never ever seen so much money and such a collection of huge yachts concentrated in one location! 

One of the yacht owner's runabouts....

The masts on most of them were so tall that they had red lights on top to give warning to low-flying aeroplanes. We felt like tramps in our rather modest 15m boat.

Palma Cathedral

We stayed in Palma for a week because I had to briefly fly back to the UK and because we had yet more maintenance problems - this time with the generator. Also our friend Jenny came out for a week of R&R. The generator required a new pump so we had that fitted and we sailed clockwise round the island to a very nice spot, Puerto Soller - where the generator failed again. 

The beachfront and tram in Puerto Soller

Since the mooring fees here are so cripplingly expensive we have been trying to anchor whenever possible and when we are on anchor we need the generator for a variety of functions, the most important of which we now know is to charge the batteries. So it was back to Palma to try and get it repaired again. After the 2nd repair we had a leisurely cruise - this time anti-clockwise, round the island to Porto Columb, where the generator failed for the 3rd time. Back to Palma once again...... 

A nice anchorage in Mallorca

Well, we left Mallorca this morning and we are now in Ibiza again. Our daughter Miranda is over here for the weekend on a work jolly and we are meeting her for a few days next week. So far the latest repair to the generator has held up, so I am keeping my fingers crossed that it is now OK. We will report back with an update next week......