We arrived in Palma last Sunday, around 7 pm after a 13 hour sail and motor from Ibiza. We knew anchoring wasn't allowed within the harbour so we dropped the hook outside the breakwater. We were just finishing supper when a port authority boat arrived to tell us we couldn't anchor there! We explained we had just arrived and were very tired, so they agreed we could stay the night (it was already 8.30 pm!) but would need to move a mile further down in the morning! Next day we moved and tried to launch the dinghy in a huge swell with Sunflower doing the rock and roll she does so well:)
We had a very wet dinghy ride (with me hidden under a tarp, trying to keep dry) as waves slurped over the bow and side, for the several mile trip into the harbour. We really had to be here for 2 reasons; we had ordered some spare parts for our fridge and we needed immigration to enter the EU. (more of both of those sagas later) The harbour was massive, several miles across and a solid forest of masts and lumps of expensive white plastic, there must have been more than 5000 yachts in there amongst the 9 marinas! We puttered around looking for somewhere to land the dinghy and finally found a ladder on the wall at one of the smaller marinas. Alan went ashore to make enquirires.
We had previously made email requests to a couple of the marinas about a berth for a night or two, but quotes of 200 Euros a night (!!) had rather put us off! This marina offered a berth for 49! Even though it was more than double the rate we have ever paid before we decided it was probably worth it for a few nights. They let us leave the dinghy there while we stretched our legs ashore and found some lunch, then it was back ot Sunflower to restow the dinghy on deck and prepare to come into the marina, always a nerve racking experience and this time was no different! Again, more of that later... but for now we are snug in a marina and no rolling out of bed with the swell.
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