Ladies in Distress

August 11

Capo Caccia greets you as you approach Sardinia's west coast

To ensure a daylight arrival in Sardinia,  King set the alarm for 0600.  This is suppose to be retirement!   By 0700, we were tip toeing our way out of the anchorage in Mahan, Menorca while everyone else slept.  Thirty-two hours later, we sailed into Sardinia’s stunning Capo Caccia Marine Reserve.  A beautiful spot comprised of shear cliffs, spectacular caves, including Neptune's Grotto, and a bay that provides protection from most winds directions.

As crossings go, it was an easy one.  Not enough wind to sail, but forever hopeful, we kept the main up all the way to catch any tiny puff that might float by.  The 3 hour watch shifts meant everyone got a solid 6 hours of sleep before being rudely drug out of bed for your turn looking for ships, big and small, that might want to inhabit the same piece of water at the same time.  The guys were especially kind to the cook, taking the midnight to six watches.  It was probably because I whined when King suggested the midnight to 3 a.m. shift. The boys rightly worry when the cook gets cranky.  Upon arrival, Prosecco was put on ice so we could do a proper celebration of our return to Italy.

King will miss his buddy Bill

Bill immediately began his search on how he would escape the boat and return to the joys of air conditioning.  WIFI was sketchy which didn’t make the job a breeze but, while it was like watching grass grow, we were able to eke out the needed info.   When all options were laid out, the airport in Alghero, 15 minutes away from our current location, was the best to get him to Barcelona to catch a Delta flight home.  That accomplished, it was time to explore for the few days he had left.

King read up on the entries in the Cruising Association “Captains Mate” for Alghero.  It gave a detailed explanation on how you could enter the port, wave off all of the marineros trying to lure you to their marina slips, weave the boat around some tricky mooring balls, down a narrow lane, squeeze between two power boats and if all went well, tie up to the city wall for FREE!  Yes, free is the key word here.  Its vacation time in France and Italy.  Marina slips for Ostinato are breath taking.  All went well, including the bit about the dicey mooring balls but just as I was ready to leap off for the tie up, two guys in Coast Guard attire came running from a nearby building, waving arms and saying “No, no, no”.  Well, maybe we got it wrong.  Maybe it’s the other corner.  I began my pantomime to this possibility.  Heads began shaking to the affirmative.  “Yes, other side,

Did someone say FREE mooring?

no here”.  Somehow, King backed us out, squeezing between the power boats and past the mooring balls, again.  I have no idea how because I had to close my eyes during certain sections.  The Coast Guardia guys, who stayed to watch, were clearly quite amazed.  I’m thinking nothing could be worse than that as we headed toward the opposite corner.  Of course, I was so wrong.  The corner was empty.  As we approached closer it became clear why.   Multiple rocks poked their heads just above the water line.  "No, we cannot go there", I firmly called back to King from the bow.  He was on a quest, so, of course, paid me no attention and somehow (eyes were closed again) we were tied to the dock.   King immediately jumped off the boat to check out another space.  Bill and I hid below.  Within minutes, a small power boat arrived and told us we couldn't be there.  a small crowd was forming.  I held my ground with the excuse that the Coast Guard sent us here.  That worked for about 10 minutes until the Coast Guardia from a second building arrived to tell us we could not stay.  This was a landing dock…..the stairs were a dead giveaway.  I negotiated with them for us to stay long enough to collect King and let us check into Sardinia, which we had yet to do.  In the mean time, people took pictures of the crazy American boat jammed between the rocks, steps and a power boat (Bella was less than thrilled with our presence).  It ended up that the entire city wall is indeed free, as long as you do not use the available mooring lines, electricity or water.  Unfortunately, our arrival was timed the night before the biggest summer holiday in Italy, all space was booked.  We would have to go.  How we would get out of there, we had no clue, we were a wedged in tight.  Finally, using Google Translate with anyone on the boat behind us that we could get to make eye contact, we convinced them that we would not take their slip while they were gone for a planned afternoon sail. The power boat finally slid out of its spot.  We slipped out with little fan fare behind him and headed to the beach to anchor.  An hour later we were on a bus back into Alghero.  Always alternatives……

