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the Degree Confluence Project
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Spain : Baleares

7.9 km (4.9 miles) NNW of Punta de la Galera (Cape), Mallorca, Baleares, Spain
Approx. altitude: 0 m (0 ft)
([?] maps: Google MapQuest OpenStreetMap ConfluenceNavigator)
Antipode: 40°S 177°W

Accuracy: 43 m (141 ft)
Quality: good

Click on any of the images for the full-sized picture.

#2: GPS #3: the steep-to N coast of Mallorca in a closer view #4: Puig Mayor, the highest elevation of Mallorca #5: view to SW from the confluence #6: view to SE #7: a general view to Mallorca's rocky North Coast #8: 2nd Officer Sergey Poleshko

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  40°N 3°E  

#1: Island of Mallorca from the confluence

(visited by Captain Peter and Sergey Poleshko)

18-Sep-2003 -- Exactly the same day as one year ago, on Aug. 23rd (my birthday), my crewing agent from Cyprus phoned me at home. Certainly not to congratulate me, but there had occurred an emergency once again. The captain of the refrigerated cargo carrier "Sable Bay" had to leave the ship due to urgent family matters, and so I relieved him in the Spanish port of Sagunto (near Valencia). The ship came from Uruguay with oranges and lemons, to be discharged partly at Sagunto and at Vado Ligure near Savona (Italy). On Sep. 16th after completion of discharging we left Vado Ligure with destination Ceuta in Spanish Morocco. Ceuta is located just at the Eastern entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar and is a busy port for refuelling ships. The further destination after refuelling is Guayaquil in Ecuador, in order to load bananas for Europe. That means a ten days voyage from Ceuta to the Panama Canal, one day transit, and another one and a half day to Ecuador. That was the good news ... the bad news are that I will leave the ship again in Ceuta, as the previous master succeeded in settling his problems and will rejoin there. So no confluences from Panama and Ecuador for the time being :-(

This afternoon, however, we visited the Confluence 40°N 3°E just North of the coast of the Island of Mallorca.

Mallorca is the largest of the Islas Baleares. This archipelago forms a group consisting of four principal islands, Isla Formentera, Isla de Ibiza, Isla de Mallorca and Isla de Menorca, together with a number of adjacent islets. In general, the N coasts of the islands are very rocky and steep-to, whereas the S coasts are nearly everywhere low and accessible. The highest elevation of Mallorca is Puig Mayor, 1,445 m high, 2 miles inland and SW to the confluence.

The view from the confluence to SE shows the mountainous peninsula at the East end of Mallorca, which Easternmost tip is Cabo Formentor.

The prinicpal exports of Mallorca are fruit, wine and potatoes, and there is a very active tourist industry. Mallorca is one of the oldest and cheapest resorts for tourists, especially from Central and Northern Europe. By 1975, when tourism began to boom, many small and romantic villages had been transformed into built-up areas with many prominent hotels and blocks of flats. Nowadays there are so many cheap offers for all-inclusive holidays from numerous competing travel companies that it is often cheaper to go for two weeks to Mallorca rather than to spend them at home. This fact brought Mallorca a rather bad reputation, as virtually everybody, even people from the lowest social and income classes, can easily afford to spend their holidays there. But this is not justified. Mallorca is an extremely beautiful island, and when one avoids the cheapest offers and arrangements for the mass tourism, a vacation spent on Mallorca is still a wonderful experience.

With a general view to Mallorca's rocky North coast we continued on our course to Ceuta.

Last but not least I have to introduce a new assistant: 2nd Officer Sergey Poleshko from Odessa (Ukraine). Here is already checking the necessary charts for approaching the Panama Canal. Further he is the living proof for food being available on board of merchant ships in more than abundant quantity.


 All pictures
#1: Island of Mallorca from the confluence
#2: GPS
#3: the steep-to N coast of Mallorca in a closer view
#4: Puig Mayor, the highest elevation of Mallorca
#5: view to SW from the confluence
#6: view to SE
#7: a general view to Mallorca's rocky North Coast
#8: 2nd Officer Sergey Poleshko
ALL: All pictures on one page
  Notes
In the Mediterranean Sea, but with a view of Mallorca.