Our Nine Year Honeymoon

Chapter 1

Penarth to Gibraltar

The Send-off party in Penarth Yacht Club brought friends and colleagues together from all around the area. Billy Hill, The Club Commodore, made a presentation to us. Members had collected a goodly sum, enough to buy us a stainless steel barbecue to fit on Eclipse. A most appropriate gift which saw a tremendous amount of use over the next nine years!

Regatta Day came, and with daughter Lucy and friends Elaine and Stuart aboard, Eclipse left the Marina lock with bunting aloft. We made our way to the start line, the day was grey and the wind was in the west. Not ideal conditions for a passage to Tenby, but I was determined to go as planned, after the official send-off. Eight hours later we anchored at Mumbles. The crew were tired and a little off-colour, but next day we were blessed with good weather to take us around Worm’s Head and across the bay to Saundersfoot. Once in Pembrokeshire there was ample time to see relatives and friends, and have another leaving party, this time in the Mulberry Restaurant.

Wednesday July 6th. Anchored off Tenby, brother-in-law Billy Stubbs came aboard, the wind was in the SW, but forecast to go NW, so as soon as this happened (about 19.30) the three of us set sail for Lundy, reaching there by midnight, for a settled night beneath the South Lundy Lighthouse.

Thursday, 07.15 hrs, and heading for Padstow with a 12 knot westerly breeze. The day started well, but soon clouded over. As the breeze died, the engine took over, we caught a few mackerel, and made fair progress. By lunch time the rain set in, the visibility remained good, so when we heard a yacht making contact with Padstow Harbourmaster, unable to make an entrance because of engine failure, we arranged a rendezvous at Stepper Point. From there we towed ‘Hong Kong Lady’ over the Doom Bar and up the River Camel to Padstow. ‘Hong Kong Lady’, a Dufour 45, was on passage from Preston to Malta but suffered a diesel blockage, which took a few days to overcome before pressing on. Les and Alice, the owners, showed us their appreciation with a couple of G and T’s, and compared notes on our forthcoming plans to sail to the Med. We did meet again in Spain and Corfu, but more of that later!

St.Ives was our next stop, before rounding ‘The Longships’ lighthouse off Land’s End in a good SSW wind with a moderate to rough sea, and poor visibility. Passing close to Mousehole and Newlyn, we moored in the sheltered Penzance harbour. A pint in ‘The Admiral Benbow’ went down very well that evening!

Monday, 11th July, wind S- force 2, and calm sea; we had an easy trip around the Lizard, passed ‘The Manacles’ and into Falmouth. Here Billy caught the National Express coach back to Pembrokeshire, leaving us to visit Penrose Sailmakers to order a nice big sun canopy. This took nearly a week to make, which provided a good opportunity to meet up with Penarth friends David and Marianne Grigg on ‘Laverbread,’ who were entertaining Anne and Billy Hill. Port Navas Yacht Club in the Helford River was the ideal venue for a splendid evening meal together. Each day we explored the Helford and the Fal until the canopy was ready, finally trying it out at St. Mawes whilst also firing up our new Barbecue. At anchor here was a beautiful American schooner called ‘Tree of Life’, which we met again later on in Oporto.

Evey had never seen the Southern Coast of Cornwall and Devon, so now was the chance to potter along, to see Mevagissey, Fowey, and Polperro, arriving in Plymouth in time to welcome aboard Terry and Wendy from Penarth, and my son Chris with his girlfriend Wafae and her Mum. They all stayed for a short sail to the River Yealm, where we enjoyed aperitifs in Newton Ferrers Yacht Club prior to gorging on Evey’s superb Sunday Roast, with ten veg!! Our guests left on Sunday evening, and Monday was a maintenance day before heading for Dartmouth which was our final mainland UK port.

Thursday, July 28th, Forecast:- NW 3/4; Away at first light (05.00) with 67 nm to go to St. Peter Port. Good visibility, a slight sea, and 6 knots of wind, meant that we had to motor-sail all the way, arriving safely by 17.00. When we dropped ‘ the hook’ in Havelet Bay, the propeller was not responding, so a trip over the side with fins and mask into cold, but not too cold, water revealed a large lump of fishing net around the prop. A sharp knife and several deep breaths did the trick!

