Mallorca sailing June 2023  – report by skipper Bob Buchanan 

Yacht Dufour 512 Grand Large  (Built 2017)

Skipper, Bob Buchanan. Crew., Samantha Buchanan  (my daughter) Becky Goddard  , Becca Paulino  , Hugh Hayward  , Colin Evans  and Dave Winks 

Saturday.

After 4 days in an hotel just a few miles along the coast from Palma, we arrived at the marina at midday. We paid the final instalment and extras in cash (that was the only way they would take it). Then the handover, it was quick and sort of thorough, there was no mention of any damage or scratches on the yacht, so I did my usual thing of taking photos all around the yacht. The yacht was a little bit tatty, but everything seemed ok and worked. As the handover was completed, the supermarket turned up with all the supplies. We got everything onboard and put away.

At 1500 hrs we left the marina and headed out into a nice little S/W F3 breeze, we pulled out the main and genoa and had a very good sail towards Cala Portals, a small bay about 15 miles going clockwise around the island. The yacht sailed very well (it had a 2.3 metre keel) and also pointed up very well going close-hauled. At 1830 hrs we dropped anchor. Had a swim, I did my usual of snorkelling under the yacht and filming the bottom of it. That evening after a few beers and bottles of wine, we had a meal of sausages and roast veg. It was a very nice peaceful night at anchor.

Sunday.

It was a hot and windless morning, we up-anchored at 10.00 hrs and motored around the coast towards Port Soller, about 35 miles away. We had the sails up and down a few times, but it was mostly on engine. We got to Port Soller at 18.30 and dropped anchor. It is quite a big bay. We got the dinghy out, and I took Sam and Becca ashore to get some supplies, (Becca wanted some chillies to go with the spicy chicken and rice for the meal she was cooking that night). I waited on the pontoon for them to come back, but when they did, the outboard would not start, so we had to row back. Another very pleasant meal and night at anchor.

(From Palma, you can get the electric train up to Soller, it a couple of miles up in the hills from Port Soller, about 1 hour, then get the tram down to Port Soller, it’s a good day out, we did it that week, highly recommended)

Monday.

Up anchor at 11.00 hrs and headed for Polensa, about another 35 miles away. It was light winds so we had main and genny up and also the engine. This is going up the northwest part of Mallorca, very rugged and mountainous. We went around the tip of Formentor, then sailed down towards Polensa. At 15.30 hrs we dropped anchor in Cala Murta, a small bay we have been in quite a few times. We had a swim and lunch before leaving for Polensa. We got there at 1800 hrs just as the wind was picking up. It was not very easy berthing up against the quay wall with the wind on the beam, but with help from the marina staff we got in ok.

It’s a very nice little town and the marina has a very nice pool etc. That night we dined on board again, it was pork stroganoff, another excellent meal created by our onboard chefs.

Tuesday.

We left the marina at 1100 hrs to the sight and sound of thunder and lighting up in the mountains. We were off to Porto Cristo, about 45 miles away. The wind was a nice F3 N/E with main and genny up we were having a good day’s sail. We had lunch on the hoof as usual, got around the northeast tip of Mallorca then sailed down to Porto Cristo where we planned to go into the marina for a couple of days. We arrived in Porto Cristo at 17.30 hrs to find that there were no berths available; fortunately, there are anchorages in the entrance to the marina, there were three yachts anchored outside, leaving us just enough space to anchor just before the entrance.. The marina is separated from the beach by a line of big yellow buoys, strung together by smaller buoys to make a swimming zone. We dropped anchor, then the kedge anchor to stop us swinging about. This seemed to work well, as we kept a watch on our position for hours.

That night we had another wonderful meal, rustled up by our resident chefs, of spag bol. Another very peaceful night at anchor.

Wednesday.

After a very peaceful night at anchor, we were awakened up by a banging on the hull. It was the harbour master. He informed us that we had drifted out into the channel a bit, and the ferries were about to come in. Not a problem we said. We pulled in the main anchor to pull us back in line with the big yellow swimming partitioning buoys. At 0800 hrs we thought about leaving, but a very bad thunder and lightning storm, overhead of us, started. It was a really bad one and the rain was just as if we were in the monsoon season, it was chucking it down. By 1100 hrs it had passed over and we decided to go. We switched on the navigation and found that the chart plotter was totally unusable. We think lightning had hit or caused damage to it. (Later, confirmed by charter co.)

