Gibraltar to Gran Canaria

The delivery crew consisting of Craig, Mike and Ed arrived in Gibraltar on October 26th and proceeded to bring Lone Star back to life after she sat unattended at Alcaidesa Marina in La Linea, Spain for 60 days. La Linea is right next to the Gibraltar airport on the Spanish side. After getting Lone Star hooked back to shore power and bringing the systems up we walked into La Linea and had a late lunch.

On the 27th we motored from Spain to Gibraltar and checked into Marina Bay Gibraltar so we would be closer to stores for provisioning. We focused on provisioning that day so we would have time for a tour of the rock before we left. On Friday Mike and Craig toured the rock. Ran into one of Mike's cousins on the mountain before going into Saint Michael's cave.  Took a couple of pictures of the part that had a theater in it.  It is still used today.

We used a favorable weather window to begin the passage from Gibraltar to Las Palmas on 29 October. After spending the morning doing some last minute provisioning we slipped our lines to begin the voyage to Las Palmas, Canaries. We had winds off our stern the entire way along with an Atlantic swell that made Lone Star roll about 20 degrees on each crest. That made it uncomfortable to sleep until we got the hang of wedging ourselves in the bunks.

We used the motor to stay ahead of a weather system in the mid Atlantic. After four nights at sea Lone Star was motoring into Gan Canaria on 1 November and Ed was preparing to raise our Texas flag along with the ARC flag. I am glad we were able to leave when we did because several boats that left a day or two later encountered larger waves and had very uncomfortable passages.

Back to the Rock

After leaving Mahon we spent several days exploring the calas on the the southern coast of Menorca. At first the calas appeared to be delightful anchorages but because of the wind direction we ended up spending several rolly and uncomfortable nights on the hook. We finally decided to abandon Menorca and made a quick trip of thirty two miles to the northern shore of Mallorca where the anchorages were much more comfortable. On August 20 we sailed into familiar surroundings – the harbor of Palma to await the arrival of our last guests of the season. In 2009 we spent the month of June in Mallorca using Palma as our base. This time we set up “shop” at Port Mallorca Marina, a great marina in the heart of the harbor.

On August 24 Alicen Swift and Tiffany Tarrant joined us for several days cruising. Alicen is the assistant director of our favorite charity, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and Tiffany, an Ob/Gyn Doc is her good friend and partner in crime. We spent 3 nights on the hook in three interesting anchorages. Our first stop was Port Soller where we took the tram to the interior town of Soller on of the many places reported to be the birthplace of Christopher Columbus. The second evening we anchored in Santa Ponsa Bay which has one of the best and largest beaches on Mallorca. The girls enjoyed some much needed beach time while Captain Craig enjoyed some solitude on board Lone Star. Our final night we dropped the hook at Portal Vells Cala where we explored an ancient sea cave and enjoyed the best snorkeling of our entire three years in the Med. Back in Palma we spent our final day with Alicen and Tiffany exploring the old city and enjoying a wonderful dinner out. A & T jumped ship on August 28 and on the 29th we left Palma for the last time and pointed Lone Star toward Gibraltar.

We spent the next week retracing our 2009 route as we headed west toward the Rock. As in 2009, we anchored off the island of Ispalmador which is off the coast of Ibiza and also like 2009 we waited out a storm in the Puerto Genoves anchorage. Our final night before arriving GIB was spent in the Benalmadena Marina which we renamed “Wally World” back in ’09. On September 6 at 1640 hours we arrived in Gibraltar, the western gateway to the Med. Our home was the Alcadesa Marina, Spain, just across the Gibraltar border. From our slip we had an excellent view of the Rock from our cockpit. We spent the next few days “buttoning up” the boat and hanging out in GIB enjoying pub grub. On September 13 we said goodbye to Lone Star and started the trek home after traveling 3,243 nautical miles this summer.

June, July and Mahon

According to the pilot books, conventional wisdom and local lore there are three good harbors in the Mediterranean – June, July and Mahon. As we sit in the cockpit on Lone Star in the beautiful and historic harbor of Mahon, Menorca we heartily agree – Mahon is a damn fine harbor!

We arrived in Mahon on Wednesday, August 3 after a two night sail from the island of Marretimo in the Egadi Islands off the western coast of Sicily. It was an uneventful 50 hours at sea. The first 24 were spent under motor while the second half was a beautiful downwind sail with following seas. We used the jib and mizzen ballooner for the majority of the second day and averaged just over 7 knots. Under cloudy skies we motored into Port Mahon in the morning and were med moored by noon on the Isla Clementina pontoon.

Menorca is the most easterly of the Balearic Islands. Because of its strategic location in the Med, it has been ruled over by all sorts of folks including Vandals, Byzantines, Moors, Turks, French, and the British before finally coming under Spanish rule in 1802. Puerto de Mahon is an attractive and very interesting port up a deep long cala (bay) with a reputation for great all round protection. We were really excited to get to Menorca. In 2009 we bypassed the island when we were in the Balearics and were anxious to see what we missed. The whole area is steeped in history and Craig has just been beside himself the whole time we have been here wondering if Jack Aubrey walked the streets we walked or saw the sites we saw. Now this is a real problem and perhaps Mr. Scott has been at sea just a little too long. You see Jack Aubrey is the main character in the Master and Commander series; the Russell Crowe role in the movie. The problem with this is that Jack Aubrey is a totally fictional character – made up, not real. But did that deter or discourage Captain Craig? Nope, not one bit.

