It was our big day, the next milestone, the journey through the Straits of Gibraltar. So the day started with an early rise at 5am because you have to judge getting the tide right around Tarifa and through the Straits. Two or three boats had already left the marina going the same way as us. Another left at 6am and us at 6.15am. It was still pitch black as we left the marina and ventured out along the coast. There’s a big tunny net right outside the marina but it’s well marked, and a huge fishing vessel called Lady Tuna, so we knew to keep well away. The only other issue was looking out as best we could for lobster pots. Fortunately we didn’t come across any.
It was another two hours to go before dawn, steadily making our way south east, all going well. The sea was calm with very little wind. Eventually dawn broke and we were treated to a beautiful sunrise over Tarifa. The tide was giving us an extra 2-3 knots and we made excellent progress. There was a search and rescue vessel travelling quite near to us and it seemed he was patrolling the area and in no rush to get anywhere.
Daybreak over Tarifa
Solitary fisherman
Now looking across to Morocco
Search & Rescue.... getting a bit close
We only had a quarter tank of fuel left. Dean had made MORE calculations last night and was confident that we had enough to motor the whole way if need be, but we had still lay awake all night thinking what might go wrong. So it was kind of re-assuring that a patrol vessel was nearby. We rounded Tarifa, the overfalls were fine and it kind of reminded us of Hurst Castle overfalls at the Needles Channel on the Isle of Wight. Just afterwards the wind picked up a little, right behind us as forecast, and we switched the motor off (to save fuel!) and goose-winged through the Straights. Goose-winging is when you have the main sail out to the one side, and the genoa out to the other. We don’t get chance to do it very often but it worked brilliantly, and gave us chance to enjoy the moment and take some selfies before the world famous ‘rock’ came into view. More selfies followed….
Tarifa lighthouse... almost in the Straights now
Reassuring help nearby
We're well on our way to Gib now
Superyacht Kattegat
Looks like a helicopter and a car onboard
Splitting the continents
Dean in Africa on Starboard, Linda in Europe on Port side
The rock comes into view
Goose-winging Thesee's sails
So still under sail we turned into the Bay of Algeciras. The sea was fairly choppy and we had to give full attention because there were a lot of ships about at anchor and also on the move. Luckily our amazing AIS was able to show us their intentions. It makes life so much easier. We sailed almost right up to Marina Bay fuel berth where we had been told we could fill up for 66 cents per litre, instead of 1.40 euros in Spain. Dean took the opportunity to put 250 litres of fuel in the tank, and also filled two 20 litre containers as a back-up for the future. Then we went the short hop round to the other side of the airport runway to reach our reserved berth at Alcadeisa Marina which is actually in Spain.
At the fuel berth in Marina Bay & Ocean Village
Navigating around all the shipping
Whilst Dean was checking in, Linda & Saffy sat looking down into the clear waters which were packed with sea-life especially small jelly fish. Once in our berth, Linda was exhausted and had an afternoon siesta, whilst Dean met the neighbour who had a lot of info about the local area etc. Later on we ate dinner outside, talking about how the day had turned out so perfectly. The view of the ‘rock’ from our berth is fantastic. What a wonderful sight every time we climb the companionway steps!
Our lovely view for the next few days at least
Tuesday 2nd October … A good lie in today was required as we were quite exhausted after our almost constant travels since last Thursday, and so we planned a bit of a chill out day. Our lovely view was shattered when we popped our heads out of the companionway to find a huge grey cloud almost completely covering the rock.
Dean set off on his bike to visit his favourite shop (the marina chandlery) and was gone for over two hours. He’s ordered a battery monitor and it should arrive tomorrow. Linda did a little tidying up and realised that we have come to the end of our Cruising Association Almanac, the Atlantic Spain & Portugal pilot book, and also the C50 chart (that’s the chart we had to buy in Lisbon for 30 Euro). They have all been invaluable and essential tools for the journey. So they have been put away and the next books and charts taken out. This time it’s the Mediterranean Almanac, Mediterranean Spain pilot book, and the first of the Med charts M11.
There’s been three cruise ships in port today including Oreana and Ventura. The marina here at Alcadeisa is very good, decent clean showers only a two minute walk away, and laundry with huge machines for 4 Euros. The weather is warm and sunny but not overbearing. It has been fascinating watching ‘the rock’ forming its own clouds throughout the day. Such a unique piece of land. The best I can describe it is like smouldering after a fire has been put out.
And so this evening our new friend and neighbour Bill joined us for a beer or two on Thesee. He's from Ireland and left home around the same time as us back around the beggining of May. He has a Jeanneau 45 and is thinking about buying a Beneteau 50 like Thesee.
