Author: Mate

Saturday 27 June – Saturday 4 July

Having restocked the fridge and stowed the clean laundry, it was time to tackle the offshore domestic requirements of emptying holding tank and making fresh water.  Skipper installed a waste treatment system for our inboard toilet when the boat was new.  This works by creating a chemical reaction between an electric current and seawater, which sterilises matter to a state of ‘grey water’ harmless to the marine environment.  Nevertheless, we are still careful to discharge well out to sea.  Furthermore, we feel that water is better made away from land, where we hope there will be fewer pollutants.

Skipper installed Walt, our Spectra water maker, during our escale in Gibraltar, and it is totally earning its keep, increasing our cruising freedom enormously.  During our second Summer aboard, among the often remote islands of Northwest Scotland, finding and being able to access drinking water was a constant concern.  Now, combined with the large solar panel that sits atop our stern arch, (installed by Skipper during our 2018-19 Winter stopover in Plymouth), we are able to convert the long hours of sunshine here in the Western Mediterranean directly into water!  Walt has two motors, which can be run independently or in tandem, and pull around 10 Amps each.  The solar panel feeds the batteries efficiently enough to meet this 20A requirement, in addition to keeping the fridge cool enough to chill the beers.  Walt replenishes our water tanks at the rate of around 60 litres an hour, plenty for our approximate daily usage of 80 litres.  As we rarely stay in any one anchorage more than three days, this represents true cruising luxury.

On Saturday 27 June, we relocated to Port de Sant Miguel, a very pretty anchorage in a fairly narrow, steep-sided cala on the Northwest coast.  When we arrived the breeze was coming into the cala, so we anchored with our bow pointing out to sea.  However, by the time a 38-foot Spanish-flagged catamaran arrived, the wind had dropped and we had turned 180˚.  The cat tried to anchor very close to our stern, potentially right on our anchor, and when we explained where our anchor was lying, he shouted at us that we were in Ibiza now, and it’s not done here to lie other than with the anchor off the bow – evidently basic physics was not his subject.  Fenders were strategically positioned, and a calm night was enjoyed.

After a quiet day at anchor on Sunday, we took the tender ashore on Monday morning, slipped on our sturdy walking boots, and set off over the shoulder of the hill that divides Port de Sant Miguel from the neighbouring beach of Benírras.  As usual, it was hot and sunny, but with very little traffic it was possible to enjoy the constant background of the cicadas and breathe in the sweet pine fragrance.  There was a surprising number of wildflowers still dressing the verges and hedgerows, obviously well-adapted to the arid environment, and also a selection of cacti was noted.

On arrival at Benírras beach, hot, tired and thirsty, we were relieved to find the chiringuita (beach bar/restaurant) ‘Elements’ very much open for business.  Set with bleached wood furniture and cool funky background music, we were served an excellent organic home-made lunch with cool beer and a delightfully laid-back vibe.  It was decided this was a fitting way to celebrate the crew’s birthdays, Skipper’s missed completely in the first week of lockdown back in Valencia, and Mate’s coming later in the week.

Suitably refreshed and relaxed, we set off on the return walk, deciding to deviate onto a forest track that “looked like it went in the right direction”…When it had been obvious for some time that we were not heading where we wanted to, Skipper took a look at Google Maps and a very kind young man stopped his car to ask if we needed help.  We retraced our steps a short way before taking a track displaying a very faded and weathered Privado notice, and soon found our way down a steep, stony path back to the valley floor and the beach where our tender patiently awaited our return.

Relieved to slip out of our boots onto the hot sand, there was still time to enjoy a cooling freshly squeezed local orange juice/beer to celebrate our 15-kilometre hike.

On Tuesday the anchorage was very bouncy and we realised we were no longer securely anchored – perhaps yesterday’s comings and goings whilst we were on land had dislodged our anchor?  We lifted it to set off under a first reefed main and staysail in a Nor-easterly F4-5, along the coast to the NE corner below the unusual lighthouse at Punta de Moscarter.  It is the tallest in the Balearics at 52 metres, and is painted in a diagonal black stripe on white, reminiscent of a candy cane.  The wind gradually eased to ESE F4, and we added the genoa for the fun of it, before settling to anchor off Portinatx, a very sheltered and attractive cala with a beach and village ashore.

