Stuart Memorial at the Vatican

But all too soon it was time for the crew to head for the airport, home and work.

For us it was back to the old routine of day sailing, this time down the West coast of Italy with a number of interesting places mapped out for special attention. The first of these was Anzio, famous for the Allied landings which took place here during the Second World War. The town was completely destroyed at this time and has been subsequently rebuilt. The only memorial or sign we could find of what had taken place was this enlarged photograph of the Americans coming ashore. The Americans suffered heavy casualties and the American War Cemetery at Nettuno bears witness to this with the graves of 7400 Americans who fell here. Now the town is a bustling holiday resort and at weekends all of Rome seems to be here enjoying the lovely sandy beaches.

 Anzio, this was the scene on the 22nd January 1944

We spent 7 days in Anzio on the Town Quay in the harbour. This was very convenient as the town and all its amenities were adjacent. We enjoyed strolling along the waterfront taking in the odd café or bar and had a memorable evening at an outdoor concert of traditional music. On reaching the Italian mainland we had been in touch with Dennis and Sandra, friends of our friends back in Portugal. Dennis and Sandra were currently heading North from Sicily in their Heavenly Twins catamaran Sundowner II and when our paths converged we had agreed to meet up and spend some time together.

 A British Sail Training ship in Gaeta Harbour the Cathedral is on the hill in the right of the picture.

This took place in Gaeta but not before we had rescued two young lads on a jet-ski drifting 5 miles from shore in an offshore wind (they had run out of petrol). We took them in tow and loaned them our handheld VHF radio thinking they would call someone at their base to come out and tow them in. Should have known better of someone on a jet-ski, he gets on the radio, Channel 16 and starts calling SOS and something in Italian, repeatedly as loud as he can. Well within minutes we had blue flashing lights coming from all sides and the last thing we wanted was to get caught up with the authorities, filling in forms, giving reports etc. Fortunately the first boat to reach us was from their club, so we quickly retrieved our radio, cast off our tow and got as much sea room as possible between them and us before the police and coastguard arrived. We arrived in Gaeta the following morning having spent the night anchored in a bay about 5 miles to the North, it was dark and we didn’t want to enter a strange harbour at night. Our minds were also on the jet-skiers and what would have happened if we hadn’t have spotted them?

 Dennis and Sandra aboard Sundowner II

We met up with Dennis and Sandra not long after arrival, it was good to put faces to people we had been corresponding with for quite some time. Dennis and Sandra had wintered in Gaeta the previous year and so they knew the lie of the land and were able to tell us where to find everything. This was a great help for it usually takes us a few days and many hours of trudging round streets to find all the places/shops we need. Best of all they took us to a Pizzeria that is run by a local family, the pizzas are cooked in the traditional wood fired brick oven and boy do they taste good! Gaeta has an American Naval base although there were no boats in during the time we were there, but the town was geared for the influx of American Servicemen and therefore more user friendly to us Brits.

 Part of Bay of Naples view from the sea

We spent 10 days in Gaeta and had to pull ourselves away before we started putting down roots, we had still a long way to go and places to see. Alba Voyager headed south in a flat calm to Baia at the north end of the Bay of Naples, we had been advised this was a safe place to leave the boat while we visited Naples and Pompeii. Anchoring in the harbour at Baia, preferring this to the marina which had no protection from the wash of dozens of large motor boats which delighted in powering round the bay at great speed, we used the dinghy to get ashore leaving this at the town quay.  There were good bus and train connections for our visits to Naples and Pompeii. Unfortunately Naples was a big disappointment, the saying goes ‘See Naples and die’, well I’m afraid I would reword this to ‘You will die when you see Naples’. It is without a doubt the dirtiest city we have visited and we found nothing of interest, infact we couldn’t leave quick enough. On the other hand Pompeii was a marvel and we could easily have spent a couple of days there as the site is extensive with a great deal to see and take in. The city was buried in 79AD when Mount Vesuvius erupted and excavations only started in 1748. Today there is about a third of the city still to be excavated. We had also wanted to visit the Isle of Capri at the southern end of the bay as we sailed south but found that the island was very expensive (e.g. the marina cost would have been over 100 euros per night) so we decided to give it a miss, which was a pity but we are on a budget.

Instead we headed for Agropoli where we spent 3 days wondering around the old town and doing very little which was in contrast to the last two weeks.

