Out of the Med and 'Stuck' in Rota

After our very brief visit to Gibraltar where we managed a couple of trips to the chandlers, supermarket and of course finding a laundry (which we discovered was not a ‘Posh Wash’ as it said but a’ leaves your clothes a bit stinkier than they went in wash’) we set off.  We had calculated to leave Gibraltar four hours after HW to get the best passage although we were about an hour late for this and then I finally read the pilot which says you should leave two hours after....

Ali delighted to have the sails up

The Gennaker up sailing towards Tarifa

Through the gloom you can just see loads of windmills - def within 2km of the houses

We got off to a bad start with the wind blowing into the bay instead of the easterly promised and Ali dreaded another day of not sailing but we got the sails up as it started to turn easterly and had lunch so everyone was happy again.  Then the wind died and we had to put the engine on and we decided we would just motor around to Barbate.  Then the wind picked up again and soon we were sailing at 8 knots heading for the point at Tarifa when I made Alistair take the gennaker down again.  Which as always proved to be the right decision as soon we were reefing the main down and making up to 9 knots on increasing seas.  Incredulously we met a couple of yachts about our size motoring the other way it must have been very, very unpleasant onboard.  As the wind didn’t die immediately we reorganised our plans to go with it and maybe do an overnighter to Portugal.  As soon as the decision had been made and Ali went off for a few hours sleep the wind started to muck around and eventually we took the sails down but decided to motor on up to Rota in the bay of Cadiz.  We got in at four am and tied up at the first pontoon we came to as quietly as we could and went to bed.  It was great to tie up to a proper pontoon again rather than mucking around with lazy lines or anchors to tie back to the pier and this should be the way of it the whole way home now!  When sailing it is definitely best to start each trip with a very open mind as to where you are going to berth that night or if you will berth at all that night, I used to hate that aspect of sailing but am getting more used to it!

A view of Rota from the marina

Some more pictures from around Rota and of the fiesta

The local market building open every morning except Sunday of course

Stalls with all sorts of bling as the girls called it - tat as Ali called it...

The beach on the Atlantic side, fantastically clean and winderful soft sand.

We woke up in the lovely town of Rota and have been stuck here with strong W/NW winds for the last four days and a better place to be stuck I can hardly think of!  It has a lovely beach or two, a supermarket and many small Spanish stores, and lots of night life!  We have been lucky to hit another festival which we think has something to do with 200 years of the town market and had lots of medieval type Egyptian stalls and food cooking. 

The thing about this merry go round is that it was man powered a guy was using leg and pedal power!

Sherry Mavis Sherry!

Tapas selection

We went out with a group of Germans from our Pontoon one night to a sherry bar they had found and what a place it is!  A glass of sherry is 50 cents and there are at least 15 kinds in barrels to try and then you can buy a litre for just 3 euros or so if you like it!  But the best bit of this bar is the tapas, a small plate costs about 1.5 euros and there are cold plates of peppers, octopus, dips patatas bravas and other yummy things or you can go for the grill plates which are langoustines or chorzo or lomo all very tasty.  We had a shared feast with 5 adults, 2 kids, lots of sherry, tinto de verano and soft drinks were there for at least three hours eating and drinking all for just 44 euros in total!  By the time we left it was just really starting to fill up with locals, always a good sign! 

Hubert and George the prawn ralking to Kaylee

So here we are on the first of July the marina prices all along here and the Algarve double today and the wind is still blowing from the North West.  It looks like it may die away tomorrow so we think we will motor out or possibly sail all night to get to Portimao where we anchored back in 2009.  There we will check the weather again and depending on what it says will either try and make straight for Ireland or do some shorter trips up the Portuguese coast.  The only problem with the Portuguese coast is that at this time of year the Nordata is always blowing so to sail up the coast we will have to sail out at 60 degrees and then in again making each trip long and sailing into the wind is never fun. 

American naval base from the inner beach

Incidentally Rota has a big American naval base right next door and we are using the ‘real American Bar’ wifi at the moment.  The bar is called honey don’t cry and is the darkest bar I have ever been in it takes about 5 minutes to get your eyes adjusted to the light when you go in – are all American bars like that? 

Kaylee and Alisha wondering how to tackle their bruscheta de pollo

Ali finally found a swordfish steak!

Spain play Italy in the Euro cup final tonight so we will go out and watch it – Kaylee in her new Spanish football shirt which she chose for her up coming birthday.  Once again poor Kaylee is having her birthday on the boat and not at home with all her little pals.  Her first birthday was in Norway, her second in Ireland, her third at home as Ali was working up in Unst, then her fourth in Cornwall, fifth in Italy and 6^th on the way home last year.  She has made me promise a sleepover with some pals  when we get home though as she is feeling hard done by!