19th July 2008 - Sitges to Barcelona (the end of the trip)
Bali Hai
Neal Stow
Sat 19 Jul 2008 23:06
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The last day of this two month trip started
well. When we pulled out of Sitges marina the wind was increasing to 15-16
knots and we had the first really good sail of the week. A beam reach all
the way up to Barcelona. As we came close to Barcelona the wind
had risen to 20+ knots and we dropped sails before crossing the shipping channel
into the harbour. Nipping across between two very large cargo ships, one
entering and the other leaving the harbour.
We then headed towards the entrance to the marina,
across an anchorage where four large cargo ships were at anchor. I
was just about to cross in front the last when I realised that it had a small
bow wave and was in fact moving. A sharp turn to starboard and we came around
behind it (albeit rather close)
The wind was still very strong in Port
Vell marina and after completing the check-in procedures we headed to our
berth. It should have been straightforward as there were no boats on
either side of the space that we were supposed to reverse in to.
Except for the fact that there was 20 knots of breeze blowing across the
berth. The first two attempts to dock failed partly because the wind
was so strong that I could not keep the bow up against the wind
even using the bow thruster and partly because we were not quick
enough securing the boat before the wind blew her out of position. On the
third attempt the same thing happened and then someone shouted to go
ahead quickly as the davits were about to hit the electrical station, so I
motored hard ahead. Unfortunately the starboard stern line was not
released and the boat swung round cracking into the concrete
pontoon, taking a deep chunk out of the edge of the transom. We were
left lying alongside the pontoon and unable to get off because of the wind
pinning us on - in the end it took a marina staff with a large rib and the bow
thruster to pull us round and on to the berth. It still took an age
to get the boat properly aligned, requiring the use of the electric winches
to pull us up the dock.
It was a pretty poor showing by everyone involved,
the marina staff, the crew and of course the skipper - who was ultimately to
blame for the fiasco. It was a sad way to end what was overall an
excellent trip from Gosport to Barcelona.
At first glance Port Vell marina seems like an
excellent place to be (you are given a "Yachtie Yellow Pages" when you arrive
and I have already noted that it lists several people who do gel coat
repairs!). The place is full of liveaboards and having met one
already, the community seems very pleasant. Plus of course the location,
the marina is perfectly located right in the centre of the city and next to
La Rambla. I have signed up for a year's mooring and first impressions are
that keeping the boat here for a year was a very wise
decision.
So that brings this log to an end. I am
expecting to do a three week trip around the Balearics in the autumn (late
September early October) which I will probably record and then that will be all
until late spring in 2009 when Bali Hai will hopefully be heading down the
Italian coast.
Thanks for reading, Neal
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