2 June

We’re still in Terceira.  Didn’t get to rent a car yesterday nor see the running of the bulls last night.  A front came in on Thursday night, and we spent yesterday trying to get our anchor to hold in the harbor.  Robert had called down to me at 6 am saying I needed to come up as we had dragged anchor. We had to move three times and still were having problems holding.  There were high winds and big seas. The waves were getting bigger. The forecast called for winds 30-40 mph with gusts over 50.  Around 6 pm Robert took the dinghy in to the marina, then came back out and told me we were headed in. It has a sea wall which protects the marina from the large waves. There was a t-dock where we would fit. So we pulled up anchor & maneuvered the boat into the marina. It was nice in there after spending the day rocking & rolling in the harbor and worrying about banging into the rocks. We both took long, hot showers, then went for a walk around town and got ice cream cones. We all slept better tied to the dock.

Got up this morning to rain. It’s been overcast ever since we arrived. So we stayed on the boat today and took it easy. We haven’t decided whether to leave tomorrow to head to Sao Miguel, or give it one more day. We need to go look at a forecast and see what’s up. After so much wind yesterday, there was little today.

Not much else to report. I’m having a melancholy day and missing everyone ‘back home’. Thinking about everyone and wishing everyone well and happy.

4 June
We are going to leave Terceira later this evening and head towards Sao Miguel. There is a bullfight here tonight, so we will go there first and then head out once we get back to the boat.  Will sail all night and hope to be there sometime tomorrow midday.
8 June
http://pictures.aol.com/ap/singleImage.do?pid=bff0j8oXKZUgkbOogwVgTUw01jvhYhnabJnhv4xQp5Fd3Ig=

View full size

Here are a few photos from our trip so far:

http://pictures.aol.com/ap/singleImage.do?pid=bff0j8oXKZUgkbOogwVgTUw01jJcjjV1h4Lwv4xQp5Fd3Ig=

View full size

http://pictures.aol.com/ap/singleImage.do?pid=bff0j8oXKZUgkbOogwVgTUw01rtVvvW*7Gjuv4xQp5Fd3Ig=

View full size

http://pictures.aol.com/ap/singleImage.do?pid=bff0j8oXKZUgkbOogwVgTUw01uwIupiDJCxTv4xQp5Fd3Ig=

View full size

http://pictures.aol.com/ap/singleImage.do?pid=bff0j8oXKZUgkbOogwVgTUw01orOGbZfLk6Bv4xQp5Fd3Ig=

View full size

http://pictures.aol.com/ap/singleImage.do?pid=bff0j8oXKZUgkbOogwVgTUw01m3wjS79OTiov4xQp5Fd3Ig=

View full size

http://pictures.aol.com/ap/singleImage.do?pid=bff0j8oXKZUgkbOogwVgTUw01kJxyYzjIcEtv4xQp5Fd3Ig=

View full size

http://pictures.aol.com/ap/singleImage.do?pid=bff0j8oXKZUgkbOogwVgTUw01vwEAAxDUKCPv4xQp5Fd3Ig=

View full size

This (above) is what I painted in Horta; it´s supposed to be good luck to paint on the stairs or walls with regard to your boat. The ´lucky linda´is someone else’s paint job. . .

http://pictures.aol.com/ap/singleImage.do?pid=bff0j8oXKZUgkbOogwVgTUw01nLoCXAje0p*v4xQp5Fd3Ig=

View full size

http://pictures.aol.com/ap/singleImage.do?pid=bff0j8oXKZUgkbOogwVgTUw01vBpDev2YmYvv4xQp5Fd3Ig=

View full size

9 June

We got away from Ponta Delgada around 4 pm on Friday. Had a very tight window when the wind lightened enough that we could get away from the dock. Had a couple wonderful hours sailing about 10 kts w/only the jib. When we got another window, flipped around & got up the main with 1 reef, then dropped the jib. Was a smooth, comfortable ride until we got out of the lee of the island. Then it was terrible — huge waves and pounding, pounding, pounding. We neither one got any sleep that night; both just laid in the salon & every 30 minutes would look around outside. Yesterday was more of the same. We sailed all day with only the reefed main, but made good progress. It was a little quieter last night, so each of us got a little sleep. This morning the wind has clocked. We took out the reef and have the big gennaker flying. Harold is having a hard time driving, so Robert’s steering for awhile. Have the generator running to recharge the batteries.  It was cloudy most of yesterday, so the solar panels couldn’t get us recharged enough.  We have some island reggae music playing; I’ll probably nap soon.

We are currently at N 38 06.017, W 019 15.375.  We’re about 700 miles from Gibraltar (straight line, which we can’t do!)

10 June

Just a short note to tell you that we’re still plugging along. It’s been a delightful sail ever since the seas calmed down. Harold the Helmsman has been driving and all we do is supervise. We have seen a few ships pass, but that’s about it. Not much else happening. Hey, no news is good news, eh?!

Current position is N 36 59.343, W 010 46.871.