August 19 - After great debate on whether to take a northern route or southern route to Oblia, where we would pick up our next guests, Franz and Martina, the anchored was pulled and Ostinato's bow was pointed South.  We were looking forward to exploring Cagliari and the east coast of Sardinia.  Thunderstorms had been in the area all day so waiting for them to clear resulted in a late start.  Unfortunately, it was theater we had seen before.  The skies clear around you, the storm passes, you move out and the storm circles back to give you a whack!  And she did.  Forty knot gusts and five foot seas made for a less than pleasant afternoon.  We made it through the worst of it but it looked that the storm might just join us for the trip down the coast.  King offered and I quickly agreed to turning around.  Five hours after we had pulled anchor, we were back where we had started......and happy to be there!  We would look at the weather tomorrow.

July 21 – The weather was stormy again.  A good day to stay put and take care of boat chores that had been piling up.  My most, dreaded, defrosting the freezer, was at

Bill, this is for you.

Tthe top of the list.  Bill, Mr Clean, had started a list of things he would attend to on his next visit.  Plenty of chores to keep one busy till nap time.  We also took another look at the weather in the South of Sardinia and decided it was looking a bit iffy for us to reach Olbia in time for guests.  Our reluctance in heading north was only that we had sailed the area last year.  The southern route would give us an opportunity to explore a few new places.   Time was slipping by.  No in either direction, we needed to be tucked in somewhere safe in four days.  We weren't the only thing heading toward Olbia,  a Mistrial was coming!  

Decision made, the safe option was clearly to go north.  We would just find new anchorages along a familiar route. This had additional positives.  Friends, Luda and Dave, on Bobcat were in northern Sardinia.  We might be able to arrive before they left for Corsica.  A quick text told them we were on our way!

After checking the 10:30 morning weather update on Windy, it was time to pull anchor.   What little wind there was came on the nose. It was a motor all the way.  We didn't even bother with putting up a sail.  As we arrived at the Fornelli passage, I recalled my trepidation the previous year when we transited the short cut between the NW of Sardina and Isola Asinara behind SY Rob Roy.  This year, no pacing!  I actually enjoyed the passage through the shallow reefed waters.  It was so lovely, we decided to spend the night just outside the Isola Asinara Marine Reserve behind Isla Piana.  The next two days we sailed across the north coast stopping overnight in Baia Reparata and then on to an anchorage just west of Palau.

Hello Bobcat!

After much texting, we managed to meet up with Luda and David on Bobcat, in Rafa di Mezzo Schifow near Palau and then later in Cannigione.  We first met Luda and Dave in Croatia when, after seeing their American flag, I asked if they were “real Americans” (versus those that have registered their boats in Delaware for tax purposes).   We later spent two winters together in Marina Di Ragusa.  The Mistrial enabled us to pack in a lot of catching up. The anchorage was nicely protected from the west so the 30 plus knot gusts throughout the three days impacted our ability to go in shore but were never a threat.  We even managed to get in a game of Joker.  The guys were crushed!

The text message you never want to get while at the supermarket...."Honey, pick up a rat trap."

Did he jump aboard the dinghy in Alghero or get blown out during the Mistrial?  Just get him off!!!!

August 26 – We learned tonight our daughter’s home caught on fire.  The first blaze destroyed three rooms.  The second, starting a few hours later, finished it off. All escaped unharmed but everything is gone.  This is one of those times that being so far away is way too hard.  Many thanks to so many who reached out to Kim and Brian (and us) to offer their support.

August 30 – We slowly moved south down Sardinia’s east coast to Olbia with stop overs in Cala di Volpe a favorite anchorage from last year, near Marina Di Portisco and then Gulfo Aranci where we spent a very rocky rolly night.  In Olbia, we would pick up Franz and Martina, friends from Switzerland who we met at the ABYC in Shell Point ten or so years ago while they did a sabbatical at Florida State University.   The four of us had been trying to schedule a cruise together since we first arrived in Europe over six years ago!  It came together not a minute too soon.

The town quay was available for tying up when we arrived.  We hadn’t been tied to a dock since we left Cartagena…..no I am not counting the 30 minutes in Alghero!  Two days gave us time to locate supermarkets, find gelato and magically turn storage rooms back into sleeping cabins.

