Cartagena

Scott-Free’s blog
Steve & Chris
Fri 15 Aug 2008 21:24
37:35.786N 00:59.07W
 
We left Almerimar on Tuesday afternoon, making a note to ourselves to remember to leave a little earlier in the day - before the wind gets up!  It was quite festive getting out of the moorings in a stiff breeze, and Steve's boat handling skills were put to the test.  Fortunately, although the boat had different ideas to Steve;s about which way she wanted to turn, we left the marina without incident and set off in quite lively seas with a fair wind pushing us along at 7-8 knots. 
 
The seas gradually calmed down, and with a good following wind it was a fast passage right up until the last four hours or so, when the wind died and we resorted to the engine.  It was another overnight passage which saw me (Chris) on watch when the sun went down...
 and when it came up again...
 
Where was Steve?  Where else would the skipper be? 
 
 
We arrived in Cartagena mid-morning on Wednesday and liked it immediately.  It is surrounded by mountains - this is the coastline as we approached
 
 
but the town is very attractive. This is the view from the boat as we were moored in the marina.
 
 
The marina belongs to the Yacht Club and so for 28 euros a night we had this beautiful spot right in the town and full use of the club's facilities which included the club house and their swimming pool
 
 
As the wind was not going to be good for us today, we decided to suffer a further day here and make straight for Menorca, a passage of some 300 miloes.  Neither of us is too keen to spend any time in the Balearics, so we plan to sail straight past Ibiza and Mallorca, and make a stop at Menorca prior to moving on to Sardinia.  Well, that's plan A anyway...