On Wednesday 1 July we enjoyed a (much shorter) clifftop walk to the faro, the lighthouse, before returning to Sant Antoni on Thursday, under gennaker in a light Northeasterly.  As usual, we made water on the way, and by late afternoon were settled in almost exactly the same spot as last weekend.  Friday was eaten up by a trip to shore for a food shop, and Saturday (Mate’s fourth birthday – aboard) we dragged Bertha up the hill to the launderette.  Sometimes it’s enough of a celebration just to be on top of the domestics, and the birthday had been celebrated on and off for the last several weeks, with some retail therapy, trips ashore and meals out – no cooking, and no clean-up!

Sunday 21 June – Friday 26 June 2020

We spent the next four days in Cala Bassa, relaxing, swimming, sunbathing and generally being very lazy in the glorious weather.  By Wednesday 24^th, however, an uncomfortable degree of swell was working its way into the bay, and we needed to attend to domestic necessities, so on Thursday we motored 16M up to the head of the inlet, where the resort town of Sant Antoni de Portmany is located.  In a normal season, this place is reputed to rival Ibiza town for all-night partying and booze-fuelled sunbathing, but in the current climate it’s reminiscent (for Mate, anyway) of Blackpool with sunshine.  Most of the shops, bars and restaurants are closed, and the sands all but deserted.

While saddened for the locals dependent on tourism for their livelihoods, this suited us very well, and we soon found the launderette, clean and well kept as always, with machines automatically filled with detergent and softener – a warning to the sensitive-skinned.  Opposite was the ‘Fruit Market’, a row of four conjoined sections of a prefabricated unit, offering a wide range of good quality local and imported produce at reasonable prices.  In season just now are juicy tomatoes, delicious oranges straight off the trees, aubergines, cucumbers and several varieties of melon, to name but a few.  Mate’s having gone completely veggie is no hardship here.

Having stocked up at the local Eroski supermarket on sundry provisions, including an expensive but very good local cheese, made from a mixture of goat and sheep milk and encased in crushed thyme (other varieties to try include fennel, oregano and basil coatings), we trundled a very full Bertha (shopping trolley) back to the tender and across the shallow bay, weaving our way through many moored and anchored boats.

We enjoyed trying out our new snorkel masks and flippers to explore the world under our keel, spotting several interesting varieties of fish and checking our anchor was well bedded into the sand. We’d managed to wiggle inside a number of shallow-draught catamarans, and were lying in only three metres of clear turquoise water.

Saturday 20 June 2020

After one of the worst nights ever on anchor, the alarm went off at 0430 and the crew was up and ready for sea almost instantly.  Once the engine was on and the anchor up, the first lightening of the sky was appearing in the East and we motored for eight hours solid, as the promised light Northerly never bothered to blow.  Mate gave in to the idea of her favoured anti-seasickness remedy, a French drug called Nautamine, and was soon able to prepare soft-boiled eggs and Marmite toast soldiers, eaten at the cockpit table!

On schedule around noon, the afternoon breeze stirred into a delicious Southerly, the mainsail and genoa relieved Trevver, and BobbyCool took over from Jeanny to steer us ever onwards.  Unusually, and a real treat for our first passage in three months, we were able to sail the course we wanted, and I maintained a steady five to six knots on a close reach, even when the wind built to the forecasted F5, and we dropped to staysail and then first reef in the main.  The skies remained blue, the clouds were swept away (unlike in Northern waters, where cloud = wind, here no cloud = more wind) and the sea was the most beautiful shade of azul – Spanish blue.  The crew took turns to nap on and off through the day, and we completed a heavenly passage of 81 Miles in time to drop the anchor onto clean sand in Cala Bassa, on the West side of Ibiza, before sunset.  The day was rounded off with a quick stir-fry supper in the cockpit and a blissfully peaceful night, fragranced with warm pine and under a velvet blanket of stars.

Friday 19 June 2020

Well, the crew has turned over my engine a couple of times in the last few months, and got me all excited…for nothing.  But TODAY, eventually, my water tanks were topped up, my fridge is groaning under the weight of all the fresh food they’ve crammed into it, and my mooring warps have finally been loosened – are we actually going somewhere again??

