40 03.0 N 003 55.3 E Port de Pollenca, Mallorca, Monday 6th September

I am fated not to see these caves with underground lakes and spectacular stalagmites. We left Porto Colom and went back up to Porto Cristo (sorry Clive & Jane, we didn't get to Cala Llonga and Cala d'Or). The entrance to Cristo was fine this time, but it is a tiny anchorage, there were 3 boats there already plus one American one that took up another 3 spaces by angling himself sideways with a line to the rocks. No room for us, so we carried on up until we found a wonderful cala called Aguilo. It had the clearest, lightest turquoise water I have seen over here - positively carribean. And white sand at the bottom. Could see the anchor from 30 meters. Picture of dinghy suspended on this water (the next pic was of R snorkelling, but he was in the altogether, so thought better of it for public consumption!). A very nice time there to compensate for lack of caves.

On to buoys off Formentor where we were stung for Euro 28.50 - they were not the free Posidonia ones but another nature reserve outfit that were trialling their admin of these for the first time this year. We need to have a word with them about their pricing structure - goes up according to size of buoy linked to size of boat. The largest of them would set a mega yacht (over 40m) back Euro 209.00 for one night - for a buoy! But it was the loveliest place with pine trees and shade ashore as well as beach.

Left in the morning for Pollenca around the corner when the engine started dying again. We limped in, R changed filters again, but this time it was the secondary filter. We did not have a spare spare, so went in search of a chandlery - found a Volvo dealer who could supply it, their card machine wouldn't work, so we ended up traipsing back and forth to banks for cash, then to supermarkets, to return laden by dinghy to boat. A gusty lumpy night followed. We decided we needed to make tracks to Menorca, so although we feel we perhaps have not done Mallorca full justice, we aimed to leave on Tuesday.

But Mallorca has been superb, particularly the north of the island. And need to leave a few unknown bits for the return journey!