Rehibernation 😎

So another month has passed!I left Alicante on the 7th and arrived in Aguadulce 34 hrs later. I had a great sail and made 154 miles in the first 24hrs , which I think is my record! Some big winds from aft abeam and a following sea , so very happy. Been to this marina before and really like it so no rush as weather is proving to be unstable again. Doesn’t bode well for this season!

I made a brief visit to the uk which is a bit extravagant but caught up with a few people I haven’t seen for about 6 years which was great. Couldn’t face going down to chichester what with trains and legions of pikeys roaming the dystopic town centre .

Anyhow who needs chichester when you have gangs of klansmen roaming the streets of Alicante! Seen this all before in Cartagena Easter week, but still quite bizarre . Obviously not really a racist outfit but pretty worrying if you’re a black guy turning up in the middle of it. Hours of drum banging and Spanish cornets!
 

This is a troglodyte home in Guadix. Very interesting . Been around since Roman times . Warrens of rooms dug out of rock with little extensions built on front. Apparently stays at 22° summer and winter.

Another fine cathedral at Guadix

Almeria the nearest city to the boat is famous for tomatoes, its motor circuit and being the place Sergio ‘spaghetti’ Leone made his famous Clint westerns. Went with my boat guest and dog , having outstayed their welcome. I left them in the jail house cell.

It was a pretty rundown attraction but the other areas used for filming are zoos and theme park- to be avoided.

Little chilli is like Ed’s was , not a water dog so swam her out to a reasonable distance then submerged , she quite enjoyed it I think.

 Met up with dodgy John and a couple of others , I met before.

 Yesterday I made scones for the first time on board. Not self-raising flour so had to buy whole milk and turn it to buttermilk to use my bicarbonate of soda. Cream was the next issue doesn’t behave or taste like ours when whipped but passes for use on scones.

That’s all for now.

At last!

Didn’t make it last year due to authorities and fines , but presently in Granada which is nearest place to Sierra Nevada and skiing!! Only here for two days but snow mountains and sun is great , Reactivated calf muscle tear so have to see how that is tomorrow but conditions great . Not extensive area but great trip for short visit and could be done multiple times in a season. Came with french guy from Alicante. We were going to the Pyrenees but distance and dubious forecast precluded that.

Otherwise nothing to report. This is the usual hibernation arousal routine. Previously on this trip I’ve been some where and had to get on not quite so now.

Hibernation over.

Well I’ve been dormant for almost 4 months. No great point to itemising my daily activities, but the new season is starting up and I need to make some plans. I think this may be the year I sell the boat which will be interesting!

So what has been going on?

A few friends came to visit. Jane and I did a road trip to the inner coastal area , this was Guadalest a med-evil hill town. Did the prerequisite Benidorm trip, yes that is coastal and has its own attraction to some.Will came over for 9 days so did some more visits to hill towns and food shops selling blood sausages!

 

Roman villa and bath complex near Alicante.

The Waterboys came to Alicante in November and played an out door gig about 200 metres from the boat. Actually paid to go and hear them. They were excellent and the culmination of a seasons concerts in the area.

Spent a few days at Nigel’s on a golf course in las Colinas for Christmas. Met his new dog and had an incident with the toxic catapillars requiring a visit to the vets with two hounds.

No blog can be complete with out a food shot. Went out for Christmas dinner in Alicante with  Nige and co but this is was my boat cooked edition. Turkey is abundant in Spain all year apparently.

More dog sitting for Ali at La Manga. Had to be here to renew the visa but got beaten back 10 miles from Cartagena so have ended up in a marina on the Mar de Menor.The price is right facilities are good and they’ve given me over two weeks free including tax, water and electricity!!! Don’t know why but no complaints.

                                 Chilli.

Went for a visit to Múrcia city. Lovely place . Got kicked out of Cathedral and casino as dogs not permitted. But the alleys and tapas bars were atmospheric. 

Fish sculpture in river Segura.

And a slightly dubious clothes shop in a backstreet.

Yesterdays top activity was a visit to Cabo de Palos (where the boat got damaged a couple of years back) . There was a carnival in which a friend of a friend’s daughter was taking part. Didn’t take too many photos for decencies sake but it’s a family affair with about 7 different dance troops. Very colourful!

I’ve been experimenting with facial hair styles  Don’t think this one works either.

Ensign Spanker!

Lots of anchoring

                          Ibiza old town .

So since arriving in Majorca I’ve been mooching between different anchorages , mostly with beach cafes and restaurants near by some average, some good. 

Have had to reposition a few times due to high winds or anchor in the weed which means it doesn’t hold so well. Also the posidonia which is its name is highly protected due to its benefits to the water so I always comply with that . 

Crossed over from Majorca to Ibiza in convoy with Dodgy which was a good 50 mile sail to Portinax and no diesel 😀

Fell out with dodgy John. The constant bombardment of bullshit got to me in the end. The catalyst being his declaration that ex police and paedophiles don’t get a hard time in prison. Strange subject agreed, but he didn’t seem to be able to go out ever!! with out bringing up prison where he was 35 years ago for 6 years. Equally controversial was his opinion on what we should do to make prisoners lives better- knob. So now I’m waiting for marina prices to drop so I can book in for a few months, don’t want to be caught on anchor again in crazy unstable weather!

Not much else happening. Rob F came over to Ibiza for a couple of days, good to meet up.

Until I get tied alongside not much to do on the boat and it looks like Alicante will be the destination.

Funny I stayed in these apartments in Calle llonga over 40 yrs ago! Amazing that they’re still there and a lot nicer than the picture looks.

TAF!

Busy times

Not much sailing going on.

