Frontier Living

Lagos, Portugal to Gibraltar

We launched in Lagos in a stiff breeze, the Cap’n gunning his new bow thruster for effect, and hot footed it to the anchorage in Portimao Harbour.  We spent the evening watching vast, white cruise ships come and go and over, perhaps one too many celebratory wines, decided that we would gun it too…up the middle, bags of smoke and all that…direct to Gibraltar.  A huge first sail of 175nm!  Blame the weather.  An easterly was forecast to set in any day and the last thing any sailor needs is to be making for the Gibraltar Straits in a headwind.  So, forget the tapas in Cadiz, forget a little sherry tasting or two, and really forget the slow cruise eastwards! 

Is this just a mirage?

So here we are 25 hours later, a little shaken, not stirred, but none the less happy to be on WJ3.  Both marinas in Gibraltar were full so we’ve had to take up a Schengen clock-ticking space at the huge Alcaidesa Marina in the frontier town of La Linea in Spain.  Things could be worse.  My wine glass seems bottomless, the olives delicious and the tapas helpful under the circumstances. 

Get those docklines on lad, I need to use the bathrooms...

The levanter (east wind) has set in and in the evening, a late, low cloud hangs (very decoratively) over Gibraltar.  With the promise of a boat show in the marina in a few days and warmer weather on the way, we might never leave.

 

From: Portimao, Portugal   Lat/Long: 37:06.68N  08:31.32W   Date/Time: 29/05/13: 0820
To: La Linea, Spain Lat/Long: 36:09.53N  05:21.35W   Date/Time: 30/05/13: 1100
Time Taken: 181.5nm (28.5hrs) Distance (this year): 181.5nm (28.5hrs)
Distance Total (since 2008): 11006.5nm  Weather: NW15-20kts; 1-1.5m swell; really cold & windy
Fastest Speed: Surfed at times doing 7.9kts on a following wind (8.2kts at Tarifa!)