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"There's always a plan, but unexpected things happen and we just go with the flow. Though I do believe that fate and destiny often play their part"
sailing blog
We're now back in the water.......Comino looks brand new again, especially her bottom, which for the record you could eat your dinner off ! Staying in a hotel for a few days was such a treat and the bath at the end of a hard days work was very special. Even more so with a cold beer - see red can on the right. In the morning we set sail for Estepona. We'll be travelling with two other boats to give us a bit of comfort on our first sail in seven months. The journey should be around five hours with light Westerly winds to help us along. Leaving La Linea will be a bit sad but thankfully the good friends we've made are the one's in our little flotilla. Mark and Angie, Telfer and Denise are great fun and I expect there'll be a bit of a party when we tie up in Estepona......maybe even a first swim in the Med. Now there's a thought.
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On Monday morning at 9.00am precisely we were craned out of the water and rested on dry land for the first time in over twelve months. It was a bit of a shock to see Comino's bottom looking like the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. What with all the plant life, plus an assortment of sea creatures all treating our hull as if it were a marine sanctuary, it was clear that the antifoul type I was using was not good enough for the warmer waters down here. However, when the man with the pressure hose rocked up, it was only a matter of minutes before all the debris was blasted off revealing a smooth and tidy bottom again. In rather warm conditions, we both set about the pre-painting prep work which involved a lot of vigorous scrubbing, sanding and polishing. The star prize has to go to Nicki for the work she did on the prop. In a couple of hours it was transformed from what looked like a lump of the Great Barrier Reef into the most shiny piece of bronze wizardry you've ever seen. For those in the know, this is a Brunton Autoprop, which alternates it's pitch as you accelerate and decelerate by rotating the blades to create maximum drive with optimum fuel efficiency. For those not in the know, it's an arm and a leg job but it performs like no other - thus justifying the eye watering price tag !!! As I write, we're about to set off to the boat again for another day of hard graft in the sunshine. We'll polish the topsides till Comino shines like a mirror. Yesterday I completed the two coats of antifoul using an altogether better product, but the cost means we'll now be eating beans on toast for a while. Talking of which, we did actually have beans for breakfast for the last two days. Why.......because we're staying in a rather luxurious four star hotel opposite the marina and the breakfast buffet includes a full english if you like......which of course we both do!!! This is our little bit of self indulgence to soften the pain of working on the boat for ten hours a day. When we get back in the evening the long hot bath makes it all seem worthwhile.
Comino goes back in the water tomorrow so I'll take some pics showing her looking like brand new again. It will also mark the beginning of our onward journey to the Med. The charts are ready......we're rearing to go......the weather is glorious.......Costa del Sol here we come. We had a small disaster a few days ago when the electric griddler decided to give up the ghost. As the news broke locally, two prawn fishing boats were immediately mothballed in anticipation of a significant drop in demand.....LOL. However, a quick stroll into town soon solved the problem. There in the electrical shop window, staring back at me, was the shiny face of the one and only James Martin on a box containing a similar machine. Given our reliance on this method of cooking, I felt I had no option but to buy a new one immediately. The first trial meal (Moroccan chicken, not prawns as it happens) was a big success, but if this one breaks down I'll be phoning his Saturday morning live show on BBC 1 to give him an earful in front of the entire nation. Yesterday (Thursday), both Nicki and I had concrete evidence that we're both well and truly back in leisure mode. I set off first thing telling her I was heading for the Wednesday market in La Linea. "Have a good time" she said as I disappeared off the boat. Upon arrival at the huge site, the whole place was completely deserted, at which point the penny dropped with a loud clunk as I realised I was a whole day late. We lost complete sense of the time of day soon after arriving back, but forgetting what day it is shows we must be chilling nicely. During a trip back to England the other day (a stroll over the border to Gibraltar to be precise), we came across an interesting old galleon moored in Ocean Village. It turned out to be the "Pickle", one of Nelsons ships at the Battle of Trafalgar. It wasn't part of the actual fighting, but served as a communications vessel. According to the leaflet we picked up it carried the first news of the victory back to England in 1805. Amazing what you see if you keep your eyes open. Yesterday also turned out to be a rather full on day for socialising. Before lunch we met a great couple, Mark and Angie, who sailed here via the almost exact route from Portugal as we did last year, although they originally set off from Hull two years ago, crossing Biscay the brave souls. The difference is that they then stayed on their boat here for most of the winter so were able to give us loads of good advice about what events are going on and where to go. We eventually ended up in the marina bar for a quick thirst quencher and hopefully we'll meet up with them again some time soon. Then after lunch, as we were relaxing in the sun, a knock on our hull heralded the arrival back to La Linea of our friends Roger and Lynn (yacht VIS), who we first met back in Albufeira last spring. They were here with us in September, having spent their summer sailing in the Med. With so much catching up to do, it was only polite to trot back to the lounge bar for another couple of beers.
