PSYCHE blog – Queensway Quay marina Gibraltar – 9^th April 2012

The first stage of the long anticipated “delivery” to Greece has gone well, we got to Gib ahead of schedule, but life here was limited by all the Easter weekend closings. I am now in between crew, Nick Heath joins me later today, and I’m snatching some time to make a start on my intermittent blog.

Susannah and I got to Lagos on 28^th March, Pete and Les Lambert joined us, in pouring rain, on the 29^th. We took a day or two to fasten loose ends, and left at 10.20 am on 31^st – a day ahead of my original plan. I was really sorry to leave Lagos – it was a good marina, great little town, altogether a good base, I can see why people stay there for years….!

Day one was an easy motor with the wind straight on the nose and a very lumpy sea, to Vilamoura, about 26 miles East. We overnighted there – going back to a restaurant that Pete and I had discovered while waiting for his boat “Typhoon” to arrive in Nov 2009, which then advertised itself as “The worst fish restaurant in town” on the basis that this differentiated it from the vast run of the mill “Best fish restaurant in town” competitors. They had dropped the slogan – but Fisherman’s Shack was actually very good (on both the occasions that I’ve been.)

Next day was an earlyish start (for us), we found a café open at about 7.30 and had coffees etc, then sorted out the marina office and were on our way at 8.45. Again, we had the wind (such as it was) against us, and we motorsailed down past Faro. As we were making good time, and would be rather early for tides at Ayamonte, I decided to push on to Mazagon. At this point Pete’s iPad came into its own. The Navionics software was incredibly user friendly, and he set and tracked courses accurately and quickly. There’s a 7 mile long breakwater by Mazagon – but we arrived at exactly the right spot, aqd made our way down the channel. There is quite a sand bar sticking out on the corner as you turn into the marina, visible at low tide, not so at high – a bit like that bar at Hamble point….so important to go past the starboard channel marker before turning in towards the marina. A few boats anchored just outside.

At Mazagon we wandered into town, about 10-15 mins. There was a funfair on, we finally found a restaurant recommended by a local, and had a large Italian meal. The “green salad” ordered as sides by Susannah and Les turned out to be full scale enormous concoctions with tuna, olives, eggs, the works….so we were rather bloated by the end of the day.

On the next morning, 2^nd, I decided to try for Rota, on the north side of the bay of Cadiz. The marina in Cadiz looked a bit out of the way (at the end of a load of docks, maybe 20-30 min walk to town), whereas the pilot guide told us Rota was an attractive town. It was a 41 NM motor sail, wind S 2-3, sea state slight/mod. We had a lazy morning, left at 12.20 – arrived Rota at 18.40, having stayed off to let ferry pass through ahead of us.

Rota was great – strongly recommended. A charming little town, narrow streets, attractive houses, plenty of places to eat and drink. The ferry to Cadiz berths right at the marina entrance and costs about 4 Euros, takes about 30 mins, and puts you right by the old city. We stayed 2 nights at Rota.

It being Easter week we suddenly came across this procession, late in the evening as we headed back to the boat. A band, in black hoods, penitents carrying crosses, and a giant effigy of the Virgin Mary being carried through the streets. Everybody out watching – kids, granparents, the place was packed. Stalls selling sweets, balloons all sorts of goodies.

On the 3^rd we had a day off, took the ferry to Cadiz, then split up to do our own things, though met sporadically through the day for a drink/snack etc.. Susannah and I followed the purple, red and green marked trails through the old town – highlights were the El Greco “Vision of St Francis” in a beautiful little chapel in the Women’s Hospital. There was really nice music playing as we wandered round the chapel. It turned out to be my iPhone. The Tarifa tower, an old watch tower, highest point in the old town at about 45m high was excellent – we saw the “camera oscura”, could see people walking in the streets and squares on it, the demonstrator picked them up on bits of card, moved them around and put them down again, made them cross little bridges and so on.

In the evening back to Rota – where I lost my Raybans, which was a drag – but a good meal, and then another procession, this time it was Jesus being hauled around town. The edifices are enormous, great lumps of oak, with people underneath them. It was all kicking off in Cadiz as we left – we saw a church that had 3 or 4 of these waiting to be taken out, a Virgin with a tear rolling down her cheek, a scourged Jesus – it was like a garage for religious icons. I picked up the Semana Santa Orario – timetable for Cadiz processions. All week on any given night there were a minimum of 4 of these processions going on, maximum of 6. It was phenomenal.

On Wednesday 4^th April we left Rota at 10.40 and headed south to Barbate. We passed Trafalgar about 3pm and got into the marina at Barbate at 17.10, having skirted tunny nets just outside the marina entrance, following a German boat “Barracuda” in. He then grabbed the place on the reception pontoon, so we berthed in a large berth nearby and I did the office stuff. He promptly went and berthed in the berth I’d just been allocated, much to the irritation of the marian receptionist, who then reallocated a berth to me. As I went to move Psyche a larger vessel (can’t remember what make) came hurtling into the berth adjacent, failed to land a line and was blown across towards us. I shot out in reverse, Pete, Les and Susannah having been very sharp slipping lines or we’d have been clouted pretty hard…!

It’s a bit of a schlep to town at Barbate – but the beach is excellent, and the street by the beach lined with restaurants. We went to one called “El Espigon”, which had a large sandwich board outside with a picture of a tuna with all the cuts illustrated, like you see in butchers. The young waiter, in true Manuel style, was learning English, but hadn’t made much progress. He hauled the sandwich board in, and announced he was setting up “Tuna School”….we decided what bits we were having. He failed to bring Pete’s scrambled egg and spinach starter – Pete: “You forgot my starter”. Waiter: “No. I did not remember!”

On the 5^th we left Barbate at 09.05 and headed for Gib. It was very variable weather. Cold, wet, interspersed with sunny periods, sea state confused, lumpy, wityh overfalls before Tarifa, but a helpful current most of the way, the winds westerly, and wind and swell pushing us along nicely past Tarifa. 36 NM miles and we were at Queensway at 15:00 – after I had managed to foul mooring lines while berthing, and had to get towed off, no dings or damage, just embarrassment. Underestimated depth of keel and angle at which the bowlines entered water.

So – Lagos to Gibraltar, 210.5 NM. Pete and Les left for Tenerife on Fri 6^th, and spent that night in a posh hotel, watching yet more processions while eating lobster…which was fully deserved, they were great company and excellent crew, anticipating problems, always ready on time, and very much looking forward to picking up their Arcona 43 in June.

Susannah left on Saturday. I have spent the last couple of days getting laundry done, cleaning the boat, sorting petty niggles, checking where everything is, etc etc. I get my wifi from a pub, and the weather has finally (since Sunday 8^th) got warm and sunny. Hopefully we leave for Estepona, or somewhere nearby, tomorrow (11^th April) and the next stage of the journey begins!