After 16 days of scraping, anti fouling and re spraying, and with only five days to go before our expected arrival in Gibraltar, we decided yesterday to de junk and drive it all home. So we hired a car and packed it up with Henry the ‘hoover’, the jet washer and a myriad of other paraphernalia and set off yesterday at 7.00 am.

Driving up to our house in the hills we saw for the first time some of the devastation caused by the flash floods when the Rio Seco and Rio Verde burst their banks a fortnight ago – the power of nature and particularly water is a sobering thought…. If you go to You Tube search Almunecar you can see many videos for yourself.  Our poor renters had a week of clearing up to do and their car is virtually ruined by the hale stones.

The car seemed fuller on the way back than on the way there!!  By the time we had loaded the boys’ surf boards, wet suits etc we had a full car.  I think we need a more ruthless clear out tomorrow……….

We also drove to Motril for the last bits of stainless steel required from Solviento, said good bye to Motril Yacht Club, and then back to Almunecar to collect the antibiotics, defribulator, oxygen tank and masks, re registered Epirb, wind scoops, lettering and post.  Paul had lost half a tooth so we had an emergency stop at the dentist (but the repair’ fell out again within half a hour).  On the way home we went to a chandler to buy all sorts of little extras – and finally back to the boat and dinner with my brother Clive and his wife Mari.

Bennett and Oscar had been hard at it all day and the boat was literally gleaming when we got back.  Today Anahi goes back into the water –

All our efforts seem worth while – the four of us had a lovely Italian and have just got back to the boat before the heavens opened with torrential rain! How lucky we are!