On Saturday, Chris caught up with us again. This time his mates Matt and Gareth accompanied him for a week’s sailing to Jersey and Brittany, calling at Tréguier and Perros-Guirec before they returned home on the ferry from Roscoff.

The ‘Chanel duFour’ was calm for our passage to Camaret, and after a day for laundry and passage planning, picturesque Concarneau was next, but with only a small inner harbour we opted for the nearby anchorage in Anse de Kersos.

It’s a good job we had time on our side, because Tuesday August 9th produced prolonged thunderstorms and heavy rain. We stayed put! The 46nm from Concarneau to Belle Ile was not very inviting in the rain. We started early next morning and by 10 o’clock the rain was easing, turning showery by midday, and eventually brightening up by 4. Le Palais was very busy, with lots of French yachts, berthed three abreast, but we got in, and went ashore to eat in an excellent small bistro.

On leaving Le Palais, we were immediately stopped by French Customs Officers who came aboard to check our papers.Fortunately everything was in order. The sun was out, the wind on the quarter, blowing a steady 10 knots, and Ile de Yeu was 50 miles ahead. A great day’s sailing, mainly without the engine, got us in by 18.00. Port Joinville harbour was also very full, with three rafts of yachts, each with about 6 boats. All was fine until about 5am when the Frenchman on the inside, by the wall, decided to leave. He just cast the three rafts adrift without a thought and left a pyjama clad set of crews to sort things out! Friday, it was shopping, and then motoring to Anse de Vielles at the southern end of Ile de Yeu. We caught a small cod en route, on a mackerel spinner, and at the end of the day, the swimming was good near a clean sandy beach.

Evey’s brother Albert Hans, with his wife Annelieke, and 3 children, Meike, Tessa and Freek, travelled from Zutphen in the Netherlands to meet us in Les Sable d’Olonne for part of their summer holiday. As it was their first experience of sailing, the day sails were quite short, leaving lots of time for swimming and barbecuing.

The youngsters liked the novelty of sleeping on board whilst Ma and Pa slept ashore in their caravan. A good time was had by all until Friday 19th August when we went our separate ways. The caravaners headed inshore and Eclipse sailed on to St. Martin, Ile de Ré, and Port St Denis. This was the place where Evey’s endeavours to give up smoking started to falter. There was little evidence near the marina of anywhere to relax and enjoy a cool drink. A considerable walk into the countryside took us to a caravan park, the owners offering us the use of their small bar to quench our thirsts. The Swiss hostess and her French husband made us very welcome, and Evey, after the off-hand experiences of the French yachties in Ile de Ré, and a long tiring walk from the boat, was gasping for a ‘puff’. The only brand available was Gauloise, but that did not deter. Nine months abstinence came to an end.

From Royan at the mouth of the Gironde, to Bayonne, near the Spanish border, is a beach which is over 140 miles long. The Atlantic rollers crash onto the shore all the way down. The only port is Arcachon, 67 nm. from Royan. The entrance was exhilarating, to say the least. After 13 hours, in a good Westerly force 4, sailing about a mile offshore, we approached the North Channel to take us around Cap Ferrat. The channel is marked by lateral unlit buoys which are moved as the sand banks change. The Pilot Book warns- ‘Do not attempt to go outside the buoyed channel’! With the wind dead astern, breakers to the left, and breakers to the right, we followed the buoys, gybed around a dog-leg, and shot into the river leading up to Arcachon Marina. There we stayed for a couple of days, and learnt of the tragic death of two yachtsmen who had rolled their boat on a sand bank only two weeks previously.

The Bassin D’Arcachon made a good size inland sea, but motor sailing around it was made very difficult by the amount of grass type weed floating around. Every half-hour I had to stop the engine and clean the strainer on the cooling water inlet. To facilitate an early start on our passage to Bayonne, the anchorage near Cap Ferret seemed like a good idea. The tideway was running at 3 or 4 knots, but the anchor dug in well. A mooring buoy to starboard was about 2 boat lengths away, which usually gave ample ‘swinging room’. An evening stroll ashore via a nearby landing stage was very pleasant, but on our return, a steel passenger boat had picked up her mooring, and because of her different underwater characteristics, and the effects of wind and tide, the steel boat had collided with Eclipse causing some considerable damage to the teak rubbing strake amidships. My beautiful varnish work was ruined! We both felt ‘gutted’ and hardly spoke a word to each other for 2 days!

