Position update
CuriousOyster
Steve & Trish Brown
Tue 1 May 2012 10:06
Another 24 hours spent bashing into headwinds and against the current.
Nowhere in my pilot books or North African Cruising guide does it tell of
such strong east going currents.
Since leaving Bodrum we have experienced between 0.5 to 2.4 knots against us
adding at least 1 1/2 days to the trip.
We have tried going inshore and offshore but to no effect we just have to
get on with it.
This current together with the almost constant headwinds have made for a
pretty tough trip with two full gales thrown in for good measure.
All along the Algerian coast we have been tracked by their coast guard, at
all times friendly they have monitored our progress and we have had three
visits from their patrol boats and two calls from their shore stations in
the last 24 hours alone.
Having had to motor sail for much of the way since leaving Sicily we are
heading for Melilla, a Spanish enclave on the Moroccan coast to refuel and
to give us a better wind angle for the stronger westerly's to be expected as
we approach Gibraltar. Winds and currents allowing we should be there
tomorrow afternoon for fuel, a meal ashore and a few beers for good measure.