Wednesday 3rd October … HAPPY BIRTHDAY JADE!!! Off we went on the bikes today crossing the airport border between Spain and Gibraltar. The border is right next to the marina and we followed the road, soon getting extremely busy. We went with the flow of traffic peddling away with Saffy in the basket. Not sure where the passport control was we kept peddling alongside cars & bikes, until getting stopped by an officer who graciously pointed out that we cannot cross an international border without showing our ID. Seems the cars were just flashing their ID/passport as they passed the guard but we didn’t know that. We thought it would be a big day for Saffy finally having to show her pet passport, but once again no-one wanted to see it. At that point we were at the point of crossing the runway with signs showing ‘No Stopping’. Damn, no photos then. It was all rather crazy with cars, bikes, and pedestrians all making their way in both directions. A couple of minutes on we were in Gibraltar proper….back in UK territory….all signs in English… mayhem traffic… grimy pollution… big black clouds overhead.
What a big black cloud The Rock has produced this morning
Here we are at Queensway Quay
Now looking up at the cable cars
...in the town
Floating hotel and casino at Marina Bay
We found some shops where Dean was able to finally find a DC Clamp Meter which he purchased. Then we went to have a look at Marina Bay marina and then Queensway Quay marina. From there we went into the centre of town and had lunch. Afterwards we walked to the Cable Car which takes you up the hillside, but they didn’t allow dogs so we didn’t go on it. No big deal really as we guessed that would be the case. On the way back we bought a litre bottle of Barcardi £8.50 and litre bottle of Lambs Navy Rum £8.00, now that’s a bargain. We weren’t sure what we were allowed to take back into Spain so we might go again and get some more. The last port of call was back at Marina Bay marina where we caught up with our American Friends Phil & Chris on Bora La, and sat for an hour or so having a drink on the quayside (which was now in the sun).
Peddling back to Spain across the runway we somehow ended up this time with the pedestrians instead of the traffic. There was a guard but no-one even had to get their passport out and we just all walked through in a never ending stream of people.
Quayside at Marina Bay complex
On our way back to the border now
Here's a nice roundabout
Castle on the hillside
About to cross the runway
Thursday 4th October … Went shopping today at a massive Carrefour here in La Linea. Our kind neighbour Bill gave us a lift there and back in his car. He also told us about the wine offer they have on at the moment. 6 bottles for 18 euro, so we bought some. This afternoon we took a bike ride along the La Linea seafront. Yet again, a super safe cycle path. Then we tried to find a pet shop in the town because Saffy is getting low on her favourite chews. However on arrival both were closed when they should have been open so we had to abandon that idea. Waste of time again. We did have some luck after that though…. Dean’s battery monitor had arrived at the Chandlery so we picked that up and he is happy with it.
This evening we went for drinks on Bill’s boat, where we got chance to try out the wine we had all bought today. He’s got a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 45, that’s one of the boats Dean was keen on when we were boat searching a few years back.
Today's Rock Cloud Update
Found this tree in town. Quite something isn't it?
Friday 5th October … This morning Dean took a cycle ride across the ‘frontier’ (that’s what our map calls the border). Quite like that word…..frontier. He was having some (negative) battery cables made up so that he can fit and connect his new battery monitor….. or something like that. Meanwhile, back on ship Linda was doing boaty homework trying to plan our next few stop offs. She had planned for Thesee to be moored in Fuengirola for when she pops back to the UK at the end of the month, but they apparently have no space. Need to think of a Plan B and Plan C.
We had an easy afternoon milling about the boat. Then we got a message from Phil & Chris (across the frontier in Gib) asking if we would like to go out tonight. There was a discussion about where to go… Spain or Gibraltar, lol. In the end we decided on Little Bay Indian Restaurant & Tapas Bar in the Marina Bay complex in Gibraltar. So we got ready and cycled across the runway (second time for Dean today). Good job there’s no time difference or he would be really confused by now. It seems crazy being able to just come and go as you please, especially being able to go to another country for a curry and then back again. It was a nice place and we had another enjoyable evening. Getting to be a regular thing out on a Friday night!
We came across another beautiful tree at Marina Bay
Second Friday night out in a row
Last week Cadiz. This week Gibraltar. Wow!
Obviously it was dark when we cycled back across the frontier at about 10.30pm. Thanks to Dean’s sister Wendy, we made it safely back into Spain aided by our flashing cycle lights that she so kindly gave us before we left the UK.
Here's Phil & Chris after the meal.
Same time next Friday?
Saturday 6th October … More cycling today, this time into the heart of La Linea to the pet shop for Saffy’s chews and then just a few roads back onto the Med coastline. There was a super cycle path that we followed for a couple of miles past a small port at La Atunara and onto Santa Margarita. We stopped and ate our picnic lunch and then cycled all the way back again, where we came across some old ruins near to the border. After stopping for a drink in a café where dogs, kids, and adults were annoying we arrived back home.
