Gibraltar and La Linea (posted from the UK)

Current Location: Boat in La Linea marina, Spain. Us in Southampton, UK.

We are back in the UK now for a few weeks but I wrote this before we flew back.....

Made it to Gibraltar - the first stage complete

Whilst not strictly the meeting point of two oceans it does feel that way here in Gibraltar. Well we aren't actually in Gibraltar but in a new marina in La Linea, Spain immediately north of Gib. In fact we are so close to Gib that we can see both the border and the airport from the marina. It will only take us 10 minutes to walk to the terminal building on Sunday when we fly. Although the border can be problematical when relations sour between Spain and the UK we understand that that is only for cars rather than foot passengers. Car queues were certainly long and vociferous yesterday.

Crossing the airport runway

La Linea is a poor town hard hit by the recent recession (see http://m.spiegel.de/international/europe/a-840854.html for the whole sorry story although things have improved somewhat since then) but the new marina is excellent, well protected and cheap with friendly staff. We've checked in for 7 weeks and have been impressed by the town too - no pretensions, but friendly and welcoming.

It's got to be Spain

At last it really feels as though we are on holiday. At last we can relax. Even though we are in Spain it feels pretty British in the marina with as much English as Spanish spoken. At last we've got to a place where you can put your toilet paper down the pan rather than in a little tub of dubious cleanliness.

Washing Day.......

....under the shadow of the Rock

As for Gibraltar it's a bit like Marmite - you either love it or hate it. I love them both. Walk across the runway of the airport from La Linea and you are in little England. More English than Essex with tattoos, large red and white bodies and cigarettes everywhere. There's basically a rock, a shopping street (Main Street) and an airport. Main Street has Marks and Spencer, Mothercare, pubs serving English breakfasts, an Anglican cathedral for Linda (though most Gibraltarians are Catholic apparently), the Rock fish and chips shop and red telephone boxes.

Britain's only Mediterranean enclave and so proud of it it is. The Rock sits up there with its Union Jack flying, mocking poor Spain sitting below. Gibraltar is heaving with affluent people making the most of duty free goods whilst across the border you have the down at heel but very real community of La Linea. Apparently most of its wealth though comes from offshore banking and offshore, online gaming companies. Everywhere is evidence of our former colonial glory - sculptures, monuments, tunnels, RAF offices, government buildings. It really is a wierd place.

But for us, underlying all this, is the underlying frisson of adventure. We are not the only boat here preparing for an Atlantic crossing. Almost every day we learn of new arrivals, either already in Gib or just a few days away. Talk is of provisioning, of weather forecasts, of mechanical problems discovered and mechanical problems solved. In all the marinas boats are being filled with stores for the crossing. The atmosphere is hard to explain but it's there, just under the surface, bubbling with expectation and excitement.

A great choice of emergency tucker at Marks and Spencer, Gibraltar

Welcome to Gibraltar

The Rock!

Closing on Gibraltar

Current Location: 70 miles east of Europa Point which is at the entrance to Gibraltar.

We spent last night in Adra Marina on the southern Spanish coast. This is the first marina we have stayed in since leaving Kas in Turkey. Easterly winds were forecast and all the poor anchorages along this coast are exposed to the south and east. We motored in at around 12 noon after a cracking latter half to the passage in flat seas and no wind. We were a few hours ahead of plan as we had picked up strong west going currents taking our speed up to almost 8 knots. This was especially good as the current here is normally east going - that is against us.

Entry to marinas is always stressful for us and this one had a really tight little entrance with some shallows reported. We nudged in and there in front of us was a marina with just one boat in it. We were able to tie up easily alongside. A few minutes later a security guy arrived and I filled in a form for the police - usual stuff including boat details and passport info. He told us that as it was Saturday someone would come round later for payment.

The girls then went off for a coffee and to explore the town (nothing special) while I washed the boat down with free water. Then we did some passage planning trying to tie in the best of the remaining easterlies with the complex currents around Gibraltar. The outcome was we needed to leave this morning to get to Gibraltar tomorrow afternoon.