The Southern Channel out was far more straightforward than the Northern one. It was Sunday, August 28th. The Forecast: NW 3, with sunshine, and a calm sea. The wind did not manage more than 6 knots, thus the engine ran for 14 h0urs, getting us into Anglet Marina in Bayonne by 23.00hrs. Mooring in a strange place in darkness was not something we liked to do, but on this occasion there were no problems, and a good night’s sleep was more than welcome.

Biaritz looked good from a distance, as we passed by en route to St. Jean de Luz. The charm and the lights at night made us stay a couple of days. On Wednesday, with a stop in Hendaye, spending our last 200 French francs on 10 gallons of diesel, we crossed the border to Spain to sample the very different culture of San Sebastian.

The first trip ashore made us wonder if there were any environmental health rules! The litter on the floor by the bar was unbelievable, with tissues from the Tapas to the hundreds of cigarette ends, produced by both customers and bar staff as they smoked incessantly. The smoke filled atmosphere probably did a great job in curing the many Serano hams hanging from the ceiling!

Ten miles on as Eclipse approached Guetaria, a big Spanish Customs Boat steamed up alongside, escorted us into the port, and once safely tied up, the officers proceeded to search us thoroughly, looking behind head linings, and emptying lockers. They seemed quite surprised that we were not carrying anything illegal! However, it was reassuring that they did a good job in helping to keep smuggling in check, and now that our presence and intentions were loaded into their computer system, we looked forward to an uninterrupted passage along the North Spanish Coast.

Saturday, September 3rd, a 4 hour motor sail took us to Lequieto, a lovely old fishing port. We took a one hour break for lunch in a fisherman’s Taverna, to sample fresh, superbly cooked calamares, presented on a saucer in a cone shape, they were fantastic! Finally that day we moored against the harbour wall in Bermeo.

Bermeo to Bilbao was a long 16 miles. Backing winds on both the headlands we passed resulted in a 27 mile passage. Anchored off Las Arenas, in pouring rain, we went ashore to find a cash point and a restaurant. There were plenty of cash points but a major communications problem prevented any of them from working. Only one restaurant was open at 8pm on a Sunday evening, but of course the Spanish don’t eat until much later. Luckily we dined well, albeit the only customers present, and my debit card was accepted. Next day and another 10 miles with little wind, the stopover was at Castro Urdiales. The water was inviting, even alongside the North jetty, so over I went for a refreshing cooler before dining al fresco on Evey’s mouth-watering pork chops. We wouldn’t have enjoyed them nearly so much if we had realised then what I awoke to in the morning.

My last birthday present from Evey, a heavy St. Christopher and gold chain, was missing. I had forgotten to take it off before swimming and no matter how many times I dived down under the boat, it was nowhere to be seen!

The final pause, before being storm bound in Santander, was at Santoña. The bull ring there was close to the shore, but we were not ready to stomach the real thing when we wandered around the town. As it happens the day’s events were being televised, so back on board we watched on TV enough to satisfy our curiosity, and then followed the more humane gig racing on the water.

Wednesday, September 7th. We were motoring in light winds towards Santander, when, suddenly the engine temperature shot up! With plenty of sea room, and no immediate dangers, we wallowed until I replaced the fan belt. That took about an hour. By 15.00 hrs we were in familiar waters, having been to Santander some years previously. The anchorage outside Real Club Maritimo was convenient, with good facilities. Our mail from UK had arrived safely, and so too did friends Rachel and Carleton on Saturday. Anchored nearby was a Swedish Yacht, ‘ADRIANA’. The skipper was Rune Mannerstam, from Stockholm, sailing singlehanded to the Mediterranean. He joined us for a BBQ on Tuesday evening. The Langoustines and Gambas plus very tasty chops, were bought in Santander’s Central market, and turned out to be really delicious. Alas, that evening there was a gale warning for Biscay. The wind came up, and the flat bedrock did not provide the best holding. At 00.30 we entered the Marina, about ¾ of a mile upstream. Safely moored, and after reasonable night’s sleep, the 44 knot gusts abated, allowing us to return to the Club Maritimo anchorage. The Gales persisted for 4 days, in which time Carleton and Rachel left for home. A Fiesta for Saint Ander took place on Thursday 15th of September. Hospitality in the Club Maritmo was good, but we chuckled about the conveniences, which, when flushed, revealed a hole through the floor, straight into the tideway! No wonder the grey mullet were there in their hundreds!

