Learning how to sail on Colorado’s mountain lakes prepared us for living on a sailboat, with one notable exception…anchoring. In our years of sailing on the Dillon reservoir we never had to anchor. The lake is deep and there aren’t any beaches so there was nothing in our Colorado sailing experience that prepared us for the cruising lifestyle where you must anchor your boat every day. We learned quickly that throwing out our anchor, “the hook”, in an anchorage and staying put as the winds and current pull your boat toward a rocky shore is the most important skill a sailing family should have.
Anchoring in Ibiza
I remember one particularly challenging anchorage in Ibiza, Spain. We had just left the factory in France with our new Catana catamaran, Snowcat, and headed to the Balearic Islands, an archipelago of Spain in the Mediterranean Sea. We found an idyllic bay with only a few other boats and a white sandy beach. With Dean at the helm and the boys and I on the bow, we lowered our Spade anchor and started paying out our chain as the boat slowly drifted back with the wind. Generally, once we’d let out enough chain, based on the depth of the water, Dean would put the boat in reverse and slowly back down until the anchor digs into the bottom. If all goes well, you’ll eventually feel a jerk and move no more. This time, however, the boat kept moving – clearly, the anchor wasn’t set.
Three more times we lowered the anchor only to feel it skid along the sandy bottom. It was a frustrating process for all of us, so when the anchor was finally set, we lowered the dingy and headed to shore to celebrate. (This is where sangria enters the picture!)
The boys frolicked on the beach while Dean and I ordered up our first taste of Spanish sangria from the small bar on the beach. We watched the bartender assemble all of the ingredients in a small pitcher…fruit, red wine, brandy, juices. It was the most delicious, refreshing drink I think that I have ever consumed.
As the sun began to set it was time to get back in the dingy and motor back to our safely anchored Snowcat. As we began to pack our towels and lotion we immediately realized that our Ibiza sangria packed a punch. We made it back to the boat safety, but with a new appreciation for the strength of sangria.
Give my sangria recipe a try and let it transport you to a sunny beach in the Mediterranean Sea. Leave a comment and rate the recipe if you make my Sangria (Snowcat Style)!
I perfected this recipe during our travels in southern Spain aboard our sailboat, Snowcat. It is a great way to extend a bottle of wine to serve a crowd. The fruit juices and Grand Marnier can transform the cheapest wine into a masterpiece beverage.
- 1.5 liters red wine chilled
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1/3 cup brandy
- 1/3 cup Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur
- ¼ cup lemon juice about the juice of one lemon
- ¼ cup superfine sugar
- 2 cups chilled club soda
- assorted fruit chunks for garnish
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Combine wine, fruit juices, brandy, Grand Mariner and sugar in a large pitcher, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.
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Add chunks of apple, orange slices, berries or other fruit to the sangria and refrigerate. The longer the sangria chills, the more flavor the fruit chunks will absorb!
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To serve, use a large wooden spoon to hold back the fruit while you pour sangria into each glass.
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Spoon some of the chunks of fruit into each glass then top with club soda (about 1/4 cup per glass). Serve
This sangria can be made without club soda, but I prefer the lighter calories of this version. If you forego the club soda, be advised that this recipe can pack a punch when consumed full strength.
