Total Eclipse

With friends due to arrive in Mallorca, we set our course to meet them and left the tranquil bay on the northern tip of Ibiza. There was a slight wind and the water was dead flat calm as we set off on our 50 nautical mile passage.

Ziggy was ploughing along at a surprisingly good speed. A favourable current was running with us, helping us maintain around 6 knots, and we enjoyed a lovely calm sail throughout the morning.

During the afternoon, the wind began to pick up and, with the full sails set, our speed increased to 7–8 knots. The wind continued to strengthen, making for a lively sail on a beam reach, and before long we needed to reef the sails.

Thankfully, as we approached Santa Ponça in the early evening, the wind began to ease. The water was very clear so it was easy to see the bottom, however, the bay was extremely busy, and finding a suitable sandy patch to anchor without ending up too close to another boat proved difficult. Just as we were considering our options, we spotted people on a nearby boat preparing to leave, so we circled patiently, waiting for them to vacate their spot so we could take their place. It was a perfect position to see beautiful sunsets.

Mallorca is the largest of the Balearic Islands and has a varied mix of mountains, secluded coves, sandy beaches, lively resorts and historic towns. Santa Ponça is a popular resort on Mallorca’s southwest coast, with a large, relatively sheltered bay dominated by a long sandy beach. The town stretches back from the waterfront, packed with hotels, apartments, restaurants, bars, supermarkets and tourist shops. A very busy contrast to the peaceful anchorage we had enjoyed in Ibiza over the previous few days.

Our friends soon arrived, and Paul had to row ashore to collect them. Unfortunately, our dinghy only has room for two passengers while he is rowing, so he had to make two trips to bring all four of them out to Ziggy. He really does want a new engine!

After a lovely time catching up and in the water we all had to take part in the customary Annual Unicorn Races. The rules are simple, from an allocated starting point, whilst mounted on the unicorn, competitors must use a combination of arms and legs to propel the unicorn towards the finish by touching Ziggy’s swim ladder. The fastest time wins.

Paul was unfortunately disqualified after being dismounted mid way through the race. It was extremely close between myself and John, one of our guests, he did have a slightly quicker time, but sadly for John, he too was disqualified for excessive loud breathing and inappropriate facial expressions. Once again, I was declared the champion and remain the proud holder of the unicorn trophy!

Our ‘boat part mules’ had brought out the new watermaker part from the UK, so once they had departed, Paul set to work replacing the faulty component. Once again, Ziggy had to be completely rearranged to gain access to the necessary areas.

Of course, the job took longer than expected. The tanks were not filling as quickly as they should, and we discovered clean water collecting in the bilge. Paul eventually traced the leak to a small split in one of the pipes. Luckily, we had some spare pipe on board, so he was able to take apart more of the boat to replace the damaged section and repair the leak.

Thankfully, everything is now working as it should, and we finally have full water tanks once again!

This week we were fortunate to be treated to a rare and spectacular view of the total solar eclipse.

As the evening approached, the light slowly began to dim as the Moon gradually started to cover the Sun. People gathered along the beaches, while others watched from small boats and paddle boards, all sharing the same anticipation as we waited for the moment the Moon would completely cover the Sun.

Local experts had predicted that the hills would spoil our view, but to our delight the eclipse reached totality just in time. Thousands of people around the bay began shouting, cheering and applauding. The Sun’s bright disc disappeared entirely, revealing the glowing rays of the sun shimmering around the dark silhouette of the Moon. Daylight briefly turned to darkness, creating an incredible and almost magical atmosphere.

The clear skies gave us a perfect view of this extraordinary event. Slowly, the Sun began to re-emerge and daylight returned, just as the Sun disappeared behind the hill, bringing this unforgettable experience to a perfect end.