It took us just over three hours to motor from Fornells to Cala del Amarrado. This anchorage has rave reviews on Navily, and we were not disappointed. Being October it was pretty quiet with a few day boats coming and going, but by sunset it was only us and one other sailboat that anchored a few hundred meters away.

We spent the afternoon snorkelling and loved the gin-clear water, the schools of small fish and underwater caves.

We put a stern anchor out late afternoon to prevent the light winds overnight swinging us beam on to the swell. After a delicious dinner of barbecued pork chops, bratkartoffeln and roast veggies, washed down with beer and red wine, we had a peaceful night’s sleep.

Motored the 18 miles from Mahón in absolutely calm conditions and dropped anchor here around 1:30PM. Lovely protected Anchorage, some water sports (dinghy sailing).

We transferred 140 litres of diesel from the jerry cans to the main tank and also pumped about 20 litres from the auxiliary tank to the main. We now have exactly 210 litres usable diesel in the tank (70 hours motoring or 420nm @ 6kt), and one jerry with 20 litres as reserve of last resort. With 550nm left to Gibraltar we need to either sail 130 miles of that or buy another 65 litres of diesel somewhere along the Spanish coast. Engine hours 856.6.

We were going to go ashore to explore and get some groceries but we’re exhausted after the diesel transfer. Also, after the beauty of old Mahón en Teulera anchorage, the modern tourist village with (expensive) shops and cafés was not an incentive to do the 15 minute dinghy ride.

So we started beer o’clock a bit early in stead!

We entered the port of Mahón around 11PM after 65 hours sailing/motoring from Isla Marettimo. Our passage took us within 15nm of Sardinia, but we elected to push on given the excellent weather and nearly full moon.

The anchorage at Teulera is crowded, but secure and serene. We anchored just inside, probably encroaching into the channel and went to sleep. Next morning we re-anchored on the northern edge where we stayed for another two nights.

We made the trek to Mahón in the dinghy. Fortunately conditions were favourable and we got the Zodiac on the plane with the 5hp Black Death! We had, of course, not factored in the Siesta, and arrived in town at 2PM to find everything shut.

Eventually, at 4:30 we managed to procure a 140GB pre-paid SIM from a very friendly chap at Movistar, but not before we had a couple of cerveza Estrella, only to pass the time, you see.

We had a bit of time to walk around Mahón. It is a beautiful old city but in excellent state. Thought one would be happy living here!

We chose to check out from Italy at Porto Empedocle so we wouldn’t have to go around to Trepani. Another day of motoring into headwinds with only a few hours of sailing was ahead. Conditions were better than the day before and we arrived in Porto Empedocle at 1700 where Giuseppe helped us into a berth.