Once a Temple in the main square                                                             The main street in Pompeii      

  One of Pompeii's inhabitants who died in the disaster

Where we were going to winter was a question we still had to answer and as we were nearing the south of Italy we received a text message from Dennis and Sandra with details about a place called Sibari on the south coast of the Italian mainland. It had been our intention to look at two places on the east coast of Sicily that had been recommended by a friend from our home port. As Sibari was due east on the other side of Italy from were we were at present we decided to hire a car and go have a look. But hiring a car wasn’t that easy. We were at this time in Camerota a large holiday resort for Italians and we could find only one car hire firm who quoted 60 euro per day and 50 cents per km, this would put the cost of a visit to Sibari at 300 euro, out of the question. The trip to Sibari would have to wait but we did hire the car for a day and toured the local area.  Added now to the ‘wants list’ cheap car hire and here we fell lucky. At our next port of call, Cetraro we meet up with Brian and Ursula in their ex-Scottish fishing boat Day Dawn, our paths had already crossed in Camerota and they had sourced car hire at 70 euro per day unlimited mileage. We joined forces and had a day out to Sibari marina which turned out to be just what we were looking for. So the decision was made there and then, this is where we will winter. Day Dawn would also spend the winter here. On our return to Cetraro the weather deteriorated and we were forced to abandon the pontoon due to a large swell entering the harbour, we anchored in the main part of the harbour and were quite comfortable. The strong winds lasted 3 days and on the morning when we were due to leave we had a problem, the anchor wasn’t for coming up, we had a fouled anchor. We rigged a warp using a chain hook to the anchor chain and to one of the primary winches and with a combination of electric windlass and the winch managed to get the problem to the surface. Once we could see what the problem was it was easily fixed and we were on our way, all be it two hours later than we had intended.

 The Fouled Anchor

Our next place of interest we wanted to visit was the volcanic island aptly named Isola di Volcano. Situated about 160 miles southwest of our present position and adjacent to Stromboli (the largest active volcano in the area).The journey was split into three by stopping at Vibo Velentia and Tropea on the mainland then crossing over to the island. This island also has an active volcano and is home to bubbling mud pools and hot springs which attract large numbers of visitors who immerse themselves in the mud pools for its therapeutic effects. Anne said she would give it a miss this time! We spent 3 days here wondering around taking in the sites which were much like a lunar landscape interspersed with cafes and bars for the tourist. There was one unpleasant aspect to the harbour depending on which way the wind was blowing, the smell of rotting eggs caused by the sulphur gas escaping from the volcano, I suppose the locals get used to it.

Sulphur fumes being emitted from the volcano                Come on in the mud is lovely

The next part of our journey was one of the few which had to be timed, the passage through the Straits of Messina where the tide runs at 5 knots (thought there were no tides in the Med?) We were heading for Reggio Calabria a large commercial and ferry port 15 miles south of the Straits and this meant an early start. The wind was southerly F5-6 which gave us a fast reach to just north of the Straits then it was a beat through the Straits and south to Reggio. The Straits are only one and a half miles wide at their narrowest point and with a 5 knot tide going south and a F5 coming the opposite way the sea was wild and we took a lot of water on the deck. To add to this it is a very busy area for commercial shipping and numerous ferries crossing to Messina in Sicily, we had our foul weather gear on, the first and only time this year. It was a happy skipper and crew that went alongside in the commercial dock in Reggio that night. Next morning we were having a well deserved long lie when I heard a noise in the cockpit, getting up to investigate I found a paper bag in the cockpit but no sign of anyone. Was it a terrorist bomb! No on opening the bag we found 2 lovely chocolate croissants and a business card. Later on in the morning the owner of the business card introduced himself, an entrepreneurial taxi driver who spe******ed in helping yachties  find what they needed in the town. He had been a merchant seaman in his younger days and understood the difficulties that sailors experience when visiting a new port, he could remember visiting Greenock and Glasgow and took great delight in telling us about his time there.

Unfortunately we couldn’t put any business his way as we were leaving early next morning but we know some of the other yachts used his services and found him very helpful. We were now Cruising along Italy’s south coast and in the Ionian Sea, we were heading to Sibari (where we would winter) but not in any great hurry aiming to arrive some time early October. The south coast of Italy was beautiful and we cruised along about a mile offshore admiring the sandy beaches and mountains in the background, definitely the best scenery we had seen in Italy so far. The weather also played its part as it was still warm and sunny during the day, although it was noticeable that the days were shortening and the nights a lot cooler.

 Southern Italy viewed from the sea

 We day sailed along the coast calling at Saline Joniche and Rocella Ionica (an excellent but abandoned marina where you can stay for 5 days without any charge) as you can imagine this is a very popular stop for any boats cruising this part of the coast. The marina has is own Pizzeria and for the first time we learned to buy pizza by the metre (smallest size, half a metre) the pizza is about 18 inches wide or 50cm if you haven’t been brought up in the age of steam. Moving on from here we called into the marina at Le Castella and were surprised to be told at the office that the first night is free. This part of Italy was starting to hold great appeal, long may it continue. From here we would make one more stop before reaching Sibari and we had the choice of Crotone a large commercial port or Cariati of which the pilot book had very little information.