My fuel tanks have been topped up as well, apparently not as cheaply as could have been hoped for, considering the reported crash in oil prices caused by the CV-crisis, and we pottered out of the marina – all the way to the beach on the other side of the harbour wall, maybe two miles.  The plan was sound enough: to avoid paying for another night in the marina amidst the Friday night noise of the locals enjoying themselves, and to be ready for an early start the following morning.  Unfortunately, the beach faces East, the direction of the prevailing wind and swell, and when the wind eased overnight, I was forced to lie parallel to the swell, meaning I rolled through about 40˚ all night, shaking and rattling the contents of every locker, along with the nerves of my poor crew.

Saturday 8 – Tuesday 11 February

Having finally worked through all the last-minute jobs necessary before actually being able to leave port: return the key fob that gives access to the facilities and pontoon, and reclaim our deposit; dispose of rubbish, disconnect the power supply and stow the cable, fold away the bimini so we’ll be able to see the sails, ensure everything below decks is safely stored etc etc, we finally slipped the lines and slid gently away from our rather tight berth at 1100.  As always, it took us a further 30 minutes to remove and stow the mooring lines, and all the fenders that had done such a good job of keeping us from becoming too intimate with our nearest neighbours during the nearly three weeks of our time in Fuengirola marina.

The sea was calm and a light high haze didn’t totally prevent the sunshine from filtering through.  Being weekend, there were several other sails already out and about, welcome company this early in the season.  By noon we had hoisted the main sail, and added the gennaker to enjoy a comfortable broad reach, which would have been peaceful without the engine, except Skipper replaced its vibration with that of the watermaker – for the next several hours.

At 1415 we were joined briefly by two large dolphins cavorting in the bow wave; the rest of their pod remained at a safe distance, but seemed to be centred in one area, perhaps feeding.  As the wind increased, Mate felt it would be prudent to furl the gennaker and set the genoa – a good decision as the gusts soon reached 16+ knots, now with much thicker dark cloud blanketing the sky.  The wind created a little swell, and we were able to sail goose-winged, or as our German friends in Gibraltar called it, butterfly-winged, which is so much prettier, for the remainder of the 33 Miles to our chosen anchorage off the beach and just outside the marina in Puerto de Caleta de Velez, just East of Málaga.

The sky was clearing during the last hour, and we enjoyed a stunning sunset, with the full moon rising in the opposite quadrant, but sadly, having well and truly blown our mooring budget already this month, our parsimony meant a very bouncy, rolly, uncomfortable night, as the swell was slow to dissipate, even without any more wind.

On Sunday we pulled ourselves together as the day came bright and sunny, lifted the anchor and set the sails.  However, with almost no wind we motor-sailed out to clear the fish farm and try to find better airs further from the shore.  We were joined briefly by three dolphins, and by noon had given up on the genoa and were making water while the engine was running anyway.  At lunchtime the log notes “the wind didn’t read its forecast” as it persisted very light and variable, but to make up for it, the scenery was stunning: light clouds along the ridge of the mountains behind the coastal fringe, which is less built up on this particular stretch.

Eventually at 1430 the wind filled in enough to reset the genoa, F3 from ESE, and we were able to complete the day’s passage of 21.5M under sail.  The only boat in the village, we dropped anchor in seven metres of clear water, and were soon settled comfortably in the Ensenada de la Herradura, sitting in the afternoon sun in the cockpit.

This is a lovely bay, with options to shelter from most wind directions, and a town that looks almost interesting enough to prepare the tender and go ashore, but we didn’t quite muster enough enthusiasm for this much activity, and didn’t even get going until after lunch on Monday.  We knew there wouldn’t be any wind to sail, so we settled down to an easy motor on a flat sea, racing along at seven knots at times!  Of course, in the last ten minutes before we stopped, the wind rose to a respectable 12 knots – the day’s excuse for afternoon thermal breezes, which are surprisingly frequent, even at this time of year.  However, we understand that the weather is exceptionally mild and calm for the Winter, and has been since the Autumn – evidence of global warming?

