Chipiona
Beowulf
Tom Fenton and Faith Ressmeyer
Wed 12 Sep 2012 22:22
A long run from the Guadiana river to the Guadalquiver, during which we were boarded by Spanish customs. Probably a training exercise, but a gunboat bore down on us at great speed, launched a rib which came alongside and two burly customs officers clambered aboard with some dignity, and took down our particulars. Wouldn't have been so bad but I was wearing only my underpants, it being such a warm day. They didn't seem to mind. We solemnly signed their piece of paper, were given a duplicate, and the officers left with much shaking of hands and use of a word that clearly meant routine. We could hardly keep a straight face.
All day we could hear VHF traffic in the straits of Gibraltar. Excited to think we are almost there.
Arrived in Chipiona an hour or so after sunset, exactly as planned, with a metre and a half over chart datum and on a rising tide. Happy and feeling more confident of our sailing and navigation skills. T