We decided on Cariati and were glad of this as on passing Crotone with its offshore gas platforms and petrochemical installations, it wasn’t very inviting.

After over nighting in Cariati it was only about 25 miles to Sibari and I was determined to sail this last leg, however the wind gods had other ideas and offered only calm to F1 wind and in the end the engine had to go on again! (to Anne’s delight).

We reached Sibari in mid afternoon and radioed for the pilot to come out and guide us in, the channel up to the marina has a dog-leg in it and is very shallow in parts with only 2.5 metres depth. We berthed safely and within minutes of arriving were invited to a Birthday Party being held in the Skippers Room (common room provided by the marina for live-aboards) which was great because we got to meet all the other cruisers who would be wintering here.

We will remain here until April 2007 when it is our aim to sail to Greece and cruise the islands there.

 View from Sibari marina looking inland to the mountains

For all of you who have followed our log through 2006 thank you, we hope you have enjoyed it.

It only remains for us to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Very Happy New Year when it comes.

Tom and Anne

Alba Voyager

We set sail from the anchorage at Mahon on the morning of Thursday 29th June for the South of Sardinia, the weather forecast was good although the winds would be light at the beginning.  We set the boat up motor sailing with the autohelm and settled down to what was going to be a 36 to 48 hour journey.  As it turned out the forecast was spot on with the wind slowly increasing from the north and by mid-morning of the 30th we were sailing on a reach at about 6 knots.  Sardinia didn't show through the poor visibility until we were about 7 miles off, even although it's quite high.  We had decided to make for a town called Calasetta on the Southwest corner where the chart indicated there was a marina and duly arrived at 9 o'clock in the evening.  Glad to be in as the wind had by now piped up to a force 6 and we had been hard on it for the last 8 miles.  Welcome to Italy!

After a light meal it was then off to bed for a decent nights sleep.  On our approach to the marina the previous night we had noticed a marked difference in the architecture of the houses (they had sloping roofs), it looked a lot more like back home and was a pleasant change from the more Moorish style of Spain.  On booking in at the marina office we noticed the second difference, they weren't interested in Passports or Ships Papers, only the money (this is the way it remained throughout the whole of Sardinia).  As we were going to be here for about 3 weeks we were able to get a 5% discount which brought the price down to 28.50 Euro per night and as things turned out this was very reasonable compared with the north of the island where we had to pay over 60 Euro per night.

  Calasetta Harbour with the Marina in the background

We had friends (Christine and her sister Margie) flying in for a 10 day holiday with us, so we spent the few days before their arrival finding our way around the place and arranging for a hired car.  We were now in Italy and had to start again with a new language, this is not a tourist area and the locals speak very little English.  So in the beginning it was fun, but we got there.  We picked our friends up from Cagliari Airport and spent a very pleasant time touring the area by car and ferry.  The weather was very hot and the most was made of attaining a good suntan, which seems a very British thing to do.  Not all the time was spent in the sun with the local cafe/bar coming a close second.  We even managed a cultural visit to the Caves of Is.Zuddas which were magnificent with vast caverns connected by tiny passages which in some places you had to squeeze through.  One cavern in particular "The Organ Room" was outstanding with massive stalactite and stalagmites, unfortunately photographs were not allowed.

  That all important Suntan

On saying goodbye to Christine and Margie we headed North with our first stop at an anchorage behind Capo San Marco on the West side of the island.  This turned out to be a beautiful spot with the ruins of the Roman town of Tharros easily visible from the anchorage.  That night there was a beautiful sunset, with the remains of the Roman town in silhouette, the view was breath taking.

 Anchorage at Capo San Marco with the Roman ruins of Tharros in the centre of the picture

We would loved to have spent more time here but had arranged to pick up daughter Susie and friends at Alghero in the North of the island in a few days time, so next day we sailed to Bosa about 40 miles up the coast.  On our approach to the marina at Bosa, we spotted a boat we knew in the anchorage, it was British Tiger and our friend Bill from Mallorca.  So we diverted to the anchorage and spent a very convivial night in Bill's company.  As it turned out Bill was also heading for Alghero so we departed next morning and arranged to meet up again in Alghero.  The trip from Bosa to Alghero was completely without wind so we had to motor the whole way.  On arrival in Alghero we booked into the marina and were shocked at the price being asked of 58 Euro a night.  We were even more shocked when we asked where the toilets were and were told that there were none, if we wanted toilets ashore we would have to use the public toilets.  This was a modern marina based inside the harbour, where in Britain could you build a marina and operate without toilets?  As it turned out this was not the only marina we visited in the North of Sardinia with no toilets and extortionate prices.

