Grand Slam

Sunday 26th April - Cartegena is shut on Sundays

.....and most of Saturday!

I don't know. You get to these exotic locations with a view to sightseeing and it's closed. Come siesta time everything shuts down on Saturday and doesn't bother opening again until Monday morning. No shops, no tourist information. At least the bars are sill open.

We are now in Cartegena riding out a rather gusty 25knt wind blowing into the harbour after seeing all there is to see in the town. The memories of the last few days are now fading into a blur given a third overnight sail in a week. I think we got in early yesterday morning.....Yes, I am sure we did. Another uneventful sail under our belt and we are now nearly a quarter of the way to Chicken Turkey (or perhaps some other food related destination). We have done 3 overnight sails in a week totalling 450 odd miles. We left Almerimar around lunch time on Friday and had a very tedious beat for 9 hours to get round the cape 30 miles to the east. It was one of those beats where the wind and the current push you back so you can only tack through 110 degrees - and the sea state was not too flat so lots of slamming etc. By the time we got to the cape the wind died and it was then a 12 hour motor up to here.

Almerimar was nice. Less than 12 Euro a night although wifi access was restricted unless you paid for the marina system at 5 Eu per night. Lots of bars and restaurants but more expensive than what we have been used to. It is rather isolated though with nothing outside the "resort" marina.

We did not see too much wildlife on the way up except for the last few hours around dawn when the obligatory dolphins turned up. Before that - zippo! Well except for the 20 or so bees that came to pay us a visit as we rounded the headland at the end of the beat. They settled on the boat (and us) to spend a relaxing hour with the odd foray to the top of the stairs where they did a quick about turn and then back into the cockpit - Pam was cooking onions! All of a sudden then they flew off.

We got into Cartegena and headed for the Yacht Port marina, the new one on the right. It's not marked in the pilot books so consequently is quite empty. In fact it was only 30% full. The guy in charge is a Brit and very obliging so very easy to check in and out. There is a 24 hr security guy on the gate so no cards are needed. The toilets and showers are in a portacabin which were fine - although they may be a bit under pressure if the place was full. There is also a wifi server to connect to - look for Linksys. It is free and a very good connections speed. Fast enough for Skype to work well. Yacht Port was 22Eur per night which is twice the price of the older marina on the left but it was worth the extra. Oh by the way, it is finger berths with long fingers whereas the other is med mooring and looked more open to swell.

When we arrived, we were met by Trevor and Lesley from Kishorn. They had left Lagos at the beginning of the month and were making their way slowly towards Majorca. A quick coffee on Grand Slam and we had caught up with all the gossip from the early Lagos departees.

Saturday afternoon we did Cartegena. We walked up to the top of the castle and had a good look round. Definitely worth doing but if the walk up is too much, there is a lift on the east side of the city that takes you most of the way up. Apart from that we were a little disappointed wth the city and lack of things to see or do. We (the four of us) went out for an overpriced meal in the evening with Trevor and Lesley and then chatted 'till late. They left this morning to head for an anchorage further up the coast but we are likely to bump into them again in Majorca. 

So that is about it. Nice marina here and well worth a visit, but do it on a week day when at least the supermarket will be open. Don't expect a vast choice of things to do!

Our plan now is to get to Majorca by next Saturday to drop Alan and Murray off which we can do in 4 one day sails. We will push off very early tomorrow (Monday) and head north east. There is a bit of wind forecast but it should be behind us. I am still waiting to see a Woolly Mammoth but I'm not holding my breath. At least the wind we have today is keeping the mozzies at bay. We heard by email that China Blue (Tony & Margaret) were leaving Gib on Saturday morning and aiming to catch us up in Majorca. It will be nice to get to Majorca and have a rest for a week!

Wednesday 23rd April - Almerimar

Light wind? Light wind? You must be mad. The forecast for the overnight trip from Gibraltar to Almerimar was F2-3 mainly from the west and dying overnight. I had visions of motoring all the way! The wind Gods had other ideas and by the time we had motored out of the marina we were faced with 15knts on the nose as we headed out south with the rock on our left. Up went the main (with one reef in just in case) and we were then hit with 25knts from the west. Luckily we were turning the right way but still 25knts up the chuff with only one reef was more like racing mode - and Pam tells me we can't do that. It was a great sail for about an hour until SWMBO forced the 2nd reef. After that it was less exciting but certainly more stable.