We looked at a couple of options for anchoring, according to the pilot book, but the first is now laid with moorings and too deep by the time the boat is the requisite 200 metres from the shore.  Just around the rocky corner of Punta del Cerrón, we found a small cove, attractive except for the ubiquitous graffiti on the wall behind the beach, to enjoy a beautiful sunset and moonrise, and a calm night.

On Tuesday, our last day of this leg, we set off at a more respectable 0930, noticing some curious bright orange growth on the rocky wall fringing the bay, just below the high water line.  Finding a pleasant WSW breeze F3-4 outside the shelter of the cove, we set the gennaker, but the wind was creating a slight swell that met our hull on the starboard stern quarter, making us roll uncomfortably, so we replaced the gennaker with the genoa, and settled down to a steady 5 knots’ progress.  Once again, the weather was lovely, sunny with good visibility, a light haze at sea level and light high cloud over the snow-capped ridges of the Sierra Nevada, now visible as a spectacular length of mountain range.

After lunch, Mate decided to changed the angle of roll by gybing into the bay created by the ‘junction’ of the Costa del Sol with the Costa Blanca: suddenly, the rolling foothills encased in plastic, that enables the production of much of Northern Europe’s demand for salad during the Winter, give way to low cliffs of pale rock face, a little like the SE coast of England.  The wind eased back to a F4 SW, and we were able to fly the gennaker almost into the port of Almerimar, dodging wind- and kite-surfers near the shore line.  Today’s passage of 31M brought us back to land, another Med mooring neatly tucked into by Skipper with a marinero to take our stern lines ashore.

Tuesday 4 February

We hired a car and set out in thick fog to head inland again.  Local sea fog, known as taró, is a type of sea advection fog and has been recorded since Phoenician times.  It is not uncommon at this time of year, when a warmer South-easterly wind evaporates the much colder surface of the sea to create high humidity.  The local English language newspaper reported flights diverted from Málaga airport, a fact we found ironic as we had been told that it is not uncommon for flights to Gibraltar to be redirected to Málaga, when the Rock is shrouded in its own private weather system.

Anyway, we took on the challenge of driving a left-hand drive car, on the right-hand side of the road, with unfamiliar road signs, and the unknown quantity of local driving habits, through thick fog.  Where we came out of the murk onto higher ground, we had the eerie experience reminiscent of looking out of an aeroplane at 30,000 feet, a view down onto a cotton wool blanket.  How unfair did it seem, then, to be caught speeding by a traffic camera – probably as Mate was driving the only vehicle slow enough to be photographed…

Eventually the road climbed high towards the snow-dusted peaks of the Sierra Nevada, and far enough inland, for the taró to be replaced by a dirty grey smog as we left behind the pretty trees of almond blossom and approached the city of Granada, home of the world-famous Alhambra Palace.  On Mate’s ‘must see’ list of all time, this greatest surviving monument to Islamic architecture and art did not disappoint, in spite of a few ill-mannered tourists and the gardens in their Winter baldness.  We were glad to have taken a packed lunch, which we ate in the car before entering the site to avoid carrying it; there is no café anywhere within the walls: refreshments are available only from vending machines.

Admission tickets must be booked in advance, and give a timed entrance to the inner sanctum of the Nasrid Palaces, so visitors need to organise their tour around this point.  We began by strolling up the cypress-lined path into the Generalife, the terraced gardens on the opposite side of the valley from the Alhambra itself.  These are formally laid out following the principles of Moorish garden design, and feature an open-air concert arena, paved walks between pools, fountains and geometric beds for planting.  Lower terraces accommodate orchards and vegetable gardens.  A series of interlinking courtyards, each centred around a water feature, lead upwards to the beginning of the irrigation system that sustains this essential element of Islamic architecture.  Even in February, warm sunshine and fewer visitors allowed us to appreciate the elegance of structure and the peaceful harmony of tinkling water.

Having completed the loop, we found ourselves back at the bridge across the Cuesta de los Chinos, one of the tracks that lead from the city of Granada.  Entering the Eastern boundary of the Upper Alhambra, we first came across archaeological remains of the Secano, the ancient Medina.  The only building still standing is the Palace and Friary of San Francisco, now a state-run Parador hotel (which has a restaurant with a terrace looking towards the Generalife).  This borders an area leading past a bath house adjacent to the church of St Mary of the Alhambra, which was itself built on top of the mosque.  Next is the square palace of Carlos (Charles) V, built around a circular courtyard but never actually finished during that Emperor’s reign.  It now accommodates the Alhambra Museum and Fine Arts Museum.

