36.11N 5.56W

Barbate, Friday, 8^th September, 2017

Had a superb 35 mile run from Gibralter. Quiet at first, so much so that I complained that C always plans thing so well she always steers us clear of the exciting stuff. Things got interesting after we’d were through the Straits themselves and approaching Tarifa (which has so much wind it is the surfing capital of the world; probably untrue but you must get wind AND tapas). We’d previously put up a small prevented main with 16 kt wind directly behind us, but then it got up to 28kts and swirled all over the place. The preventer and I certainly earned our money! Thereafter we got as much as 7.5 kts from 20-30 kts of stern wind; usually only 4-5 kts but still very enjoyable.

Now we are on the Atlantic side of Spain we’ll have to get used to tides and rocks again. Marina is bit sparse and we need a taxi to go anywhere, including the marina office. Plenty of space though.

K

Glad to say my homework had paid off. We left 2 hrs after HW and had the tide with us all the way. Not an exciting trip I am pleased to say 

but a lovely sail. A Dutch boat came in from the North having had a nightmare time with wind and tide against them . 

Franco used to come on holiday here; not sure why. The town is soulless but has restaurants with lots of tuna as there is a huge fishery in the bay. We know we are in the Atlantic as they sell canvas windbreaks on the beach like those in Aldeburgh. The wind seems to be very flukey round here so we will leave at 4am tomorrow to try and miss the afternoon F5/6 from the NW.

C