By Saturday, high pressure was forecast from Southern Ireland to Finisterre, giving us a Northerly breeze on Sunday. Fifty five miles motor sailing, with a slight swell, was not particularly comfortable, with the onshore breeze causing big enough waves to rebound off the huge vertical cliffs. This made for a short chop, which slowed our progress. Adriana sailed in company and we reached Ribadisella by 8 o’clock in the evening. This small fishing port in a beautiful mountainous setting offered good shelter alongside the quay, where we grounded for a couple of hours over low water.

Another thirty miles in similar conditions took us to Gijón. We went ashore on Tuesday morning for Evey to buy some groceries, and for me to buy a new blocking diode for the battery charging circuit. Eclipse was in the marina, so no dinghy was required to reach the shore. I bought my diode, went back aboard, and fitted it. By the time I had finished and had a cup of coffee, there was still no sign of Evey! The small supermarket was only about a ten minute walk away. Where on earth was she? Her sense of direction is not brilliant, so on leaving the shop, she went in completely the wrong direction lugging her shopping with her, but saw no sign of any marina. It was gone 13.30 before we left on our next leg to Aviles. Adriana was with us, but was having VHF radio problems. Rune decided to return to Gijón for repair. We sailed on in 16 knots of wind which soon freshened to make gusts of over 30 knots.

The Autumn Equinox was upon us, for a short sail to the exceptionally picturesque Cudillero, followed by a 42 mile passage to Ribadeo. Successfully navigating the entrance around Punta de la Cruz and up the river, we entered the small harbour. Then we thought we were doomed! The gear/throttle control handle came loose. The engine raced, and I could not disengage the forward gear. We were heading at full speed straight for a small overhanging cliff with a crane on top. With full starboard helm, and a very deep breath, we managed to spin around, missing the newly installed pontoons by inches, and squirting back out into the river like a bar of soap. Luckily no vessels were entering at the same time! Once outside I managed to reach the engine STOP control, which eventually cut the engine. Quickly we released the anchor onto a nice sandy river bed, and spent the next hour cooling off and fixing the problem.

From Ribadeo to Cedeira we were lucky to have calm seas and a following wind to take us around Cap Ortegal. On Saturday, 24th of September, we tucked ourselves into the NW corner of the anchorage to obtain more shelter from the strong westerly wind. The rain was horizontal and lasted all day and all night. Cedeira was a small working town with friendly ‘natives’ who insisted on plying us with intriguing twig-like tapas all Sunday afternoon. The ‘twigs’ we think were a sort of goose barnacle, with a fleshy centre and thin shell like tube outside. Together with a couple of St. Miguels and some impromptu Spanish guitar music they were pretty good!

Three days in La Coruña let us catch up with the laundry and supplies again, and Adriana joined us on Wednesday afternoon. Rune was keen to cruise in company after sampling Evey’s culinary expertise, and from here to Gibraltar he came aboard to dine at the end of each day’s passage. He made his contribution by buying supplies for every third meal!

The Rias of North West Spain are quite spectacular. Camariñas, some 42 miles west of La Coruña, lies right on the ‘Top Corner’ of the Iberian Peninsula, and was our first of only two stops in the Rias. Pontoons were available at the Club Nautico, and we had a very pleasant evening in the sunshine. On Friday, Cabo Finisterre was a turning point on the way to Muros. With the waypoint plotted at 42 degrees 52.5 minutes North and 9 degrees 16.5 minutes West, the passage was calm and uneventful. Muros is a picturesque old fishing port with a good anchorage just outside the harbour.

