It is already June 6th when we arrive (again) at the engine in Pollença, a charming little town in the very north of Mallorca. I contact the shops to find this damn filter that we sorely miss. Without a tender, we are paralyzed and this detail begins to take space in my mind.
And it makes sense because we both work on board. With Øya being a small boat, we had planned to come ashore to work from small cafes, away from the tourist and noisy terraces. But without an annex, we are forced to stay on board. Raquel is a psychologist, I am an engineer. His job is to speak under the seal of medical secrecy while I need calm and darkness to see my screen.
Our office and bedroom at the same time
What a problem ! Øya doesn’t have a cabin, so when Raquel has a session, I have to go out. Fortunately I had planned to work part-time, so it’s manageable in the short term, but it’s not something sustainable, not at all!
So we had to plan otherwise after taking stock. I usually do this on my own to update my monthly goals. Our diagnosis is without appeal, the list of priorities becomes as follows:
- Repair this tender engine for good
- Reducing our sailing ambition
- Change the boat
Regarding the repair of the engine, I made a dedicated article on the subject because the mediocrity of Honda Marine deserves to be formalized in a specific article. The story dragged on almost a month and a half and in the end the mechanic is still waiting for his payment while the engine has been repaired by me.
Reduce our navigation plan
Now that we have an operational tender, we want to enjoy the summer without stress. So we decide to continue our journey to the Balearic Islands. After all, there is worse!
We will have seen almost everything: the south of Mallorca, the tour of Menorca, the north of Mallorca, Ibiza from north to south and Formentera. Then we will leave Øya in Valencia for the whole month of August before going on a family holiday and ashore.
Finally, depending on what the banks say, we will change the boat.
In blue, what we did.
In red, what we cancelled.
Change the boat
Øya, my dear office, my sailboat, my floating house!
I started the decade with it. With her, I locked down myself during Covid-19 crisis, I started my business, I became happy. With it, I wanted to go to Norway, take a tour in the North Atlantic and I also considered the South Atlantic. But Øya decided otherwise and it led me straight to Raquel, with whom we want to continue our wake of love and happiness.
Øya in Algaiarens, view from the sky
Øya is a lonely bachelor sailboat, a rustic and marine sailboat that loves turmoil, miles and whose steel hull is not afraid of the cold and sometimes solid waters of the Far North. A boat can not have all the advantages without inconvenience. Øya is not suitable for the life of a couple of digital nomads who must be able to live and work comfortably. Alone, I discovered unsuspected abilities, faced my fears and traveled to forgotten memories. I found myself.
I remember on the Portuguese coast between Lisbon and Cabo San Vicente. I raised then anchor early in the morning while my anchorage neighbors were still asleep. Once I arrived, I anchored while they went to bed. I am no sailor and I am patient, but sometimes a little more speed would have allowed me to visit a little more the coasts I have traveled. And then it’s offensive to be let behind.
The other way around, I remember perfectly the 4m swell between Corsica and Menorca, under 35 knots of established wind, to see Øya reveal all its qualities. Stable as on a rail, Øya went upwind without any problem in these tough conditions. I doubt I felt as safe in a sailboat of the same gauge in polyester…
We can’t have everything
Passage of Cabo de Gata in 2021 with a laugh in the trinquette!
So we will have a normal sailboat.