Sept 2 – Franz and Martina arrived off the ferry loaded with their gear and shopping bags of fresh fruit and vegetables picked the night before at their farm.  Somewhere along the route from the ferry to Ostinato, the bag with life vests decided not to come along.  After unfruitful efforts to locate the following morning, we pulled out our extra life vests and headed north to begin our six day cruise of the Maddalena Islands.  Our first day turned out to be a bit breezy so we were thankful for the left over pizza from the night before for lunch.  While a bit bouncy, we were treated to our first of several sightings of the Rolex Maxi Races.  These big sleek sailing yachts were dressed in black until they popped their black and white spinnakers in 25 knot winds.  We decided to stop over in Cala di Volpe to let our Swiss passengers enjoy the refuge and its beautiful blue waters.

The only American yacht we saw racing in the Rolex Maxi Race.  They were flying under spinnaker in 25 ks!

Black sails seemed to be the thing in this years Maxi races

The Maddalena archipelago lies to the north of Sardinia and south of Corsica and makes up the La Maddalena National Park.  The Park consists of several tree barren islands with multiple anchorages to accommodate almost any wind direction.  During July and August

The Maddalena's are a great place to walk too!

the islands are jammed packed so we skipped them last year.  It was a treat to get to explore them in the off season. Most locations within the Park require a permit to pick up a bouy and while you may anchor in sand during the day, overnight anchoring is prohibited.  Our first stop was off a sandy beach on the east side of Isla Caprera in Cala Portese.  Franz and King lassoed a mooring ball and we swam, ate and caught up over the next few hours.  In the afternoon, King took a nap and the rest of us grabbed our books to settled in for some quiet time.  Just about then there was a bang.  I looked up to see the power boat at anchor ahead of us was now sitting on our starboard bow!  As I ran forward, the female crew on board the power boat began fending off while a man and two women watched from the back deck.  I yelled at them to start their engines.  They simply stared back in response.  I yelled a second time and a male crew finally came out to check out all the commotion.  “This is why they have mooring balls” “what’s wrong with you people?” I shouted.  The group on the back deck continued to star….surely they thought the Americano has lost her mind.  Engines were finally started and they sped away.  No sorry, no "did we do damage", no "a bottle of wine for your trouble".  Everyone kept a healthy distance after that. Lucky for us, there was no damage.

We told them they couldn't keep the boys

Just before sundown, anchorages typically clear out leaving those spending the night room to breathe.  A 45 ft sailboat behind us finally decided it was time they headed back to the docks.  The five woman aboard moved to the bow to begin bringing up the anchor.  Their token man, was on the helm.  The group struggled as the cockpits of the yachts around them filled with sailors with full glasses of wine prepared for the show.  It was someone else’s turn. The women pulled and pushed on the chain, consulted with each other and then pulled and pushed again.   It wasn’t budging.  Anchor chain duties, apparently, were not in the guys job description.  He stayed on the helm.  King and Franz couldn’t bear to watch any longer and hopped in the dinghy.  To the rescue!  They chatted, climbed aboard and five minutes later the anchor was up.  The ladies were delighted.  Martina and I yelled over that they had to give the boys back.  They were returned with a beer each as their reward.

To the rescue!  Look at those smiles!

The following days we spent time in Cala Spalmatore, Porto Palma, watched the start of another day of the Maxi Races and anchored in the Gulfo di Marinella before returning to Olbia to deliver Franz and Martina back to the ferry.  The time went way too fast......Did I mention that Martina and I beat Franz and King at Joker?!!!

Start of the "little" yacht races

Hello to ABYC from Sardinia!

Time to catch the ferry back to mainland Italy

Elbe is calling us.  Time to begin thinking about moving north.

Last night in Sardinia was calm and quiet 

Balearics with friends

July 19

I have noticed a definite trend here.  Each year we have begun the summer sailing season later and later.  This season was to be no different.  It’s not because we don’t want to go sailing but marinas have been upping the incentives to stay a little longer.  In London you were expected to leave at your six month date.  That typically arrived around mid April.  Sicily gave an extra month if you reserved your winter berth early.  Cartagena simply let you stay at your winter rate as long as you wanted.  Why leave when the weather isn’t perfect?  But finally, the pull to explore just overwhelms and while the weather wasn’t going to allow us to leisurely cruise up the coast and then day sail over to the Balearics as we had hoped, we found a small window that would get us there without banging into the winds if we did it in two days.  We departed Cartagena at 5:30 a.m., before the sun, or anyone else for that matter, was stirring about.   Fourteen hours later, we laid the hook down in Puerto de Calpe just off the Penon de Ifach, a stunning rock peak jutting into the sea.  Puerto de Calpe, located at the north eastern end of the Coasta Blanca would put us just west of our next day destination, Formentera, the Balearics southern most island of the four island chain. On arrival, the anchorage was a bit sloppy but just as the sun slipped into the sea the winds calmed and the waves melted to an inky glass slick. Sleep did not take long to arrive.

