3.15 am
Saturday 3rd July 1999. getting ready to set sail from Burnham-on-Crouch. Very
dark, thunder and lightening inland. radioed Thames coast guard for weather
forecast. Wind force 4 to 5 sounds OK.
Off Dover it was force 7. Decided to continue. Rounding Dungeness the boat hit
the water hard and Terry, my only crew, noticed the outboard engine cover
floating behind. The engine was dangling by its control cables. Recovered it and
lashed it to the davit.
The boat took quite a hammering in short steep seas, wind over tide. Typical of
the Mediterranean I am told. Lesson 1, don’t keep the outboard on the Dory.
Later found the davit mounting bracket bent and the Dory cracked and the new
stainless wires with strands broken. Gas fire fell off the saloon side.
Arrived Brighton in calm seas. Bought new Mariner outboard as the other was not
worth repairing, Andrew and Terry fixed the gas fire and we dried the galley and
fore cabin as the hatches had leaked.
Tania and Cameron came down from Shawbury. So nice to see them together with
Justine for the send off on Sunday. Cameron loved the boat and looked great at
the helm. Final two crew members Barry and Andrew arrived Saturday evening.
Terry Phillips and Mike Lindsey sailed in from Portsmouth Saturday afternoon in
Me-Mo. I was really moved by the effort everybody had put in. Quite a gathering.
Sunday 4th July 3.30 p.m. Set sail for St. Peter Port, Guernsey. Uneventful
trip, arrived 0645 Monday. Moored in the port between two big yellow buoys. Got
an insurance claim form faxed to the Guernsey Yacht Club for the outboard and
other repairs. Looked around St. Peter Port and shopped for provisions. Bought
meat from an indoor market. The butcher was French so I managed to practice my
French. He was quite a character, very jovial and friendly. Quite a laugh.
Decided the holiday had started as we lay on the deck in hot sunshine drinking G
and T. Terry threw a bucket over board and lost it getting water to put on deck
when fuelling.
Left St. Peter Port 0545 Tuesday to catch the tide. We were going to stop south of
Brest but decided to continue on across the Bay. 2 1/2 days non stop. Good trip
with calm seas, dolphins swimming in front of the boat UNTIL 90 mile from La Coruna it blew 6 at night, 7 in the morning and 8 in the afternoon. We were
going to Bayona but ran for La Coruna. The storm blew out as we entered the bay.
Stopped at Marina Sade, very nice.
In the storm the Danforth anchor broke loose and ended up wedged between a
saloon window and the gunnels. Lucky not to have lost it and not to have broken
a window. Water came over the bow and straight over the wheelhouse. In these
conditions the steady throb of the engines is so comforting. One thinks 'please
keep going'.
From Marina Sade next stop Lisbon. Decided to anchor before going into Lisbon
but the anchor chain had got so mixed up in the storms that the chain would not
come out. It took the 4 of us 8 hours to sort it out. Deployed the Danforth
anchor, very difficult to deploy and recover as it is so heavy. Will have to
devise some system to overcome this.
Terry's Portuguese came in very useful at every port.
I was looking for a sandy bay so we decided to try Sesimbra, did not think it
met our requirements but a bay further on did. 1/2 way there it blew up to force
7 so we dashed back to Sesimbra and anchored for the night.
Next stop Lagos. Did not see much of the Portuguese coast until we turned east
along the Algarve due to the mists. Anchored off Lagos harbor and hit town in
the dory. Not much to talk about. Approaching Lagos some yachts had found an
anchorage right in an inlet in the rocky coastline. Not something I would
attempt first time.
El Rompido next. What a delightful place. A long sandy bar runs 100 yards from
the beach. Buoys mark the crossing but I bumped the bottom trying to take a
short cut after following the contours. Once across it was 5 miles back along to
the town. One had to keep clear of the swimmers and every one on the beach waved
and shouted. Terry enjoyed himself waving to the girls. It was really nice
anchored near the town which was a typical unspoiled Portuguese town. No
English, Terry came into his own again.
Cadiz, 15/16 July 1999. Marina poor but the town was very old and nice. Barry
had the pile he wanted in a local cafe' which was very good.
Arrived Gibraltar 1230 16th July 1999.
Facts.
Distance logged 1376 miles
Days on board 14
Night hours 20
Longest stretch 2 1/2 days
We worked 4 hour watches with a change half way through a watch. This worked
very well. Everybody cooked but Barry was the king. Stews, Spaghetti. bolognaise
roast chicken jacket potatoes, puddings etc. We must all have put on weight.
Problems
Starboard exhaust blew. Sealed with Gun Gum (thanks to Chris Petrie for leaving
some on board)
Autopilot stopped working but easily cured as it was only dirty contacts.
Rope locker moved. Found not to be screwed down.
I fell overboard from the Dory when getting the outboard off. Saved the outboard
but my mobile did not like being dunked.
The computer monitor blew up so this is being typed in a Cybercafe'
Terry, Andrew and Barry flew back Saturday evening after we had 'done' Gib. in a
Taxi. Does not seem to be many people wanting to crew. Met a couple, also with
an old wooden boat, an ex research doctor from Cambridge. He has sold everything
and spent 3 years, and £200,000, getting his boat ready as a home. It is very
nice and he has every gismo imaginable.
Made a davit to lift the outboard onto the boat. This will double for recovering
a man overboard. New piece of pipe welded into exhaust.
This is now into the second week. Getting up early is 9.00 to 9.30!!. There does
not seem enough time to do everything, drink, sun, socialize, etc.
Waiting for the post from Justine.
Getting serious about finding crew, ANYBODY WANT A TRIP FROM GIB. TO MALLORCA or
GIB. TO MALAGA and MALAGA TO MALLORCA. 1 or 2 WEEKS.
Fuel in Gib. 10p/litre (45p / gallon)!!!
Contact numbers.
Marina Bay Complex Ltd.
Marina Bay
PO Box 80
Gibraltar
mail can take 2 weeks.
Leave message on 00 350 73300
Probably best, FAX to 00 350 42656
When I get my mobile back, next week I hope, 0378 262662
I will be in Gibraltar for at least 1 more week.
It is raining today
TONY
27-7-99