Alicante to Ibiza
Saturday, September 6th, 2003
Having purchased a dive compressor there will be no more fishing nets although it is excellent for cleaning the bottom as coral grows very quickly in the warm water. The Med is 10% warmer this year than normal.After sailing up the Spanish coast to Alicante and Javea in perfect conditions the closest point to sail to Ibiza we sailed the 50 miles to Puerto San Antonio in 8 hours. Blue sky, 40 degrees, beautiful bays and beaches, wall to wall with people. The clarity and depth of the water is amazing with the white sand. Antonio is a hippie town and don’t stay long.The wind takes us south and call into a picture post card bay, swim, perve and sail onto Formantera an island south of Ibiza. Here we stay 3 days in the most idyllic place Playa Espalmador, long white beaches along with lots of boats. 1st day swim, sunbath, watched the most beautiful sunset in what was the perfect day. 
Here there are natural mud pools. You coat yourself, dry in the sun and then swim to get it all off. Wonderful exfoliant but smell was hard to get rid of. Skin felt fantastic including hair.The area is renowned for its nudity but haven’t been quite that brave yet.2nd day much the same but that was about to change. We notice boats having trouble anchoring in the weedy bottom. That evening electrical storms started and the notorious wind from the northeast started to blow after 90 days of no wind here. By midnight it was blowing 35 knots and we started to drag. After laying a second anchor we watched yachts drag all night. At daybreak it was calm but this was just a lull.Suddenly driving rain and wind came out of the north at 50 knots and we felt very complacent with two anchors down. What we didn’t take into account was other boats dragging out of control.Whilst righting our over turned inflatable we looked into the driving rain to see a 50 footer bearing down on us only to wrap one of her two rudders around our anchor lines crash down our side nearly tangling the rigs and proceeded to drag us towards the beach. With myself at the wheel with engine full ahead to stop us grounding Ian attempted to disentangle us in a foreign language but there is one word they understand.With sheer guts Ian slacks one anchor and then the other and managed to free them. After settling down we looked around to see 4 yachts up on the beach. A visit from the owner from the offending yacht was nice and he has agreed to pay for all damage. We later heard that the storm was so severe that Ibiza airport was closed for 2 hours a first in years.
The weather had not been predicted by anyone and people are still scratching their heads. When it abated and rescue had arrived to help the other boats we sailed to Puerto Ibiza a wonderful place with immense history and a wonderfully preserved old town, cathedral and fortress.
Despite all this we are having a wonderful time and as you know we have always told it warts and all.
We haven’t mentioned marina fees but Ibiza brings it to mind. All the way along the Spanish coast we paid about Euro 23 a day with it increasing as we went further north. At Puerto Banus we paid Euro 70 for the last one available but that was worth it for the sights.
Alicante wanted euro 60 with no service so we used our CYCA membership to berth at the prestigious Real Club Alicante for Euro 20.Formentera at Puerto Sabina is Euro 157 a night for July Aug E 87 for Sept and E 58 for the off season. We declined and anchored out. At Ibiza we are at the yacht club with below standard facilities with a pier healing 30 degrees, exposed concrete everywhere for e 50 a night and constant ferry wash. It makes Ian come home sober at night, which is hard when Spain only comes alive at midnight and wine is cheaper than water. One Euro is about two Aussie dollars.
The other thing we should feel proud of is Ian Kiernan’s Clean up Australia. No one has any regard for what they throw in the sea and each country blames the other for it blowing into their waters.
