Suzie Too anchored close by, David and Sue last seen in Cape Verdes last year. Their Moody 48 is now a brand new Farr 57!Tea  and a good nose around their lovely new boat. They are on their way to Grenada as well so we are sure to bump into one another again along the way.

Right on time the southwesterly wind and rain arrived and continued all day but cleared an hour before sunset. As there is little or no wind forecast for this week its up anchor to make use of the now northwesterly to get down the coast.

The wind lasted right till Cape Vincent and then the engine was needed for the last five miles to round the cape. A nice sea breeze kicked in for the twenty miles to Portimao

Set off for Gib just as soon as the ebb tide had eased and the harbour entrance became safe. However after seven hours of indifferent wind, some motoring and the occasional heavy rain shower I gave up and motored to anchor behind Ilha Da Caltara (Faro). I think the mistake I made was taking down the Portuguese courtesy flag too early, I’ll have to put it up again in the morning!

Wake to the noise of some wind!  Waited for first light to pass the breakwater, this proved to be very interesting as the ebb had now been running for 2 hours and there has been a lot of rain these last couple of days. The standing wave across the entrance would have made a great photo but I was a little too busy getting around it. The current was running at 5 knots when I came in Sat evening. Anyway I am out and away and then surprise!!!! I caught a fish, it was a really big one (but it got away!) but then I caught another one! After some crude butchery it produced 5 good-sized portions of tuna, 4 in the freezer and one in tonight’s curry pot. Not a cloud in the sky all-day and hot!

The wind mostly held up and anchored off Gib at first light just before the rain starts again

Gib seems much as usual, British, familiar but not quiet, but then you’ll hear more English spoken here than central London! Local radio reports on dispute with the Spanish over territorial waters and the Gib governments request that the UK lives up to its responsibilities and sends the Royal Navy to support the local forces. Do we still have a navy?

Moved back out to the anchorage at La Linea. The Guardia Civil came around the anchorage telling everyone to move into the new Spanish marina as anchoring here is now forbidden. The general response seems to be to ignore them.

Shadowed by Moroccan Navy patrol boat No.132 at daybreak for 2 hours, do I look guilty or what? And have they got another 131 patrol boats? Any way after they got bored and left I caught a blue fin tuna as opposed to the other fish, which was a yellow fin. Yet more tuna, I haven’t finished eating the last one yet and this one is bigger. I wonder how to catch cod and chips!  

 

Spent a week in Rabat doing maintenance routines and giving RT a real good cleaning. Still nice and cheap here,so it’s a good place to kill time until the season is right to cross. Also managed a wander through the souk for old times sake and a look at the biggest minaret in the world.