Restoration and degustation

Taking the dog for a paddle, Santa Ponsa

Back in the safe anchorage at Santa Ponsa, Mallorca, there was a lot of head scratching and chin stroking. We eventually came to the conclusion that our engine problems were due to a faulty starter motor.  We therefore decided to bite the bullet and replace it. Our Palma friends, Mandy and Gra, kindly came to the rescue yet again and sourced the new Volvo part for us. For the third time this summer we found ourselves without the use of the engine while bobbing at anchor. Not an ideal situation in a crowded anchorage. We chose a calm day and embarked on removing the old part and replacing it with the shiny new one. After an extremely long day and many expletives, the job was completed and everything appeared to work. I think the Captain could have done with a more agile and savvy assistant!

Cala Santa Ponsa

Not something from the Little Shop of Horrors but Berengenas de Amalgro,
(pickled eggplant) served aboard Mandala in Nancy's beautiful hand made bowl

Securing Mandala's dinghy beneath the El Balcon de Maria
restaurant, Santa Ponsa

El Nautico restuarant

It wasn't all doom and gloom. While we sat at anchor sorting out our problems we had great fun wining, dining and catching up with old friends as they came and went. Our American friends, Ron and Nancy on Mandala, whom we met last winter in Gaeta, stopped by for a few days. Then it was the turn of Kate and Hugh on Indaba whom we travelled to the Middle East with and hadn't seen for seven years. In between the comings and goings of Mandala and Indaba we also managed to pop into Palma on the bus and visited Mandy and Gra on Skalu in Real Club Nautico marina, our old wintering spot of 12 years ago. We had a lovely, very, very, long lunch at the El Nautico restaurant on the first floor of the clubhouse. It was just like we'd never left. With our problem solved and my sister and nephew arriving in a few days it was time to head back to Ibiza.

Real Club Nautico marina from El Nautico restaurant

Santa Ponsa anchorage from El Balcon de Maria restaurant