We anchored our first night out just behind Penon de Ifach,

The forecast partly cooperated the next morning allowing us to motor sail the 65 or so miles to Formentera,  The Balearics is a highly popular group of islands off the east coast of Spain.  Each island is spectacular in its own right with water that invites you to take a dive off the boat into the bluest of blue waters and mountain cliffs that take your breath away.   The down side, we are arriving  at the height of tourist season.  It was a long twelve hour day between Puerto de Calpe and Formentera but felt grand to finally be on our way again.  We claimed a spot just off the beach for the night and quickly realized that we had landed on the ferry runway to the harbor.  Ferries run constantly till 2000 hrs and pick up early again early morning.  A move to lessen the wave action made little impact and put us in a downwind path of the ferry fumes.   I revolted at the idea I would be sea sick at anchor so off to Ibiza we went.  

Puerto El Espalmeador marine reserve.  Buoys only

Ibiza, known as the party island, did not disappoint.  The music from the disco ashore in Cala Yondal was almost as loud as that coming from the mega yacht anchored next to us.  Everyone had a much later bed time than us.  We moved around to the next bay, Cala De Port Roig, early the following morning and found it a bit crowded but sweet relief from the constant base thumping.   Our last day in the area was spent back in Formentera.  King made reservations for a mooring buoy at the marine reserve, Puerto El Espalmeador.  No anchoring allowed to protect the fragile Poseidon seagrass in the area.  The white sand beach curved from one side of the bay to the other.  A stunning spot, not to mention more bare breasts than King has seen in a long time.

Sailing in the buff seemed to be popular

Did I mention our on again/off again 3^rd crew member and neighbor was joining us in Mallorca?  It was time for Ostinato to move northeast.  Mallorca is the largest island of the Balearics and Palma, its capitol, is crowded and lively this time of year.  It also is where Vince and Barbie, SV Horizons have been exploring and is where we hope to catch up with them for a few days.  ((For Shell Point friends, Vince and Barbie are new lot owners at SP.) Winds between Formentera/Ibieza and Mollorca were light but enough to keep us moving.   Another long 12 hour day but what a surprise when we entered the anchorage in Santa Ponsa and saw not only Horizon sitting there but also June and Gary on SV Friendship, our neighbors from Cartagena.  What fun to catch up! 

Catamaran Friendship and Horizon

Bill arrives in Palma!

Catching up with Gary/June and Vince/Barbie in  Santa Ponsa

July 26 – We caught the bus to the airport and picked up Bill.  Thankfully, the winds were calm enough for us to get him and his suitcases aboard without mishap.  We did our best to explore Palma, including a hop on hop off bus.  The heat was so bad that it was like being baked alive on the top deck.  Thankfully, the rides between sites were brief.  On the return bus home to Santa Ponsa, I left my sun hat and SPF shirt aboard.  The bus had long gone by the time I realized it was missing in action so we waited for the bus to do a round trip but after checking several, gave up.  King on the other hand got the phone number for lost and found and the quest was on.  It took 4 phone calls, 2 buses and a subway (who knew they had subways in Mallorca!) and 14 killometers of walking.  He returned with both hat and shirt.  My hero!

(Editors note: She owes me a lot!)

In Santa Ponsa during the eclipse.  King got the best photos but this wasn't too bad. 

Found a sail painted by Joan Miro 
in a tiny gallery in Soller

We said goodbyes in Santa Ponsa and moved Ostinato north up the east coast.  Each anchorage more beautiful than the last, Peninsula de la Foradada, Puerto de Soller, the outrageous spectacular Cala de la Calobia and Calla Murta where we were entertained throughout the day by one boat that reset his anchor well over 10 times while baby goats on shore sang background music.  We swam each day in blue swimming pool waters, cooked dinner on the grill and enjoyed a glass of wine as the sunset.  Every anchorage was jam packed during the day but around 6 p.m. each night boats would begin pulling up their anchors to return to their marinas, leaving us to delight in mother nature at her best in quite solitude.

