We departed El Masnou for Majorca at 11.25am on 15th July. The weather was clear and the first part of our journey was ‘slow going’ due to light winds. Our engine was off & on and our average speed only around 4 knots! Frustrating!!! At 18.45 we heard a storm warning over the radio, due to hit Menorca the following morning, hoping that it would not come near to Money Penny, we continued our journey overnight being joined by Dolphins on the bow on a number of occasions. The wind picked up for the last couple of hours of our journey and we finally anchored in Cala Murta (a small Cala on the North East of Pollenca Bay) at 8am.
on route to Majorca
At around 11am both our telephones received messages from home asking if we were ok. The British media were reporting a small Tsunami on Majorca - We had missed it!! Alcudia, on the other side of the Bay of Pollenca had been hit by a large wave, all of the sea side restaurants had been flooded but the damage was minimal and by the time we visited a few days later there was little to show for it!
Over the next week we visited a number of beautiful towns & Calas along the North East, East and South of Majorca – Pollensa, Alcudia, Cala Matzoc, Port Collom, Porto Pedro, Cala Moltona. On 24th July we checked in to Puerto de San Antonio de la Playa to await the arrival of Judith’s daughter Sophie, her husband Chris and grandchildren Phoebe & Eva. 106 Euros per night but convenient for the airport!
We left San Antonio on 25th July and after a swim in Cala Blanca we continued on to Puerto de Andraitx and picked up a mooring buoy for the first night and then a berth in IB Ports the following night. We topped up with water and charged our batteries, with six of us now onboard we would need to be more frugal.
The girls snorkelled for sea glass to take home for Auntie Jo to make jewellery and on route to our next stop (San Elm)we tried, without luck, to catch our supper! San Elm was a pretty little village but our dinghy had given up the ghost due to the heat and we needed to head somewhere where we could easily hire a car and go in search of a new one.
Soller Anchorage
On 28th July we left San Elm and made our way to Soller. After a couple of hours of motoring we made a ‘swim stop’ in Deia. There were a number of boats anchored but we had failed to take note that there were not many swimmers. Unfortunately Judith entered the water and Eva (5yrs) jumped into the water after her. As she entered the water a jelly fish was caught between her and Judith and both were stung badly. Judith managed to lift Eva back on to Money Penny and on hearing the commotion, a man off a nearby boat jumped into action and arrived alongside with medical kit in hand. We later learned that the best thing we could have done was to remain in the water and scrape the sting off with a credit card…. Stay in with the jelly fish? No Way!!! The affect of the sting was similar to a burn and was extremely painful for over a week. The scars still remain!
Soller was a first class anchorage and much fun was had by all our visitors! We launched the kayak & the unicorn and spent time onboard and on the beach. We met and made some great friends who were travelling on their own boats around the Med. Onboard drinks with Gary & June Walden proved to us how small the world really is. They are from Judith’s home city of Worcester and when asking June where she used to work, her response was ‘Pershore Leisure Centre’….. ‘my mother used to teach yoga there’ was Judith’s response…with that June just answered ‘Valerie?’…… Valerie was Judith’s mum. Small World! We also had a wonderful ‘shared’ meal onboard Ella, a beautiful 44ft Fountaine Pajot owned by Lin & Paul. We provided the chilli, June & Gary, the bread and Lin & Paul the rice and venue! The best evenings are always the impromptu ones.
The pretty village of Soller is slightly outside of the Port of Soller and a Victorian tram runs between the two. It is also possible to take a train to Palma. We chose to hire a car to explore the island also purchasing a new dinghy (nearly 50% more than the UK!) on route!
It was soon time for family to leave us and we moved back to Pollensa to await the weather window for our passage to Menorca. We were in good company, sailing along side Paul & Lin onboard Ella who were heading for Alcudia.
On arrival in Pollensa Bay we anchored under Formentera Esta den Ros which is one of the film sets of The Night Manager. On the second night we tucked ourselves closer into the bay awaiting a forecasted storm. The storm arrived in full force and for most of the night the sky was as bright as daylight.
Whilst in Pollensa we met up with Nick & Paula who where anchored in another area of Majorca and were exploring the Island in a hire car before making their way to Menorca. On checking back on our photographs, we realised that it was exactly a year since meeting them in Loctudy, France.
10 August 2018 
10 August 2017
The following day, 11 August 2018, we left Pollensa at 9am on route to Menorca.