👉Dreamy anchorages

A week of realising a few dreams many years in the making!

Click on the title to read more

6/1/20264 min read

Dreamy Anchorages: Menorca & Mallorca

Having sailed to Menorca, we arrived feeling euphoric. What a treat Port D'Addaya, our first stop turned out to be. Beautiful, peaceful, and wonderfully quiet, it was the perfect place to recover after the crossing. With just a restaurant and a small supermarket, life was simple for those few days while we caught up with ourselves. We took the tender out for a spin and a swim, played with the drone, and gave Novera a well-deserved clean after she had done us so proud on our 24-hour, 124-nautical-mile crossing.

We had a promise to keep and a dream to realise, so it was time to move on.

Our second stop in Menorca was Ciutadella, and what a contrast it was to the sleepy tranquillity of Port D’ Addaia .

The marina itself wasn’t the prettiest, but we were berthed outside the main facilities. When your morning routine involves a walk for a No. 2 and a shower, you quickly learn to appreciate the distance between your boat and the facilities! 🤣 After a sweaty, salty day at sea, I practically dashed to the showers with enthusiasm.

They were clean enough, but they were also very… communal. 🤣 Despite feeling quite the seasoned traveller lately, I was instantly transported back to school and my shy teenage self! Thankfully, I had the entire row of five football-team-style showers to myself. I kept one eye firmly on the door while washing at record speed! Tim was not so fortunate with his timing as a boat of 6 middle aged German sailors arrived while he showered!

Once refreshed, we headed off to explore, and wow—Ciutadella is stunning. Narrow sandstone-coloured streets wind through the old city before opening onto beautiful squares filled with restaurants, their cream umbrellas shielding diners from the blazing sun. There were so many charming craft shops I was desperate to wander through, but I resisted. We are travelling, not holidaying. Otherwise, I could happily fill the boat with trinkets and treasures from every place we visit. 🤣

Our next stop was a special one: Port de Pollença.

We’ve visited several times before, but this time was different. This time, we sailed there on our own boat.

Ten years ago, over a beer, Tim told me one of his dreams was to own a yacht like the ones we used to admire and be moored out in the beautiful bay. And guess what? We did exactly that.

What a moment.

Once our anchor was safely set, we jumped in the tender—or rather, we hoisted it, lowered it, attached the engine, and then set off. Not quite the same as grabbing the car keys and going for a drive! 🤣 Sitting there with a gin and tonic in hand, gazing not at someone else’s yacht but at our boat, Novera, was incredibly special.

Dreams really can come true if you believe in them enough.

With Tim’s moment celebrated, it was my turn.

Throughout my 34-year career, I’ve been fortunate enough to meet people who have inspired me, given me support, and left a lasting impression. The friend I had promised to meet in Pollença was one of those people.

When I retired, he treated me to an unforgettable dinner in London, complete with champagne and a an amazing venue. During the evening, we joked about meeting again while he was staying at his apartment in Pollença. At the time, our boat was still in France and we hadn’t even sailed her yet, so it felt like a wildly ambitious rendezvous.

Yet here we were.

As we clinked glasses and exchanged a hug, just as Tim had enjoyed his moment, I had mine.

As it turned out, Pollença was an anchorage of dreams.

It was also the first time we truly relaxed into life at anchor. The tender was ready whenever we fancied lunch ashore, we had plenty of water for showers, and the inverter for the lithium battery system we’d invested in proved absolutely fantastic.

As ever, though, there were a few learning moments along the way.🤣

On one trip out in the tender to get a closer look at the fortress that once protected Mallorca from pirates—and which was also featured in the BBC drama The Night Manager—I failed to secure a rope properly. Before long, it had worked its way into the water and wrapped itself around the propeller. Thankfully, no divers were required this time! 🤣 Tim managed to untangle it, and I solemnly promised to tie things down properly in future.

Living surrounded by such crystal-clear water also makes you acutely aware of the waste you produce. Food packaging, scraps, washing-up water—everything suddenly feels much more visible. And how much water we use without thinking! I’ve definitely changed a few habits as a result.

As relaxing as anchoring is, eventually we needed a port. We were running low on water, food and—most importantly—beer. Desperately low on beer! We also needed to dispose of rubbish and recycling.

So, with supplies calling, our next stop was Alcúdia.

For all our videos we share on social media click here or click on the icons at the bottom of the page to follow us on Instagram or Facebook