I have sailed from Mallorca to Menorca and currently anchored in what to me is heaven. I am just outside the port of Mahon at a sheltered bay surrounded by post Napoleonic fortifications (1848). The bay is protected on all sides from the wind.
Anchorage below the fortress of Isabel II on La Mola in Mahon harbour
I arrived yesterday and went out on the dinghy this morning to explore and take Dotty for a walk. I was thinking I could come back to the fort later without Dotty to explore. No need, dogs are allowed in 🤗. It was fascinating and another example of humans spending huge amounts if money, time and effort in building weapons and defences that barely saw a shot fired in anger. It was built to house massive front loading cannons, just before breach loaded guns were invented with greater accuracy and range, making the whole place obsolete. It did continue as a defensive position but never as it was designed for.
Mayonnaise I hear you ask? Or did you not read the title of this post? Well a French guy named a sauce after Mahon when he returned to Paris. The same sauce we now call Mayonnaise. I love these little social facts you pick up in strange places.
Mayonnaise History
I am in no rush to leave here, I want to go and explore the town while I’m here. I may use the dinghy for that, or I may go to the marina next week. The winds are in the wrong direction to sail to Sardinia until at least the middle of next week.
Yes, I am living my dream of travelling the world in an affordable manner. But what’s the cost? This is going to be a hard post for me, it will reveal difficulties in my life that very few people are aware of.
Well financially, its affordable. It is costing more per month than I budgeted for but even with no further income, I can survive at least another year. I have a couple of small sources of income so in reality I can survive another 2-3 years before i have to go back to employment. I am working on a software app which, if successful, would provide regular long term income.
But what about emotionally? That’s a different story. The cost is contact with friends and family, you cannot put a price on that. Loneliness and isolation have, and continue to be a major factor in my life.
I have tried to do something about it and will go through some of what I’ve done and how it turned out. But, in summary, I have yet to meet that one person who is happy with themselves, knows what they want, and are brave enough to take necessary risks to get it.
Online messaging friends and family
I try to do this regularly but I have noticed this usually ends up a one way street. By this i mean I usually initiate contact and it eventually tails off until I spark it off again. It’s still worthwhile though, they have busy lives and time restricted. I have too much time on my hands.
Facebook Groups
I have had good new contacts this way, one turned into a very short term relationship. But mostly these are people who have their own plans and looking for somebody to join them or to discuss sailing issues. I did made contact with a lady who joined me as crew for nearly two months via one of these groups. But mostly these contacts are dreamers, curious about this lifestyle but not brave enough to do it for themselves or are recovering from a life changing event such as bereavement or divorce and are in the process of self discovery.
Meeting locals
I have had least success here, I meet other sailors at the marina and have made new friends that way. I have also met locals through Facebook groups. But they tend to be short duration contacts.
Dating sites
I have been registered on various dating apps such as Facebook dating, match.com, tinder and bumble. It’s a jungle.
Several times I have found what initially appears to be a good prospect, but what starts out well, has consistently hit a roadblock. Some of the dead ends I have followed are.. ladies who don’t know what they want and are disappointed in not finding it 🤔😳, a rich lady who wanted a companion to fit in her life, ladies who just want attention and are not serious about meeting, ladies who are actually men, ladies who have artificial intelligence, ladies who are scammers, I won’t give more detail but you get the idea. I am sure there are some lovely, perfect for me, ladies out there, but after 7 months, I am starting to doubt it.
What has prompted this post is my latest failure. I met a lady who is nearly perfect for me. But, through a combination of factors, it’s not going any further. I am hugely disappointed and having to seriously consider whether the cost (loneliness) is worth it. I will continue to travel this summer but I need to rethink my future plans. I have discovered how much I need human contact, how much I need to have somebody with me. Yes this is post is full of self pity, but it’s also honest.
So if there is anyone out there who thinks this lifestyle is for them, who can live in a confined space with a guy who although tries very hard to be the best person he can, will occasionally fail. Please contact me. Or, if this lifestyle is not for you, but have an hour or two to spare, or fancy a cheap holiday in the sun, send me a message to say hello. Sometimes that’s all I need.
