Ibiza

Ilsa Tagomago

After a lovely night anchored in Cala Llonga we needed to move. For the previous 3 days a force 7 to 8 gale had been forecast for overnight 24/25 April coming from the northwest. Calla Llonga’s shape and high sides would funnel that wind and make life very uncomfortable so we decided to explore a few spots further up the coast.

We looked at a few potential anchorages but they were either too small or too exposed. In the end we anchored to the west of Isla Tagomago in Cala Negra which is a horseshoe shaped cala, surrounded from the northeast round the north to the southwest by high cliffs. We settled in and watched another British yacht motor past and then make an abrupt turn to head back to where we were anchored. Sarah Jane also dropped anchor in the cala; they obviously liked our choice of anchorage to see out the storm.

We made preparations for the strong winds expected from the northwest, including lowering a 10kg chum part way down the anchor chain, and then went to bed. In the morning we were very glad that we had chosen the spot that we had. We actually experienced strong winds from the southwest as well as round to the northwest and so BV and Sarah Jane had both gently danced around the anchorage. Both yachts are the same size and were well positioned so we never got too close to each other but we learned an important lesson in expecting winds from a wider arc than forecast when selecting anchorages for the night. Cala Negra had worked very well for us but we then needed to to find a new spot because the Navtex forecast was talking about strong winds from the east but the timing was not clear. The forecasts on the radio helped a little but west and east sound very similar in Spanish to our untrained ear.

We upped anchor and left Cala Negra heading northeast at the same time as Sarah Jane left heading southwest. A shame we didn’t get the chance to properly meet the couple. Initially we planned to go to the northwest side of the island to look at a couple of pretty and well protected calas which would work with an easterly wind, but not with a northwesterly. However, as we went around the north of the island the northwesterly wind was still blowing strongly so we reconsiderd our plan.

In the end, we decided to retrace our steps and stop in the marina at Puerto de Santa Eulalia for the night. The town sits under a hill dominated by a 14^th century church/stronghold which provided a good view over the town. The town itself is a bit of a concrete jungle but had lots of shops and a street of nice looking restaurants. We stocked up on food, enjoyed a beer with pinchos whilst checking e-mails, and then we stuck our fingers in our ears as they did the sound checks for the band which would be playing on the stage set up in the main square. Ibiza was living up to its reputation for extremely loud music and, whilst muttering “bah humbug”, we decided that we are clearly getting old!

Santa Eulalia beach

Whilst doing a check of emails, we also downloaded some Spanish and French Met forecasts and grib files for the coming few days. The grib files in particularly clearly predicted a series of Tramontanes (a very strong northwesterly wind, which blows through the Toulouse Gap and into the Golfe du Lion before fanning out down towards the Balearics) blowing for 6 to 12 hours at a time over the next few days, with the wind outside the Tramontane period being essentially southwesterly. Any anchorages we were to use therefore needed to be able to provide shelter from the southwest through west to north. Other than the anchorages we had already visited, there didn’t seem to be a great spot to stay at. We could stay another night in the marina [Ed: €48 per night, and this is the low season.] but we felt we had seen all we wanted to at Santa Eulalia so we hatched a plan to head on.

There seemed to be a good weather window on 26 April for a fast sail to Mallorca. It’s a much larger island and we know there is a lot more there that we want to explore. It also has a good number of anchorages but with many seeming to have better shelter for the current conditions than those in Ibiza. Mallorca next then!