From the Islands to Barcelona with the Weigel's

After a few days of exploring the southeast coast of Mallorca we headed back to Palma and the Club Nautico Marina to await our next guests Carol and Dave Weigel. Dave and Craig worked together at TCA. Carol and Dave were supposed to join us on Seabbatical back in June 2007 when we were in the Bahamas. However due to unusually bad weather conditions for June in the Bahamas we could not make the trip happen. Since then and now they have been bitten by the nautical bug and are the proud owners of Flip Flop a Tiara sport fisher (ok it’s power – we forgive them) We were looking forward to finally having them on board (albeit a different boat!) for an extended cruise. On July 7 after a long journey from Caswell Beach, North Carolina via Wilmington, Atlanta, and Barcelona Dave and Carol arrived in Palma a bit jet lagged and minus one duffel bag which had decided to journey off on its’ own. The missing bag delayed our departure from Palma by a day but we put good use to the extra time by touring the local sights including the Palma Cathedral,
sampling the local cuisine and picking up a few items Dave and Carol needed in case the bag never showed. On the morning of July 9th we decided to go ahead and leave Palma minus the bag – Delta had assured Dave they could not deliver the bag to Palma once it was found and at best would deliver it back to their home. However Jan and Carol decided to check with the main yacht club office before leaving and there it was – the missing bag. Guess Delta doesn’t quite know what they can and can’t do, or what they’ve done and haven’t done! With missing bag now safely aboard Lone Star we slipped the lines for the final time at Club Nautico and headed west.

We spent four days sailing along the southern, western and northern coasts of Mallorca. The first day was a short sail to the charming town of Santa Ponsa. We took a slip at the local yacht club and enjoyed a great paella dinner at a local restaurant. From there we sailed up the rugged and wild northwestern coast to Puerto de Soller where we dropped a hook in the beautiful harbor.


Puerto de Soller is the only safe harbor on this part of the coast and is surrounded by mountains and forests. The harbor is ringed with shops and restaurants and is a beautiful sight at night with all the lights reflecting on the water. We took the electric tram inland to the town of Soller, one of the many places claiming to be the birthplace of Chris Columbus, and back on board Lone Star enjoyed a grilled steak dinner under the stars. The third day was our shortest sail yet, just 15 nautical miles around the corner to Cala de la Calobra and the Torrente de Pareis where we once again dropped the anchor. The Torrente de Pareis is considered one of the top sights in Mallorca and by day many tourists arrive by land or sea.
However, in the evening most were gone and we had the anchorage almost to ourselves. We spent the afternoon kayaking (Dave) and having a close and not too pleasant jelly fish encounter (Jan). After most the tourists retreated to wherever they had come from we dingied to shore and hiked to the Torrente.
Our last day of sailing along the coast took us past more incredible scenery to the northeast port of Alcudia where we took a slip at Marina Alcudiamar. The marina is absolutely huge with dozens of restaurants, chandleries and beautiful beaches nearby. A fifteen minute walk inland brings you to the historic town of Alcudia which dates back to Phoenician times with ancient Roman ruins and a walled city center. After a morning of sightseeing and boat preparations, we left Mallorca for an overnight sail to Barcelona.

On Monday, July 13 with a party of 4 salty dogs Lone Star left Mallorca at 1249 and headed west for an overnight 100nm sail to Barcelona. The weather looked good – a downwind sail with slight seas. The sail started out as predicted under clear skies and we were all enjoying the day which included two separate dolphin sightings; quite an accomplishment in the Med. However as the day turned to night the weather predicted was not the weather we got. The winds freshened to 20+ knots and the downwind sail turned into a beat with the jib rolled in and the motor running. While not very comfortable the night passed with only one major exciting moment – a close encounter with a container ship. Capt Craig called the ship on the VHF, the big boy responded and altered course. He felt very powerful! By 0906 on July 14 after a rough crossing we were docked at Port Vell Marina in the heart of Barcelona.
After giving the boat a much needed rinse and siestas and baths for the crew we set out on foot in the early evening exploring the Ramblas, Barcelona’s major pedestrian thoroughfare, which runs from the city center to the port. Ramblas has everything - outdoor cafes; food, flower and bird markets; street performers; and pickpockets (luckily we didn’t encounter any of those). Still tired we turned in early to ready ourselves for two days of “turbo touring”. The next two days we took advantage of Barcelona’s excellent Hop on Hop off Bus to see all the major sights. The first day we toured the Barcelona Cathedral where from the roof top we were able to see all of Barcelona, Church of Santa Maria del Mar (dedicated to sailors) and Picasso Museum, explored the Barri Gotic and La Ribera neighborhoods and drove by countless over sights. The second day we devoted to Barcelona’s famous architect Antoni Gaudi. Gaudi’s designs can be seen all over the city. His most famous creation, Sagrada Familia (Holy Family Church) has been under construction for over 100 years and has 25 more to go before completion. Even though not complete we were able to tour the inside and ride an elevator up one of the towers for a birds eye look and walk down. We spent half a day touring this truly remarkable sight.


All good things must come to an end and after a 10 day visit filled with good times, one missing and found bag, and one accident – an encounter between and ankle and a winch derailer - we said goodbye to the Weigels. A great time was had by all and we hope to see Carol and Dave on board Lone Star again. **Footnote to the missing bag saga. Two weeks after Dave and Carol were back home they received a call from Delta saying they had located the missing bag and was sending it to them. Even though they explained they had their bag Delta insisted and a day later a bag not belonging to them but to a lady in Middle America showed up on their door step. Being good Samaritans, Dave and Carol found the owner’s address inside the bag and sent it on its way. Airlines – can’t live with them, can’t live without them!