Heading to Motril for maintenance.

After the Algeria excursion .I settled into Club de Regattas in Alicante. Great little marina, friendly club, two big hills to walk up and right price.

I’ve met two blokes one a Swede the other a Frenchman- very interesting guy who sometimes brought me a croissant to eat with morning coffees. The Swede drove his boat from Scandi through the canals at Hamburg to the Med near Marseilles.Quite a lot of diesel but still an achievement.

Christmas was pretty low key by choice did my usual attempt at boat roast turkey. Pretty successful I think.

I forgot I had a small chunk in the fridge which I discovered on the way to Almeria. Decided against consumption despite my use by date nonchalance. 16 days is pushing my line in the sand for poultry!

New year I went for a meal with French guy , his Ukrainian wife . An Equadorian and his Ukrainian wife and daughter  in a very civilised steak restaurant in Alicante. Last year I was at sea !

Intention at Motril is to take the boat out of the water. Antifoul, change some very old seacocks and quite a few other things. The place comes highly recommended. They speaky ingles and I haven’t been there before so fingers crossed. It is about 200 miles south west of Alicante so with the winds wrong but low I’ve trundled along with no real events. Did see a sword fish jump three times close to the boat. Progress was painfully slow with out wind assistance but it was good to be heading somewhere . Marinas make me a bit soft and squidgy after a time ,not useful. After 17 hrs decided to make anchor at 3am  just past Cartagena, Cabo Tlnoso , just below the fort and guns at Mazarron a favourite of mine.

What a great spot. Not recommend by one boater on a web site I use, as two blokes were having it off on the deserted beach when he was there😵‍💫 no such entertainment for me. The catapult I bought the other day to fire hazel nuts at the drunk Fin in Torrevieja would have come in handy though! 

Pretty rolley during the night but needed the rest so stayed the next day then set off for Almeria. 50 miles from Motril. That’s another 80 sea miles along rocky coast . Had some wind for a while but far too much engine use. Swell was ok , bit of sea fog off Cabo de gato - cape cat!? Then across the bay to Almeria harbour . Not being familiar with the place it’s quite a complicated entry with lots of lights and manoeuvring at 6 am so dark and no point calling for assistance. No one there , plan was to tie up on the fuel pontoon, shouldn’t have to pay and no issues with driving into other berthed boats. Plan worked, so slept for about an hour before bloke turned up and I could fuel up😃.

I came to this place about 15 yrs ago with motorbike on the local circuit , don’t recognize anything must have been at other end of town.

Really like the place . Quite a few Arabs around as Algerian ferries leave from here . Went for a Moroccan kebab last night- why won’t I learn? - they are shit . Mayonnaise, pink cream chilli sauce, he tried to put cheese and sweet corn in it and the meat was ok don’t know what type. I told him I wanted it hot so he put the whole wrap under the grill as normal . ITS GOT carrot and lettuce in!! I got a fork and deconstructed it . Very despondent, I’m not getting another kebab until a Turk or Greek does it in London with greasy lamb and mixed salad with proper chilli sauce.I’m salivating here! I noted there are a lot of Kurds driving kebab shops in the uk . They might be Turkish Kurds but just say no , they don’t know how to make a proper English kebab.

Went up the fort atop the hill here today . I thought Alicante’s was great but this I think is better.

                 

 Water channels and palm trees . Free!How they finance these renovations is beyond me, though the sign does mention EU so at least my tax £ is no longer paying for it . Wow a Brexit benefit! If you look at the sign which mentions about 4.5 million it also says and 49 cents .

 What did that pay for 😂😂 such responsible accounting , the workmanship looks great and within a reasonable time. 

Let’s not refer to Victory minus its masts or the M25 or the Thames wobbly bridge!

That’s more or less up to date . Hopefully leave for Motril on Monday. 

One last thing el cable Inglés. 

A steel structure designed by an Englishman , in the Eiffel style for a Scotch mining company .To unload ore from trains straight into boats holds, now a promenade ,amazing .Ceased  working in 73 .Preserved for posterity and renovated, again at what expense but why not? When I asked about it some one said it was made by Eiffel but Google appears to think not.

View from the cable Inglés , that’s the Kat second from right in the right corner.

Algeria ,we’ll sort of.

Think the one on the right is a shop lifter.  

Well Algeria has turned out to be a pain in the arse , so won’t be spending Christmas here! 

Had a pretty good sail over. 57 hrs mooring to mooring. Usual story wind changed in later stages so tacked off shore rather than head into a strange new port with out a visa at nighttime. Next day beautifully clear and calm sea so motored into Cherchil fishing port . 

Obviously no one answers the radio but was directed into a clear space along side in what was a congested working fishing harbour.