We pulled up our main anchor, leaving the kedge to keep us out of the main Chanell. The kedge was very close to the line of buoys, so we tried to remove the line with our boat hook, with this, the lifeguard saw what was happening, and swam out on his paddle board to give us assistance. He removed the line from under us and said, go, you are ok. I was on the wheel and gave it a few revs to get over to the other side of the inlet as a ferry was coming in.

With about 3000 rpm the yacht, it should have been about 7 knots was going nowhere, it was stationary, then, a voice from the paddle board (the lifeguard) shouted out, you have snagged one of the yellow buoys. We had dragged it out about 10 metres, but then, as it was connected to the other yellow buoys, there was no possibility of us dragging the rest of them out.

We stopped, reversed back, and removed the kedge from the yellow buoy. I think that the swimmers will thank us for giving them about an extra 10 metres of swimming area. The ferry coming in gave us the customary 5 blasts, but we got out of its way ok.

We left Porto Cristo and headed to Porto Colom; of all the times that I have sailed around Mallorca, I have never been into Porto Colom. We left about 11.00 hrs then sailed down to Porto Colom. Shortly after about an hour, we were about a mile, mile and a half offshore, we noticed some splashing to seaward of us, we got the binoculars out to see what it was, and to our amazement, it was someone in a canoe, happily paddling away. It was a very good sail, West F3/4. We arrived in Porto Colom at 1300hrs. We berthed on a walk ashore pontoon. Having a quick walk around the town, I can’t believe that I have never been there before.

It really is a very lovely town. That night, we went ashore, and had a fantastic meal, in a restaurant, on the quayside, with our yacht in view. An unforgettable moment.

Thursday.

We left Porto Colom at 11.00 hrs and headed for Playa Del Trench. It’s a bay, about 30 miles away. The wind was a South F3 nice sailing weather. With main and genny up we were having a very good sailing day. At 1430 hrs we dropped anchor in Cala Marmols, another small bay. A swim and lunch before we set off for Playa Del Trench. On the way, we had to centre the main, my daughter Sam, was sunbathing on the coach roof. Becca pulled in the port side of the traveller, then said it wasstuck, I said OK, let it go, and I will pull it in from the starboard side. I pulled it in and it jammed. I looked at my daughter, and noticed that her jumper, that she was using as a pillow, or her hair extensions, that she had before coming to Mallorca, were stuck in one of the traveller pulleys. Luckily for Sam, it was her jumper, so the only way to resolve the problem, was to cut her jumpers sleeve, and pull out the rest of the bits with a knife and pliers. With that, she stood up on the coach roof, shaking her head in disbelief, with that, her sunglasses fell off her head into the sea.

After that stop, we headed for Playa Del Trench, quite a big bay, with lots of room to drop anchor for the night. It’s a very nice bay, yellow buoys about a few hundred metres from the shore, so we dropped anchor outside the buoys. Time for a swim etc. that night after a few beers and bottles of wine, I set my G.P.S on to anchor drag.

With another excellent meal onboard, we went to bed about midnight, there was a bit of a swell, but nothing to worry about? As the night passed, the swell got bigger. By 2 or 3 in the morning, it was getting a bit untenable. We all started to get up, looking if we had dragged anchor etc. but no, we where we dropped anchor. It was a bit of a bouncy night, the second worse night that I have ever had at anchor. (The worse night ever, was in Sark, Channel Islands.) With everyone up, I thought that I had better check on my daughter, as she had only had about a handful of nights at anchor, she was flat out, snoring away, unbelievable, she must get it from her dad. In the morning, I checked my G.P.S and through the night, we had done almost 3 miles.

Friday.

After a swim and breakfast, we headed out of the bay towards Palma, about 30 miles away. This turned out to be the best sailing day of the week We were heading N/W and had a F4 north wind. We kept going across Palma Bay, then tacked to sail up to the marina. We refuelled, then back into our berth. The marina staff were there to give us a hand. They checked the boat over and as always, sent a diver down. Everything was ok.

With that, we all sat in the cockpit to have a drink, my daughter who had lost her sunglasses over the side, borrowed a pair from Becca. She took a swig out of a can that she was drinking, and the sunglasses that were perched on the top of her head, fell off and straight into the sea.

That night we had a meal ashore, packed up the next morning and left.

Another excellent sailing trip. We covered 203 NM.