This morning the wind was as predicted and we rolled out of Adra at around 10.30 after trying unsuccessfully to find someone to pay. Before we could get fenders and warps away we were being bounced about and we wished we had put our harnesses on. Still, no problem, we finally got everything stowed and set off in a rapidly freshening breeze. Before long we were in big seas and the wind was constantly around 30 knots (max spotted was 40 knots but that was as we rolled to one side). Combine that with our downwind speed of 6 knots and we were in gale conditions for three or four hours. Petronella loved it as we watched big rolling 3m+ waves come bowling along to us from almost behind and lift us up to wait for the next one. It was pretty hard to do much but watch it all unfold and try to keep our feet dry as water popped up to join us in the cockpit. We zoomed along the coast which is covered in greenhouses and not very attractive before the wind gradually died to 6 or 7 knots leaving a nasty sloppy swell. We tried everything to sail but in the end the engine came back on. So now we are closing on Gib and I'll post this as soon as we are back in range of the coast again.

Nearly there!

Ibiza to the Spanish Coast

Current Location: South of Mar Menor heading for Cabo de Gata, southern Spain.

Well at last we are SAILING! Since we left Ibiza yesterday morning the wind has been behind us and we have made good time. At present we are about 20 miles off the Spanish coast running parallel with the main shipping zone from Gib to the European coasts. Linda is asleep, I am off watch and Gilly is in the cockpit. Today we got the last Med chart out. We will go onto it sometime around 4am tomorrow morning and then we have less than 200 miles to do to get us to Gibraltar. We will be pleased to arrive I must say.

We picked up new crew in Ibiza. Our long time friend Linda has joined us for the last leg to Gibraltar. We met her and her husband Hugh (NOT a sailor) 30 years ago when we worked in South Africa as geologists. We met at a party in Cape Town and found they had just driven a British registered landrover from the UK to South Africa. After a day of debate we decided to buy the land rover (DBL 479V or "DBL" to us all) and drive it back. This we did in 1984/85 taking the best part of year to get back to the UK after many adventures and diseases along the way. By now H and L had arrived back in the UK so we met up to swap stories and have been firm friends ever since. I am godfather to their son Luke. Linda was born on the same day as Gill and I am 3 days older than Hugh. They have two well travelled sons and we have two well travelled daughters. They are like brothers and sisters. Anyway, back to Ibiza.

We had a couple of nasty days weather in Ibiza with strong winds and big swells. We did not get much sleep in that busy anchorage. Then Linda arrived. We had told her the pick-up from the beach could be a bit bouncy. Anyway it was nearly midnight when Gill and surfed in to shore in our (new) dinghy. As we arrived a wave picked us up and turned us sideways. We almost fell in but just avoided it. We found Linda whose taxi had arrived and got her into some of Gill's old clothes. Then she got into the dinghy whilst we pushed out through the surf. First wave comes along. Bang. Over she goes (Linda that is) and is lying soaked on her back with her legs in the air. As Derek and Clive would say "Laugh? We nearly shat!". Anyway we bounced back to Petronella, arriving soaked through with the "all round white" light half full of water and never again to function.

Since then Linda has been great and just those couple of hours keeping watch gives us time to unblock the toilet (shit, not again I hear you say), plan the last stretch to Gib and generally ease up a bit.

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A Day Off

Current Location: Clubbing beach at southern tip of Ibiza.

That's as may be but we spent the morning taking the toilet to bits and reaming out the outlet hose. Not an easy task as we are in a marine conservation zone with zero tolerance to pollution. The local wheelie bin won't know what has hit it! All back together now and no more back pressure to return those brown jobbies to the bowl.

More Mallorcan Trouble

Current Location: Just south of Mallorca, 70 miles ENE of our destination on Ibiza.

With the dinghy replaced we finally left the floating pontoon at Porto Colom this morning and motored (because we have now missed our nice easterlies) to the anchorage on the southernmost tip of Mallorca. Sunday morning so it was busy in the anchorage where we planned to stay til 6pm when the winds were due to go southerly again.

