👉PanPan

Sailing has a funny way of turning quiet days into full‑blown stories, and this week delivered everything from mayday alarms to naked neighbours and accidental grounding. Never a dull moment aboard Novera.

Click on the title to read more

6/5/20264 min read

Maydays, Naked Neighbours & One Tiny Grounding

Part of preparing for our trip involved me getting my VHF radio licence. You can’t legally operate the radio without one, and in the classroom it all feels very theoretical. But when the alarm suddenly sounded on our VHF in Mallorca, my heart nearly leapt out of my chest.

Sailors in peril!

I scrambled to jot down the coordinates while the alarm screamed in my ears. Thankfully, the distress call was coming from around 120 miles away, off the coast of Africa, so there was nothing we could do directly. Still, it was reassuring to know that when a mayday goes out, it really does reach every ship listening.

After four days at anchor, our next stop was Alcúdia. With water running low and a fridge crying out for beer, more beer and some food, a marina visit was definitely in order. We’ve visited the old town several times before, so we knew it would be busy—and it didn’t disappoint. The old town was as beautiful as ever, and down at the port the restaurants competed through their choice of music while quirky market stalls lined the docks selling everything from driftwood clocks to handmade jewellery.

Our next anchorage took a few attempts to get right, but it was our best yet anchor set. The Hooked app, which tracks your anchor position, even drew a perfect anchor shape. We couldn’t have done that on purpose if we’d tried. It wasn’t where we originally planned to stop, but after a lovely sail we spotted a gorgeous bay with a beach bar and a handful of boats already anchored. Why not? Drop the hook, have a swim, and relax. We’re making this up as we go, after all.

In Menorca, I was shocked to see sailors empty food leftovers into the sea. Tim explained that the fish eat it and that it’s actually better than landfill. So, armed with stale bread and a bit of chorizo, he demonstrated. Within seconds, what felt like a thousand fish appeared from nowhere. And if the fish weren’t quick enough, the birds swooped in for their share. Tim looked like the sailing version of Doctor Dolittle. His point was well and truly made. We laughed as we watched the chaos we’d created grabbed our snorkels and enjoyed a swim with lots and lots of fish!

Our next destination was chosen entirely by the weather. Forecasts warned of strong winds and large waves—not ideal sailing conditions and definitely not the time to be anchoring when you’re still learning which spots offer the best protection.

We found a small harbour called Porto Colom instead. At €110 per night it wasn’t cheap, but what a charming little place. Better still, it had a laundrette.

Clean clothes!

The smell of fresh laundry has become an unexpected luxury, and I absolutely love it. You really start to appreciate the little things when life becomes simpler. Living on a boat strips everything back to the essentials: food, water, shelter, and the beauty of whatever surrounds you.

However, not everything surrounding us what I expected! Communal showers are one thing, but I certainly wasn’t expecting the two gentlemen on the motor yacht opposite to strip completely naked and shower off the back of their boat. Surely, with all that luxury, they must have had a perfectly good shower on board?

Apparently, they preferred the alfresco experience.

I retreated below decks rather quickly—it all felt a bit too close for comfort. And just when I thought the show was over, they proceeded to pee directly into the harbour. I suppose you can buy the boat, but you can’t always buy the class! 🤣

A small gap appeared in the forecast, so we decided to make the most of it and head to another small port before Friday’s weather arrived, which looked even worse.

We weren’t expecting much, but instead we were greeted by a magnificent harbour entrance and crystal‑clear blue water. It felt like the perfect ending to what had started as a slightly dramatic day.

That morning leaving Porto Colum a moment of distraction can take you from calm to panic in an instant.

We went the wrong side of a buoy and promptly ran aground.

“No, we can’t be aground.”

“The depth meter must be playing up.”

Nope. We had definitely stopped.

Thankfully, we always leave marinas slowly and cautiously, so a few extra revs in reverse was all it took to free ourselves. Slightly embarrassed but otherwise unharmed, we carried on our way.

Click here for our video clips we post regulalry on social media or click on the icons below to follow us