Stayed in a few anchorages on way from Alcudia where I met Daryl and Shirley. They seemed a bit distant.🧐 

Some great spots on this island with massive rock cliffs and clear water.

 The last anchorage I pulled into was so rolley I decided not to stay but had noticed I was getting a very high charge from alternator so investigated that and when I left there was no charge so headed to Porto Andtrax.

That’s where I am now tied up on a buoy. Having arrived . I trawled the internet and went to marine electric shops. Alternator replacement not straight forward!! On top of this my visa renewal has raised some awkward issues. A piece of paper registering my abode in la manga requires the resident in person to accompany me to get a signature. She’s in UK with mother just in hospital! Second issue it can take a month to materialise or book an appointment.

Long story short. I paid for Ali to fly over hire a car meet me in la manga .Next day go to town hall . Appointment with my solicitor then she returned home day after as did I. What a great effort and much appreciated. My side of the sojourn .I had left the boat ‘safe’ on a buoy. I stayed in a mixed dorm hostel in Palma 😂 got ferry to Denia from Palma , hired a car, drove to Cartagena for solicitor appointment 3 hrs later, then when Ali arrived did as described . Journey back bearing in mind the ferry alone was 100€ each way !! was making this palaver an expensive break. Decided not to stay in hostel having arrived at 10.30pm got bus to Porto Andtrax . Next issue was .I left dingy with boat so no way to get out to it at 12pm . Waited till 2am by dingys to cadge a lift but no one came 🥹 walked round other side of bay to marina , spoke to blokes but no boat to take me out there! 3 am by now so moved on to park bench in marina. 5 am car beeped and some local had turned up and offered me a lift on his day boat. Saved and climbed into bed🙂

Alternator has arrived I fixed it and it works.

Last night big thunder storm and winds my dingy was upside down in the water this morning with the propeller in the air with the engine taking a swim under it!!

That’s where we are now . Can’t start it, not surprised but I’m hopeful.

Forgot . I spent a night on anchor in Porto Soller. Nice spot! German came on board to chat. Think he was concerned about his boat but did have some info on high winds later.

He was not wrong . Anchorage became a place of fear and carnage. My anchor held well! 55 ft wooden English boat with two old codgers on board didn’t they dragged three times and moved. A lot of swinging close to other boats. Another charter came in he dragged and I’ve never seen someone swinging about so much then knocked in to another boat. I stayed up till 2 keeping an eye on proceedings then got bored, but all good.

Quite a fraught night.

🤪🤪

BREAKING NEWS!

So. Eight months after the ‘non event’ I have heard from my solicitor!

The suggested fine of 5000 euros reduced by 40 %  for prompt payment and gracious admission.Plus 3000 euros for capped solicitors fees; results in 6000 euros total for my alleged maritime divagation. My guarantee deposit of 12000 euros should be returned immediately or after at least a month, or when the Spanish treasury return from their August holiday and wake up from their daily 4 hr siesta, if there’s not a saints day or fiesta imminent.This is a satisfactory result from a lose lose situation.

I’m not left feeling particularly grateful to the third world, tapas munching, non maritime law complient thieving pirates in the General Directorate of the Maritime Marine and hope they appreciate my small contribution to sustaining their bumbling, shambolic, bureaucratic excuse for a government organisation. I trust also the interest from my 12k will help towards the non payment of Spains NATO contributions or at least some new plump cushions to support their fat lazy arses while sleeping at their desks between siestas. I do not include Veronica my solicitor in this matter, in the previous description as she has been more than efficient!

Batten down the hatches.290 miles to go

Time to head back to Spain. Destination Majorca.

Some friends I made in Gibraltar are there and so is dodgy John somewhere . 

Easy departure from Bonifarce after prerequisite wait for assistance. Then straight into a mistral which was behind me so good speed right direction , blue skies and sea. Estimated three days but totally weather dependent. As is the way, wind dropped at some point but still did 105 miles in first 24 hrs. Really nice passage . Ran generator a couple of times to tickle the batteries and had the best starry nights for some time. Second night I had positioned east of  Mahon by about 140 miles, hoping for winds to come from  north or south rather than on the nose. Used engine to head direct Majorca. Got some snoozes in and worried about having to use engine the remaining distance ( range anxiety!)

About 5 am  I looked over the bimney and realised I was wasting wind . Engine off and away we go. 15, 18, 22, 26 29 kts last I looked . One furl in main and most of genni out I was cruising between 6.5 and 8.5 kts. Only problem being as wind increased so did the wave size. The wind had veered nicely to the north from somewhere over France and had all the gulf of lion to build monster rollers!

Proper sail. Scary in the dark . Only buried the nose once ; decks awash. Initially I was paralleling the swell and riding along but had at some point to traverse . At speed this is quite daunting and one thought was if this keeps up I’ve got more than ten hours of trauma time. It never does last that long but comes and goes. The waves stay after the wind drops then the wind starts again😁 I was helming a lot and the sails were set perfectly for speed direction and load. Not wanting to overload and break the auto helm, twice I had to pee on my feet down the drain holes at the back. Too rough to go over the side and too tricky down below. That was a first and made me laugh. 

Two other things . Saw a turtle . About the fourth time I’ve seen them and it’s always been rough weather on the surface. With Mahon in sight, about 20 yds ahead, a whale fluke sticking out of the water. Really amazing , couldn’t film it and was concerned about him rubbing his back on my boat but didn’t see it again . Shame. No photos . The ones I took on passage just look like a Sunday jaunt .

Arrived safe and sound about 290 miles, not as the crow flies! 3 days 4 nights . Pulled in to an anchorage on Majorca at 0100 , couldn’t be bothered to motor for another 3 hrs as I knew there would be other boats anchored in that bay as well.