The anchor was not well dug in as we were on sand over rock but it was benign to start with and we were not pulling on the anchor so we weren't too worried. By 4pm it was up to 15k though and we were on a lee shore so we decided to leave immediately. I pulled the chain in to 10m and then BANG we were hard on the bottom and pitching like crazy in the 1m swell. Not good for the windlass. Tried to approach from different angles, let more chain out, crank it in. Nothing worked. We just kept banging into a stuck anchor. Gill went in and could see the chain was round a rock. She talked me round it and we were free but caught again and again as I could not bring the chain in fast enough. It was getting dangerous with bits of windlass flying off the gypsy and the chain in danger of stripping the gypsy. Q: Would the shank of the Chinese import Rocna hold? Apparently it did but I need to check later when I can get more safely to the bow.

Finally our saviours, Spanish guys on the next boat, came to help out. With Gill on the wheel, me on the windlass and them putting rope around the anchor and pulling it clear we finally managed to free the anchor and get it on board. The remaining 13 Spaniards, most of them young children, on board our 'rescue boat' burst into applause as Dad, big son and big daughter returned to their boat. We heartily joined in.

So now we are hot and sweaty motoring westwards yet again towards Ibiza. 70 miles to go. With luck we should arrive at our meeting place with Linda tomorrow about lunchtime. So it's another night sail for us. Not as far this time but boy will be glad to get to Ibiza ready for the final run to Gibraltar and La Linea before we return to the UK for a month to catch up with my Mum and Dad and the girls and Gill's 60th on 28th August.

Off Watch

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Time - now that's an odd one

On a dark night watch with no stars or moon and the engine on time lasts forever but on a starry, dolphin night it rushes past with phosphorescent streaming out behind us.

Asleep on a night offwatch time passes so quickly.

As we move west it gets light later and it gets dark later day by day. But then we cross time zones and it gets light earlier again and then starts to get light later again as we continue west!

And then there's this thing with travelling in general. Each day doesn't seem to take you very far at 5 knots but then you wake up one day and you are over 1,500 miles from Turkey where it all started. How did that happen then? It's almost as if we are standing still and the world, and time, are passing beneath us.

And then there's the moon getting bigger each night and then getting smaller again. But it also gets up later and later (I think).

All very odd.

Welcome to Spain!

Current Location (for Rose): Porto Colom, Mallorca

The last 24 hours have not been the best. We are both getting very tired after two months of pretty well non-stop travelling west and things have only gone from bad to worse today.

We arrived in Menorca briefly for a couple of nights on a mooring buoy in Fornells before making our way here to Porto Colom on Mallorca.

Spain, or at least the Balearics, do not seem to have the same love affair with the internet that the rest of the world does. In one way this is really nice but it is very frustrating when you are trying to source a new dinghy and engine to replace the ones stolen last night.

No Vodafone shops and practically no WiFi anywhere so communication is a bit haphazard to say the least.

So, last night in this very safe place with unlocked dinghies everywhere we motored ashore for a nice paella and a beer or two. When we returned to the dock. NO DINGHY. We searched to no avail so hitched a lift back out Petronella with some Spaniards before spending a frustrated night aboard. This morning we took P off the mooring and onto a floating pontoon we could access the shore from. A further search followed by a visit to the local police to file a report. This sort of occurrence is, apparently, unheard of here, at least until today that is.

Anyway we think we have found replacements at great expense so tomorrow we are off to the capital, Palma, in a hire car to purchase dinghy, engine and SIM card.

We hope to set off for Ibiza to meet up with friend Linda the following day but we have missed the nice moderate southerlies of today with all this messing around. We then have to decide whether to involve our insurers though maybe it is already too late for that?

Today's good points. We can have a proper shower here for the first time since Turkey. The ice cream is excellent. We have drunk my birthday champagne from Kas tonight. We are still talking to each other. Tomorrow is another day.