Beyond the palace to the West is the Alcazaba, the Old Citadel, the original part of the Alhambra that dates from the Ninth Century.  To the Northwest are the Nasrid Palaces, a series of three interlinking royal residences built for three sultans of the Nasrid dynasty, which ruled between 1314 and 1391.  The tour route follows the chronological order of their construction, and for independent visitors there is no time limit imposed, apart from closing time of the whole site. 

No words I can find can begin to do justice to this incredible place, and I was so glad I bought a good guide to read and learn so much more after our visit.  Having explored Marrakech in Morocco some years ago, I thought I knew what to expect of Muslim art and architecture, but the Alhambra is on a whole different level.  Even keeping in mind that the lavish and intricate decoration of all surfaces was designed to reflect the mighty power of the sultan, I found myself musing on how often he actually looked at any of it, and if so whether it rendered him cross-eyed.  Much of the detail is incredibly well preserved, beautiful in an eye-boggling way and an undeniably magnificent feat of engineering and craftsmanship of its time.

I was fascinated by the sophistication of aspects of the architecture: some windows were unglazed (because it rarely rains, and any breeze needs to be able to pass into the buildings), some have stained glass, which ‘paints’ the internal floor when the sun shines through it, and some have a decorative fretwork to retain the privacy of the (female) inhabitants while they can observe the happenings of the court.  Courtyards are surrounded by arches on slim pillars, a little like cloisters, which allow the low winter sun to warm the walkways beneath, but give shade from the intense heat of the high summer sun.  The abundance of water, a symbol of hospitality, is cooling and soothing, while the wide range of tiled designs offer a wealth of patchworking inspiration.

Friday 31 January

We took a local bus a few miles inland to the white village of Mijas Pueblo, from where we followed a walking route in the Sierra (mountain range) de Mijas, one of a network of “signalized hiking trails” according to the map gleaned from the very helpful Tourist Information office in Fuengirola.  On arriving in the town centre, it was not immediately obvious how to find the main road that runs between the town and the mountain, but we followed a street that led upwards and soon spotted the beginning of a trail.  It is true that the routes are well “signalized”, with bands or dots of that track’s colour placed strategically and frequently on signposts or rocks, but they didn’t always seem logical, or necessarily to coincide with the map.  Also, what we hadn’t allowed for was the recent spate of very heavy rain, which had resulted in patches of erosion of the very dry, thin, dusty soil and some landslips of loose rocks and scree.  After struggling across a very steep hillside for a few hundred metres, it was obvious we’d lost the path, and we turned back – to find it almost immediately.  I really don’t know how we managed to go wrong, but thereafter we were careful to look for the yellow dots, and we enjoyed a stretching walk with stunning views and beautiful countryside.  The scent of pine resin was strong in the bright sunshine, and sweetly accompanied by yellow gorse and wild rosemary in full bloom.  The highlight of the day was spotting a herd of wild mountain goats on the opposite side of the valley we were descending, and we stopped to admire their agility for some time.

At the end of the route, just before we rejoined the main road, we skirted a disused quarry, from which a rudimentary road had been laid in concrete.  Unfortunately this was very steep and some loose gravel lay on top, on which Mate’s boots failed to find a purchase, resulting in a rather abrupt sit-down.

Back in the old quarter of the pretty town, we wandered along the Calle Campos, peeping into the tiny Chapel of Our Lady of Remedies, and the Caves of the Old Forge.  These were effectively basements to the houses built above, clinging to the steep hillside, which held a consistent temperature year-round, making them useful stables or storerooms.  On Plaza de la Libertad, at the foot of Calle San Sebastian, it was time to pause for a well-earned beverage and a chance to chat with an interesting fellow British couple at the next table.  Suitably refreshed, we enjoyed a visit to the Folk Museum, which depicts “the old trades and traditions of the village”.  Distinctly quirky in style, this was very interesting nevertheless, especially the testimonies of agricultural workers that had been translated into perfect English.  We had fun trying to work out how the olive press would work; no helpful description we could understand, here, and all for one euro each.  We strolled a little further around the edge of town, pausing briefly to consider the donkey taxi rank: apparently this service came about in the early 1960s when workers and their animals earned more for less effort from a few minutes with tourists than a day in the fields; and then we found our way back to the bus stop via a tempting heladería for a delicious ice cream treat.

