24th September 2008

22nd September 2008 - Words and Pictures
In Almerimar – we’ve been here since the 15th. We left Cartagena on Saturday 13th, anchored at Aguilas overnight and then anchored in the bay south of San Jose , Puerto Genoves, for Sunday night and then carried on to Almerimar on Monday 15th. Last night was a big thunder and lightning storm followed by heavy rain but at least it was overnight and not during the daytime. We have had rain a couple of times already here in Almerimar but it doesn’t last long. Vicky and Darren (Nocturne) arrived early yesterday so we spent most of the morning and the evening catching up with each others stories.
Now 24th – Pauline & Monty and Sheila (Pauline’s sister) & John came to visit yesterday and we had another day of rain but I suppose that now that the heat of the summer is over that there will be more days of rain. It was great to see them – it has been 10 years since we last saw Pauline & Monty so there was quite a bit of catching-up to be done.

The photos that are with this posting are 4 from Colonia de Sant Jordi (SW Mallorca), where they had the visitor centre ; then one of leaving Ibiza, and 1 passing Altea ( I think) then 3 at Santa Pola ; entering Mar Menor – 2 at the north end (Lo Pagan), 6 at the south end (Playa Honda) then 1 leaving Mar Menor. The next 5 were taken at Cartagena – 1 of the mess after the dust storm , the roman amphitheatre which is now open to the public (they were still working on it when we were first in Cartagena), 1 of Carolyn, Maria & Kit – a fantastic spanish couple that were on holiday from (near) Barcelona, that we met up near the roman ruins . Then the ‘Racing Bag-Lady ‘ & her doing the dhobying , the boat beast with his sailor pal. The last 9 are a couple at Aguilas , 3 at Puerto Genoves and 4 from here at Almerimar.

Next we move to Caleta de Velez when the weather is good for us to sail – possibly tomorrow or Friday.

12th September 2008

12th September 2008
The first night we were in the Mar Menor we anchored in the north end near Lo Pagan, the wind was coming from the beach and Carolyn wondered what the smell was – it was from the mud baths that people were going to (and plastering themselves with the smelly goo) for therapeutic treatment…. We anchored early in the day and had plenty time to wander ashore – local map of the area showed that there was a campsite at the south end of the inland sea and as the wind was changing to the south we sailed there the next day (Tuesday 2nd). On the way we had our own private display very close to the boat from the Spanish equivalent of the Red Arrows who were practising for the Murcia show – it was quite good and we managed to get some good video and a couple of pictures. Anchoring at the campsite near Playa Honda was a good idea because it had laundry, showers, a beach café were we landed, and a supermarket at the other end of the camp (about a kilometre walk – big campsite). There are buses to the local towns and Cartagena (12Km) and a cash machine and an internet room (pay) on site; the people we met were very helpful and there was no problem using the campsite facilities. A lot of people claim that the holding for the anchor is not very good in the Mar Menor but we survived a 40+knot blow – OK we had 40 metre of chain out in only 3 metre water but we had plenty swinging room; the bottom was muddy / clay / sand with weed. The strong winds lifted the dust and soil off the land and covered (one side of) the ropes and the whole boat with a thick coating of fine reddish dust. Another problem while we were there was that the trees were being sprayed with fertiliser; they waited until the Spanish holidays had finished then made the most awful smell with the (chicken or pig?) manure – which had the added bonus of bringing swarms of flies – horrible…

Jade (Norman & Pat) had been coming out of the Mar Menor as we were going in and we passed each other in the canal – and we have now met up with them again in Yacht Port Cartagena, where we have been since Sunday 7th. The YPC used to be the super-yacht harbour and is next door to the marina we stayed in on the way out. We cleaned off the remaining dirt from Mar Menor but then the next day had massive winds overnight from the north which gave the boat and ropes another coating of fine red dust worse than before (will put up some pictures on next upload) – so had to wash the whole boat down again. Cartagena ( as with most of the places that we have seen on the way to the Balearics) appears very different from when we first visited earlier in the year. The theme of the next fiestas is Romans & Carthaginians but they don’t start until the end of next week, sadly, we will miss them. I think it is similar to the Moors & Christians and looks good in the brochures (maybe next time…)..

The water supplied to the jetty is good here (not so good in Santa Pola) so we have emptied out the remaining water and topped up with fresh, checked the fuel remaining and started roughing out a plan for the journey back to Gibraltar so that we have an idea of anchoring opportunities and harbours to suit weather conditions. We will be leaving here tomorrow and next harbours will be Almerimar and Caleta de Velez (besides some anchorages).

