Gibraltar
Marita3
Mark & Helen Syrett
Tue 25 Jun 2013 15:21
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It was 275 miles from Cartagena to Gibraltar but it
seemed a lot further. We had a frustrating time trying to round Cabo de Gata
despite having current with us. We then lost the wind altogether and had to
motor for 48 hours with some poor visibilty, damp air and increasing swell at
times----all precursors for the levanter!
We arrived off the Rock on Friday
evening.
 and debated whether to go into Gib or carry on
straight through as the conditions tide and timings were ideal. We decided to
have one day in Gib for bunkering as tax free diesel seemed attractive
and we were beginning to run low. The large Morrisons supermarket also had
marmite and Bells whisky at £9 per litre---not to be missed!
  We had tried to book into Queensway Marina but they
denied knowledge of our emails so we went up to Marina Bay which was a blessing
in disguise as there is 24 hour access whereas Queensway is ''locked'' by a
anti swell boom across the entrance between 2130 and 0830.
The Marina was good and central to the
town
 and adjacent to the airport runway
 although there were remarkably few take offs and
landings, mainly BA, Easijet and private jets.
We walked into town via a bar showing the last 35
minutes of the Lions/Australia match (nerve wracking stuff) and then up
Main Street.
 to the Governor's residence
 which was converted from an old
convent
 and then to the Trafalgar Cemetery a quiet oasis in
a bustling tourist town
  there was the memorial stone depicting Collingwoods
signal to Gibraltar informing of the death in action of the Commander-in-Chief,
Admiral Nelson
 on our way back to Marita we stopped at the
Cathedral
 an interesting church with some historical tablets
on the walls.
We left at 0600 on Sunday morning to catch the tide
and fair winds (supposedly) for the passage to Cadiz.
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