Skates on!! Cartagena to Valencia - 170 nm - 17 - 20 Sept
Nimue
Sat 20 Sep 2008 16:18
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We left Cartagena about midday
and picked up 16 knots of wind. We had an enjoyable sail for the
first 4 hours, but the wind moved round to head us completely and we rounded
into the Mar Menor and La Managa under engine about 1700hrs.
We couldn't help but notice that we had
arrived in 'high rise' Spain and the scenery was similary ugly for most of this
coastline, but we made Torrevieja just after dusk and anchored in a well
sheltered anchorage just outside the main marina. The next day we met up
with our friend Pat from Leicester (who was holidaying at the same
time in his appartment in nearby Cabo Roig). We had a good 'catch up'
lunch on board Nimue, but had a little difficulty dropping Pat
off, as the harbour authorities said we couldn't land our dinghy in their
marina......safe to say that we got round this problem fairly easily
and we also made a quick dash to get some Camping Gaz (although when
we came to use this later, the cylinder was
empty!!).
 In Torrevieja wth
Pat
The next day we left in virtually no wind and
motored past Benidorm and across the Greenwich meridian to an anchorage in
Calpe which is located at the base of the spectacular Penon de Ifach. This
was a lovely anchorage and with the weather being so hot, we swam off the
boat in the clear blue water.........delightful.
  Thought I'd caught my first fish,
but it was a black plastic bag!! Picturesque Benidorm,
viewed from the sea????
  Arriving in Calpe in the
evening
Anchored next to the Penon de Ifach
We left the
following morning and sailed for most of the 65nm to Valencia. At one
stage we had the cruising chute up, but after it got ravelled around the
forestay and us spending a further hour trying to get it down, it went back
from whence it came. We then had a fabulous sail in
16-20knots of wind behind us to Valencia.
  Leaving Calpe
Sailing with the Cruising Chute for a while
  Following seas starting to
build
 Nearly dusk and only 6nm to
Valencia
We had a difficult entrance into Valencia as we had
to avoid anchored ships and negotiate the entrance through a bouncy sea and
crosswinds. Anyway, once into the marina, we found a mooring for the night
and I knocked up some gnocchi to eat. The following day we contacted the
harbour master and he came out on his bicycle and directed us to a 'stern
to' visitor mooring; a mere 15 minute brisk walk to the
entrance!!!. Anyway we had made Valencia in good time to meet
up with our very good friends, Nigel and Sally. More on Valencia
later.
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