Just got back from a weekend sail down to Cala Pi and I cannot believe how different it feels out there compared to a month ago. The anchorages that were three-deep with charter cats in August are practically empty. We had Cala Pi to ourselves on Saturday night — just us and a French couple on a Jeanneau who waved and kept their distance. Bliss.
The light is different too, softer and more golden in the late afternoon, and the water is still warm enough for a swim but you actually want a fleece in the cockpit after sunset. Had a gorgeous beam reach back to Palma on Sunday with 12-15 knots from the north and flat seas. This is what I moved here for.
Anyone else getting out this month? I feel like October might be the best kept secret in Mallorcan sailing — warm enough to enjoy, quiet enough to breathe, and the wind is actually more reliable than in July when it just dies for days.
October and November are my favourite months on the water, always have been. The tramuntana starts to come through more regularly but between the fronts you get these perfect days — clear sky, steady breeze, nobody around. I have sailed here my whole life and I still look forward to autumn more than summer.
Just keep an eye on the forecasts because when it does blow in October it can blow properly. But you know that already.
Could not agree more. Sailed across from Pollença to Formentor yesterday and it was absolute perfection — flat calm, not a soul around, just the cliffs and the sea. In summer that stretch is wall-to-wall day charters and jet skis.
The other thing I notice in October is how much better the visibility gets. On a clear autumn day you can see Menorca from Cap de Formentor, which almost never happens in the summer haze.
This is making me so glad I moved here when I did. Even as a total beginner the difference is obvious — our last practical session had the whole bay basically to ourselves and my instructor said in August you sometimes have to dodge charter boats during manoeuvres.
Also the light really is something else right now. My husband keeps asking why I am taking so many photos from the boat.
One thing I will add — October is when the night sails really come alive. Last weekend I motored out of Palma at sunset heading for Portals Vells and the whole Sierra de Na Burguesa was lit up orange behind me. No wind at all until about 21:00 and then the katabatic came down off the hills, light but steady, and I sailed back under genoa alone with nothing but the lighthouse at Porto Pi for company.
These are the moments you do not get in summer when there are speedboats buzzing around until dark. October is when the sea belongs to us again.
October is hands down the best month for training too. The students I have out this week are getting proper sailing — consistent breeze, no traffic to dodge, and they can actually hear me over the wind without competing with jet skis. Carlos is spot on about the night sails. I took a Coastal Skipper group out on Wednesday evening and we had the whole bay to practise our light identification without the usual clutter of nav lights from tourist boats going every direction.
Had my first proper sail in October last Saturday and I completely understand what everyone means now. We went out from Can Pastilla and there was this lovely steady breeze, maybe 12 knots, and I actually managed to hold a course for twenty minutes without my instructor touching anything. In August I could barely hear the instructions over the chaos in the bay.
Also I finally understand what a katabatic wind is because I think we felt one coming off the cliffs near Cala Blava in the late afternoon. Or maybe it was just normal wind and I am getting overexcited about vocabulary. Either way — October converts, count me in.
Had the bay completely to myself on Sunday evening. Motored out at 17:30 and by the time I raised the genoa there was not a single boat between me and Illetes. In July that is unthinkable.
The water temperature is still 23 degrees too. Jumped in off the stern at Cala Major around sunset. Absolute luxury.
Carlos, the idea of having the whole bay to yourself sounds like a dream. I cannot even imagine that yet — every time I have been out there have been at least a dozen boats around. But I suppose that is the advantage of not being a total beginner by the time next October rolls around. Maybe I will actually be able to enjoy the quiet instead of panicking about which rope to pull.