  Alghero Harbour entrance with Cruise Liner in the Bay just outside

We picked up our new crew (daughter Susie, her friend Nicole and Grand Nephew Darren) from the airport on Monday 31st July.  After a day in port to let the crew do a little sight seeing it was our intention to head off making our way to Fiumicino (the nearest marina to Rome) but the weather forecast wasn't good  so we sailed to Porto Conte and anchored here to await a better forecast.  This was the last safe anchorage before the North end of Sardinia where we would turn right through the Bonifacio Strait and over to the Italian mainland.  At 3 o'clock in the morning the wind increased to gale force with even stronger gusts, we started to drag our anchor, so all hands on deck, get the anchor up and try re-anchoring.  After three attempts, all of which failed to get the anchor to hold, we spent the rest of the night motoring up and down the loch until daybreak.  In daylight the wind was still up at gale force so we tried anchoring in a different place but that didn't work, therewas too much seagrass on the bottom and the anchor wasn't digging in.  As a last resort we shackled on another 4 metres of chain to the end of the Bruce anchor and then our big Fisherman and put that out.  The Fisherman got through the seagrass and we had no more trouble, so it was all back to bed to catch up on some sleep.  Three days after entering Porto Conte the weather had improved enough for us to continue.  The wind was still blowing F5 from the west and there was a 4 metre swell running but we bowled along at between 6 and 7 knots heading North to round Isola Asinara then turn East round the island heading for the marina at Stintino.  Due to our delayed departure because of the weather it had been decided that we would spend the minimum of time in Sardinia and get to Fiumicino as quickly as possible as the crew wanted to spend at least a couple of days in Rome doing the touristy bit.  Next morning we were up and away early heading for our last port in Sardinia, S. Teresa Di Gallura.  The day was a pleasant sail reaching our destination at 7 o'clock in the evening and booking into the marina at 63 Euro a night the most expensive we have been in so far.  All around the marina there were numerous bars and restaurants, all of which were very expensive and were aimed at the high-class tourist.  This was in complete contrast to what we had experienced in the South of Sardinia, which had a lot fewer tourists and catered mainly for the locals.

 S.  Teresa Di Gallura looking from the marina out through the entrance

For the overnight sail across to mainland Italy Susie who is sitting her RYA Yachtmasters Certificate would be acting skipper.  This was bad news for the old hands, she had us up early morning running through all the safety briefing, allocating watches and duties, this was like having to sit your driving test again.  However she made a good job of it and we set sail heading East out through the Bonifacio Straits then setting course for Fiumicino at the mouth of the river Tiber about 160 miles distant. The wind dropped as is normal in the Med in the evening and we motor sailed through the night.  At dawn the sea was like glass and remained like this until early afternoon when the wind picked up and we turned off the motor and became a sailing boat again.  On reaching the Italian coast there were two gas rigs with exclusion zones around them three miles out from the river Tiber which had to be negotiated, add to this, the river flows out at 3 knots making for a tricky approach.  Our skipper made a faultless approach entering the river at the same time as half the fishing fleet who don't care too much for yachts.  Quarter of a mile up river just before the first bridge we turned right into the small marina of D****na Traiano and were lucky to get the last berth.  This would be our base for the next four days whilst we made our assault on Rome, after which our crew would be leaving us to fly back to the UK.

  Darren the ship's chef busy in the galley making pancakes

We had decided to cruise the Balearic Islands instead of along the mainland coast of Spain and France.  This decision being taken after a rece' there a couple of years earlier when we found the area overly crowded with all the marinas we visited claiming to be full.  We also had some reservations with the Balearics as it has a reputation of being a large package holiday destination with all the things we were trying to avoid, however things turned out pretty good.

We had arrived in Ibiza Town and booked into the Club Nautica Marina at 36 euro a night, it was still low season, in another month it would move to high season and the marina prices would double.  Susie and Jen wanted to spend at least one night (and morning) clubbing and it was also close to the airport they were departing from in three days time, so we stayed put.

   A Clubbing Pair

After saying our goodbyes to the crew and seeing them off in a taxi to the airport, next day we set off for a quieter spot along the coast where we could relax with a bit of peace and quiet away from the town.  This we found at Cala de Port Roig, it reminded us of Caladh Harbour in the Kyles of Bute, no houses and only the sounds of nature to break the silence.  In the evening after our meal we had some bread left over which we decided to throw to the seagulls that were sitting in the water around the boat.  Within two or three seconds of the bread touching the water it was eaten by fish (big fish) before the gulls could get to it, was I glad I hadn't gone swimming in the afternoon.  We were heading for San Antonio the main town on the west side of Ibiza but had a couple of stopovers in Calas on the way there.  In Cala Badella we were joined by a superyacht, it's interesting that 90% of the superyachts we've seen so far are British registered.