Plaza de la Iglesia, La Linea
Saturday's Cloud Update
At La Atunara
Bird Man.... with a bucket full of fishy slops
Excavations going on here
Local football team
There was a band playing Irish music in the marina tonight and we went to watch. It was OK though more annoying adults, but we stuck it out for a couple of hours to pass the night away.
Sunday 7th October… We’ve obviously got the cycling bug. Just before lunch we headed across the frontier with our bikes and met up with Phil and Chris again. They just bought some bikes the other day and the four of us went cycling around the back (east side) of The Rock where it’s a much much steeper rock face. The road was pretty quiet and we cycled as far as the tunnel. There’s no footpath in the tunnel and pedestrians not allowed, but we were going to cycle through. However we changed our minds when we got there because the head wind was funnelling through and it looked like a fairly long tunnel on the map. So we turned around and went back a short way then stopped at Catalan Bay, where we found a lovely bar and we sat having a drink overlooking the beach.
Can you spot the Easy Jet plane just taking off?
Managed to get a quick shot looking back at the runway crossing.
The road is actually called Winston Churchill Avenue.
Looking up at the sheer cliff face
On our way back to Catalan Bay
Selfies time at the beach bar
Union Jack Rock?
Views from the bar
Moving on we all cycled back into town to a restaurant in the very British main square and tucked into Fish & Chips. Linda said she felt like she was in Blackpool, but Dean pointed out that it was sunny!
It's not all his....we're sharing
Sunday's Rock Cloud Update: No cloud. It was good wind direction today and we could have moved on, but we’re still awaiting shipping quotes to the UK as Dean may have sold his Parasailor. Let’s see what happens tomorrow.
Monday 8th October … Seems we have found a freight carrier, but spent most of the day trying to find insurance cover for sending the Parasailor back to the UK because the transport company don’t provide any. It’s so difficult even just trying to get someone to call you back, it’s just crazy. Anyway fingers crossed we are moving forward and are hoping to get it all sorted in the next day or two.
It was 5pm when we went out on the bikes to the Carrefour, just for a few things and to get away for a short while.
Rock Cloud Update: Hanging around half way up.
That’s a new one.
Tuesday 9th October … Well we were well pleased to wake up, check the emails, and find that the person who is buying our Parasailor had paid and the money and it was in Dean’s account. That meant it was all systems go with contacting the transport company for collection, and also go ahead with the insurance cover.
Dean pointed out that we hadn’t explained on the blog why we were selling it. We really like the sail, but the fact is it’s too big for Thesee. When we bought the sail two years ago we were given information that we needed a 188 sq mtr Parasailor and so that’s what we bought (second hand). We have flown it but it is obviously too big. Since then we’ve learn’t that the size required is all to do with the ‘I’ dimension of the mast….. Mmm…. It’s at this point it gets abit too technical for Linda to understand and write about. We do want to buy another Parasailor (the right size this time), and Dean’s already working on that! Anyway, it’s being collected tomorrow and will be on its way back to the UK. Shame we just couldn’t have sold it before we left and saved ourselves a load of freight charges.
Not a lot else going on today. It’s been rather cloudy with rain this morning, but it’s still 23 degrees and we’re still wearing shorts. If all goes to plan and the sail gets collected tomorrow, we think we will move on from Gibraltar on Thursday and start making our way up the Costa del Sol.
Wednesday 10th October … Good news, the transport company did indeed turn up this morning and collect the Parasailor. Fingers crossed it will get to its new owner in the UK in about 6 days time.
We had some lightening in the night, Dean said. Linda was too snug and cosy in bed to see it. But Dean was up, unsqueaking his lines at 1.30am and saw the flashes. This morning we heard that there has been some flash flooding in Majorca so maybe it was some storm making its way through the Med.
I’m writing today’s blog earlier than usual as we have been invited onto another Brit boat tonight for drinkies. We think they are from Walsall! It’s much better than going down the pub! We still think that we will leave here sometime tomorrow, although more rain is forecast in the morning so not sure of our ETD yet. So it will be cheerio to Gibraltar, and what a super time we've had here in Marina Alcadeisa. Would recommend this marina to any yachties passing through. Here's one of our favourite selfies to remind us of this significant stop-over in the Adventures of Thésée.
This will be the last blog post entitled 'Gibraltar - The Next Milestone'
The next post will be entitled 'Carry On up the Costa'
Incredible achievement. Be proud of yourselves. Lots of love xx
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Chris. We never intended to reach Gibraltar this year, and so we are on a high.
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