Tuesday 28 January

We rode in a comfortable inter-city coach up into the high country to this historic city perched atop a deep gorge, El Tajo, which carries the Rio Guadalevin, the volume of water a rare sight in semi-arid Andalucía.  The new city dates from around the 15^th Century, and is linked to the old Moorish town, by the ‘new’ bridge, Puente Nuevo.  Along with the iconic bullring, Plaza de Toros, this dates from only the 18^th Century, and was the second to cross the 100-metre-deep chasm.

Ronda is famous as the birthplace of modern bullfighting, where matadores stood to face the raging animal, instead of challenging him from horseback.  Narrow cobbled calles open out into attractive squares surrounded by varied and interesting architecture, and there is a curious museum, called the ‘Centre for the Interpretation of the Brotherhood Culture’, which holds artefacts belonging to a number of these Catholic organisations that are based in Ronda.  Brotherhoods date back to the 14^th Century, when they began to be established as voluntary organisations of men who took on responsibility for maintaining order on behalf of the nobility.  Members are still recognised as leaders and ‘pillars’ of the local community who embody values of social responsibility.  During Holy Week (that leads to Easter), they process through the city wearing monk-like habits and sometimes tall conical hats with fabric covering their faces, carrying huge plinths of lifesize Biblical characters and saints.

Ronda was made famous by travellers of the Romantic age, becoming popular as a stopping point on the gentlemen’s Grand Tour of Europe.  The city has been written about by numerous well-known names, including Washington Irving, Orson Welles and Ernest Hemingway.  We enjoyed spectacular views from a number of vantage points around the city, and treated ourselves to a piece of locally-produced cheese and a bottle of olive oil to take home.  Although a little breezy, we sat at a pavement café for both lunch and afternoon tea before rejoining the coach for the spectacular ride back down the steeply wooded mountains to the coast, occasionally spotting flowering almond trees.

Monday 20 January – Friday 7 February

After a promising start to this season’s cruising, we ended up staying three weeks in Fuengirola, sitting out a number of bouts of stormy weather.  However, this was nothing compared to what the UK was to endure throughout February, and the wet and windy days gave us the perfect excuse to show off our lovely cockpit enclosure (tent).

Meanwhile, we greatly enjoyed a visit from British friends we met in A Coruña who [whisper it] have a large motor boat and were looking at possible marinas on this coast for next Winter’s layup.  Skipper purchased and installed a passerelle (drawbridge) to enable us to step off the stern of the boat on these Med moorings.

Second Mate’s brother flew over to spend a few days in the sunshine and enjoy some quality R&R …during our most wintry weather so far, but we managed a pleasant paseo along the promenade to a castle that now hosts a range of events and performances, a bar lunch nearby and another wet visit to Málaga, where we explored the Roman amphitheatre that was moonlighting as a swimming pool, and found a very good tapas supper at La Plaza nearby.  The train journey was much more pleasant than the bus ride of our earlier trip, too, so overall a successful day.

We did have some lovely weather to explore a few of the famous sights in this part of Spain: Ronda, the Alhambra Palace in Granada and a rugged walk from one of the ‘white villages’ up in the hills.

Wednesday 15 – Saturday 18 January

Feeling refreshed from our extended stay in Gibraltar, we were keen to begin this season’s cruising as soon as possible.  Second Mate flew into Gib in the afternoon of Tuesday 14 January, and after the briefest of forays around the town before dark (she didn’t even get acquainted with the monkeys!) was ready the following morning to crew out into the bay and onto the fuel dock to top up the diesel tanks.  We were given a rousing send-off on the ships’ horns of Svala and Tendrel-Aurelie, which was a lovely farewell gesture from our new friends.  They also dashed down to Europa Point to take photos of our passing, with Africa in the background, but with no wind to fly sails and a heavy haze, it was doubtful whether there would be any good results.