 

This was an interesting shot of Gibraltar. Notice the ship "parked" against the lighthouse. I wonder if it has shore power?

The wind then kept up until almost dark with the sea a bit lumpy but not as bad as the first overnighter. Heading west though would have been pretty tough. Maybe we will stay in the Med.

 

Bogey was still feeling green and spent the whole voyage in his bunk

The sky had been clear all day so when the sun set, the stars came out in a moonless sky. The moon was the last of the waning moon and didn't rise until after 6am. The wind dropped to nothing and it was a case of motor on and head straight for Almerimar. By sunrise we could see the mist descending and by 8am we were in thick fog. On with the radar which performed flawlessly apart from turning itself on and off a couple of times at the most inopportune moments! We motored into Almerimar around 11ish after a 135 mile sail in 20 metres visibility. Thank god for GPS and radar. That is the first sail we have had to use the foghorn and it was good to hear the other boats that the radar was telling us we were going to crash into were hearing the horn and replying.

The AIS also proved it worth by letting us know the course and speed of the hundreds of ships plying up and down the straits. It gave us the advance warning an hour ahead so we could gybe out of their way and keep well clear.

No problem with the boat other than the tactick wind instrument ceasing to function after the sun went down. This had happened the previous night sail. I suspect it is a battery or charging problem in the wind vane at the top of the mast. Murray went up the mast today to clean the solar panel in the vane so maybe that will solve it. Failing that I think an email to Tacktick is in order!

Almerimar is a cheap marina. Around 10 Euro /day including the lecky. Med mooring again but this time there was not a lot of space between the other two boats so we went in forwards to create the space we needed. We didn't need the ladder this way! The ladder had worked well in Gibraltar apart from needing a better way to attach it to the back of the boat. We now have another cunning plan to complete this. Although the berthing fees are cheap, the restaurants around are fairly expensive with 50 Euros for two the most expensive we have had for a long time. Lagos was much cheaper. We can't complain though. With the sun shining and the temperature in the 20's, it is really nice.

The ssb radio is not earning it's keep at the moment with zero luck in contacting Kishorn, Balchis or Calaloo on 8101Mhz. I will keep trying each evening, now at 6,7 and 8pm local time. If you are listening guys, give me a shout - or anyone else that might be on.

Today then is a quite day apart from various jobs on the boat. Our plan is to leave tomorrow (Friday) and head up to Cartegana in another overnight sail ahead of some stronger winds forecast for Saturday night. We will stop there for a few days before the trip over to the Balerics. Trevor and Lesley sent a text to say they may also be there Saturday and Chica (one of the Dutch boats ex Lagos) were due in here today. Rick and Connie on Calaloo are in Alicante so we may catch up with them early next week. I think we are leaving China Blue behind and with the bad weather forecast for the weekend - they will have problems catching us up.

More to follow.

Tuesday 21st April - Gibraltar

After a days rest we are shoving off to head for Almerimar, another overnight trip but this time it should be in much more settled weather. The sky is blue, the wind is light and it's forecast to stay that way even during the night. Tony and Margaret on China Blue arrived yesterday afternoon so are staying here for another couple of nights to recover but there are strong easterlies forecast Thursday and Friday so we may pull out a big gap between us. Stern to med mooring was an experience, easy to do but rather bouncey here in Gib. I will elaborate in the next post. Anyway must rush as we need to leave (30mins ago!!). Bogey is starting to look green again.

Saturday 18th April - We are off at last!

Well that was a big wrench. We have finally left Lagos. After a great 7 months we set sail eastwards leaving behind some great memories (and some even better friends).

We had planned to leave early Friday when Murray and Alan arrived but a depression and front coming through made us reconsider as we didn’t want to do an overnight passage in the rain! Murray and Alan arrived on sked on Thursday evening and we spent Friday doing the final prep to leave and stocking up the boat. Friday evening it poured down so that was a good call. We went up to Petisco, our favourite restaurant in Lagos and challenged Alan to eat all he was given. He duly failed. Back to Lazy Jacks to listen to Duncan (ex Somebody’s cousin) but he wasn’t on so we stayed for the other guy who sounded awful with the new sound system they have go there. Time to move on – methinks! Lazy Jacks though was great and it wouldn’t have been the same without it. Place to miss for us was the Blue Door restaurant. I won’t say why here but we would never go back there again despite the nice food. Trust us. Go to Petisco instead.