Then the fun starts. 6 booted blokes board  followed by two camo’d police and a plainclothes. Pieces of paper were duly filled in with the same information for each different group. Photos of boat licence and questions about my last 10 ports Mothers name and such like. Then it was a question of where I could stay because apparently the military said I couldn’t stay in this spot. Diesel was the next issue and at one point they were going to fill me up for free. That didn’t materialise and mean while police arranged a port up the coast . Then that was full so Sidi Fredj was suggested but I remember that I’d put a cross through that option. Why? Because the harbour mouth silts to 1 metre. Correctly,  the coastguard with good English noticed my book was two years out of date and said it was a proper marina with boats much bigger than Kat now. So after one and a half days at sea and 3 hrs of fannying about . I moved to the suggested , 30 miles away at 6.30 pm . After a tricky approach at night and going slow as my option is always to tight turn and get out if required; I grounded on the silt 1.3 meters deep. Went backwards eventually but got stuck going forward on the turn . Got out of that and was pondering while floating around the harbour, so decided to top up the tank from reserve canister. Half way through, another coast guard decided to check my documents. I was still fairly patient but highlighted the erroneous info their colleagues had given me. Again everything was in good humour and their suggestion was to head to Algiers port and contact the coast guard there. That was 4 miles away apparently , actually 15 and by this time it was about 3am.

Obviously no one answers radio there either. I’m drifting around the inner industrial harbour thinking the high wharfs will be no good to me then I see a cruiser pull in. Bear in mind it transpires that there is no real sailing - marina life style here this was incongruous, so I went where he was going . A Brit doing the Schengen tax dance! 5 more Jack boots invaded from various departments, by this time my patience was long gone.6.30 am they all left .

 No Wi-Fi phone signal , diesel had to be paid by bank transfer not the Dinahs I bought over and I needed an agent to arrange it. A few hours later talking to a bloke he made contact with an agent and fuel truck which I’m waiting for, all for €270 for 100ltrs !! Paid in euros and dinah because agent decided he could take cash. More than cost of 100 litres in Spain from an oil producing country- great , but I was had by the short and curly’s. .Interestingly the coast guard bloke asked a different question. Any flares or smoke canisters ? Are they in date? Answer yes and no, so with a great show of responsible concern he relieved me of 6 hand held flares leaving me with about 10 other pyrotechnics all out of date with the warning that he would mention the small misdemeanour in his report but the last Europeans were fined over € 300 for same offence.🤪Without visa I’m not allowed out of port area so mooching isn’t an option. Wind supposed to be good tomorrow for a while so I’m heading back to Spain . The wind shall dictate!

Forgot to mention , there’s a Ruski boat next to me looks like a tanker but as the crew are being taken on trips by the local military the agent suspects its military probably one of their spy vessels!

Still on my passage after an interesting day and night. 30 kts of wind in the right direction set me up for an exciting run home. Up to 8 kts ground speed , I was on for a record! Predictably the wind changed to a northerly earlier than forecast so only got 35 miles from that. The swell picked up,at highest 4m and lasted all night, the wind stayed at about 22-30 kts so we were crashing through the waves deck awash and unusually a minor flood in the cockpit from waves breaking abeam.

Aware that there was already some water in my bilges I noticed the pump light on - no pumping. A bit of running around and I theorised that where we had been heeling over, water was ingressing from some where it shouldn’t. Spare container, small pump fitted to battery drill ,engine hatch removal 30ltrs of bilge carried up gang way at night in rolling sea in two goes. I was knackered and not feeling great.

 When dockside in Algiers talking to some one I felt odd and think my sleep has been so intermittent that it’s taking its toll. To be honest there was chaos on the boat , I was staggering about then discoverd the head was flooded. Fortunately the lowest point is the shower bowl so that was easily  pumped out as designed . I’m theorising but think that the deck air vents were overwhelmed by the breaking waves, hopefully this is the reason but need to look in to that when berthed!

Apart from that I did stumble on deck and got a scare but no real damage .

Now mooching along at 4.5 kts in sunlight with the sea a lot calmer but still 80 to go. Knocked Ibiza on the head due wind change. Shame as I liked the marina there. Going back to Alicante which is nice.Hopefully I can upload two short videos of passage when I get Wi-Fi . It doesn’t really give the real picture. Certainly not of what came later.

It wasn’t a wasted trip I had a great sail , overcame a few hiccups and set foot on a foreign land having covered about 400 miles. It was was never a forgone conclusion I’d get in and I didn’t get impounded ,imprisoned or fined 🤪

 Happy Christmas readers.🎄🎅.

Weather a bit unsettled!

Not that it’s effecting me . I seem to have avoided heavy rains and floods. 

24 hrs to get from Ibiza to Alicante . Apart from initial swelI had a lovely sail when the wind was blowing. I was tucked up nicely in Alicante Real club Regattas when they came so very happy about that. They didn’t charge for water and electricity and were cheaper than big marina over the way as well as being quite classy. 

Nice little balcony bar and club room overlooking the boat. Tried out one man sculling which is definitely not as easy as it looks but they followed me into the harbour in their dingy and didn’t capsize once. Anyhow it’s all in the wrist  so pretty good in that department! 

Visited a sailing Spanish galleon- very impressive. 

Main market in town is amazing . Fish , meat and veggies. I purchased a micro mango and a couple of mango steins. Wish I’d taken a picture of the lemon with tentacles!! It's a type and looked like the bloke in Pirates of the Caribbean . 

