Almerimar to the Mar Menor

Early April saw the return of Neil and Hilary off Plane Magic. It was great to see them again and Lynne was very touched by a present given to her by Hilary. She was presented with a home made 'quillow', which is a combination of a quilt and pillow in one. Lynne has already used it on a number of occasions and loves the colour. If you are interested in knowing how to make your own quillow, there is lots of information on the internet.

Lynne in her new Quillow

 










It is always nice to receive visitors and it was great to see friends Tim Fuller and Tina Scowling again. Last time they flew out to visit was in September last year when we had an action packed week of sightseeing in and around Gibraltar. This time we had promised them a more relaxed break as it had all been a bit much for Tina. We started the week off with a game of boules. It is a great game, and we keep a set on-board now. Organised games are played in the Marina on a Tuesday afternoon, but this was a friendly, gentle game, well maybe!

A serious game!

Steve is a big fan of the 'Hollywood' restaurant in the Gran Plaza in Roquetas de Mar.

During their visit, we also got the dinghy out of the locker and were keen to try the outboard motor after its service in March. Tim took Tina out for a tour of the marina and reported that the outboard was running just fine.




Outboard gets an outing

The last few days in Almerimar were hectic. A rigging check and tune, provisioning, a visit to nearby El Ejido to watch the San Marcos celebrations and a rather emotional farewell to the many friends we have made over the last six months.

A couple of weeks before we left Almerimar, Lynne got in touch via Facebook, with an old colleague from her days on the Airline.  Carla and her husband Andy left the UK in their own boat in 2007 and sailed around the Med. It turns out their yacht No Limits is now in Almerimar too! What a small world. Lynne enjoyed catching up with Carla and Steve and Andy had a good chat about the places we are travelling to and picked up many hints and useful tips! It turned out that Andy was also a Selden trained rigger (Selden are a Swedish company and one of the world's largest manufacturers of masts) and an appointment was booked for a full rig check.

The rigging check did pick up that a washer had been incorrectly fitted on the forestay, and the foil inside our mast was too slack and required adjustment. On Scarlet Lady we have in-mast furling. A system whereby the sail is rolled up inside the mast, and suits us as everything is led back to the cockpit. So far the sail appears to be going in and out much better than before.

The San Marcos 'Swing into Spring' fiesta is a family tradition and there are 4 days of activities. We went to El Ejido on the last day of the festival to see the carnival procession. Many of the locals turned out in costume, with the ladies wearing elaborate flamenco dresses. It was just a shame it turned out to be a cold and wet day. It didn't seem to dampen the party spirit though.

Fiesta in El Ejido

The liveaboard community in Almerimar really made our first overseas wintering experience an an enjoyable one, but it was also good to be moving on. Saying our goodbyes was much harder than we had any idea it would be. Whilst some of our friends will also be heading east this season, we wish fellow 2012 'Ralliers' Chris and Frances on Usquabae of Fife all the very best as they head slowly west to make their way across the Atlantic later in the year. 

We had planned to leave here on the last day of April as the weather forecast was finally good enough, after weeks of high winds. But, just as our alarm was due to go off we were awoken by a huge clap of thunder and spent the next 30 minutes in the centre of a terrific thunderstorm. On looking out of the window it was black skies everywhere and torrential rain. It didn't take much for us to decide to stay snug and warm under our duvet!

On the first day of May the weather was much better, and we finally slipped the umbilical lines of the marina and headed to our first anchorage of San Jose, close to Cabo de Gata. It felt strange to leave the safe haven that had been a good home to us. As it was still early in the morning the heat from the sun was only just taking the chill from the air. We opted to start with a couple of layers and long trousers. As we rounded the lighthouse/marina office on the way out we waved goodbye to the marineros and headed out to sea.The sea state was calm, and the wind light so for the first few hours we had the engine on before finally being able to switch it off, hoist the sails, and enjoy the peace and quiet. As is so often the case, the horizon was dotted with little fishing boats, which had probably been out all night.
The coastline vista was an uninspiring cloak of poly tunnels stretching for miles, but at least the snow capped mountains looked fabulous. We soon passed Roquetas de Mar and spotted Almeria in the distance. 