So after saying our farewells to those liveaboards left (Steve & June, Jacky & Rob and Liz & Ju) we set off eastwards heading to Gibraltar early Saturday morning (not been up at 7am for many a morning!). We sailed with Tony & Margaret on China Blue expecting zero wind for the first 6 hours then it building to 25 knts for the overnight period. The forecast was pretty much bang on except there was a lot more swell around. This meant motoring with no sales up (or even sails for those of you not heavily into shopping) until mid afternoon and those susceptible to sea-sickness needing some help. As the wind increased so did the swell and it just got worse and worse. Bogey no mates was struggling. He was green. Well that’s no difference then! Put him in his lee cloth and that was the last we saw of him.

Despite the swell, the wind gave us a great downwind sail and we helmed all the way. Two on, two off. Pam was on shift with Murray and in one of my periods of sleep(!!!!!!!!) I remember Pam calling Murray up to look at the dolphins who had come to inspect the boat and give the now normal routine of “chicken” to amuse us. I thought at the time that if Pam called me – that was the last thing I would want to do. Dolphins...... now woolly mammoths , that’s a different story. If there were woolly mammoths around that would be worth seeing. I like woolly mammoths. You don’t see them often. They are fun! And woolly mammoths in the middle of Gibraltar approaches.....priceless. But Pam never saw any so I didn’t get woken up. Except for the dolphins......... now I am rambling.

We didn’t leave on Friday because of forecasted rain. Well it rained on Saturday night. I got wet. The new Henri Lloyd jacket leaked. The new DuBarry boots leaked. It wasn’t as bad as the 2007 North Sea race but almost as wet. We did take on a lot of water in the cockpit. The boat inside was very dry but it was a wet, windy and rocky night. Black as the ace of spades, no moon, stars for only half an hour and no woolly mammoths.

Dawn broke to a very grey morning with Tarifa in view but big seas and winds of 25knts made it tricky to sail. China Blue called us to say they were going to head for Barbate and then do the 40 mile last leg to Gib on Sunday but we had gone past and it would have been a difficult beat to get back to join them. Once past Tarifa, the seas miraculously calmed down and it was a great sail in the sunshine into Gib with us arriving soon after 1.30pm local time, a trip of 190 odd miles done in 29 hours.

It had been very lumpy and not a trip I would like to do every day (or even every week/year/ever). We have now crossed beating and F6 downwind of our list of approved activities. We headed for Marina Bay marina (‘cause that is the first number I called whilst fully intending to call Queensway – don’t ask!!) and despite all the bad reports of “building sites” it seems a very pleasant place. All the building work seems to have been finished and it is a lot better than it was 2 years ago last time I was here.

We went out up to town and then back to one of the marina complex restaurants. (it won’t win restaurant of the trip award so I won’t bother describing it. Everton won though! Now Everton winning a game is usually not of interest to me but this one was against United so it was great. Well done the blues. Good on you Liverpool.) I digress again! So now we are here for a couple on nights. SIteseeing tomorrow and then off east on Tuesday – if I can get an internet connection to check the weather – to maybe Albuferia to chase down Kishorn (and Trevor and Lesley – the couple responsible for Bogey no mates). Rick and Connie on Calaloo are not too far ahead either. So farewell Lagos, great place, we will be back!!!

We are off tomorrow!!

Now this will be interesting to see if this post will work. I am sitting in Lazy Jacks for a fairwell drink and making a post by email. If you can see this then it worked.

We are off at 7am in the morning despite the cold and rain and trying to do Gib in a oner. Look out for a post on Sunday - we should get an internet connection there. Bogey no mates is now very worried. His first overnight sail. Not to worry - he is green enough already. A couple a stugeron should do the trick.

See you in Gib.

Wednesday 15th April - The new arrival

Well I promised yesterday I would tell you of our new arrival. When we got back on the boat in mid March after a 6 week break back in the UK (actually it was anything other than a break as we filled the time moving house - renting our pad in Scotland and moving into a "developement" project near Cardiff, watching England nearly beat Wales in the 6 nations and spending 10 days in darkest Shekou in China before finally getting on the plane down to Lagos.....I digress), we found an intruder asleep in our bed.

No note, no sign of break in. He just arrived. We suspect Trevor and Lesley off Kishorn had a lot to do with this as he had been seen at the Xcel boat show a month before and that's where they had just come back from. He seemed quite a pleasant chap - Bogey no mates that is - not Trevor. He was very quiet at first but soon started to get his feet under the table.