Saturday, October 1st, with light airs and warm sunshine, Eclipse and Adriana were under way by 10.15. The plan was to sail down the shore-side of Islas Cies O De Bayona and Islas de St. Martin, to benefit from the scenery as we passed the Ria de Vigo. However by 11.30, the wind died completely and within minutes we were enveloped in thick fog. Visibility reduced to about two boats lengths, and as Adriana followed Eclipse at a steady 5 knots we could only see each other on the Radar. Radio contact was good, and our new passage plan took us to seaward of the Islands, with a waypoint set at a Cardinal Mark off the entrance to Ensenada de Bayona. At 13.45 I was tracking a ‘Radar Blob’ a couple of miles away, 45 degrees off our port bow. As stand-on vessel we held our course and speed, expecting the approaching vessel to turn to starboard and pass astern of us. The ‘Blob’ became larger and remained on the same bearing. We heard his horn, and when his stopped, we blew ours. Still he kept coming, until I saw about 30 yards ahead, the shape of his starboard rail. Immediately I turned to port and crossed under his stern, shaking my fist at the mariner who was leaning on the aft rail. So much for Collision Regulations! Rune watched on Radar, and followed our track, but did not get sight of the passing ship at all. From then on, my personal collision reg. became ‘Size commands right of way’. The Radar, interfaced with the GPS, certainly worked well as we came close to Bayona. We passed within two metres of the Cardinal Mark Waypoint, and navigated our way into the marina purely using Radar. Sunday was a day of rest, with a stroll ashore, and a beer in the Yacht Club. We Brits had not yet become accustomed to Continental bar etiquette. After our beer, we left the Yacht Club, only to be chased up to the front gate by the steward. We had forgotten to pay for our drinks, being so used to our ‘Pay as you go’ system in UK!

Now was the time to change from ‘Muchas Gracias’ to ‘Muito Obrigado’, as next day we would be in Portugal. Thirty five miles, with cloud and mist, and a Southerly force 4. Those were the conditions for a motor sail to Viana do Castello. On arrival, visibility was down to 30m., but we were helped onto a berth by Cruising Association Rep, David Lumby. Once we had dispensed with the formalities of Customs and Harbour forms, David soon organised us for an inland tour in his mini-bus in two days’ time. The itinerary included hill-walking, lunch in his favourite Spanish Taverna, just over the border in spectacular mountain scenery, and a visit to his friend’s house on top of a conical hill in a lush agricultural valley.

As we drove through the countryside we saw women carrying large baskets of grapes on their heads, on their way to market. The men did not do that! Later in the day, after a splendid lunch, we visited David’s friends Paul and Denise in their beautiful hilltop house. Paul introduced us to his neighbours on a small farm, where husband and wife, grandmother and daughter, busily sorted the harvested corn for the winter animal feed. The farmer had been working on the roads in order to save enough money to hire a tractor for a few days for the harvesting.

On Thusday, 10th of October with a 10 knot Easterly breeze we headed south to Porto, in the river Duoro, avoiding a reported oil slick off the port of Leixöes. New pontoons had been installed on the south side of the river, just below the ‘Pont Luis 1’ bridge, making for easy berthing, but still having to use the dinghy to reach the shore. Close by, the major Port producers had their Bodegas. We chose Taylors for a conducted tour, and were introduced to their special ‘Chip Dry’ White Port. We were more than happy to try many more of their samples, before buying a case of ‘Chip Dry’ to take aboard.

You may remember that we saw an American Schooner in St. Mawes. Well, here she was again, on her way to make her return Atlantic crossing. Rosie and Kelly (his surname was Kellog) kindly invited us aboard their magnificent vessel, a brand new GRP replica of a Norwegian traditional schooner which Kelly had tried to buy in Norway, but found that he was not allowed to take her away from that Country. ‘Tree of Life’ really looked the part, and was fitted out with all the best equipment. The five of us (including Runë) found a local Indian Restaurant to enjoy a good evening together, and hear Kelly’s story about the way he built Tree of Life.

