Il Hofra Z-Zghira Bay

On Saturday 20^th we went shopping. It was, however, shopping with a difference. Barry and Catherine dropped by BV in their RiB and pick us up. We then whizzed out of Grand Harbour, around Valletta, and into Lazaaretto Creek in Marsamxett Harbour. Shopping by RiB is definitely much more fun than going by car! We abandoned the RiB on the quay bought some fabulous filled rolls for lunch and then popped into the nearby chandleries. We picked up one of our gas bottles which we had left there to be refilled and Barry and Catherine bought a few bits and pieces for their RiB.

Il Hofra, Z-Zghira Bay   

We then headed south down the coast from Valletta to Il Hofra and the 2 bays there.  Blue Moon was anchored in the northerly of the 2, I-Kbira bay and so we went there first to say hello. With several guests and their son visiting it had clearly been a bit of a party night on board Blue Moon; a reviving breakfast was being produced. We left them to nurse their sore heads and made our way into the next-door bay, Z-Zghira.

This turned out to be deeper and even more sheltered than I-Kbira bay. It also had fabulous eroded cliffs to look at….

… and even an archway through into I-Kbira bay.

Blue Moon   

We spotted Blue Moon through the ‘oval window’ and then crept further into the bay to anchor just off the pebble beach.

First priority was a swim which was also a good excuse to capture Barry and Catherine leaping in.

My photo timing, however, was not up to much and I missed both of them!

We shared the bay with a few other boats, also stopping for lunch, but all the while keeping an eye on the conditions outside of the bay because the wind was forecast to pick up. It was very sheltered in the bay and it was very tempting just to laze in the sun after lunch but Barry made the call that we should head back.

That proved to be a very good decision. We only had to motor 6 miles back to Grand Harbour but when we got out of Z-Zghira Bay we discovered that the wind was already up around 20 knots creating very short sharp waves. Barry played the speed carefully, mostly at around just 10 knots, but even with that we took a few gophers over the bow; it was a wet ride back to the harbour and we were jolly pleased that we hadn’t left the return trip much later.

Reviving drinks back in the apartment hit the spot and then it was time for a quick shower and change before meeting up for dinner at the Italian restaurant beside the marina. A tip top day all round!

Malta