  A Good Class of Neighbour

We arrived in San Antonio on Friday 5th May and anchored in the bay as the marina was along the waterfront and open to the town, it was also already packed with boats. The town was your typical holiday resort catering for the package tour punter.  However it gave us the chance to restock the boat and look for a weather window before heading over to Denia on the Spanish mainland, a distance of some fifty odd miles.  The sail over to Denia was one of those to remember with the boat cruising at 6 to 7 knots, something we haven't had a lot of so far.  However that was soon tempered by the fact that both Denia's marinas were full and couldn't take us, we plead our case and got permission to stay on the reception pontoon of the Club Nautica for the night.  One of the reasons for visiting Denia was to meet up with our cruising pals Pamela and Geoff (out of Inverkip) who were already in the Marina de Denia, at 8 o'clock in the morning we got a phone call from them to say that an Irish boat had just left the marina and if we were quick we could get their berth, we were quick!!  We spent eight days in Denia and it was topped with our meeting up with Chris (partner in the last firm I worked for)  and his wife Sandra.  We spent a pleasant day catching up on all the home news and at night went for dinner at a typical Spanish restaurant.  The restaurant had a resident painter whom, while you were having dinner painted a typical Spanish scene in oils on canvas in full view of all the diners.  He then sold raffle tickets round the tables and the painting was raffled.  As luck would have it Anne won the painting, unfortunately it was far too big for the boat and we were more than happy to give it to Sandra and Chris as a momento of our visit.  It was now time to head for Isla de Mallorca but we decided to  split the journey in two by going via Cala Portinatx on the north tip of Ibiza.  This turned out to be a beautiful spot and we stayed 3 days soaking up the atmospherenand taking walks ashore.  At night we would sit in one of the beach bars having a cool drink and just watch the world go by, this is the life!

On 25th May we reluctantly hauled up our anchor and headed for Puerto de Andraitx on the southwest tip of Isla de Mallorca, a distance of 64 miles.  The wind gods had deserted us again so we had to motor sail all the way.  We arrived just as the sun was going down and anchored in the bay which was already crowded with many other boats, deciding we would sort ourselves out in the morning.  The morning revealed the northside of the bay to be completely filled with moorings, all of which were taken, the marina was full of very large motor boats, so we decided to stay where we were and go ashore in the dinghy.  The town is small with a beautiful waterfront with lots of cafes and restaurants all along it's front.  It also hosts a WiFi hotspot that covers the harbour.  Now the mention of this to folks back home with broadband may sound strange, but for us to have communications on the boat including Skype (computer telephone system) is a big deal and one not to be missed.  We made best use of this bringing all our e mails, website and telephone calls up-to-date.  Next stop was to be Palma the capital town of the island.  We didn't like the look of the harbour area from the chart so decided to anchor in a small bay just to the west of the town, from here we could get a bus into the centre.  The bay was full of boats, half local and half cruisers.  We had a lucky escape when the wind got up and a large 80ft schooner started to move, it just missed us and stopped about 10ft short of a French boat, there was no one aboard the schooner.  When the owner returned, we told him that he was dragging, he proudly advised us this was not the case as he had out 100 metres of chain ( we and most other boats had out about 20 metres).  This means his boat could cover an area of seabed 200 metres in diameter and therefore no boat should anchor within this space.  The man was an idiot!  On a lighter note, the next day we got on the bus to head into Palma and I recognised a face on the bus, while trying to work out who he was, he spoke to me.  It was our local ( and only) butcher from Kilcreggan, Danny, sorry for not saying hello first, didn't recognise you in your shorts.  Palma wasn't really our scene, so with a good wind we headed for Puerto Colom on the east side of the island arriving on the 4th June and dropping anchor next to a Contessa 32 named British Tiger.  Puerto Colom turned out to be the jewel in the crown and we stayed a couple of weeks.  The town had everything we wanted and conveniently placed close to the harbour.  We struck up a friendship with Bill from British Tiger who was an amazing character with 3 Atlantic crossings under his belt all made in his Contessa, we could have listened to Bill's stories all day.