Nothing beats the view of the sun setting on the water.....especially in Manorca

Peninsula de la Foradada

Cruising along the east coast

Cala De La Calobra, our favorite anchorage in Menoca

View from the beach

The Norwegian Royal family anchored next to us. 

The baby goats sang to us all day

The food didn't matter.  Just had to have air conditioning!

August 4 – Ostinato’s anchor was up at 0630 for the short jump to Fornells on the north coast of Menorca, the most eastern of the island chain.  The anchor was down by 1600,  the dinghy released from her davits minutes later and we were off to “town” to explore.  Within 15 minutes we had located the supermarket and several gelato shops.  Yep, all we need!  Or so we thought.  The heat wave entered Fornells sometime that night under the cloak of darkness.  I moved to sleep in the cockpit to search for a cool breeze sometime around 3 a.m.  By 9 a.m., it was already clearly going to be a scorcher.   The water was getting so warm a swim was like soaking in a warm tub.  At 104 degrees on the temp gauge, we decided to go ashore to find somewhere cool for lunch!  AHHHHA air conditioning.  The wonderful thing about European restaurants is they don’t rush you along so we stayed cool all afternoon!

August 8 - We hung out in Fornells for 3 full days.  Long enough to get several coffee gelatos, eat Mallorquinas, the local pastry delicacy (thank you granddaughter, Julia), and watch the coming and goings of the mega yachts that anchored nearby.  We could see our time in the Balearics quickly coming to an end and it was with reluctance that we moved three hours to the east to Mahon which would be our last port of call.  Mahon is an ancient port according to the Pilot, founded in 206 BC!  I’m sure there was plenty of anchoring available during that time but we anchored in Cala Teulera which appears to be the only free anchorage left in the area.  As anchorages go, it was fine.  A 2 mile dinghy ride into town but doable as long as the winds were down.  You can only stay 3 days at anchor here then you must move on or find a marina for a day before you can return.  During the day we roamed about town. Zapatos (shoes) was one of my first new Spanish words when we arrived in Spain last fall so what could be more appropriate than to buy shoes on my exit. I found a small shop that made Mallorcan sandals and ordered myself  2 pairs….to be picked up the following day.  

Plenty of room on our first day in the anchorage in Mahon

We returned to the sandal shop the next afternoon but they were not ready and I was asked to return tomorrow.  I was given a sandal shaped key ring by the owner for my trouble.  By the time we got back to Ostinato, the anchorage had filled.  King counted over 45 boats in an area that shouldn't have more than 25.  One sat only 20 feet away from our bow and no one was on board.  Much too close.  Yikes.

King was worried and set his alarm for 3 a.m. to get up and take a look around.  That quickly resulted to an all hands on deck. As if on cue, the winds began to howl and mini torpedo drops of rain plummeted our heads as Bill and I rushed about the decks deploying fenders.

As the little boat next to us swung within a foot of Ostinato King started yelling at the boat …”get up, get up, get up!”.  They struggled out a deep sleep and promptly pull up our anchor chain with theirs.  Chaos broke out as winds reached 35 knots and we had no choice to but to motor into it.  Two sailboats behind us became entangled at their bow and were running up our backside screaming for us to get out of their way.  Our anchor chain was finally released from our neighbors anchor but there was no possibility that our anchor would hold until we had to time to reset it.   King expertly handled Ostinato as boats were moving throughout the anchorage but you had no idea who was dragging, who was trying to stay in place, and who was pulling anchor with hopes of escape.

Winds peaked at 60 knots. King tried to put me on the wheel so he and Bill could get the anchor up but I couldn’t keep her steady in the gusts.  He aborted that plan and just worked to keep Ostinato as far away from the other boats as possible with Bill on starboard and me on port giving updates on the status of our tangled neighbors behind us along with anyone else that looked like a potential threat.  Finally, Bill went forward and did an expert job of getting our anchor up.

