Wednesday 25 May 2016

Babylon to Eden


It took ages to escape from La Linea, everyone wanted to talk. Without being rude we finally left at 10.30am. Although fuel was only 28p a litre in Gibralter, we decide we had enough and couldn't afford to fill the tank. We didn't even buy fresh food, sardines it was. We motored out into Gibralter bay, ships everywhere.  There was a huge cruise ship on our stern, the Costa Brava. As it passed us to port, I turned to port to catch the shelter of his wind shadow while Tristan hauled up the mainsail. It felt like playing chicken on the motorway.
I'd just hauled the main sheet in and turning back to starboard, when a dolphin leapt out of the water .....we didn't have time to watch his antics as there were two fast ferries heading towards us, one either side, and holding our course was priority.  Not to mention the twenty odd anchored tankers and container ships.



As soon as we passed the tankers at anchor,  we turned west towards Tarifa. It was a brilliant sail but we knew that it would get windier on the west side of the straits with an easterly wind. We had current and tide against us but wind with us. At times it gusted up 30 to 45 knots with the steady 25 knots of wind increasing. The seas were rough as it was wind over tide and Meriva was a challenge to steer, even though we had the second reef in the main and a partially furled gib. The monitor would not handle such conditions. We were doing 8 knots at times. We had a good system going. I helmed and Tristan did the sheets as we gybed six times on a short trip towards Tarifa. It was exhilarating but very tiring on the arms and shoulders. Tristan fuelled us,  passing olives, cheese, salami, nuts, cake, sweets and anything than we could scoff without an effort or moving from our positions.

We still had to pass around Cape Trafalger into Cadiz Bay when the wind hopefully would abate. That theory was squashed as the weather forecast was gale force winds in Cadiz Bay.

We didn't mind, we were really enjoying the blast, but as usual we wished we'd put in the third reef.  By sunset, the sea had calmed and wind died down. We were able to set the monitor for an early night watch.  Just as Tristan went down to sleep,  we had to reef the main. A blast of wind came out of nowhere. Safely snug, Tristan went back to sleep. 
 
The following morning we were attacked by millions of mosquitos. This was a first, 50 miles from shore and we had to put the mosquito nets on. 




 The hull was covered, they hid in Dodgers, spray hoods and under the helmsman a seat.   By this time we were both knackered so we tucked into the Belgian chocolates that Patrick gave me.  Tristan did his wild man impression with electric tennis racquet and tea towel. I shamelessly hid behind the mosquito net ' navigating'.  


We turned circles trying to rid Meriva's hull of mossies. The smell of cooked mossies was horrible, but the consequences of having them alive was worse. Although we were both bitten, it could have been worse and at least they didn't have chickungunya .......though any escapees may have now! 

After a few hours sailing we neared  the entrance to the Guardiana river, but the engine wouldn't start.  Tristan worked hard fault finding, and managed to get it going so we quickly motored up river, dropping anchor for the night off Isla canela, opposite Vila Real de San Antonio . We were both absolutely shattered and slept until the tide turned, then we fussed about the anchor setting. 

The following morning we upt anchor and motored past Ayemonte up the Guardiana river.
The worst bit was the uncertainty going under the suspension bridge.





Logically we knew we could get under the bridge but somehow I still held my breath and ducked, not that it helped.

The channel was buoyed so it was easy enough to go up river. We just had to keep our eye on the depth sounder. 










We passed Alcoutim and Sanlucar and dropped anchor after a couple of attempts in wind against tide. 


Birds and running water, peace and tranquility. It reminds me of when I was a child and sent to bed before it was dark. I'd lie in bed listening to the bird song. It's the same but with an inbuilt alarm clock for when the tide changes and we swing around on the anchor, often in a different direction to everyone else. 




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