 Bill with British Tiger his Contessa 32

We found a marvellous seafront restaurant, which offered a 3-course lunch with wine and coffee for only 8.50 euro (about £6), and the food was excellent with a change of menu each day.  We also used to frequent a Scottish Bar and there watched the British Grand Prix and England nearly getting beaten by Trinidad and Tobago (not that it mattered in the end).  One night during our second week there was a terrific thunderstorm with gusts of wind up to F9 which caused a number of boats, ourselves included to drag our anchor.  For an hour it was pandemonium with boats going all over the place trying to re-anchor.  We were lucky and moved to the other side of the harbour and there found a spot beside moored local boats where we stayed put for the rest of the night.  At first light I went out for a look around and found one of the moored boats very close to us, there was a surge coming into the harbour.  The boat was obviously on the move so I rowed over to warn the skipper, who wasn't very happy at getting disturbed, told me he was moored and I was talking nonsense.  Half an hour later he hit the first boat, there was no one aboard so he quickly moved on and hit the second boat which had a very irate German on board who simply pushed him off.  The third boat he hit was a catamaran and he some how got his dinghy caught between the two hulls, this brought him to a halt.  He contacted the harbour office by mobile and they sent a launch to sort him out.  Did he come and apologise, no.  The boat was flying a Swiss ensign.  We left Puerto Colom on the 17th June and headed for Mahon in Menorca, 54 miles to the east, this was the last of the Balearic Islands on our list.  We arrived Mahon just as the sun was setting after motor sailing most of the way, but we were glad to be in.  We headed for one of the island pontoons run by the harbour authority, the cost came as a shock, 41 euro per night, no electricity and you had the best part of a quarter of a mile in the dinghy to get ashore.  We stayed 3 nights.

 Alba Voyager at the Island

                                                                     Pontoon in Mahon 

We moved to the anchorage which was about another quarter of a mile down the harbour and there dropped anchor in company with at least another 30 boats.  The British owned Menorca for about 100 years in the 1700s and many of the buildings have a colonial look about them.  We also built a massive fort (Fort Marlborough) which still stands in all it's glory and is a main tourist attraction.

 Cala Fonts inside Mahon Harbour

During the weekend there was a Festes (Festes de Sant Joan) in Ciutadella at the other end of the island, so we decided to take the bus and visit that.  It was a grand affair with horses (all black stallions) charging through the town.  It would never have happened in Britain, Health & Satety would have closed it down.  One of the tricks seemed to be that you should stroke the horse's belly as it reared up without getting trampled.

 There was also a competition for the rider to get his lance through a ring of about 4'' diameter while charging through the crowd at a gallop.

And finally they galloped through the crowd in pairs while hugging one another.

We don't think anyone was killed and we only saw one person get hurt, amazing!

The next picture was taken in the anchorage and looking at the walls you would think they belonged to a fort or maybe a prison......wrong!  Behind the two 7 metre high walls was a hospital for infectious cases such as yellow fever, cholera etc.  They certainly didn't want you in the community if you weren't feeling well.  Today it's used as a conference centre.  Talk about a capitivated audience.

We have very much enjoyed the Balearic Islands with Menorca as our favourite  but Sardinia and Italy beckon, so when the wind is right we will be off on the 200 mile crossing.

Farewell dinner with our friends from Olhoa

1st April 2006

Well here we are at the start of the 2006 cruising season.  The last 5 months in Olhoa have been very enjoyable and we are sorry to be leaving some very good friends (Julie and Karl, Michael and Ria) as we go our seperate ways, it's to be hoped that our paths will cross again at sometime in the future.

We set off from Olhoa on the morning of the 30th March looking forward to an overnight to Barbate on the Spanish coast.  We have Eddie and Jean Gaughan, friends from our home village of Kilcreggan on board as crew for the next couple of weeks.  The night sail turned into a night motor with not a breath of wind, but it was warm and the daylight hours were sunny so the crew set about getting a suntan, something that isn't available in Scotland in early April.  We arrived in Barbate at 11.00am and booked into the marina to await suitable weather to pass through the Straits of Gibraltar.  The Straits are only 15 miles wide and the wind blows through the Pillars of Hercules (the mountains on each side of the Straits) either from the East or West and we wanted a West wind to take us through.
Approach to Gibraltar