Saturday October 8th, we were under way by 10.15, on a glorious sunny day, but with little wind. Eclipse and Adriana motored south for 35 miles, to Jacinto, near Aveiro, followed by another day of light airs to Figueira da Foz. The new marina here had no shore power, but also had no fees on Sunday! Cabo Carvoeiro pushed its nose out well into the Atlantic, but with calm seas and more light winds, we rounded the Cape, and completed the 60 miles to Peniche by half-past-six. Unfortunately when we came to leave on Tuesday morning, the anchor was well and truly fouled. A large hawser on the sea bed was trapping the anchor. It took nearly an hour to release it, with much huffing and puffing, but gave us good experience in learning the technique to solve the problem. Very useful later on in the Med! Our next disappointment was 23 knots of wind from the south, a big Atlantic swell, and a moderate to rough sea. With the mainsail reefed, we headed out to sea, well off our desired course. With full Yankee and Staysail pulling us through the waves, and gusts reaching 31 knots, we passed Cabo da Roca well to the west of our waypoint. Our Longitude was 9 degrees, 41.o5 minutes, West, (the furthest west we had ever been) when we were able to tack to clear Cabo Raso and sail passed Cascais and Estoril, taking us into the Rio Tejo, (Tagus River). Once under the Tagus Bridge, we eventually moored in Alcantara Marina at 20.45hrs.

It was good to meet up with Pat and Dave on another Roberts 43 (the same as Eclipse). They were on passage from Falmouth to Lagos, on the Algarve, in Chetwynds of Upton. We had previously met their daughter Trudi on the yacht Nightflight in Penarth Marina.

Chris, Matt, Gareth, and Alex, arrived on Wednesday evening for another short holiday. No sooner with us, and they were off to town, night clubbing in Lisbon until 6 in the morning! Needless to say, Thursday was a quiet day, Evey and I ventured a tram ride into the city centre to do a little sightseeing. On Friday we took Eclipse for a short trip down the river to fill with diesel. A thirty minute chore took about two hours. The motor cruiser on the fuel berth in Doca de Belem was being detained by the police. The owner of the boat had relied upon the automatic cut off on the nozzle while he attended to something else. Unfortunately it did not work, and about 5 gallons of diesel spilt into the dock. Police arrived within minutes, and the boat owner was taken away to the Police station to be given a very large fine! We carefully filled up and returned to the Marina, passing the QE2 on the Cruise Ship berth.

On Saturday evening we caught a train for just two stops to go to the Club Navico for Dinner. Except that, we boarded the fast train, ending up in Estoril before we could get off and return on the slow train. After great language difficulties the conductor allowed us to return without paying the excess fare! When the boys flew out, I got on with an engine oil change, and my regular checks, in readiness for our departure on Tuesday morning.

October 18th and 19th. Two 32 mile passages took us from Lisbon to Sesimbra and on to Sines. The second of the two days provided the best sailing conditions, with a NNW wind of 11 knots, and a clear sky. We ended the day by being able to ‘drop the hook’ in the ‘Praia Vasco da Gama’ without the use of the engine. The evening breeze was just strong enough to test the anchor holding, and ensure a peaceful night’s sleep, in readiness for a 4 o’clock start next morning.

Another ‘Big Corner’ lay ahead. The wind was WNW, giving us a gybe around Cabo São Vicente at 13.30hrs.

Lagos (pronounced La-gosh), our first port on the Algarve, was a busy tourist and fishing town, with a new marina. For the first year of operation Camper and Nicholsons managed the facilities under the command of Mark Shenstone, ex-manager at Gosport and the Swansea Barrage project. Mark arranged a good berth for us, with a small discount for us as Penarth, Camper and Nicholson’s clients.

The Laundry was good, but the showers were lethal! Beautifully crafted, with a solid granite floor, they looked magnificent, but, when wet, it was very difficult to stay upright! Lagos itself gave us a good feeling, with friendly locals, reasonable shopping facilities, and a nice holiday atmosphere.

Vilamoura was our destination on Sunday October 23rd. It had a small Marina with good facilities, but quite expensive. The customs officers were very strict, making us feel as if we were upsetting their routine by waiting in their office to process the formalities. We wasted an hour, waiting for clearance, before our next passage to the Rio Guadiana on the Portugese/Spanish border. Light airs prevailed as we motored on to Mazagon, near Huelva, and then Chipiona. Both ports had new Marinas with good facilities.

