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All summer long it had become impossible to keep the boat clean. Every time the winds blew from the south, our boat was covered with a coat of Sahara sand; by our arrival in Mahon our boat�s top sides were filthy. Light rain showers just made the situation worse. During our stay in Mahon we had our first heavy rain in five months, and it was most welcomed.

While in Mahon, we visited the Museum of Menorca which displayed many artifacts from the Talayotic culture, especially those from the necropolis at Calacoves; we took the bus to Ciudadela (Ciutadella); we visited �La Mola�, amazed at its size and intricate defense system; and we walked to the archeological site of Trepuco to see the remains of this Talayotic village containing a talayot (large, circular tower) and a taula (a T-shape monument), considered one of the tallest taulas in Menorca.

The main reason for the long stay in Mahon was our need to wait for a weather window to sail to Sardinia. Strong northwest gales in the Gulf of Lion created dangerous sea conditions in the stretch of water between Menorca and Sardinia. The week before we left Mahon there had been 45 to 60 knot winds with 15 foot seas in this stretch. As winds could accelerate quickly in the Gulf of Lion, watching the weather became important. Once the winds subsided, it usually took another day or two for the seas to settle.

Wednesday, August 24, we finally had our weather window. That evening we departed Menorca for Sardinia, 187 nautical miles away. With the winds now light and variable, we mostly motorsailed. Surprisingly, even though the winds were light, a 6 to 7 foot swell still remained as we departed Menorca. Luckily, during the night the seas continued to subside and by Thursday morning were down to 1 to 2 feet. Friday morning as the sun rose in Sardinia, we dropped our anchor in Porto Conte Bay, just west of the town of Alghero. It felt good to be in Sardinia.

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