Socially Acceptable at Last

Even More Nav Plans

The Motley’s are excited to announce that we again have (some very brave) crew arriving in June to help us sail to the Balearics.  Obviously it only takes one to start the ball rolling.  GS (aka Chief Navigator) has made these plans to get us from Gibraltar to Menorca with a little sightseeing in between….( weather & time permitting):

Our planned cruising area

Gibraltar.  We will leave our guests to climb the Rock, talk to monkeys and wander down historic streets.  When we’re ready, we’ll hit the magenta line.  Needless to say, we also plan to stock up on goodies that promise to be hard to find once we’re underway, such as British beef & lamb, mint sauce, creamed honey and marmalade.  Thank goodness for our WAECO.

Smir, Morocco.  We loved exploring Chefchaouen so much with BCK we are hoping our guests don’t mind taking time for a ride up to into the Rif Mountains with us.  We can, after sipping mint tea, stroll through the famed blue village and visit its walled medina.

Cueta, Spain.  We’ll take a stop at this interesting Spanish enclave on the African coast to stock up on groceries and wait out tides and winds to cross the Gibraltar Straits.  Then let the day hopping along the Spanish “Costa del Sol” begin.

Costa del Sol, Spain.  Our main stop will be Fuengirola Marina.  From here we can explore Roman ruins and palaeolithic caves in Ronda; walk through Mijas, one of the famed Andalucían white villages; and then catch a train to Granada to explore the famous Alhambra and Generalife Gardens.  I’m sure we’ll have time to snack on tapas, dance flamenco and taste head-spinning local vinho (it will be the cheap stuff JD – so prepare yourself!).  Nearby Malaga also has the Museo Picasso, so be prepared for a little culture hit too!

Costa Blanca, Spain.  A few more day stops to Cartagena, a famous old town and our base to explore this coast.  After days of being turisticos, we will anchor to R&R in the Mar Menor, a shallow inland sea.

Costa del Azahar, Spain.  Last stop along mainland Spain’s orange blossom coast will be Valencia where we can hunt for the Holy Grail, said to be in the Cathedral there.  We can also prepare ourselves for the party and sun worshippers that flock to the Balearic Islands over a plate or two of paella. 

Ibiza, Mallorca & Menorca, Spain.  Hopefully we’ll have time and weather to enjoy the good life as we anchor in narrow calas, eat at beach cafes and swim in clear blue waters.  Somebody famous lives here for sure but I don’t think we’ll really care…

A hectic schedule?  Of course!  We hope the crew approve and it's always open to discussion and weather dependant!  Meanwhile the Motley's are busy preparing WJ3 for her Monday morning splash (27th May).  From Lagos we will slowly make our way to Gibraltar, so keep your eye on our tracker & map. (Let's make that a 28th May splash - the steaming light's not working & that means another trip to the top of the mast for our Cap'n.)