In what seemed like days but was likely only 60 minutes, it was all over.  The anchorage was lit up like Christmas with several sailboats still entangled, many pulling up their chain to reset their anchor and, a few who had held tight and simply took in the sight with wonder.  How we were not hit is simply amazing and a tribute to King’s ability to handle the boat.  We had a cup of tea and then fell into bed.  The next morning, in a half empty anchorage that included the 2 little boats still attached at the bow, it was another beautiful morning in a serene cove.

This is the closest I got to getting my zapattos

After the night's excitement I was less than excited about the long dinghy ride to pick up the shoes but King knew I had looked forward to getting them so off we went.  Were they ready?  Yes.  Were they what I ordered?  No!  I give. No going away with Zapatos.

Sardinia is calling.......

Captured in Catagena

June 2018

It's mid June and Ostinato is still crocheted to the dock.  Enough stragglers are left in the marina to make up a Sunday barbecue or give a bit of assistance when needed but its beginning to get a bit of a ghost town feel.  Its time to move on.  We arrived back in Cartagena in late April but is was a bit cool for us and friends reported the winds were howling in the Balearics so why do that to ourselves....instead, we decided to squeeze in a bit more land travel.  While the original plan had been to sail to Gibraltar it looked like it could be a real slog returning west.  Driving would be faster, and most importantly, allow us to add on Lisbon .

Lisbon.  bring your walking shoes!

Church of Sao Domingos
Also known as the Necked Church with its
 burnt walls and pillars left from a 1954 fire

Belem Tower at the mouth of the Atlantic

The Rock

and the monkeys

They apparently were smarter than us and took a taxi up to the top

30,000 year old Cave paintings and festivals in Rhonda

The summer's sailing plan was then updated to include a quick hop south to Saida, Morocco to get Ostinato out of the EU to update the Value Added Tax (VAT) exemption. King began working his boat list in earnest and I began stocking our cabinets and freezer, pulling out summer cloths and stowing away the winter.  It became clear pretty quickly that I had enjoyed myself way too much while home and while winter clothes hide a multitude of sin, shorts and t-shirts provide a canvas that makes you wince each time you pass by a mirror.  Thankfully, not many of those on Ostinato. A quick eating intervention would be required.  My only regret is that I didn't decide this before I had stocked the boat with goodies.

June 23
Another birthday has come and gone.  With my diet, King was excused from making my annual pineapple upside down cake. That meant he had to really step up for dinner......and he did.  Oyster tapas!  Zero Weight Watchers points.  Of course, the cava wasn't 0 but I had been good all day so had a few points to spare. 

The first of several plates.
These were as good as Apalachicola Oysters!

After our stop in Morocco we plan to head east to the Balearic Islands that sit just off the east coast of Spain.  And this is why we remain in Cartagena on June 25.  The prevailing winds during the summer months are typically from the west but have blown from the NE since June 1.  I have done my best not to let this make me crazy but it has been touch and go a few times.  Why are NE winds a problem you might ask?  Well, it makes a trip to Saida a sleigh ride but depending on wind strength the return could be a pounding nightmare.  So we have decided if we had to wait somewhere, Cartegena was our port of choice.  Finally, 24 days later, the opening we have longed for appeared and although King was in the middle of changing out the pressure plate on the engine, we set a date for today.  A breeze from the east would blow us there and two days later a west wind would blow us back.  Perfect!  But as these things go, just as King had put the engine completely back together and it purred like a kitten he made a fatal mistake.....he said.....and I quote "I can't believe we don't have any oil leaks" seconds later a hose popped off the transmission and dumped its contents indiscriminately about the engine compartment.  We won't be going tomorrow.

June 26
We departed Cartagena at 1100.  No wrapping of the prop, no high winds on the nose, no loss of anything overboard.  Well done!  Winds were light all the way and actual sailing was limited.  We arrived in Saida the following afternoon at 1500.  The 800 berth marina was built in 2007.  Only about 50 slips were occupied.  Obviously, they were expecting more of a crowd.  As a result, Ostinato was allowed to side tie.  Minutes after our arrival, four smartly uniformed men arrived to check passports, boat papers and every cabinet and suitcase on the boat.  Offers for food or drink were politely refused and there was no request for money or cigarettes.  By 1530 we were plugging in the air conditioner and ready for a big nap.  Sadly, it appears the marina has not done well, nor the residential and commercial development surrounding it.  The one place that seems to be doing an outstanding business is the ice cream shop!  We, of course, made it an after dinner destination.

