36:42.3N 2:11.3W

As readers this blog will already know, it is the opinion of this writer that Spain is just too big. Its size has been exasperated by the slow progress we have made along its lengthy southern shore, past such glittering hotspots as Fuengirola, Benidorm and Torremelinos. All the while, we have had either no wind at all, or too much from entirely the wrong direction. The result of this is a rather uncomfortable motion on board, as the engine takes over from the sails in the task of getting us on track. I’d love to report that the monotony has been broken by the repeated arrival of large tuna on to our enticingly presented lures, but that hasn’t happened either! At one stage last night, we even had two lines out, which only served to increase our disappointment rather than fill the freezer.

 We left Gibraltar on Tuesday morning, having had a pleasant two days catching up on rest and boat jobs.  As we turned East once more, we came upon large numbers of oil tankers, coasters, container ships and cruise ships, either at anchor or simply drifting. This part of the Med is clearly a waiting room for the worlds unused commercial vessels, which require careful navigating around in some cases. Empty cruise ships, in particular, signify a sector of the marine industry that has been very badly affected by the virus. Doubtless, they will be going up and down here with the tide until things improve…

 Such was the extent of the west-going swell that we opted to dive in to a small anchorage called Herradura overnight. We arrived late, but the anchor took well in oft sand, and we slept well Dawn revealed that we had in fact dropped our anchor inside the swimming area, but we’d departed long before anyone noticed and headed back out in to the unfavourable wind direction.

 Cabo de Gato marks yet another “significant” corner of the Spanish mainland, and an opportunity for “Knotty Girl” to turn a little further north. The wind direction and the swell are both against us, but the lure of a stopover in Ibiza is motivation enough to keep pushing on.  As such, our days are filled with watch changes, sail changes, weather updates, traffic dodging, discussions about food, and our continued failed attempts to drag tuna on board. Doubtless this situation will continue for another 36 hours or so.