We were able to hug the coast around the Rock to enjoy close-up views of Gorham’s Cave, with its discoveries of evidence of habitation by Neanderthal man, and visits by Phoenician traders, as well as the very different landscape of the Great East-side Sand Slopes and former Water Catchment project.  As we cleared the runway into Spanish territory, the courtesy flags were changed and we motored on, pausing briefly to puzzle over a large creature drifting past nearby: possibly a ray?

After a tedious four hours, we arrived in Sotogrande, and tied up near the stone tower that houses the reception office of the marina, without power or water.  Having completed the usual formalities, we decided not to move berth, but to go for a walk to discover the town.  We failed miserably, finding only a tiny chapel with a congregation preparing for mass, and a tower on the hilltop that looked like the base of a windmill.  The marina is part of a currently almost deserted holiday resort of golf course and children’s entertainment areas.  To add insult to injury, we were charged 42€, even on Winter rates, and when Skipper and Mate arrived at the facilities around 2300 for showers, the door was firmly locked.  Not an auspicious beginning to the season, but the sunset was pretty, and after dark the floodlit North face of the Rock of Gibraltar was clearly visible to the South.

Thursday morning was another calm day of motoring, 26 Miles further Northeast to Marbella.  Apart from Gibraltar itself, this was our baptism of fire regarding ‘Med mooring’.  In short, this manoeuvre is hell for boat crews, and an endless source of entertainment for the onlookers.  The theory sounds simple: line up with bows or stern pointing at the quay, drop an anchor from the end furthest from said quay, motor in gently until crew can step off with lines and secure them.  In reality, there are as many variations as there are brands of vessel filling up marinas, and any number of things to go wrong.  Any tide/current or crosswind hinders the helmsman’s ability to steer straight at slow speed; there are often lazylines to avoid a litter of anchors on the seabed of the harbour – which inevitably get tangled – but these are only reachable from the quay; if harbour staff are on hand it is not always easy to understand their instructions, guidance or actions in trying to help; and when the boat is finally safely tied up, stepping ashore is a whole other challenge.

L’escale has a beautifully-designed stern bathing platform, wide and broad, but it is fairly close to water level, and too low from which to step up to the quay.  The step into the cockpit is too far inboard to be a launch point from which to stretch across to the quay, and in the middle is the base mounting for the wind vane.  The solution, as seen on most yachts that cruise the Mediterranean, is a passerelle: a horizontal ladder that creates a drawbridge from vessel to land…but we hadn’t yet organised the installation of this essential piece of kit.  So, as usual, we improvised, with a folding lightweight plastic two-step, and a 1.8m x 4”x 2” plank, usually a barge board to protect the hull in canal locks.  This worked, to a degree, as long as one remembered to duck to avoid banging the head on the arch as one stepped up to cross the bridge.  Next time you’re bored, recreate this party trick for yourself: stretch both arms above your head, to steady yourself on the arch above, and bend over almost double, at the same time raising one leg to above the height of your other knee, whilst extending the standing leg at least a metre forward to minimise the number of steps needed to gain dry land – and do send us the photos!

The inside of Marbella’s harbour wall is decorated with paintings of the signal flags, in alphabetical order, which we followed around until we reached the line of waterside restaurants, most of which were empty out of season.  The exception sounded like it was hosting a stag party, or perhaps a rugby post-match knees-up.  The facilities were opened especially for us by the night watchman, and were most pleasant.

On Friday morning the high pressure and lovely weather continued, but with just enough wind to unroll the gennaker and sail gently along enjoying the view.  The coastal strip is very developed, but the backdrop of high, rugged mountains remains unscarred and spectacular.  Knowing yachts are unwelcome in Málaga itself, we had decided to head for Benalmádena as the nearest port for the city and airport.  In a now familiar routine, we tied up alongside the waiting pontoon that doubles as the fuel pontoon, and Skipper was invited immediately into the office to present the ship’s papers and be allocated a berth.  As the pilot book warned, he was told the only berth available was 18 metres in length, and that we would be charged accordingly, not (as is usual elsewhere) by the size of our boat.  He asked several times for a 15-metre berth, but to no avail.  Meanwhile, Mate and Second Mate prepared the remaining lines for the anticipated Med mooring, and began ‘happy hour’, tidying the decks of the paraphernalia of the day’s passage, and organising supper.

