July 2008 - Lead, kindly light

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Barbate to Rota
17th July
It's blowing a gentle easterly F4 this morning when we motor out of Barbate and along the coast past the old hippy colony of Canos de Meca to round Cape Trafalgar within 200 metres of the shore, the inshore passage taking us safely clear of the shallows further out.

Since the wind is aft of the beam, we sail on up the coast under yankee only.  We watch a ship inshore of us pump sand onto the long beach. From a distance it looks like a fountain. The wind goes a little more northerly as we go, so we keep as upwind as the yankee will allow. We're lunching on pitta sandwiches with ham and cheese when Cabo Roche is abeam to starboard.

When the wind eases a little, we hoist the mainsail - the first time since Marbella!  It's an absolutely glorious sail and we hand steer for the sheer enjoyment of it.  At 14.30, without warning the wind goes round from northeast to southwest!  This means all our creeping up to windward has resulted in us now finding ourselves to leeward.  It wouldn't matter if it isn't for the fact that Islota Sancti Petri is in the way.  Because the island is fine on the starboard bow, we initially mistake it for a barge. Once we've sorted out what it actually is, we realise we're going to have to be hard up on the port tack to clear it.  Never mind, it's still a glorious sail, and the wind frees just enough for us to get past without too much trouble.
towards Cape Trafalgar
Approaching Cape Trafalgar from Barbate
At 17.20, the fort off Cadiz is abeam to starboard and we alter course for Rota in the northern corner of the bay.  It is good to see other sailing boats out on the water for a change. As we cross the bay we pick up the US forces radio station - Eagle FM which plays cheesy pop music for American's finest. Today has been the best sailing day of the trip - what it's all about!

In Rota
18/19 July
We take the fast ferry from Rota to spend the day ashore in Cadiz.  During the morning, we notice the wind has got up, making it very hot and dusty in the city.  We enjoyed visiting the Cadiz Museum of Archaeology and Fine Arts. It contains an amazing collection of Roman, Phoenician and Moorish artefacts, jewellery and statues.  Cadiz claims to be the one of the oldest inhabited cities in Europe, founded in 1100 BC by the Phoenicians, who named it Gadir. It was particularly interesting to find out about Baelo Claudio, a Roman town just south of Punto Caraminal which we could see from the boat when we went past. The Romans settled there to catch tuna and make garum, a salted delicacy made from the fish. 
Cadiz rooftops door detail

At the municipal market, we stock up with fresh meat, fruit and vegetables. On the ferry back to Rota, there's no apparent wind on deck. Since the ferry does 30 knots and we're going downwind, it must be blowing a similar speed.  Back in the marina, we can believe it. Our berth is open to the wind, making the boat surge back and forth against our mooring lines. I do a load of washing, and at the risk of losing it overboard, peg it out to dry, which takes less than an hour.  

We noticed yesterday that we have another casualty of the gale off Tarifa.  The port hand navigation light has lost its case.  Thinking we have a spare in store in Ayamonte, we're reluctant to fork out for a new one, and resolve to improvise.  In one of the local tourist shops, we find what we christen the Jesus light, which with some judicious duct taping, now pretty much conforms to collision regulations. And we even have the candle left over! I wonder if it would make it into Practical Boat Owner.........

Before 

The fix
After

The wind continues overnight and is still blowing in the morning when we check the weather forecast on the internet. It looks like we'll stay put today instead of going to Chipiona as we planned. Just as we're wondering how Donil and Margaret are faring in their anchorage at Puerto Sherry, they show up to take shelter in Rota marina!   I do another load of washing, we go for a sandblasting walk along the beach later and take refuge from the wind in an icecream parlour. That evening, we're invited for a farewell fish supper onboard Re Shuanta with Donil and Margaret.  The wind has finally abated and it's a calm evening. We've really enjoyed their company and to hear about their ARC Atlantic circuit. Speaking with Donil on the HF has demystified the radio for Leighton, who is now very happy about using it.

Rota to Ayamonte
8th July
It's 60 miles to the Guadiana river from Rota, so it's going to be a long day.  We're up at 5.30 for a quick breakfast before leaving at 6am in the dark. It will be the first test of the Jesus light!  We're touched to find Donil on the pontoon. He has got out of bed early to help us slip our lines and to say farewell. We clear the port hand safe water mark 40 minutes later and set our course for the starboard hand buoy marking the entrance to the Guadiana river.  For the first time on this trip it's cloudy, and it feels quite chilly sailing closehauled in the light westerly breeze. By mid-morning, still with no sign of the sun, the wind dies and we motor, leaving the main up.  The sun comes out eventually, but the wind is now too northerly to point to our destination, and we have a tidal gate over the Guadiana river bar to meet.  It's low water springs over the bar at midnight, and we must get there at least two hours before, earlier if we can.

At 5pm, the wind backs westerly and freshens. Out come the two foresails and we make good time sailing at 50 degrees off the wind.  After an hour the wind freshens further, and we take down the staysail, then reef the yankee.  Leighton has a radio chat with Donil, and it looks like we will get to the bar by 9pm - the holiday apartments of Islantilla and Isla Christina are to starboard.  With a mile to go from the bar, we decide to reef the main right down to make her easier to manage, not least because going at speed over the bar would be decidly imprudent. It is hard to see the navigation buoys ahead in the low sun.  At quarter to nine we put the engine on just in case and turn into the channel. Watching the depth disappear the last time we came over the bar was so nerve-wracking, that I don't want to know this time.  Leighton guides us over the bar by watching the depth sounder at the chart table.  We surf down the steep waves (it's wind against tide here) until we get behind the shelter of the breakwater, and we're into deep water again.  It takes us nearly two hours to do the five miles from the bar to Ayamonte against the ebb, only to discover someone's in our berth! We tie up on the empty hammerhead instead, and crack open a bottle of wine to celebrate our safe return.  Our total trip distance is 680 miles.

Putting the boat to bed

The nice part about Ayamonte is being welcomed back into the community on the pontoons.  Peter and Lorie have sold Tonia, the boat we did our day skipper course on in Ibiza years ago. Her new owners are a young French family, who are holidaying onboard before getting her shipped back to France. Our neighbours David and Jane on Dee-Dee invite us over for a drink and figs - a welcome break to cleaning.   Two days later, we say goodbye to Makarma and catch the flight home.  By chance, the Flybe pilot happens to be someone we know from our village, so we cadge a lift from him all the way to our front door.  How's that for service!

 Gordon the ship's mascot, left behind to look after the boat

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