36:32.625N 004:36.943W
SV Eleonora
Michael A. Andronov
Sat 8 Sep 2018 20:13
Not long after I sent the previous message, saying how wonderful my anchorage is…. the Guard de Civil arrived and informed me that I’m not allowed to stay at the place I’m staying… Arguments? Well, first they said that there is no anchorage there at all… Which may be true, but all maps from different map providers, and all guides are stipulating — there is an anchorage there… So, probably the latest administrative decision… one never knows… And then they added — the I should be out of the yellow marks which were dedicating the beach… But they turned and agreed that I was out… since they were able to pass on their boat between us and the marks…
To make the story short — we moved away, and parked in front of the next beach…
So, it did not ruin the day yesterday, since there were no wind, no swell… I picked my friends from the beach, and we had spent nice time…
But the yesterday re-location changed the today plans… The weather changed — a lot of rain, falling down from the mountains ashore… and the swell from the East…
The swell is the indicator that the forecasted Levante is starting to blow further out in the sea… And unpleasant part about it — there is no protection from that in the area we were…
To make the story short — instead of sitting on the boat, which was bouncing on 3-4 ft choppy swell… I managed to pick up the motor and the dinghy, and we are taking the night sail passage towards de Almerimar harbour, hoping to be there tomorrow, and find protection before the full Levante starts…
As we start moving, the swell period increased multiple times, and now, with being about 3ft and may be ~9 seconds, it is not a challenge at all…
So, we are progressing pretty good… And it would be even better if we manage to get the good wind… With the current wind just a notch above 5 kts… We have no choice but to motor sail… (… Yes… I can wait, not be in rush…. But the trick with the Med — I have good chances what even those 5 knots would diminish too… and then the situation would be even ‘worse’…. )
It is beautiful night outside.
On port side, I can see the lights of the Spanish coast… And it is pretty much lights, highlighting the mountains further behind, and cloudy skies on top…
On the starboard side, the dark sea, and the sky full of stars, but no clouds…. It looks like we are moving under the border between the clouds and the ‘clean skies’… Which feels a bit strange…
In front of us — there are a lot of lightings going… But no even lightest sound of thunder… Probably, it is kind of the storm ahead of us, which is generating that Easterly swell…
In the ‘old good days’ — I would probably put the gennaker up… to gain some ’speed from the wind’… But it is actually pretty dark — no moon, and I’m still do not ’trust ‘ the wind patterns here — sometimes, they are picking up from 5 to 15-17 kts right a way…. And changing direction too… So, no my old friend gennaker until the the day time, at least… And then we will see….
That is all for now…
We are sailing ahead, to meet more adventures!
Talk to you soon,
M.