The views that we get from sailing along coastlines have always captivated us. Yes, the ones of high rise, over developed towns, are not our favourite ones, but the rock structures we get to see, are. We both wish we had paid more attention to geology at school! Our biggest landmark on this passage would be Cabo de Gata, home to a large nature reserve and a natural border between the Costa del Sol and our new coastline of the Costa Blanca. Our course took us a way offshore to head across the bay of Almeria. It really felt good to be on the move again and we both settled into our 'cruising routines' quickly. 

Leaving Almerimar

Cabo de Gata

The Costa Blanca (white coast) derives its name from large chunks of white limestone rock which can clearly be seen from the water.

Costa Blanca

As with most capes, the wind strength does pick up and this one was no exception. Not enough to give cause for concern that day, but in our case a welcome opportunity to un-furl the sails and turn the engine off.

Sailing at last!

By late afternoon we approached Cala Higuera, our intended anchorage close to the small marina of San Jose. The 37nm passage took us about 7 hours and we arrived just after 4pm. One of our last minute purchases was a new 25kg Rocna anchor. We dropped our new Rocna anchor in 3.8 metres of water and played out a 6 to 1 scope of chain just to be on the safe side.

We had found out that the marina chandlers, Alamar, in Almerimar, were one of the cheapest suppliers in Europe. For anyone who already has an opinion on the best anchor, they will have at least heard of a Rocna. Time will tell if it proves to be a good purchase. Anchor, chain, warp etc is collectively known as ground tackle. We have 75 metres of grade 40, 10mm galvanised chain and 30 metres of warp (nylon rope spliced to the chain). As we intend to anchor a fair amount, it seemed sensible to invest in good quality ground tackle. It is a huge subject and often leads to a heated debate amongst fellow 'yotties'. We will try and relate our experiences in more detail as the season un-folds.

New 25kg Rocna anchor

Our anchorage was well protected from the forecast winds, but it was a little rolly during the night with the swell.

The next day we set off early, which happened to coincide with a yacht we knew from Almerimar Adamas which is sailed single-handed by a lovely Dutch chap called Peter. We got close enough to take a photo and bid a cheery wave.

Yacht Adamas

We continued on up the coast, thankfully with enough wind to sail until we called in to Garrucha to check out a potential anchorage for the night. Whilst it looked OK it was exposed to winds from the North East, which it looked likely to come from for the next few days, so we decided to press on. This proved to be a good decision as our next choice was a small bay or 'Cala' as they are known, under Mount Cope. Cala Bardina offered us good protection and we anchored in sand in 3 metres of crystal clear water not far from the beach.



Cala Bardina

After taking a fix and setting the anchor alarm on the plotter, we took the tender off the deck and rowed ashore that evening. Although only a small town, we discovered that a fiesta was scheduled for the next two days so we decided to stay for a few nights. It is strange how some places appeal straight away whilst others leave no impression at all. This place was warm and friendly. It also had a small supermarket. We sat on the seafront with an ice cream and looked out to Scarlet at anchor. What a great location. On the Saturday night, we were treated to free barbecued sardines and on the Sunday, there was a procession where a statue of the Virgin Mary was carried through the streets and along the seafront. They also cooked a giant paella.

The whole village came out for barbecued sardines

Festival the next day

Giant Paella!

Most cruisers at this point on the passage would be putting in a waypoint for Cartagena, which should not be missed. However, as we had already visited many times before, we decided to give it a miss this time. Our next anchorage was Cala de la Salitrona where we anchored in 8m near to the North beach.





Peace and quiet

From this anchorage we could see huge ships at anchor and the flames from the nearby refinery close to Cartagena harbour.