He soon showed how good at Sudoku he was, helping Pam when she gets stuck and even starting to organise the forward planning for the forthcoming trip into the Med.

We called him Bogey no mates as he was green and didnt seem to have any friends.... that was until Colin and Anne came round to stay for the weekend.....

 

He took a fancy to Colin's car and took us for a spin to Selema.

 

....for a paddle in the sea

 

....a sunbathe on the beach of course

 

...a play with his bucket and spade (but we couldn't afford the bucket). Come to think of it we couldn't afford the spade either - we had to improvise

 

...and finally a Gallau in the local bar. What a great day! When we got back to the marina, Bogey no mates was keen to make new friends so we went off to find some. First stop was Arwen.

 

Everyone was very happy and I'm not surprised looking at where Jacky has her fingers!!

 

It was then on to Piper for beer with Steve and June.

Finally it was time to go and get something to eat so off to Lazy Jacks. It didn't take long before Bogey worked his way in and started to take over the place.

 

Chris and Claire certainly had their hands full with this one. Finally it was time to settle down to a plate of food and a nice beer.

As you can see, Bogey has settled in quite well. I am sure we will be seeing a lot more of him over the next couple of months. We are looking out for a bow tie for him so he can go and have a look round China Blue. I just hope he doesnt get sea sick!!

......and the weather has still been bad down here today with more very heavy showers. The forecast is for warmer weather this weekend but another depression bearing down on us has scupperred our plans for a quick get away on Friday morning. The forecast has improved a bit this evening though and we should be able to get off on Saturday. Anything else going on this week....? Oh, Liverpool didn't get through so lets not talk about that then.

More before we go.

Tuesday 14th April, Oh really!

Well after 7 months of inactivity - blogging that is - we are now back for more inane ramblings to bore everyone back home.

It's now mid April and we are sitting on the boat in Lagos Marina listening to the wind whistle round the boat at 20 odd knots. Quite a bit of rain and its now colder than last week - almost needing a jacket on to go out. Just like a Scottish summer in fact. The main reason for starting the blog up is that we are about to push off and head into the Med in search of warmer waters and something to eat - Turkey in fact!

The last seven months has been a real hoot. We spent over four of them here in Lagos and really missed the place when we went back home. Christmas day was probably the best one we have had in many years with 14 of us crammed onto "Spirt de Nord Est" for a full roast turkey dinner and a game of Matthew Mark Luke and Martha. There are lots of other live aboards here - many spending the whole winter on the boat - and we have got particularly close to 7 or 8 of them (the crews, not the boats silly!). I won't list them here as they all know who they are!! ...but what a great bunch. Oh Really.

Christmas lunch "Lagos" style

Focus for the marina has been Lazy Jacks "our local" where one or two beers have been known to be consumed. There are so many restaurants around that no one ever gets bored of anywhere to go..... and the supermarket is only 2 minutes from our pontoon (we are at the posh end). We've been out on a Spanish Galleon (actually a Portguese Caravella), done a power boat course, learnt how to pole dance and many many more.

The boat has been tied up virtually the whole winter although we did take it out a couple of times last week to have a shakedown sail and find out what's broken and what isn't. It was also useful to refresh our memories of how to sail. We bought a new inflatable dinghy, the Lupolight front bicolour has stopped working, the computer blew up, one of our unbreakable wine glasses broke and oh yes, Pam cut her finger - requiring 2 stiches. Yesterday Margaret (on China Blue) did the same. It's a great excuse to get out of any food preparation and washing up etc for a few weeks.

More from Christmas dinner. I will try and dig out the pole dancing shots from boxing day if I can find them. Talk about Gumpy old men!!

Plan A this year is to sail to Turkey - the same route as about 15 other boats leaving Lagos. Murray and Alan are flying out to help us do the first couple of weeks to Gibraltar and then on to Majorca and they arrive Thursday evening. We were going to leave first thing Friday morning and do an over-nighter down to Barbete but there is a front due through Friday night so we may delay a day to avoid sailing in the rain - what a load of whimps I hear you say.  There is no plan B at the moment so we will have to do a bit of work on that one. One thing for certain though is that we will be back here at some stage to stay, maybe even for an extended period.

I'll keep this entry reasonably short so not to bore you too much and be back with more before we go. On the next entry we will introduce our new crew member who appeared early March and explain the significance of "Oh Really" which is now one of the frequently heard phrases in the marina. Of course, let us have your comments and messages of encouragement - and I know just what we will get back from Liz and Ju!