I have been in Alcudia for a while now, its time to start moving again. I plan to leave on the 20th of the month and the route is Menorca, Sardinia, Corsica and then Tuscanny in Italy.
Last week I had some work done on my ship tattoo. I am really pleased with the design, the tattoo artist really listened to and encapsulated what I wanted which was to add some missing rigging lines to the ship, add waves and storm clouds around the ship, and place a kraken below the ship lying in wait. He has arranged the elements perfectly and as a bonus he added a compass.
I have a second appointment in a week to finish the kraken.
Last week a friend flew out to visit. Nicola stayed in a local hotel and we went out for meals, sailing and sunbathing.
I have also been working on another boat in the Marina, Thorenas is a motor boat that needs a lot of work to make it watertight and pretty. I have been painting, fixing leaks in the deck, doing electrical work and restoring a teak deck. It’s slow progress on the deck due to discovering rot in the sub floor, a source of her many leaks.
Next week I am off to the USA to spend a week with another friend Imke. She is a saddle fitter and has invited me along on a road trip to visit clients in the area around New Hampshire. Nelly (former crewmate) is back in Barcelona and available to look after Dotty, so everything slotted into place. We get a ferry from here on the 24th to Barcelona and I fly to Boston from Barcelona on the 25th, returning on the 4th May.
I have been on an expensive Royal Yacht Association sailing course to learn how to sail 😳. Why? To get a bit of paper that says I am competent 🙄. The last time I was checked by the police I was hassled because I did not have a captains license, in Spain and many other countries, you need a license or certificate of competence to be in charge of a boat. However, a foreign flagged boat with a foreign captain comes under international law, not national law. This states that home port rules apply, in my case UK which does not require a captains license. But you try explaining that to the police who want to enforce national laws on you. 😲. I have heard that in Italy, the police are even worse. So, to avoid future hassle, I decided to get my International Certificate of Competance (ICC) and the simplest way to get that was by taking the RYA day skipper course. I did this in Palma last week, I passed the course and my ICC should arrive in the next few weeks.
On the plus side, I did learn a few things, practiced some manoeuvres like man overboard, I got to sail a bigger boat (a Bavaria 46) and met some new people.
It’s going to be a busy month. Next week a friend flies in to spend a week in Alcudia and we will spend a lot of time together. I will continue working on somebody else’s boat and, spolier alert… I am planning a road trip.. but not in Spain 🤔. More on that another time.
I’m in Alcudiamar Marina For the next 2 months. It’s a lovely Marina less than 7 years old so everything’s new and modern. The town is very nice it’s sleepy because it’s out of season. Its a family resort so you don’t get the big clubs and noise that you would in Palma or Ibiza. I had a walk up to the Old Town.
Alcudia old town
I’m going to be working on somebody else’s boat for a while but also I need to get an International certificate of competence (ICC). It’s a bit of paper issued to prove that you can sail. It’s not legally required on a UK registered vessel, but as I found recently the police don’t necessarily know that and want to enforce the national rules which says a captains license is required. I will have the same problem at most European countries I visit so it’s easier just to get the certificate and then produce it when somebody asks for it.
I am booked onto a sailing course that will give me the certificate in Palma next week. The course is very expensive and I’ll need to hire a car but if I want that bit of paper. I have to bite the bullet and do it.
From Altea I sailed up the coast and anchored overnight. The next evening I set off for a night sale to Ibiza. The seas were rough with a 4m swell and strong winds but we made very good progress and arrived in the early morning. I anchored overnight and the next morning I moved to Ibiza Marina where I resupplied with food and stayed 2 nights.
The next day I sailed along the South coast of Ibiza to an anchorage just at the tip of the island ready for the crossing to Majorca. On the way I passed 2 coastal towns one called Cala Longa the other Es Carna, the last time I was here was about 30 years ago on two seperate family holidays. My youngest daughter Lucy was still in a pushchair.