The next day we had an early start, 4.00am. Ouch! This would enable us to get an early bridge opening to go into the Mar Menor. We enjoy night sailing and this was no exception. Of course, it was a little chilly and we had very little wind on the day. Going past Cartagena gave us an opportunity to identify various navigation lights and lights on the huge ships. Not long after 6.30am the sun started to light up the sky in front of us rising majestically from the sea. Time for breakfast and a log update.




Sunrise near Cartagena

 
















At the South West corner of the mainland is Cabo de Palos, which has a small yacht and fishing harbour. The coast was much the same as we could see when the sun came up, rugged, hilly, some steep rocky cliffs and a few sandy beaches. The distinctive lighthouse marks the corner and once round you can see miles and miles of high rise flats and hotels on the narrow strip of sand that separates the sea from the Mar Menor on the 'inside'.

Our next waypoint was the canal entrance. Here the entrance was not only very narrow, but also very shallow. Even before we reached the first red and green, port and starboard marks, our shallow depth alarm was going off. We did gently touch the sandy bottom at one point and followed the channel as it kinked Northwest and we passed under the lifting bridge. In summer the bridge opens every 2 hours from 8am. We think the last lifting time is 6pm. We had been warned that the bridge would close should an emergency vehicle need to use the bridge road so it is always worth keeping an eye on it, just in case.




Lifting road bridge near entrance to Mar Menor

Once through the bridge the marina of Thomas Maestre can be found but not for us this day. We carried on for a further half mile up the canal and continued straight into the Mar Menor. Even when we got into the Mar Menor it was very shallow around the canal entrance. The inland sea carries depths of 5 to 6 metres in most places but is very shallow near the sides. It contains 5 islands and we headed to Isla Perdiguera to meet up with friends Linda and Graham of Obsession of Poole. We anchored just off the island in 3 metres of water and soaked in the view.



Scarlet and Obsession anchored in the Mar Menor

In the next few days, Neil and Hilary off Plane Magic will join us and we will hatch a plan to sail in a small group to the Balearic Islands.


Until then

Steve and Lynne xx

Hot Showers and Wind

Apologies for the length of time since our last post. This is due to several reasons. Firstly, a trip back to the UK, a visit from Lynne's family, and latterly we have been busy applying anti-fouling, and getting Scarlet ready for the new sailing season.

The weather has been nice enough, not much in the way of rain, plenty of sunny days, but my goodness it has been windy. We had been told it was a windy place, but for a few nights it felt like Michael Fish was a guest presenter on the TV. Scarlet was safe enough on her mooring, and although she moved around a bit, we had already taken the sails down, and removed the spray hood to reduce windage. What made it uncomfortable, and frankly almost impossible to sleep, was the noise of the wind as it howled like a demented werewolf through the rigging. We managed to get a screenshot of the plotter showing 50 knots, but during the night we have been told it gusted to over 70 knots!

Chartplotter showing windy conditions

At the beginning of March, we also had Scarlet Lady lifted out of the water for three weeks to do the annual anti-fouling. 

This is the first time we have had to reverse into a lifting dock

Anti-fouling is not a job anyone really looks forward to, but it has to be done. It was a little disappointing after the hard work of last year, to see the paint had once again lifted in a few places. The time will come before too long when we will strip all the old paint off, and apply an epoxy layer. We were both impressed with the very slick operation in getting the boat out of the water put on some chocks, and jet-washed. 

Home for 3 weeks

We took about two weeks to prepare her, apply primer where necessary, and two coats (7.5 litres) of Hempel Tiger Extra anti-foul. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't always on our side as we had some rain, and strong winds blowing the boatyard grit around. It was hard work, but after a final polish of the hull, and the application of some new lettering for the boom, we were ready for re-launch.

Just add water!