This we got on Monday 3rd April and we set sail for Gibraltar, the distance is only 35 miles so it was a very pleasant day sail with the sun offering a very pleasant 70 degrees.  The scenery along the coast was not unlike the West Coast of Scotland on a summer's day and we arrive in Gibraltar early evening feeling very relaxed and booked into Queensway Quay Marina for 3 nights.  For Anne and myself Gibraltar was a strange place, foreign but more British than Britain.  We went shopping in Safeway (now Morrisons) and there found all the foodstuffs we had been unable to find until now, and in the same locations as you would find in the Supermarket back home.  We were also back with the £ after a year using Euro, we had to re-orientate our thinking, things in Gibraltar with a few exceptions are more expensive than Britain.  We enjoyed our stop in Gibraltar but were keen to get across the Straits to Ceuta (Africa) and set off on Thursday 6th with the wind blowing F4 from the Southwest.  Eddie was on the helm and we flew across at 7.5 knots (best sail so far) arriving in a couple of hours in Ceuta Marina.  Ceuta is a duty free port  and as such is very much cheaper than any other place we have called at so far. Marina charges were 10 Euro per night including water and electricity (in Gibraltar we had to pay extra for both), fuel was 0.71 cents per litre compared with over 1.00 Euro in Portugal, shopping was also convenient with two large Supermarkets close at hand.  Another reason for visiting Ceuta is to take a guided day trip into neighbouring Morocco by mini-bus.  This turned out to be one of the highlights of our travels so far, unfortunately we were advised not to carry cameras or handbags and therefore didn't get any pictures.  As it turned out a small pocket camera would have been safe to carry as long as you don't use it in sensitive areas and here the guide would keep you  right.  We visited the Medina and Casaba in the town of Tetouan, had lunch in a beautiful Moorish restaurant and then drove through the mountains to Tangier where we had a walk through the old part of town and finally returned via the coast to Ceuta. To anyone visiting the area this excursion is a must.  We very much enjoyed our stay in Ceuta but Jean and Eddie were due to depart from Malaga in a few days time so it was time for moving on.
Ceuta Town by night from the marina

The nearest marina to Malaga is at Benalmadena 9 miles to the West, so this is where we were headed on Sunday 9th April.  The wind was a light Southwest and we were heading Northeast so we spent the day sailing/motor sailing the 57 miles in pleasant sunshine arriving in Benalmadena at 20.00 hours.  The marina at Benalmadena is huge berthing 1000 boats and the town is everything that we have tried to avoid so far, definately a package tour destination.  However it was different from what we have experienced so far and we enjoyed it for that.  On our last night together we decided to take in a show and were entertained to a great night by The Rat Pack at one of the local nightspots.  Next day it was off to the airport to see Jean and Eddie depart back to Scotland and pick up our new crew for the next two weeks (daughter Susie and her friend Jen).  Many thanks to Jean and Eddie for a very enjoyable time together, it was great to be together and get some sailing in.  I think the girls also enjoyed themselves.  Look forward to meeting up again soon.

Well they say bad luck goes in threes, and so it was with us!

The girls wanted to visit Morocco and so we were backtracking 57 miles to Ceuta when the first gremlin struck, our navigation computer went down.  At first we thought not a problem we have a back-up computer.  Alas when we fired up the second computer it had been corruped by software we had been trying to load in Olhao and wouldn't open up the navigation software, so we had to rely on the GPS that had been loaded with the necessary waypoints for navigation.  We arrived in Ceuta at midnight in the middle of a thunderstorm with torrential rain, but glad to be in.  On checking the computers in the morning one was found to be a hardware problem and as the computer was still under warranty it would have to be sent back to the supplier.  The other computer I thought I could fix but I wasn't sure, so we decided to buy a new computer.  We wanted it loaded with the latest version of the navigation programme but this would mean hiring a car and returning to Portugal, so it was decided to return to Gibraltar after the girls had made their visit to Morocco.  This is the point when gremlin number two struck.  We were sitting in the marina at Ceuta quite happy with the girls off on their visit to Morocco, the sun was shining and there was peace in the land.  When an Italian yacht entered the marina and tried to berth next to us, at this point I should explain, berthing here is bow or stern to the quay or pontoon.  We  were standing on the side-deck waiting to help him in and it was obvious that he wasn't lined up with the space he was trying to get into.  I shouted to him to go back out and try again, instead he gunned it in reverse and hit the back of Alba Voyager at about six knots.  The damage was considerable, putting a hole in our stern (fortunately well above the waterline) and pushing our bow onto the stone quay.  The Marina Official who was also there guiding him in ordered him back to the waiting pontoon at the entrance to the marina and called the Port Police.  So the rest of the day was taken up with the police taking photographs and getting statements and photocopies of insurance documents, not an easy job with English, Spanish and Italian speaking participants.  The evening was spent making temporary fibreglass repairs to the hole in our stern.

When the girls returned from their Morocco trip they were surprised to hear that we had had such an exciting day.  Next day we sailed for Gibraltar just fifteen miles away and had a good sail over, booking into Queensway Quay  Marina for three days.  We left the girls here to do some sightseeing on The Rock while Anne and myself set off on the drive to Portugal to get our computer problem sorted out.