Mahon has a beautiful harbor walk lined with boats and small marinas on one side and shops, cafes and restaurants in historic buildings on the other. There are ample places to find a slip – even in August. Our choice was a bit unusual. We were moored on one of two “floating islands” in the middle of the harbor complete with electricity, and a swimming hole for the kiddos. There was even a Westie on one of the boats which Jan made quick friends with and of course started up the isn’t it about time to get a dog conversation. It’s just a quick dingy ride from the island to the dingy dock. Above the harbor is the historic city center with fish and fresh food markets, churches, plazas, pedestrian walk ways and old historic homes.

We spent three days on our floating island then motored just two miles out to Cala Taulera located beneath La Mola at the entrance of the harbor. La Mola is the site of the Spanish Fort Isabella completed in 1850 and now a tourist site. Interestingly Fort Isabella was obsolete by the time it was completed due to improvements in artillery technology.

We kept a close eye on the weather and confirmed that a Tramontona (a strong northerly gale) was headed our way with winds of over 30 knots predicted. While our anchorage was completely protected, it was rapidly filling up to the point of being overcrowded and quite frankly unsafe. By Monday morning boats were swinging into each other as more boats were trying to crowd in for protection. Using our sometimes good judgment we decided to abandon the anchorage and came back into the main harbor and tied up securely once again on our Isla Clementina. As we waited out the winds for the last two days we have voiced on more than one occasion “June, July and Mahon – a damn fine harbor!”

Extra time in Barcelona

We always like to spend an extra day to unwind after our guests, but we did not expect to be staying in Barcelona because of a La Tremontonia , or Mistril if you are French, blowing up in the Gulf of Lyon. This is a strong wind that suddenly blows in from the north west (suddenly means within a couple of hours) . When we were with Dave and Carol we kiddingly said as we looked at the hazy sky, “I hope this is not what they think is a brilliant sky.” The cruising guides say the La Tremontonia is preceded by a brilliant sky and cigar shaped clouds. Guess what. This afternoon the sky cleared and cigar shaped clouds started to appear. Then guess what. The winds started to build and are expected to be as high as 50 knots. We are glad we are still in the Barcelona marina.

Anyway here we are on the 17th of July saying to ourselves, we love Barcelona, so why is this so bad? Now we get to go to the Maritime Museum and see some of the Classic Boat Sailing Regatta. We will also get to make another run to the store to lay in a couple more cases of Albarińo wine.

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!

Happy Birthday America

Happy Birthday America from Porto Cristo, Mallorca. To celebrate we took a boat ride in the famous Coves del Drach here in Porto Cristo.

Sorry, but I am not giving any advise about going long or short on the Euro this year. Wish I had taken the advise I gave last July 4th.

Landlubbers on Board!

We had been trying to get our next set of guests to come sailing with us since back when we had Seabbatical, but were never able to make it happen. But now it was finally happening - the Kretschmers were coming on board! Nancy and Andy and two of their three children, Ted and Grace, were on their way. They had planned a two week trip to Spain and after three days of “turbo touring” in Barcelona, where headed to Majorca for 5 days of fun in the sun and a dose of cruising. Nancy and Grace have been friends with Jan for years as all of them have had horses at Foxcroft Farm. Craig and Andy would see each other at barn parties and other gatherings and enjoyed each other’s company. Andy, an emergency Doc, has also advised us on what to include in the way of medical supplies on board both Seabbatical and Lone Star. We had met Ted only a couple of times and were looking forward to getting to know him better. While we were excited and looking forward to their arrival, we were also anxiously hopeful they would enjoy their time on board as they had never been sailing.

They arrived mid afternoon June 27 and before boarding we issued their first order of the week – shoes off when on board! Once that order was dutifully followed all were granted permission to board Lone Star.



After a tour of the boat, lunch on board and stowing clothes and luggage it was off for dingy tours of the Palma Harbor. Palma is home to some truly amazing what we call “Gold Lame” boats. Definitely makes you feel like a little fish surrounded by giant whales.

For the next 3 days we all enjoyed great sailing conditions; the motor was rarely used other entering and exiting and the auto pilot got a well deserved rest. The next morning, after a brief safety session, we were off to our first stop. After exiting the harbor, Jan turned the helm over to Ted. Craig was definitely in his element – teaching folks how to sail. While Ted was on the helm, Grace was helping with tacking, Nancy was taking pictures and Andy was getting into relaxation mode on what we call “Lone Star Beach” (area of the boat behind the cockpit). Our worries over whether they would have a good time were rapidly diminishing. Ted was a natural at the helm and only reluctantly turned it over to Grace who also did a great job. After a four hour sail we dropped anchor in Calla Porto Vells, a beautiful cove with crystal clear waters, three beaches, and caves to explore.




