Sotogrande to Lanzarote

Kaimin
John & Pam Clarke
Sun 7 Dec 2014 13:42
Our first day in Sotogrande we find a mechanic, who confirms that our fuel has bacteria in it, he agrees to send two men tomorrow to start cleaning it. We just chill and have a lovely meal out knowing that tomorrow we’ll have lots of work todo. The two men arrive early on Thursday morning to start work on our fuel, this means the engine room will be open all day so its very difficult to do anything in the cockpit. Stacey and I examine the floor lockers and find water in most toff them, this means they’ll all have to be emptied, dried and everything put back at least 2 days work. Denzils got navigation lights to change and clean the boat on deck, so John and Malcolm are sent to get some fresh fruit and veg etc. We work until early evening when eventually John and Malcolm return with two carrier bags of food, I don’t need to tell you what they’ve been doing all day, but they are definitely not thirsty. The next few days on Kaimin are a hive of activity as the guys repair the bow thruster, the two mechanics are really good and work dry hard cleaning all the fuel pipes, racon filters etc. Stacey and I just keep emptying and cleaning lockers ugh! but we do go out to two lovely restaurants in the evenings, one Restaurante Gallego is particularly good and we get on really well with the waiter/owner who later on in the evening brings his chef/wife out and she’s Cornish, really lovely couple.
Sunday 23rd November We’ve said goodbye to Malcolm and were on our way to Lanzarote hoping for a better sail than our previous one. The first thing that happens is the main sail is stuck in the mast and we think we will have to turn back,but Denzil goes up the mast and eventually manages to free it. We sail through the Straits of Gibraltar with slack tides and cross the shipping lanes keeping a close watch on the many large container boats. I’m keeping a close watch on the barometer which starts to fall very quickly and by 10pm we’re in a force 10 and waves as tall as two story houses. Its thundering, lightening and pouring with rain, the waves are breaking in the cockpit on a regular base and we’re in a storm that would not be out of place in a horror movie. Stacey’s in bed suffering with sea sickness. I decide to make a cup of tea and then go to bed, so I’m in the galley when an extremely large wave hits Kaimin on the beam and I’m sent flying, hitting my back on the chart table stool f*** f*** f*** - it hurts that much that I think I might have broken my ribs. The next two days both Stacey and I are out of action, so its just up to the guys, I have made some ready meals and frozen them, so they are able to just warm food up. What a horrible sail, the good thing was the engine was good, we weren’t taking in water and it turned out I was just badly bruised.
We berthed Lanzarote Thursday 27th November with Kaimin again looking as if a heard of elephants had run through the cabins - hopefully we will be able to get some communication systems working and be able to get the weather forecasts before we set off across the Atlantic

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