Wednesday 23rd July Almerimar marina
Spellbinder
Wed 23 Jul 2008 07:56
Friday the east wind was still blowing, so we settled for another day in Cadiz, and took the old vaporo ferry across the bay to Puerto de Santa Maria. Another historic old town, with connections to Columbus and the trade with the Americas, full of fine old buildings, and sherry bodegas. Could not resist a visit to the bar at Bodegas Obregon, the oldest in town, where we enjoyed half an hour conversation with three locals without a word in common between us. Fino sherry at 60 cents a glass helped. From there to San Marcos castle, a fine restored moorish castle, where we enjoyed an excellent guided tour in English, which concluded with another sherry tasting. Nothing for it but to retire to a lovely cool bar for tapas lunch and appropriate sherry accompaniment, before taking the vaporo back to Cadiz.
Saturday morning we planned to leave in the afternoon, but a look at the lunchtime forecast of strong east winds and rough seas around Cape Trafalgar dissuaded us, and so we settled on waiting til 6am on Sunday when things promised to be quieter.
Away before light on Sunday, with the two hour time difference from gmt sunrise is around 7, and sunset around 9.30 pm. A grey overcast morning, and light wind to begin with, we pressed on under engine with a favourable tide we were soon around Cape Trafalgar and heading in towards Gibraltar at 7 knots over the ground, and some help from a westerly breeze.By 4.30 we were close to Gib with a brisk south westerly breeze, sufficient to persuade us to keep going for another 24 hours to get further up the coast before the next forecast easterly blow. Lots of shipping until we got well clear of the Straits, but good progress so we headed for Almerimar, close to Almeria, and just short of the next significant cape, Cabo de Gata, arriving at 5.30 pm having covered nearly 200 miles over the ground since Cadiz. Secured in the marina, an extensive place in what seems to be a half completed development, we are surrounded by empty apartment blocks.
Tuesday we set about tasks required before the boat is left, and had a productive day. More of the same this morning, and we are now intending to set off for Moraira this afternoon, hoping to arrive Friday morning.
On the way here we turned up 14,000 miles on the log.
Looking through our records, we have had 16 visistors sail with us in 2007, and 17 in 2008 . Eric Thompson wins the prize with 4 visits, and many others have recorded 2.