After playing in the Mediterranean waters, exploring the caves which had a shrine dating back to Phoenician times, and a great steak dinner on board all turned in. Ted in fact, slept topside. Our next stop was the port of Andratix, where we took a slip at the yacht club. Along the way Ted once again did a masterful job at the helm, while Grace plugged in her iPod and we got a much needed break from our music. In addition to artists we had never heard of, we were amazed and thrilled to find out both Grace and Ted are huge Beatle fans. The afternoon was spent strolling the harbor and enjoying the yacht club pool. The evening activities included a dinner out at one of the restaurants along the harbor and an intense game of triominos back on board. On the final day of sailing we finally got both Nancy and Andy to take a turn at the helm.
Good job guys! For our final day together sightseeing was on the agenda. We took the narrow gauge railroad from Palma through the interior of the island to the town of Soller, one of the many places claiming to be the birth place of Christopher Columbus. Back in Palma all of us except one, Craig elected for a siesta, toured the Palma Cathedral.

The next day we said a sad farewell to our newly christened cruisers. It was great being together and introducing the Kretschmers to cruising. We know all had a good time and Ted, in particular, could be easily swayed to run away to the sea. We hope to see them back on board.

I Had a Dream . . .

I had a dream of living on the sea, in a boat with the most wonderful hosts, one was tall, blond and had those sparkling eyes and a big smile, she was the most savvy and shrewd trionamo player and was the best cook ever. The other host was the most gracious, smartest sailor man and fun, fun, fun. In the dream we are sailing with dolphins and the sea was the most beautiful shade of deep blue, we were heeling and beating to windward. We caught a beam wind and then had to bear away. We reach a cove and the the water became a clear aquamarine color. We set the anchor and all is calm and delicious and I drift off to sleep.

WOW what a dream but wait it wasn't a dream but real and what a blast it was. Actually, I've had this dream three times since I've been back on land. I'm thinking I could live on the sea. Quite an adventure we had.

On our arrival to Palma, we climb aboard the Lonestar and unpacked and got into the dinghy to zoom and look around.

Never have I seen so many BIG pleasure boats. The next day we sail to a cove and set anchor. Our gracious hosts blow up the various tubes, kayak and we jump into the deep blue waters of the Mediterranean. The water is cooling and refreshing and I start looking around at our immediate surroundings. I look to my left and there is a lovely family, 2 teenage boys jumping off the back of the a big power boat with their sisters close behind, then I notice, Mom and a friend on the front of the boat, topless, being served drinks by the captain. Hmm, don't think my son and daughter would want to see me topless at any age. Then I look to the right and up zooms in but a bigger power boat with, Young girls gone wild on board, topless and bouncing around to a sassy beat of gyrating music. Interesting, So, Jan and I close our eyes and drift off, then chat, drift off, chat some more, maybe solve all the worlds problems and drift off some more. That evening Craig dinghy's us to shore and we explore some very old caves. Carvings on the walls and a cave or cell within the cave with a huge iron door with a lock, must be pirate dwellings or something.

We have a wonderful evening meal and a mean game of trionamoes. Jan wins big. The next day we sail farther north to the cove of Andratx. On our sail to Andratx, we sail past a small power boat that has caught on FIRE. Lots of conversation as to how and why the boat caught on fire and of course I took lots and lots of pictures.

Andratx is a sleepy town surrounded by beautiful villas and more beautiful boats and no, it is not the site of the where the deadly powder Anthrax is created, which is what we originally thought, or at least I did. But it is pronounced Anthrash, which sounds French to me but anyway.
We walk into town and find a great restaurant and enjoy a wonderful seafood meal (however, not as good as Jan's cod). We walk back and find full size painted horses in alley ways and windows, curious. As a side, on our next stop on the trip we happen to be reading a paper and discover the mayor of Andratx was arrested earlier in the year for corruption. And it seemed so idyllic.

Next day we sail back to Palma, We sail past lots of lighthouses, which I took many pictures of, and the isle of Dragonera. and its really looks like a dragon from a distance.
On the sail we encounter, DOLPHINS, in the Mediterranean, I didn't know they lived in the Med. I think I even got a picture of them.
As we got closer to Palma, I GOT to sail the Lonestar. Wow, it was extremely cool. Craig even got out the jib sail and put it up. and of course I got lots of pictures of that. Well, thanks to my great sailing skills I got us back to port. and no I did not drive up into the boat slip, (thank goodness). We got to explore Palma and got to see a beautiful cathedral, built from 1230 and finished in 1600, it was spectacular.

The next day we all took a train to Sollier, a town on the northern seaside to Mallorja, and it also had an interesting cathedral. So, now Ted and Grace are realizing that what you see and do a lot in Europe is see cathedral's, and I'm glad to say, they enjoyed seeing them as did I.
We had a lovely lunch and walked around a bit then back on the train, which goes through 17 tunnels. The clackity, clack of the train along with the mountain scenery was very relaxing. We even saw some horse farms.

The following day we parted ways with our good friends and wonderful hosts, Jan and Craig. They truly are, as our son Ted would say, Living the dream and I am grateful I got to experience some of that dream with them.

As I lay down to sleep I hope to have more dreams of sailing the sea.