3rd September 2008

1st September 2008
Well we did leave Cala Grassio on Friday (22nd) and went straight to Moriara the wind and sea were from the port quarter with the wind too light to give a reasonable sail and the swell too big to be comfortable – so we motor-sailed the whole way. Cala Grassio turned out to be a bonus, we had moved there on the Thursday from San Antoni because the wind had changed direction again – Grassio is just a wee bit north of SA (about 2 miles). The anchorage was in good sand (but rolled a little from the wash off the passing ferries), we didn’t like the music being broadcast by one of the local bars during the day but it changed to something more mellow for the evening and was finished by midnight. The blog (last entry) had been prepared earlier and only had to be up-loaded to the internet – so while Carolyn went for her shower to the club nautico I went to a local bar near the boat to have a beer and do the blog. The shame was they were just closing but I finished up-loading the blog and said that I would have a second small beer outside while waiting for my wife and watch our boat. So that started a conversation with ‘Angel’ who was serving, about our route and travels which I could show him on the computer, one of the local ‘worthies’ was also very interested; when Carolyn turned up she had a small glass of wine just as the owner / manager arrived to lock-up. Introductions were made all round but then it was time to go and I asked how much I owed him – ‘no charge, Sir!’ and when I protested he said that he was so impressed with what we were doing on the small boat he could see in the bay – and all the way from Scotland – there was no charge. Well ! – fantastic.. first time ever – free wifi, free beer and free wine.. I suppose it also made a nice change to them from all the serious ‘party’ holiday-makers that are his normal clientele.

In the morning when we left the skies opened up just as we were hauling anchor and gave a spectacular downpour with thunder and lightening (was Ibiza crying or is that a song???). The youngsters sleeping on the beach got a rude awakening at 7am. When we got to Moriara the marina was very full and the bay also but mainly ‘day-boats’ in the bay so we anchored amongst them and moved a couple of times when space and better position allowed. We knew we needed diesel and that the weather was swinging around to come into the bay (the holding was also a bit patchy) so we only stayed the one night and sailed to Calpe (next day) but as it was Sunday the fuel station was shut ( we radioed them); so we continued the sail to Altea and topped up with fuel there. We found a mooring for the Sunday night in a bay nearby (Cala Abrir – rolly with swell) and then moved onto Santa Pola for our treat of 3 days in the marina. The new marina at Santa Pola is Marina Miramar and is fantastic – we stayed there in March on the way to the Balearics and have recommended it to a few friends; the office staff and the marineros are the best we have ever met and although the prices are a little on the high side for our size of boat (because the minimum charge is for an 11 metre boat) the facilities are excellent. We met Charlie and Alison (Breagh) again while in S Pola and enjoyed another great night of their company (although I did have a bit of a laugh at Alison’s expense… she normally goes to her bed relatively early – and when asking the time during the evening I would show her my watch …. – Oh! Only 9 o’clock – that’s OK! However , no-one said that my watch is set to UTC (or GMT) which is 2 hours behind local time…. No wonder she was so tired when she decided it was time-to-go at 23:40 on my watch…). Sorry, Alison !!
We also met another Scottish couple from near Stonehaven ( Colin & Maggie) – so it was a bit of a co-incidence that we had, in the past, both kept our boats at Rhu at the same time; and also that because I stayed in the areas around Stonehaven & Skite we could talk about things and people from that area.

Our 3 nights in harbour were very warm because we did not have the benefit of a sea-breeze and also was busy with promenaders walking up and down the jetty where we were tied up, which was not all bad because we did receive a lot of compliments on the good ship Balchis. Then we had a (cooler) night at anchor in the bay which is good holding and settled if the weather is from the right direction; back into the marina for 1 more night then sail down to Torrevieja. So – now it’s Saturday the 30th and have a good anchor inside the harbour near Bob & Di (Sheer Fantasy) but the local police turn up on Sunday morning and tell everyone that is anchored that they must move on because you can only anchor in the harbour if the weather is very bad outside. At least I think that’s what they said – all in Spanish , of course! So I say – ‘Nae bother, yo voy a Mar Menor, pronto’; and here we are in the Mar Menor. We anchored outside in the bay just to the north of the port of Tomas Maestre last night but the wind turned to the north during the early hours of the morning ( not forecast – and left the anchorage open) so we were up at 6am and moved round the point to come into Mar Menor on the first bridge opening at 8am.
1st of September now – and as they say in Blairgowrie ( and probably a few other places) ‘Aye - the nights are fair drawin’ in !’ We are definitely on our way back now and have time in hand so as not to be rushing along the coast if we don’t need to – we will shelter from the weather and enjoy the places we visit.