Cartagena - Isla Perdiguera, Mar Menor

Pyxis
Karen & Richard
Tue 3 Jun 2008 23:58

Tuesday 3rd June – Cartagena – Isla Perdiguera, Mar Menor

37:41.926N 0:48.218W

 

Today we left Cartagena and headed east around Cabo de Palos and the up the coast to the Mar Menor, a small inland sea 12M long and 6 miles wide separated from the Mediterranean by a long (if somewhat developed) sand bar.  It would, in fact, be more accurate to say that the inland sea is separated from the Med by a string of large hotels!

 

We awoke early after a disturbed sleep due to swell rolling around the harbour for some reason during the night. Once ready, we said adieu to Sedna who are staying longer in Cartagena to do some work on their boat (we expect we will see each other again in the Balearics), and then motored out with virtually no wind.

 

We had to motor for the first couple of hours and then a very light easterly breeze filled in and we were able to tack slowly up to Cabo de Palos, enjoying the sunshine.  The wind dropped as we reached the headland so we had to motor on a short way but once around the cape we set sail again and drifted slowly across the bay towards the entrance to the Mar Menor at Puerto de Tomás Maestre.

 

At Puerto de Tomás Maestre there is a lifting bridge in the channel which only opens every two hours so we timed our arrival for the opening time and queued with half a dozen other boats.

 

Once through we went alongside the fuel pontoon at the marina where we refuelled and inflated the dinghy.

 

We then headed out into the Mar Menor and 4 miles across to the small island of Isla Perdiguera where we have anchored for the night with just a few other boats around – the same ones who were waiting at the bridge.

 

This evening Moonshadow joined us for a sundowner – this is their first experience of a night at anchor so hopefully it will be a peaceful one.

 

 

Crossing the bay with Isla Grosa in the distance; Queuing for the bridge at Tomás Maestre

 

Lifting bridge at Tomás Maestre;  Very developed sand bar

 

Crossing the Mar Menor;  The anchorage at Isla Perdiguera

 

© Pyxis 2008