Rota - the beach landing and evacuation

Moxie - Beck Family Adventure
Mike, Denise, Asia and Aranya Beck
Mon 13 Jun 2011 19:56
Rota (Cadiz) 36.36.93n 006.21.15w
 
Following yesterday's blistering sail today was naturally much of the completely different, no decent breeze until 3:00 so a far bit of motoring for our 85 mile hop to Cadiz.  Having spent a lot of time last year in the river Guiadiana we decided to skip it this time and head straight across the bay to Rota (Cadiz). 
 
And back up goes the Spanish courtesy flag.
 
 
Denise feigning a smile while re-sewing the Sprayhood windows.  The stitching had given up sometime during the winter layup, hopefully it will se us through the season now though.
 
Spanish fishing boats all lined up and hot loaded with full compliment of yacht snaring buoys ready to deploy. 
 
We parked up in Rota marina for a few days, primarily to get sorted with Spanish internet access and, hey, it's not a race.  We went out in the dinghy the other day for a swim and to find a less crowded beach.  Having found said beach we landed and it was lovely.  There we quite a few people stretched along the beach but nothing like the masses just around the corner.  Asia asked what the big security fence was for that extended out to sea, then we noticed the fence was right round the perimeter so obviously we had made it to some restricted area that only the select few knew how to access or perhaps it was difficult to get here and so was only occupied by the very determined.  Also we noted that one group even had a trolley so they must have trekked a fair distance. 
 
Within a few minutes of having sat down, noting that all the other boats were at anchor and people were all swimming from their boats, and that no other dinghies were ashore, we were approached by a man who enquired if we were military.  He then went on to explain that we were trespassing on a military base and strongly suggested that we vacate within the next few minutes before the soldiers arrived to question us. We casually left with many looks behind and noted that the large security camera on shore had now trained itself upon our position.  Thankfully we seemed to have gotten away with the invasion.
 
Today we took the ferry to Cadiz, the temperature hit 27 and the girls are taking time aclimitising to the heat.  Off to Gibraltar soon.