It was another rough crossing to Majorca and found a beautiful anchorage in a small bay and stayed there 2 nights. I am now motor sailing along the South coast of Majorca making my way up to the Marina where I’ll stay for up to 2 months.
I have not blogged for a while so there’s a lot to catch up on. This will be a longer blog including carnivals and possible romance. How’s that for an attention grabbing opening 😉
Carnivals
From Garrucha I sailed to Aguilas, my mum had told me about carnivals there and the timing was perfect for getting to see some of it. I booked into the Marina for 5 nights and while there managed to see 3 carnivals in total. One night was a party night where everybody dressed up in different costumes and just went out for a drink at the bars and the restaurants, the place was buzzing and although I went back to the boat at around 11pm, I could hear the partying going on until the early hours. I really need company to share this with.. more on that later.
Aguilas Carnivals
From Aguilas I sailed up to Mazarone, my mum used to live there, And then up past Alicante and Benidorm to Altia. I’m here for 2 nights to refuel and resupply ready to cross to Ibiza.
And now the bit that I’m sure my mum is dying to know more about. Last November I went on some dating sites and I’ve been quite successful. I’ve got several new female friends who I chat to online and may progress further, but time will tell. It takes a very brave and adventurous woman to come out and meet me on the boat having never met me ashore. But those are the qualities I like so it’s a good filter for the people that may be suitable for me. Two ladies have booked flights to come out and meet me in the next 2 months, both of them coming out as friends and they may leave as friends, we don’t know, They do know about each other, I am very honest and open with them and we are mature enough to understand what is going on. And in case you hadn’t already guessed Marina is a lady I met on a dating site, she came out as a friend in Gibraltar. We agreed we’re not compatible and that’s OK, we still enjoyed our time together doing some sightseeing and sailing.
Tomorrow I hope to sail to Ibiza I could write a song about that.. “Hey, I’m going to Ibiza 🎵”. Its 12 hours away roughly depending on the weather, the forecast looks good though. I will check the forecast again tonight and tomorrow morning but it’s likely I’m gonna do it as a night sail so I can arrive in Ibiza during daylight. That means leaving late tomorrow afternoon.
It’s been two years now since I moved aboard my 32 foot sail boat. I have had good times, bad times great times, sad times but I know it was the best decision I have ever made for myself.
In that time I have travelled to West Wales and back, crossed the English Channel and Biscay alone, sailed with crew, sailed with friends, met new friends, seen hundreds of Dolphins, dodged Orcas, been frustrated, happy, sad, excited, proud, ashamed and every other emotion. But I feel alive, I am enjoying life, I like me.
My journey so far
So what’s next? I will continue up the Spanish coast over the next week or so then cross to Ibiza. Plans are underway for a friend to join me there to sail to Alcudia in Majorca. I will be spending up to two months there working on another boat before sailing to Corsica, Sardinia and the Italian West Coast. I then hope to sail all the way around Italy to Venis over the Summer. I have no definite plans for beyond that.
A cold Mistral wind has been prevailing along this coast all week and is set to continue for another week. It has meant tacking into strong headwinds with 1-2 meter waves and rolly anchorages. I am sheltering in a marina at Garrucha.
While anchored I had a visit from the National police to inspect the boat and check my documents. They went away happy 🤗 My Facebook post at the time was..
Lady Cindy has been violated!!! A big boat came alongside while we are anchored, it’s night and the first I knew was flashing torches at the window. Their boat had no lights on 😳. Two boarded my boat Lady Cindy and one searched inside, the other got his pen and pad and demanded my documents 😳😳 I handed them over…. Two forms later, they were satisfied and called back their ship.. which bumped into mine quite hard 😳😳😳 the two men jumped over and they were gone. The Spanish police are actually really friendly 🤣🤣🤗🤗
As soon as I get a weather window I plan to day sail to Aguilas where there is a week long festival of carnivals starting on the 16th.