TOMORROW: We now have a new dinghy and engine and a new Vodafone SIM though would you believe the main Vodafone outlet in Palma had run out of SIM cards! Looks like more motoring to Ibiza but good strong easterlies then towards Gibraltar. Bring it on.

Technical Posting #1 - Radios

(Written last night before we aarrived in Menorca).

It's still 103 miles to Menorca and there's just sun and sea out there. Gilly is on watch so I've used my new LG smartphone (dogs danglies) to take some photos of the ship's radios.

The one that looks like a car radio does so because that is what it is! We can use this for listening to local radio stations (we never do) and for playing CDs or tunes on a memory stick. It is connected to two speakers in the main cabin. It was on this radio that I discovered Chris Rea.

The second radio, the other small one, is a standard VHF ship's radio. You have to pass a little exam to be able to use it and it as to be registered to your boat with the radio authorities. This is because it can transmit as well as receive. However because it uses VHF frequencies it only works 'line of sight' with whoever you are talking to. We use this to call marinas, friends, traffic authorities and also for Mayday distress calls. It is linked to the GPS so if you hit the big red button it automatically puts out a call for help with your position, boatname etc. With luck if there is anyone around help will arrive or at least you will be able to talk to someone about the problem.

Finally, the big one. This is an HF radio capable of transmitting thousands of miles given the right atmospheric conditions. Also used for emergency calls on 2182 this radio can do more than that. It can connect you to friends hundreds of miles away, provide weather information files and even allow you to send simple emails. It's a mean beast and it and its accessories need to be set up properly to work correctly. On passages though, away from 3G coverage, it is our only link to shore.

Another Passage - Sardinia to the Balearics

Jenny and Marcus have left us and we have spent a few days working north and west up the north east coast of Sardinia. They left us in Olbia which the pilot says is a scruffy town but that's not what we thought. We arrived after a night at anchor off the Sardinian coast. We missed out on a spot alongside due to my indecision so went to get some fuel instead. 230 litres covering Kefalonia to Sardinia (with a top up of 80 litres from George in Taormina). We motored around a bit and found another spot on the end wall and tied up nicely there with the help of another yachtie who took our ropes.

We were right in the middle of town - and it was free! A bit of shopping, a bit of tidying then out for our last meal with J and M. They treated us to a really good feast - more Sardinian fare - it is excellent food. Then back to the boat as they finalised their journey to the airport (1.50 euro on the bus). Next day we saw them off (very sad - hurry back shipmates) and then it was laundry, shopping, oil and fuel filter changes, water collection (300 litres in 20 litre containers - thank goodness for a supermarket trolley) and loads of other bits and bobs.

We then spent a nice couple of days in the Maddelena islands, playground of the rich, though it was blowing 25k most of the time we were there. We used the 'handy hooker' to catch o buoy first time and we impressed ourselves! Strict nature reserve rules mean you can't take your dinghy ashore. Next dat we anchored the dinghy off the beach for the first time and swam ashore. Today we left our mooring buas lightening spaaoy before it filled up again with Italians on their big motor boats. The Italian holidays have just started and it is absolute mayhem.

We wiggled our way through the islands. Some motoring, some sailing and some motor sailing.

Later: 11.00pm
Gill is on watch as lightening sparkles on the disappearing Sardinian coast. I am naked from the waist downdrying out after an exciting passage around Isola Arisada, the last headland before we set out towards Menorca. As we approached the predicted southerlies kicked inat around 15k. We had already reefed ready for the night. As we closed the final headland the waveskicked up, the winds leapt to 38k and our speed varied from 7k to 0k. Yikes!! We managed to get most of the sails down and eventually ran for shelter at 7.4k under genoa and engine. After 5 or 6 miles though the wind dropped again and we decided to push on as the forecsst was for fairly benign weather. For the second time (Cape Malea at the bottom of Greece was the first) we went too close to a major cape - and paid the price.

Anyway, all has calmed downagain and I'm off to grab a bit of sleep before my watch in an hour's time. Goodnight for now.

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