After seeing lights on the horizon, one set to our port side and one to our starboard, but no AISs (Automatic Identification System) appearing on the chartplotter, Elaine switched to the radar and spotted two echoes coinciding with the lights. The binoculars helped identify a red navigation light on the vessel to our port side and the radar confirmed it was travelling in the opposite direction to ourselves. Visually there was enough room to pass port to port; mystery one resolved. The second light, however, had Elaine completely baffled; it was a single white light high up in the sky, which she initially thought might be a star, but assumed it was a tricolour, atop a mast and moving away from us ie she was seeing the white stern light. There was just one small problem; the echo on the radar was moving closer to us and she couldn’t see any other lights.
So, once the vessel to port had safely passed, she turned 10 degrees to port. Still not comfortable at what she was seeing, she turned another 10 degrees, then decided to hand steer, basically positioning Paw Paw almost perpendicular to our course as this vessel got closer. When she was eventually able to see it with the naked eye, it was another yacht, without any navigation lights on, no one on watch and the white light was, in fact, the anchor light! Absolutely astounding!
Then hearing another “pan pan” in less than 12 hours, this time related to an overdue arrival of a black motor-yacht into Ibiza from Valencia on the Spanish mainland, with three people onboard, was disconcerting, but, after what Elaine had just witnessed, not altogether surprising.
We find it completely bizarre that an AIS is not mandatory, especially in such a busy yachting part of the world and overnight distances being sailed, not to mention the speeds at which these motor-yachts travel and the number of times there clearly isn’t anyone paying attention at the helm, based on the number of motor-yachts we’ve had to hail as we’ve crossed the Mediterranean Sea. We’ve also wondered if any kind of training is required to own and operate a watercraft in the European Union or indeed in the Mediterranean regions, especially since there is no one policing the situation, except the “Posidonia Police” offering severe fines for infringements in the nature reserves or Posidonia prairies.
Regarding the latter, we have to admit, we found this aspect of anchoring around the Balearic Islands very frustrating, especially since the most protected anchorages were those that were restricted due to the presence of Posidonia prairies. Although these anchorages had mooring balls, there weren’t nearly enough for the demand. That left the non-restricted anchorages packed to the hilt and slim pickings for everyone else. Scratching our heads at what all the fuss was about when there was precious little sea life to inhabit these prairies anyway, we realised we must be missing something and, indeed, we were.
Research revealed that Posidonia Oceanica, commonly known as Neptune grass, is a seagrass species that is endemic to the Mediterranean Sea and is an actual plant with flowers and fruit. It forms large underwater meadows and is considered the world’s oldest organism, around 100,000 years old, as its origins date from the Pleistocene geological epoch, often referred to as the Ice Age, which lasted from circa 2.58 million to 11,700 years ago.
The meadows have a very high carbon absorption capacity, being able to soak up to fifteen times more carbon dioxide every year than a similarly sized piece of the Amazon rainforest and are, therefore, referred to as the “lungs” of the ocean.
The largest Posidonia reef is located in the Balearics in the “Ses Salines d’Eivissa i Formentera” protected area and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, together with the prairies around Mallorca Island. Clearly there is a very valid reason as to why these meadows are being protected and rightly so, regardless of the inconvenience it caused us.
At 0156 we crossed back to the Western Hemisphere, the first time in seven years since arriving in Fiji from Tonga in 2016.
Unfortunately the “pan pan” was repeated throughout the night with no indication that it was cancelled by the time we arrived in Marina Marimar in Santa Pola.
By 0915 we were safely tied up to our berth, following which we got the water and electricity connected, the latter needed so we could run the air-conditioners in the sweltering heat, even though it meant hauling out the transformer. Once that was done, Roy visited the marina office to complete all the necessary documentation, while Elaine had a shower. By then we were ready to have a snoop around, finding an extensive waterfront lined with cafés, restaurants and bars. We chose Choco & Latte Puerto to enjoy a coffee and baked delight, although, a caffeine and sugar boost did nothing to alleviate our fatigue, both desperately needing a nap after returning to Paw Paw and before getting the laundry done. It was a nice change, though, to be able to use a coin operated laundry facility again when we eventually surfaced to do the laundry.
A delicious dinner of traditional Santa Pola rice with lobster was enjoyed at Malamadre, by which time the sun had set, the scorching heat had subsided and the waterfront had come to life. A stroll along the waterfront after dinner with the throngs of locals and tourists allowed us to not only enjoy the cooler temperatures, but live music and dancing as well.