Northern coast of Africa leaving Saida Morocco

Saida Marina

The following morning, light winds were forecast for the return trip but they were from the right direction so it was a go.  We hoped for an early departure but officials needed to do another walk through and their day apparently doesn't start until 1000.  Thankfully, the exit stroll is much quicker and once done you are expected to leave....immediately. They actually wait on the dock outside your boat and watch you go,

It was another beautiful sunny day in the Med and after about an hour King started wistfully talking about Melilla, a Spanish enclave on the coast of Northern Africa to our west.    He was tired.  Maybe staying another day would be good.  Would the weather hold?  A course correction was done and we were off to Melilla.  Each hour the wind swung just a bit more to the west.  By 1700 they were blowing 20 k just off our nose.  Both of us were silently questioning this decision.  By 1830, we had finally tied up at the marina and made the decision we would explore tomorrow.  Tonight we both needed to sleep.  The multiple Discos that surrounded the marina had other ideas.  Music started about midnight and really cranked up around 0200.  I believe they ended around 0600.  In our lack of sleep induced fog we stumbled about the town and quickly decided we would head back across the Med in the morning.  As we dropped our mooring lines at 0445 the next morning, the discos were still rocking.

July 1
Back in Cartagena at 0930.   Ostinato is now exempt from VAT for another 18 months.

Our hope was to rest up and then begin a leisurely sail NW until we were close enough to do a day sail over to the Spanish island of Ibiza. The evening and morning ritual of checking the weather to go east began immediately.  We wanted 4 days of westerlies.  The most we could get was 2.  Soooo what are you going to do?  Go to Ireland!  We will certainly miss Europe's cheap airlines.  Apparently, our high pressure system we have been waiting for has been hanging out in Ireland.  Skies were clear and temps in the 80s all week.  Spent a few days seeing sights in Northern Ireland like the Giants Causeway and Rathlin Island to see the Puffin rookery there.   The best part was spending time with Jerry and Brid at their beautiful home in Cork and exploring the Irish countryside.  We first met Jerry in Baltimore when we crossed over to Ireland in 2012.

Giants Causeway in Northern Ireland

Puffins waiting for their babies

July 18
It's finally time to leave.  We did not get our four day window. Two and a half will have to do.  We are both so ready.  The boat is ready, fuel and water tanks have been topped up, laundry finished and the fridge is full.  One last stroll up the main street tonight to say a proper goodbye.

Heading to Cartegena

August 28, 2017

A little walking, a little climbing

Maybe we should be down there in the boat!

King decided he wanted to go to the Pyrenees Mountains.  King is not a walker so hiking was beyond my imagination. I'm envisioning a drive-by and having a very difficult time getting excited.  His argument of "We will never be so close" was not swaying me. A 3 hrs drive there and another 3 hrs back.......I don't think so.  "What do you want to do in the Pyrenees?" bought a response of "anything you want dear".    After much research, I gave him the option of visiting a roman era town and then taking a gondola up the mountain to have a picnic lunch or a hike through the Mont Rebei Gorge.  The man who hates to walk almost as much as I hate to drive, chose the gorge!  Trish and Dave from SY Rob Roy arrived in Port de Badalona Marina as we planned the trip and immediately signed on for the adventure.  We all dug out our hiking boots, filled backpacks with lots of snacks and headed to the train station where we would pick up our appropriate mountain hiking car.  After several hours wait and still a car did not appear, they gave us a Mercedes Benz.  Very nice but not exactly the rugged persona we were thinking of......oh well.  Off we went to the mountains. The plan was to get an early start the next morning before the days heat set in but an 0800 breakfast was the best we could negotiate at our hotel.  King and I arrived at 8 am sharp to find Trish and Dave already camped out in the breakfast room.....alone, without coffee.  We didn't realize that 0800 meant what time the cook would leave her house.....it was another 20 minutes until she waltzed across the doorstep.  She began a stream of dishes and breads to keep us quiet but only after a 2nd more forceful request did she understand that coffee was most critical.  We finally rolled away from the table 30 minutes later and fell into the car for the 45 minute drive from the hotel into the canyon.  The gorge reaches 500 meters or about 1640 feet vertically and is about 20 meters or 65 feet across.  The Noguera Ribagorcana river runs below.   I could provide a string of adjectives but they would not come close to the experience so I'll include a few more pics than usual.  I'll just say "Wowzer!!!"   And for the record, King hiked 80% of the trail....and back.  Note from the editor:  Not too bad except he pulled a muscle so the next time he be willing to hike is anyone's guess
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The crew from Rob Roy

Jaw dropping!

