1st to 3rd September

It feels as though the summer is over in England and we're heading back to the boat. Michael Wilkey met us at Barcelona airport and Stuart Withington arrived later and made his way to Sant Carles. Imagine was looking good although a big storm had passed through earlier. We had tapas and retired in preparation for an early start in the morning.
We motored round the marina to the boat yard. After her bottom was scrubbed pristine we were back in the water and heading East. The forecast was far from perfect but it should do.

The first few hours were painful as we tacked laboriously into choppy seas. Land took an awfully link time to recede and every nautical mile nearer our destination was won with twice that distance sailed. Eventually the wind and waves eased off allowing us to motor in the right direction.

That night the moon was bright enough to see by. In the distance to our right, and behind us, the sky was lit by lightning, sometimes in prolonged bursts like some celestial fireworks display. Fortunately our route remained clear. That statement was optimistic. The storm from behind slowly got nearer until a dark front swept over wiping all light from outside. Lightning filled the sky transiently illuminating the circular world surrounding the boat. Every few minutes one of the lightning bolts racing up in the clouds would take a different route and hit the sea. Then came the rain, and then the wind. First at over 30 knots from behind, then less fiercely from one side followed by calm and then a wind from the other direction. In all it lasted about an hour. By this time dawn had broken and the indistinct grey of Majorca was visible off our starboard quarter. Just when all seemed to have settled down another storm hit followed by yet another, although neither was as fierce as the first to hit. Each brought initial strong winds then calm and rain.

Finally Ciudadela was in sight but a huge grey cloud was sitting on top of it. We turned into the cloud and cracks of thunder reverberated around us. We approached the anchorage in torrential rain, eventually putting the hook into the bottom with a line ashore. By this time we were all soaked. Two beers later we felt better and the sun came out.

Sent from my iPhone