So, as you can see, life here is both hectic and restful in equal measures. The sun shines a lot, the beer is cold but we haven't ventured into the water for a swim just yet. More news of our adventure to follow soon. After an exhausting month of non stop decorating, packing our possessions for storage and sorting out a mountain of paperwork, we're finally here aboard Comino. Stepping off the plane yesterday in brilliant sunshine felt like a true homecoming and both of us couldn't stop smiling as we walked the short distance from Gib airport to the boat. And there she was, after five months of bobbing up and down in the marina all alone, looking absolutely fantastic. Apparently the rain down here has been of biblical proportions over the winter, keeping Comino well washed. And, would you believe it, the engine started with less than half a turn of the ignition key. It was almost as if she wanted to fire up all on her own, just to say welcome back my absent friends.
Even though Nicki and I were both physically and mentally drained, we spent our first afternoon cleaning our cabin and airing the bedding, but just reward came in the form of a delicious pasta supper washed down with a fine Rioja Reserva.......( 2.99 euros would you believe Ray). Having said that, I'm going to try hard this time round to focus more on our cultural and sailing exploits, rather than produce a blog that's more like a rolling menu. So, what now? The next few days will definitely be spent grafting. In reality, Comino needs a lot of spit and polish, both inside and out, before she'll look brand new again. I have a sneaky feeling though our toils might be punctuated by occasional trips to La Linea for a spot of Tapas.......oops......there goes the menu reference again !!! Catch up soon when the work is all done and the true adventure begins. Flights were booked today for our return to the boat. We'll be stepping aboard Comino again on 10th April so the countdown for the next phase of our adventure has now begun with great anticipation. I'm thinking about going out for a week beforehand to get Comino lifted for a scrub and a new coat of antifoul. We've got a five day trip to Paris in mid Feb which means some time in March looks favourite.
Part two of our journey should take us up the Costa del Sol and then over to the Balearics but as ever the wind, weather and our mood will be the ultimate deciders. I guess being in the Med this time round will be the big difference - early morning dips here we come! We've been home for several weeks now but the garden is still not quite up together, despite our energetic slash and burn antics. The chain saw, strimmer and hedge trimmer have all been working overtime to tackle what could best be described as an Amazonian Rain Forest. I know it rained a bit whilst we were away (slight understatement) but I can only assume someone with a sense of humour sprayed the entire garden with the agricultural equivalent of steroids !!! Today, I shall be mostly jumping up and down in the skip to make room for more debris soon to be hacked down from the hugely overgrown shrubbery. With all this back breaking work on the land, I think I deserve a holiday by the seaside in the sun. That's why I've booked to go back to Gibraltar on 7th November for two weeks. Actually, it won't be all Tapas and Rioja: there's more hard work required servicing Comino's engine and polishing the not inconsiderable amount of stainless steel around the boat. I do feel a tad guilty on account of the fact that Nicki will be going back to work (only part-time) whilst I'll be away sunning myself. I think a nice pressie from the airport duty free shop might be required to smooth things over on my return !!! It would be remiss of me not to mention that when we arrived back at the house, after five months away, it was almost as clean and tidy as the day we left. A big well done to James who worked his proverbial socks off to get things ship shape for us. Mind you, the fact that it took him three days of serious hard work gives you an idea of how much mess needed clearing up. We've re-paid him though, with hearty home cooked meals every day, making a welcome change from all the fast food crap he ate in our absence. I'll post a report of my time back on Comino when I return at the end of November. Looking at the weather forecast, Gibraltar probably looks a bit like this today. I hope it improves in time for my trip !!! This pic was taken just before we left because when the wind blows from the East a weird cloud always hovers over the Rock. Note the Mediterranean is lively enough for surfing. Today is our last day on Comino for a while as we fly home tomorrow for who knows how long. After five wonderful months aboard we've decided to visit the good old UK to catch up with family and friends. This week we've been putting the boat to bed for the winter, which involves removing the sails plus all the other various bits of canvas. She now looks rather bare but the sun doesn't stop shining here and it eventually destroys anything that's fabric. Comino will now stay on her mooring at La Linea until next April, when we'll set off again into the Med. Until then she'll be a floating home in the marina as we come back and forth. We spoke to James at home the other day and he's now frantically doing five months worth of washing up ready for our arrival. Worryingly, we had to remind him where the Dyson is kept !!! I also gleaned that there is not one clean towel, sheet or quilt cover in the place so it looks like the first day or so will be all about washing. We have so many happy memories of this first leg of our sailing adventure and we're already excited about the next instalment. Swimming off the back of the boat in the Med has been a dream of ours for a very long time. In the meantime my biggest worry is shoes and socks. For so long now it's been flip flops or bare feet.... even going out in the evenings. Perhaps I'll just carry on that way in England regardless of the weather !!! Last Monday we waved goodbye to Emily-Jane and headed for Ocean Village to watch her plane take off. This is a new marina complex in Gib alongside the runway - and I mean alongside the runway. As you can see from the pics below, it's about as close as you can get without actually sitting on the tarmac. Monday also happened to be Gibraltar National Day. This is where the locals dress up in red and white to demonstrate their nationalistic pride - not towards Britain, but towards Gibraltar. These two pics sum up the political theme and the underlying sentiment, which is to say to the Spanish - you ain't never ever gonna get this bit of land back from us !!! But, after the political rally in Casemates Square, involving speeches, a balloon release and a five minute volley of massive thunder bangers fired into the sky (must scare the hell out of the apes), it turns into a huge party with music, food and a fireworks display to end all fireworks displays.
