David's Diary: Saturday, March 23, 2002

Spring Break In La Rapida, Spain

School is out and teachers and students alike are happy to be on Spring Break. We pushed all week to get things finished and with school work on its way in the post to Canada, we are ready for a ten-day holiday. Today we are making a short trip from Palma to La Rapita in the Balearic islands of Spain. The short distance and the warm day give us a chance to sail Dragonsinger. The wind is light and we have to beat into it, but we get time to develop more of a feel for Dragonsinger in light winds and check out our tacks. As we leave Palma Bay, we approach Cabo Blanco and appreciate the high cliffs as they tower over us and the other boats traveling today.

After Cabo Blanco we pay a visit to Cala Pi. Calas are small indentations in the rocks (like small bays). Some can be used in settled weather as overnight anchorages. We poked our nose into the cala which makes a dog-leg to starboard (i.e., the right). The wind was blowing straight into the cala and it was so narrow that I backed out rather than trying to turn around. We decided to leave Cala Pi for tonight and continue on to La Rapita.

Beach At La Rapita

The town of La Rapita itself does not have a lot on offer, but right next to the marina is a lovely sand beach. After a quiet night at the dock, we walked and took the dinghy over to the beach. We soaked up the March sunshine and marvelled at the aquamarine blue water just offshore. The boys entertained themselves for a few hours moving sand and water up and down the beach. The lack of crowds and being on holidays made for a relaxing day for all of us.