A later start before motoring around the Cabo da Gato. This is a dramatic and impressive cape with possible small anchorage tucked in amounts the coves. We pressed on and then turn north, hugging the coast on motor with some life from the mainsail. We didn’t get the wind forecast so the day was spent…
A great stay in Almeria, but time to move on. So a little after lunch we slipped and managed to get 90 minutes of sailing. Eclipse doesn’t point into wind well and the tide and swell was against us. But at least we managed a few sailing miles before the engine took us the last…
Today is a short run to Almeria. There isn’t a way to book in advance but they are very accommodating and always seem to find a place. So after a couple of hours of gentle motoring, we managed to find a ‘stern to’ med mooring near the entrance. It was a tight squeeze between 2…
Another leisurely start with boat checks and coffee. A quick shower and a chat with the marina staff. A friend is considering lifting out in the later summer and wanted to know if there is a live aboard option and if you can do your own work. Turns out this is an unusual but not…
A leisurely start with boat checks and coffee. The steering quadrant needed some lubrication and the engine seems to be dropping coolant as though it doesn’t need as much as prescribed. I keep topping it up be there is a definite ‘spitting’ out into the engine floor. Well it keeps it clean! Some wind today…
A earlyish start today to cross the NW corner of the Alboran Sea to our next anchorage. Our friend Helen has suggested La Herradura as a good anchorage. So with sails up and the Southerly wind we set off. Great to be under canvas but that died after 90 minutes. So back on ‘Barry the…
Light winds again so back o the engine but we managed to get the main sail up to help us gain a lift lift. It had been a restless night although putting down a stern anchor helped a little with the swell. Just a light motoring day with little to report. Fuengirola was another busy…
Light winds left us using the ‘Diesel Donkey’ to pull us towards Marbella. It was very light and calm and we were making our our headwind, which was perfect for shaking out sails, cleaning and resetting the reefing gear and then packing ready for the wind expected. Andy drove as I shook another birds next…
We had headwinds forecast for later in the morning, so a prudent early start was needed to get to Estepona in good time. We needed to avoid the swell on entry and also have lower winds for our first stern to anchoring. Unfortunately, fate brought the wind early so it was a lumpy motor into…
After a few days in La Línea, it was time to press on into the Med proper and work our way slowly up to the Balearics. We rose early to get t the fuelling pontoon, which allegedly opened at 0900 on a Sunday. An easy docking but an hour’s wait as Sunday is 1000 opening,…