Leaving the Mar Menor
We were sad to leave the Mar Menor and knew that we might not visit this place again for a very long time, however we felt we really used our time well. Our anchorage just off La Isletta on the La Manga side, proved to be very comfortable and the hospitality of the little marina is second to none.
The day began early, well early compared to most days, and we got the 8am lifting bridge then motored along the coast in fickle winds.
Once around Cabo de Palos the winds proved more favourable, so we set the genoa and for the most part enjoyed a nice sail, not setting any records, but always nice not to have the engine on.
It was just after we passed Cape Tinoso that things got a little lively. Now capes are notorious places, and often accelerate winds to one, two or even three forces higher than normal. For the most part in benign conditions, they can be approached close in, with caution. On the day in question the wind suddenly accelerated from about 7 knots to over 20, and swung 120 degrees, leaving our headsail backed and wondering what hit us. With the staysail it is not as simple as pulling it through, so we furled it away and turned the engine on. Not a huge deal as our destination in Mazzaron bay was just around the corner.
The water at Mazzaron was so crystal clear it was fabulous for swimming.
After leaving Mazzaron we set sail to Cape Cope, however due to the wind direction we were unable to anchor off Cala Bardinas and had to settle for the rather less interesting side. Never mind, it was only a night stop.
The following morning we left the anchorage early and headed in the direction of San Jose, near Cabo de Gata. The sea had a good deal of swell and we had a go at flying the genoa, but it was never going to work. Ian radioed up and we knew what he was going to suggest, time to play with the cruising chute! It took us a while to rig and launch, and we were more than happy to find that we could sail it up to 160 degrees off the wind. It also greatly reduced the roll, and for the next six hours we could not have been happier. In the end the wind died and rather than have the sail flog, we snuffed it in the sock and turned on the engine. What a fantastic sail, without a doubt the best of the season thus far.
During our sail we ran the watermaker, what we didn't do though was open the sink seacock. The bilge alarm alterted us to something amiss and sure enough when we lifted the floorboards, water was sloshing around, and salt water at that. After a frantic check of all the through-hull fittings we discovered our senior moment, and using the bilge pumps and a bucket, eventually got all the water out. Lessons learned!
As the wind by now had swung round and with a large swell coming from the East, we pressed on and finally anchored early evening in the lee of Cabo de Gata just off the beach opposite Almadraba, famous for the huge salt pans.
We did go ashore, but frankly not a lot to see. After a few days we upped anchor at 4am and set a course for Almerimar. We arrived some 6 hours later having motored on flat calm seas, and via the VHF got permission to go straight onto the berth we had used for our winter season... Result!
We called back into Almerimar to collect our new sails, have the solar panel frame moved and modified to include some sun shades, put some anti-chafe protection on the running backstays, and pick up some spare parts for our Duogen. We also changed the Duogen drive shaft for an upgraded more durable version, and the local sailmaker is making a modification to our bimini.
Soon it will be time to move on again. This time to Gibraltar to meet Phill, which we are looking forward to as it could be a good few years before we catch up in person again.
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