New boom graphics

Whilst Scarlet Lady was in the yard, we rented a three bedroom apartment on the marina with friends Chris and Frances off Usquabae of Fife, as their boat was in the yard at the same time. The apartment not only had a lovely view over the beach, but it came with the luxury of a bath! This came in very useful for relieving aching muscles.

View from our apartment balcony, a rough Alboran sea

We weren't always around at the same time as Chris and Frances, but we made of point of always having dinner together on a Sunday. We had the obligatory traditional Sunday roast. Chris made some fantastic Yorkshire puddings, and the best gravy we have tasted.

Towards the end of our time in the flat, we threw a small party for our friends off Time Bandit, Genie of London, Wraith, Obsession of Poole, Mayra I and Pegasus of Arne. It was good to relax after all the hard work in the yard.


At the beginning of March, we were treated to a visit by Lynne's parents, and a surprise re-visit from brother Phill. They rented an apartment close to the marina, and we used our time together to do some sightseeing. We went to Almeria, where we visited the Alcazaba. This is a medieval fortress located on a hill overlooking the town and bay of Almeria. It is well worth a visit, and is free for EU citizens.

View from the Alcazaba looking towards the port

Looking up at the walls of the Alcazaba from the car park

We also took a trip to Roquetas de Mar. We went for a walk around the small marina, but as it started to drizzle, we moved on to the Gran Plaza shopping centre for a bit of retail therapy. Steve purchased some new glasses, and we had a superb lunch at the Hollywood restaurant. We would highly recommend this restaurant if you like burgers, ribs, steaks etc. The staff speak good English, the food really is tasty, and reasonable in price.

Mega meal at Hollywood in Roquetas

The day Lynne's family were due to leave was Mother's Day, so we treated her Mum to a hearty Sunday lunch at Marios at the Marina, before bidding our farewells. We really enjoyed our few days together, and very much hope they will visit us again later in the year.

Group photo outside Mario's

Just as they were leaving, Lynne's Dad handed us an early wedding anniversary present. He has recently taken up painting as a hobby, and he had done a watercolour of Scarlet Lady at anchor in front of Eastbourne Pier for us. It has now taken pride of place in our cabin, and until our next blog update, will be proudly displayed on our web page header. 

Many thanks Graham

March has seen a few arrivals and departures. At one stage, there were seven boats from Rally Portugal 2012 in the marina. Ian and Sally from Seraphina called in for a few days en-route to Cartagena, and we were invited onboard for drinks and tapas with Usquabae of Fife and Moonstream. It was good to catch up and discuss what plans we all had for this coming season. Ken, Jim, Tim, Chris and Maureen from Moonstream where also in the yard at the same time as us. We purchased some new mooring warps and Jim very kindly gave us a lesson on splicing and whipping. Thanks Jim. We hope you will agree we did an O.K. job.

Newly spliced mooring warps, and out of shot we have

fitted some rubber snubbers

  Planning ahead for when we go further into the Mediterranean, we purchased four new water jerry cans. We really enjoy our time at anchor, so the extra 80 litres of water in these cans will mean we have to go into marinas less frequently to top up the water tanks, well in theory anyway.

Extra water on board

  As it is nearing April, many yotties are beginning to leave Almerimar, and head to pastures new. We have already bid farewell to our friends Stuart and Anne off Time Bandit. We wish them both well on their travels this year. It's always sad when you say goodbye, but we are sure we will see some of our friends again at some stage 'down route'. We have some more visitors coming over from the UK in early April, then we too will be on our way.

Almerimar has been a wonderful place to winter the boat. It is relatively cheap (you do need to factor in the cost of electric though, at some 3 euros a day), has a great liveaboard community, and most things you need are on the doorstep. The weather has been superb for nearly all of our stay although the very high winds have been a bit irksome.
The nearest town, El Ejido, is a bus ride away as is Roquetas, but the public transport is very cheap.

All in all, it has been a positive experience. We have thoroughly enjoyed our first overseas wintering experience, and best of all, the showers now have hot water!

Steve and Lynne xx