Friday October 28th was dull and grey, but there was a useful NE wind, giving us a good sail passed the American Naval Base at Rota and across the bay to Cádiz. The Marina was a good way from the Town Centre, so out came our folding mopeds to make a quick tour of this historic old town, and on Saturday we moved on another 42 miles around the rocky shores of Cabo Trafalgar, to Barbate. Sunday greeted us with strong Southerly winds, so a day ashore seemed sensible, and an afternoon walk along the sea front was a nice change.

Looking out towards Cabo Trafalgar, we spotted a small white sail. It slowly sailed upwind, passed the harbour entrance and on towards Gibraltar. Then the mainsail dropped, the boat turned around, and sailed into the harbour under foresail. When we returned to the harbour, this rather weather beaten 26ft boat was moored by the office. A bronzed young lad appeared and we took his lines as he manoeuvred under sail into an empty berth. Once secure the young lad asked Am I anywhere near Gibraltar? About 30 miles, I replied. Where have you come from? Newfoundland, via The Azores. His name was Chris, from Durban. He had sailed this small boat around ‘The Cape of Good Hope’, across the South Atlantic to the Caribbean, on to the East Coast of North America, as far as Newfoundland. He had navigated using a 24x18 aircraft route map! He had no visas, just a South African Passport. Now having been refused entry in the Azores, except to pick up water, he arrived here with no money, no diesel fuel, and no water! He joined us for dinner that evening and told us of his epic voyage. He was on his way to meet his girlfriend in Gibraltar in November, before sailing through the Med, and The Red Sea to return to Durban. On Monday I gave him one of my spare 5 gallon bottles of diesel, which he promised to replace in Gibraltar. I didn’t think we would see it again, but a few weeks later he was as good as his word!

Tuesday, November 1st. Cloudy, Calm, Light and variable winds. Those were the conditions for our final passage of 1994 from Barbate to Gibraltar. Adriana was still with us, we left at 08.45hrs for the 32.8 mile journey. Our first sighting of Africa was at 09.40, and by 12.40 we rounded Isla de Tarifa at the narrowest part of the Straits of Gibraltar. At 14.00 ‘The Rock’ was visible across Punta Carnero.

Queensway Quay was our choice of Marina for the following five months. With formalities completed, and Eclipse and Adriana safely berthed, our sailing companion Runë treated us to a celebratory meal in a very good restaurant, which had borrowed its name from Singapore. Namely:-‘Raffles’.

Chapter 2

Gibraltar

In the year 711 A.D. a Berber by the name of Tarik-ibn-Zeyad landed on the Rock as part of the Conquest of Spain by the Arab armies of Islam. Jebel Tarik is Arabic for Tarik’s mountain, and is thought to be the origin of the name Gibraltar.

Now it was to be ‘Home’ for us for 5 months. As the first foreign winter stopover we chose it for its good facilities and ease of communication, since everybody spoke English. Queensway Quay Marina had recently opened and was much smaller than the other two at Sheppards and Marina Bay. Jackie, the Marina Administrator, soon had us organised and even supplied us with a telephone to plug into their landline system.

The climate was much better than we had been used to – about 3 days of rain in 6 weeks – The temperature ranged from 13 degrees at night to 22 degrees on the warmest days. Gib had its own private cloud when the Levante wind blew from the East, which kept the daytime temperature down to a pleasant 19 degrees, which was good for working on the damaged teak rail. Shopping was good, with a brand new Safeway only three-quarters of a mile away. Evey used her moped regularly, with rucksack on her back, away she went. The main street had many duty free shops and cash was readily available at Barclays Bank using our plastic cards. Friends were soon made amongst other live-aboards and also the locals. Across the road from the Marina entrance, E.F.S.A. the local Fishing and Sea Angling Club, made us most welcome. Official Membership was not allowed, but as guests we could go in anytime.

Pepé and Marilyn looked after our innermost needs and their two youngsters taught us to play pool. On Friday evenings the ‘Sambuca Girls’ would arrive to prepare themselves for a night out on the town. Sometimes Pepe suffered quite nasty burns when preparing the Sambuca in a glass with a coffee bean, igniting it, sealing it with the palm of his hand, then shaking it! The young girls would drink it down in one!

The Club Treasurer, Kiko, worked for an insurance company on the Rock, and helpfully arranged insurance for the mopeds, including ‘green cards’ so that we could cross the frontier into Spain without any problems. The documents even held their