It was the middle of the morning on a mid-July Monday as Gemini J set out in hazy, gusty conditions from Cartagena. The forecast was for winds around 10-12 knots which we hoped we might take advantage of as we headed towards Cabo de Palos and the Mar Menor.
We quickly realised that the first part of the journey would be a bit of a slog – against the conditions in a metre swell …… we knew it would be until Cabo de Palos lighthouse since that is where we change direction and head north east. We decided (after various discussions and whole heap of disappointment that there was no sailing to be had) to continue the journey and hope for a change in wind direction.
As we rounded Cabo de Palos our hopes were high for a bit of sailing but the swell put paid to that ….. we did try a bit of motor sailing as we headed towards Isla Grosa. We decided at that point to head for our old home port of Marina Salinas and at half past eight in the evening we finally pulled in. We were opposite the fishing boats and enjoyed watching them prepare for their night’s work as we recovered after our long day.
A word at this point about the weather, you’ll see from the photos that there is a distinct lack of blue skies. I can’t express how hot and humid it was …. when we woke up in San Pedro humidity was registered at 89% and the temperature was already 30 degrees so we wanted to get moving and try to get a breeze over us as soon as possible. We decided to continue our journey northwards and headed out of the marina.
The skies were hazy once again and there wasn’t much wind but plenty of swell once again. It wasn’t uncomfortable on the boat but it certainly wasn’t the loveliest day for a sail. We decided to anchor at Torrevieja with the hope that we might get a swim ……
We anchored just inside the harbour wall where there were a few other yachts and once Skipper Nigel was happy that the anchor was set he prepared for a bit of a swim and snorkel. Unfortunately it didn’t last too long as he spotted a jellyfish nearby and the water was not very clear at all. However, he was refreshed at least and we both used the boat shower to cool off – phew !
We enjoyed watching boats and jet skis coming into and out of the very busy port – we were sitting nicely on anchor but the conditions meant we kept spinning round as the sea and wind changed. Nice for a different view. Considering we were on anchor we slept reasonably well and woke up to more heat, hazy skies and a little bit of a swell.
The following day we decided to aim for Isla Tarbarca which is just off Santa Pola and is considered one of the most beautiful places along this coastline (how we haven’t been there before is a bit of a mystery). As we lifted the anchor I quickly realised there was a bit of a problem – somehow the chain had wrapped itself around the anchor and was really tangled up – this meant the anchor couldn’t come up the rollers and into position for sailing. Skipper Nigel and I had to switch places quickly and as I motored the boat he used his super-strength and managed to untangle it. There were a few hairy moments but before long we were bouncing along towards Tabarca. The sun was out amongst the haze and it was hot, hot, hot so we got out the umbrella to try for some shade before it got too bouncy. It wasn’t a particularly long journey but long enough for us to realise that it was too much of a swell (with the odd white tops too) for us to anchor. We switched to our plan B which was a night in Marina Miramar in Santa Pola.
When we arrived it was once again ridiculously hot ….. Skipper Nigel wore the bag of melted ice as a hat and I dashed out for ice creams. We always have a fun time in Santa Pola and this was no exception – as I went into the office Carmen was really happy to see us – and immediately gave me the walking stick we had lost there 18 months earlier !!!! We couldn’t believe they had kept it so long having found it after we had departed on our long trip last year! That’s customer service.
The night in Santa Pola was to mark a turning point on our trip – we were both struggling with the heat and on looking at the forecast it was not going to improve (in fact a full-on heatwave was due with temperatures well into the 40’s). We decided to re-consider our options and look at how to make the best of the weather whilst looking after each other and the boat in the extreme temperatures we were having. We finally decided to go with the wind but that story is for next time 🙂
The Adventures of Gemini J 