Entering the gorge

Time to replenish

The hike through the gorge is one of the highlights of our trip.  No hand holds was a bit scary!

Where there were handholds everyone grabs on

September 3

After Barcelona and the Gorge trip, we were both ready to change our focus to land travel.  It was time to head south to Cartagena where we would crochet Ostinato to the dock, pack our suitcases and head toward places that were more easily reached by planes or trains.  Trish and Dave from Rob Roy and Linda and ........ our Canadian marina neighbors were out on the docks early for goodbye hugs. All went well until I untied the forward lazy line on the starboard side.  It had somehow gotten itself wrapped around the mid cleat and as we move forward the line swept under the boat and firmly wrapped itself around the prop.  Nothing like a bit

A long, hot wait for the bus

of drama to start the day.   King rapidly threw on his swim suit and went for a swim, untangling us quickly but also learning the prop was full of barnacles, so it was probably a good thing....right?  We waved good-bye once again an hour later and this time, without further embarrassment, we were off.  A short 40 mile run down the coast to the small beach town Roda de Bara.  The marina is surrounded by upscale holiday homes, slips were inexpensive, clean and the marina was half empty.  We quickly learned the downside, public transportation was not as friendly as we have become accustom.  The bus was a 30 minute walk and ran only once an hour, and then only part of the day.  If you missed it, it was a looooong wait.  The train was best reached by a 10 euro taxi ride.  You could take the train to Barcelona or south to Alicante. 

Knights Templars castle on the coast in Puerto de Peniscola

From Port Bara we sailed for 12 hours to an anchorage near Ebro Delta South.  As we entered the protected water, we were elated to see a number of sailboats at anchor.  It had been a long while since we had not been tied up in a marina over night.  Our happiness faded as the sun began to set and boats began to haul up their anchors and head for shore.  Ostinato spent the night with only one other boat at anchor.  You always wonder....do they know something we don't?  A few hours later, the wind changed from the south to the north and what had been a calm, peaceful evening turned into anchor hell.  King set the anchor alarm before we slipped into bed.   Next stop, Valencia, home of the Holy Grail.....maybe?  On the way there, we did a drive-by of Puerto de Peniscola which boasts an impressive Knights Templars castle located right on the coastline and again makes me realize we have few cities with original names.  We didn't stop but got a few shots of the castle.

The Holy Grail in Valencia.....who knew?

Valencia is the 3rd largest city in Spain and it has a marina to match.  The 2007 America's Cup was held there.   We followed the marinara to our appointed slip and prepared to med moor.  By this time of year, we are pretty relaxed about this tie up from hell but this was to be different.  Port side set like a breeze, starboard line was handed over but quickly ended at about 5 feet.  Someone had cut the line.  A new slip would be in order.  Needless to say, the second docking was less to be proud of. Plenty to keep us entertained about Valencia. Cathedral's, reputed to house the Holy Grail, World Heritage buildings, art galleries, and covered markets.  It was a good place to wait to learn the out come of hurricane Irma.  Irma had already hit Trish and Dave's home in St. John's and was now reportedly heading toward ours in North Florida.  Have I mentioned we have the best house sitters in the world!  While not everyone in Florida was so fortunate, it was thankfully a miss for us.

The next few days were spent day hopping down the coast.  The eastern coast of Spain does not boast many anchorages to entice you to stay.  While not in a hurry, we were both ready for a new type of travel. We departed Santa Palo at 8:15 a.m. and after a 7 hour motor sail,

Cartagena's port is city front and a great place for walking

......and riding bikes

Every year the Cathaginians fight the Romans.  The Romans always win!

The costumes are well done and what a party! 

Cartagena Jazz Festival happens every November

"The boys" taking a break to listen to Jazz

Plenty of ruins near by to explore

Ready for a rest and some land cruising!