We motored a little further into the marina to our allocated spot, and being another high quay wall, Skipper opted for a bows-to mooring this time.  A marinero was waiting to take our lines and indicate the lazyline we were to use, and soon left us to it.  Unfortunately, going in forwards was to prove equally difficult, as we have a ‘dolphin’ configuration at the bow, a sturdy aluminium extension that supports the anchor (and could be said to look vaguely like a dolphin’s nose).  This is safe to stand on, whilst hanging on to the gennaker halyard or furled genoa, but it is still a leap of faith to step across onto the quay, and requires us to be much closer in than is safe in any wind, as we were to be reminded that night.  Having gained the shore, facilities are a bit of a walk, but acceptable once you get there.

Meanwhile, Skipper had been given an extension for our power cable, as the tower at this berth had been fitted with a 32-amp five pin three phase connection, appropriate for the size of yacht for which the berth was designated, but far too large for our modest 16-amp three pin requirement.  Instead of this being ready to plug in, however, he was also given a diagram, and expected to rewire our connector himself.  Of course, this was perfectly possible, and as it happened, Second Mate is also an experienced electrician, from her work in technical theatre and stage management – but that really wasn’t the point, and Mate, for whom anything electrical is something of black magic, was most perturbed that many yachties would be singularly unqualified for such a task, with potentially serious consequences.

Anyway, with power connected and dinner ready, we settled down for the evening.  During the night, the wind blew up from the Northwest, and we were being pushed hard sideways, away from our neighbour but slewing in the gusts until, inevitably, the anchor up front smashed into the quay wall for a rude awakening for the residents of the master cabin, mere centimetres from the action.  In no time outdoor layers were donned and the engine was stirred from his slumber to pull us further from the quay so we could ease the bow lines and tighten up the lazyline on the stern.  Only half noted at the time, but a further point of concern on reflection, Mate (at the bow) noticed the night security man drive along the quay ahead of us, pause to see what was going on at half past three in the morning on a boat in his care, and drive off as quickly as he’d arrived without leaving the shelter of his van.

On Saturday morning a protracted conversation ensued between Skipper and the weekend staff in the office, where it transpired that plenty of 15-metre berths were available, along the far wall of the marina – a longer walk to the facilities, but we were not given the choice, and always enjoy a stroll  to stretch our legs at the end of a passage at sea.  Furthermore, the person Skipper spoke to on arrival, who gave him the connector and instructions for wiring, was supposed to have come and wired it in for us.  Despite Skipper’s best efforts, she remained unable to offer any gesture of refund, and suggested we write to the owners of the marina – which we did, at some length.

Eventually we trudged up the hill in the damp and cold to find the bus stop for a trip into Málaga – cheap enough at 1.70€ each one way, but not particularly comfortable or scenic.  The architecture in the old city is attractive, and we enjoyed the atmosphere, but stayed only long enough for a lunch of paella, grilled vegetables and hot chocolate with churros.  Feeling revived enough for a brief sojourn along the smart shopping street on the way back to the bus station, we resolved to return – in better weather.

Not prepared to spend around 40€ a night for our intended 10-day stay in Málaga, Second Mate was delighted with the unexpected chance of an extra passage when we sailed an extra ten miles back to Fuengirola on Sunday.  At last the wind was sufficient to set the main and genoa, NW 3-5, but shifty in the gusts which made for a challenging session on the helm for her, as she did a brilliant job of keeping us moving, if not always in the desired direction.  It’s delightful to watch her enjoy it so much, and see that she hasn’t lost her touch and has such natural instinct.  She was thrilled that the sun and wind brought out her freckles, so she returned home looking surprisingly healthy from sailing a total of 80 Miles in January!

On arrival in Fuengirola, we were directed to the waiting pontoon until the weekday staff could allocate us a berth the following morning, and we settled happily to a delicious brunch, accompanied by proper English fat chips from one of the restaurants on the harbourside.  We then enjoyed a leisurely stroll to the train station for a much more pleasant ride than the bus to deliver Second Mate to the airport for her flight home.