On our return a couple of days later and with time getting short for the girls we decided to sail directly to Ibiza (240 miles) next day as the forecast was favourable.  For the first 20 hours we had a cracking sail averaging 7 knots an hour, then as often happens the wind died and we put on the motor to maintain 5 knots. After 6 hours of motoring gremlin number three struck, the timing gear came off the camshaft and punctured the timing casing of the engine.  This was disaster with a capital D.  We altered course and set sail for Garrucha, which has a large harbour and small marina on the Spanish mainland.  The wind was still very light and progress was slow, we arrived at 9.00pm and tied up to a fishing boat in the harbour, as the marina was full.  In the morning I stripped the engine and found the fault.  I managed to re-bolt the gear wheel to the camahaft using bolts from the timing casing.  The timing casing had a hole in it where the gear wheel had gone through, this I filled and faired with Plastic Padding and as good luck would have it held.  We started the engine and it seemed to run okay, time would tell.  Next we changed the engine oil in case any small metal fragments had contaminated it.  All this took 10 hours and I went to bed tired but satisfied, we would live to fight another day.  Next day we set sail for Cartagena 40 miles East and the jumping off place for Ibiza, after one and a half hours of motor sailing into 3 metre seas, we decided to call it a day and headed back to Garrucha to await better conditions.  One plus point, the engine held out okay.  The following day we decided to try again, this time the gods were more sympathetic and we arrived in Cartagena after a pleasant day sail.  Cartagena turned out to be a delightful place not the commercial port we had expected.  There was a good marina with excellent facilities and pleasant staff.  The town was not the usual high rise blot on the landscape architecture that you now find in so many of the Mediterranean seaside towns but stylish Moorish and old colonial buildings.  Susie decided that she would treat us all to dinner that night but it had to be in traditional Spanish style, so we set about looking for a suitable restaurant.  Next day we spent in harbour as the wind would have been on the nose for Ibiza, the forecast for the following day was much better.  And so it was we set sail for Ibiza (134 miles) hoping to carry a fair wind all the way.  The first twelve hours were fine and we made excellent progress, then the gods decided that was enough and the wind died, so it was on with the engine.  We motor sailed through the night and passed through the middle of a terrific lightening storm just before dawn.  I had read somewhere that if you are struck by lightening the only safeguard for electrical items with chips (computer, GPS etc.) is to put them in the oven which works as a Faraday Cage.  With the luck we have had recently, I thought this would be prudent, Susie thought I was mad!  Anyway the lightening passed over and we came out the other side unscathed.  After the storm passed we had a wind change ( not that there was much of it) and we decided to alter course for Ibiza town instead of San Antonio.  This we reached at 12.00 noon and booked into the Club Nautico Marina, pleased that we had made it in time for the girls to have a couple of days on the island before they flew home.  This would also see the start of our cruise of The Balearic Islands.

Alba Voyager´s  winter berth Olhao 2005

We have spent the whole of October and the first week of November cruising the Algarve, from Sagres in the west to Vila Real de St Antonio on the border between Portugal and Spain.  We even ventured 20 miles up the River Guadiana that marks the border.  Here we visited the small village of Alcoutim (Portugal) and on the opposite bank Sanlucar (Spain) both of which have ancient castles guarding the once important river crossing between the two countries (Portugal and Spain have not always been the best of pals, a bit like Scotland and England) and even today there are still a number of differences e.g. Spain is one hour ahead of Portugal in time difference.

Our winter berth for 2005/2006 is in the marina at Olhao about 6 miles east of Faro.  The marina is new (not shown in the pilot book) and is adjacent to the town.  Olhao is off the main tourist trail and depends mainly on fishing for its livelihood.  The old town architecture is very Moorish with very narrow streets running between white flat roofed buildings, many with minarets.  The facilities within the town are excellent with Supermarkets, Internet Cafe, Banks, Post Office etc. all within five minutes walking distance from the marina.  There is also an excellent street market on a Saturday morning where local farmers and traders bring their produce to sell.  We have visited other markets in other towns but the market in Olhao is by far the best we have come across yet on both price and selection, there is even a non-food section and in total there must be well over 100 stalls.
Sanlucar, it´s castle overlooking the river

The weather remains good.  This is of course a relative statement and the comparison is made with the weather in Scotland, the winter so far in the Algarve is comparable with a Scottish summer ( and long may it continue).  We are using the stopover to finish many of the jobs left uncompleted on our departure from Rhu.  With the weather being so much better it allows us to paint outside on the pontoon, so we dismantle what we can from inside the boat and work outside.  The thing we missed most on our journey down was a cockpit table, so we are in the process of making one.  This will allow us to eat most of our meals next summer outside which is much more preferable than being stuck down in the saloon or trying to balance a plate on your knee while sitting in the cockpit.  Our minds are also working on next years cruising plan and at the moment is formulating around Gilbraltar, Ceuta (Morocco, but belonging to Spain) Baleares Islas, Sardinia, Southern Italy and Croatia, so watch this space we are hoping to set off sometime in April 2006.

For everybody reading this and especially to those we know personally may we wish you a Happy New Year and all the very best for 2006.

Olhao shopping street at Christmas

Tom and Anne

Alba Voyager 2005