Climbed/ walked to the fort at the top of the hill 4 times.Just for the excercise after the first visit. Quite possibly the best fort I’ve been to. Multiple levels, really well renovated amazing views and the smell of cat piss everywhere.

Visited Benidorm. Actually no where near as bad you’d expect. Though this tattoo head warranted a photo.😱leopard print with blue top!!

Lizzie came to visit for a few days. Opted to stay in a hotel which I found for her. After she booked it I decided to check it was ok and met this tourist leaving who was vacating because there were roaches in the shower. Honestly people are such pussy’s. I declared the findings to Liz and she moved into and had a lovely time in the Cockroach  Palace . Not a one in sight!

I tried a days motor bike off roading in the hills behind Alicante. Brilliant , great supervision and bikes, went with two guys one Brit one Spaniard no other customers 😀

Only fell off once , probably do that again !

Left Alicante and now on anchor  in Torrevieja . Hoere for a couple of weeks to save a few quids. Went swimming to night which was fresh but not that cold so that’s a bonus.

Not sure of immediate plans , but obviously this is not a problem.

Till next time💥

Still not much sailing going on!

Not a lot of hard sailing as mentioned, settling in to my life in Med on the water mode! After Valencia I headed back to Torredump. Felt like coming home and arrived in time for my police interview with solicitor to assist.

Headed down to Cartagena and met up with some fellow sea gypsies I’d met in Gibraltar. Had police meeting so technically I’m a legal Spanish resident. Expensive troublesome way of not having to count the days thanks to you baked beaners who voted out!

First BBQ on the boat which I retrieved from uk on my flying visit. Every good blog has a food shot!

Artic P . Amazing boat owned by Kerry Packers daughter , berthed in Cartagena. Bloody held me up for two hours on my departure for Ibiza.

Disposed of Ensign and hoisted the Union Jack. Illegal and not traditional but we are the only nation that doesn’t fly a national flag! I may not be very patriotic but it is the best flag design on the planet so in the absence of anything else, I can boast that.

My new post anchor trauma, snubbing line . Self spliced eyes, suspension block and preset length. A masterpiece of design and build by Perdix productions!

Next stop 30 hours later. Formentera again. I went direct rather than up the coast and spent two nights at anchor , swimming ashore and mooching about. The other side from where I was last year and there was still a boat on the rocks from the storm a couple of months back. Owner doesn’t want to pay the €18k recovery costs 😂

Short slow hop to Ibiza next. Went straight to a little bay close to where Rob lives. Clear sea , quiet and only a short swim or dingle ashore.

Nice spot facing East from Robs balcony. 

My bay.

First group day out I’ve made on boat with Robs friends Steve and Marina ( appropriate name if she were a girlfriend!)

This little fellah didn’t come but liked his story. Sitting on fountain side in Santa Eulalia.

Thought these were pretty good castings of

The Ibizan Hound (Spanish: podenco ibicenco

Another one of these familiaris.in town and a lovely hill top church.

Not much sailing going on…

But an interesting couple of weeks. Left Jane in Orpesa which was a gem of a marina and was going to go straight to Torrevieja . Unfortunately just out of the harbour I got my main halyard snagged around the upper mast steps . Tried to use another halyard attached to string to desnag it but they got caught as well! Cats cradle up the mast. Could have gone up the mast but in the rolling sea I opted to use the fore sail only and headed for Valencia again to tie up along side, safer. 

Jane couldn’t find accommodation anyway so she came back to the boat as her flight was from Valencia anyway then we split our seperate ways the next day. I continued to T but pulled into Denia anchorage after about 49 miles which served as a test for the windlass and let the head winds drop a bit. All good next day was a motor sail and anchored outside Torrevieja marina  for budget purposes. 

Sorted my plans for next little trip and checked in to marina a couple of days later. Oil and filter change. Fridge thermostat fitted .

Next activity was to get the plane to UK, meet Nige and wife pick up a car , catch ferry to Santander then drive to their new house in Murcia. Not before a trip to theatre to see Redlands which I thought was a bit shite but fun anyway. 

Ferry out of Portsmouth was rolly in 40 mph winds but fine . My third motorised crossing of Biscay was projected to be rough, disappointingly it was as before, calm .

The 4 little dogs in their kennel.

 I really wanted a rough crossing this time . No doubt Neptune is saving it for if I sail through! Main issue with this trip was Schengen issues as ever 🙄. I left Spain with 95 ( conservative) days on my clock so could have been nabbed at the airport. But my time in UK would not alleviate this so more relevantly I could have been nabbed on re-entry and sent back on the boat. My visa in second passport for Spain has not been fully ratified and leaving the country during process is not allowed but I’m so sick of all the admin fluff that I did the trip and not a squeak from immigration at re entry so a quick 8 hr drive got us to an air B & B 20 mins from the boat . Yesterday keys were exchanged on Nigel’s house and we’re up to date. 

Not sure what next trip will be . Suppose I’ll have to start thinking about where to go for Christmas. I’m thinking Tunisia.

Destination las Calinas.