39 50.1 N 003 07.8 E Alcudia, NE Mallorca
Monday 30th August 2010

Yuk! Well that was a crossing we did not want. Wind not as forecast. Started out with 2 reefs and lumpy, on nose, just about sailable about 20 deg off course. The wind dropped (that was forecast) but did not go E as planned so decided to motorsail after about 8 hours and get somewhat back on course. 60nm into journey, at 3am (isn't it always in the graveyard hours?) the engine suddenly stopped. Oh Oh.

Back to sailing, W trying to keep the boat upright, steady and not too fast and as little off course as possible while poor Richard got his head stuck in the engine for the next two hours. In the dark. Trying to avoid shipping. I would leap over an open engine compartment every so often to check AIS targets, then back up on deck. Fuel filter blocked. Changed that. Then fuel line to fuel pump was also blocked. Valve not working. Long story short, Richard got it cleared and we got going again, now well off course. The wind picked up again (not forecast) but direction improved somewhat. We decided to sail the remainder as much as possible as we wanted the engine on arrival and were not sure what was blocking it. And the wind got up. Back to 2 reefs. Then the rain came, now dawn and we could see the black clouds and where the rain was going to get us. That sort of heavy stuff that flattens the water. As neither of us had slept (actually I lie, once he had got the engine going, R managed 2 hours) but we were both very tired and this was not welcome.

Original plan was to head for some Posidonia buoys off Formentor. The approach to this area was dramatic, the cliffs rising sheer out of the water. The bay of Pollenca looked exposed however, and was reputedly shallow, so we decided the best thing with a dodgy engine was to carry on another hour or so to Alcudia, where we were sure would be chandleries and the like. Arrived eventually at 1445, about 6 hours and 30 miles later than planned. Where was the famous Balearic sun. First impressions not brilliant. We checked wifi signals (loads but all locked), so gave up, had bite to eat, snooze, another bite, and bed early for some very welcome zzzzzz....

Glad to have made it, better late than never.

Postscript - we heard gale warnings over vhf for Golfe de Leon for F7-F9. We were out of that but our track probably touched the edge of that weather system, giving us unpredictable conditions. We are not yet up to speed as to how to interpret weather here - it is different to Atlantic systems blowing through and steady winds - here is it up and down, you can have nothing one minute and 30 knots next.