It's two weeks since we arrived in Gib. Every day has been an adventure of one kind or another plus we've had a special treat in the shape of Emily-Jane. She decided on the spur of the moment to pop out to see us for six days which gave us the excuse to go on a mammoth sightseeing tour and, for Nicki and Em, a mega shopping spree. Luckily, it actually only resulted in a new pair of flip flops costing a tenner. I think I got off very lightly indeed !!! What I enjoy about our marina in La Linea is the easy access to so many different things. On one hand we have the bustling Spanish town with lovely palm tree lined squares and a central boulevard full of cafes and restaurants and on the other side of the border Gib is a such great place to explore. So much history and heritage to take in and if you keep your eyes open there are lots of fascinating features tucked away. Then, of course, there is "The Rock" itself. We went up on the cable car to commune with apes (as you do) but in the end we yomped for miles in the searing heat from one place of interest to another. In a moment of madness we also decided to walk back down (in flip flops) but the cold beer at the bottom was the best I've ever tasted. Anyway here's a flavour of our time here so far. We're now in Gibraltar feeling somewhat relieved that the journey past Tarifa is over. As it happened, we passed this notorious headland, where the world windsurfing championships are held, without incident. Actually, it was almost peaceful apart from the rather confused sea, which bucked and rolled Comino for a short while. Then, the ten mile sail up to "The Rock" was perfect in every way with the dramatic mountains of Morocco rising from the sea on our starboard side. As we entered the Bay of Gibraltar the wind shot up and we had a very bumpy ride up to the marina at La Linea, on the Spanish side of the border. The plan is to now settle down for a month or so enjoying the many fascinating attractions in Gibraltar, including Marks and Spencer, fish n' chips, English beer etc. etc. Only kidding, I hear the place is pretty interesting beyond the obvious Brit influence, especially the miles of tunnels inside the rock itself. |
A FEW PICS OF COMINO Click a photo to enlarge and use side arrows to scroll through. COMINO IS CURRENTLY HEREDID SOMEONE SAY SEAFOODOn our journey from Portugal to Greece we enjoyed amazing seafood almost everywhere we stopped. Finding the local fish market was always a priority because seafood was so plentiful and so reasonably priced. And, the displays were a feast for your eyes.
Locating a market sometimes meant pounding the pavements in searing heat, but if you kept your eyes peeled, you often came across a little clue. The pic below was a rather less than subtle advert for a fish market - it was eight feet tall.
Freshly cooked onboard, a plateful of giant prawns, baked in wine and garlic, washed down with a few glasses of local vino, was like heaven. Watching the sunset on the boat eating a meal like that was the epitome of "living the dream".
Now we're in Greece we've another favourite to savour. I'm talking about fried Calamari. It's usually good, but every now and then it's off-the-scale fantastic. At Natalie's Taverna on Kontokali Beach in Corfu, it was nothing short of epic.
We're based in Lefkas now and It's been a bit of a mission to find somewhere just as good. And we have. Rakias is a mere ten minute walk from the marina and this little fish market, with its very own taverna attached, is quite sensational.
Oh...and it's also worth mentioning that, on occasions, a bit of barbequed Octopus is on the menu at some of the tavernas we frequent. Can I resist....no. SUNSETS AND DRAMATIC SKIESNo filters, or any other monkey business, have been used to enhance these images.
OUR ADVENTURES FROM THE BEGINNING CATEGORIES
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