13 June
Yesterday we did our last time change for the crossing, moving us forward to GMT. I think that puts us 5 hours ahead of Florida. Around 10 pm I spotted a lighthouse. Looking at our chartplotter, I determined that it was at Cabo de Sao Vicente, Portugal and that we were about 16 miles off the coast! Hurray; we had made it! I also had half a dozen ships all around me, indicative of our nearness to land. A little while later I could smell land. When Robert got up around midnight, he noted he thought it smelled like manure! Well, it didn’t smell like that to me, but to each his own! Later we could see airport lights.

This evening we are off the coast of Cadiz, Spain and should be at the Strait of Gibraltar before dark. We have been talking about it & will probably skip going in to Gibraltar (since it’ll be dark) and will head up the Spain coast and put into a harbor there tomorrow. I am thinking about Puerto de Benalmadena, which is where Torremolinos is. Mom & GA — do I correctly recall reading about Torremolinos in Michener’s classic “The Drifters”? Can someone tell me about the area & what to see/do there? I realize now I should have gotten a Fodors Spain or some such thing . . . I have one for France & just got one for Italy (should arrive at the Hills soon <thanks eBay!> & they’ll bring with them next week).

Anyway, it is about time for celebration of the completion of our first trans-Atlantic crossing. I have a lovely bottle of Veuve Clicquot rose champagne (love & kisses to Jason!) that will be perfect! We will wait ’til we get through the Strait & into port before we imbibe, though. It will be an interesting journey tonight through the Strait — about 7 miles wide and all of the Mediterranean traffic passes through it. The last owner told us when he came through it he had 350 boats on his radar screen at one time! So tonight will no doubt be hectic.

Current position is N 36 13.11, W 006 28.50 (at 5 pm GMT).

14 June

We are currently off the coast of Marbella, Spain heading towards Torremolinos. It’s a beautiful, sunny day. We got through the Strait of Gibraltar and passed the rock during the early morning hours before dawn. As the sun came up, we could look back and see the rock. We will visit that area when we next head to the Caribbean — whenever that may be!

Coastline is pretty, with mountains (foothills in my book) behind the cities. It’s not extremely green, however. We’re both anxious to get to shore and chill for a day or so, then will spend the next few days working our way up the coast to Valencia, where the Americas Cup begins next weekend. We know people on both of the boats racing, but are kind of hoping that New Zealand will get the cup so that we can sail down there in four years to watch it!

17 June
Happy Saturday! We weren’t able to stay in Torremolinos. Got to the dock & they said there was no room. So we motored up to Malaga, which is about 10 miles farther along. Anchored out & went in to try & locate customs & port captain; couldn’t locate either. So spent the night on the boat, then yesterday morning motored in & tied along the seawall. A short time later the police arrived; we asked about staying there for a night, but they said it was expensive & no amenities. Cost was about $125/night for nothing! So we told them we’d go anchor outside again, but could we stay & go to customs. They said OK, & gave us a general idea of where to go. Took us 3 attempts to locate the right place, then had to wait. Of course, the hardest thing is that we have yet to locate people that speak English! So I am having to attempt to speak Spanish. So far I’ve been able to get them to understand! Anyway, the customs guy said we didn’t have to clear & that we could stay in Spain for 6 months & the European Union for 18 months before owing VAT. I asked if we needed paperwork saying we had arrived, & he said no. So I asked how they would know how long we’d been here & he just laughed! So I guess we don’t worry about it! Asked him about getting our passports stamped, & again he said it wasn’t necessary. So we spent the rest of the day doing a walking tour of the city.

Malaga is very pretty & we had a great time exploring. Spoke to a couple from Scotland while at lunch, then met up with a girl from Maryland while touring the Alcazaba, which dates back to the 11th century & even has a Roman theatre. She just finished her post doc work & is on a vacation before starting a teaching position in political science. We hit it off, so agreed to sightsee together the rest of the day & evening & had dinner together. Visited the Castillo de Gibralfaro, which sits at the top of the hill & overlooks the city. Then walked over to Picasso’s birthplace, then visited several churches & cathedrals. They were having an exhibition of a wildlife photographer of the year competition put on by the BBC; it was free so Robert & I toured it. The photos were fabulous. Ate at a small sidewalk cafe & drank some local wine, which was very good. Didn’t get back to the boat until 11:30 pm!

Got up this morning to a visit by the Civil Guard (came alongside us on their boat). They wanted to see the boat papers & our passports, & one of the guys wanted to look through the boat. Took a few minutes & they then thanked us. Said that a US Navy ship had come into the port today on NATO business. I asked them about getting our passports stamped, & again were told ‘no’. So guess we’ll just see what happens as we bebop along the coast. Rather casual!

Robert’s doing some work on the engine throttles & cable & later today we’ll head back & wander around town some more. Will probably start up the coast tomorrow.

18 June

We made it to the port of Almeria last night before dark.  Got some wind late in the day which increased our speed enough to get us in an hour before dark.

We are waiting for the authorities to show up this morning before we head to shore & explore. We could see the alcazada (Spanish for castle) as we sailed in yesterday. It’s quite big and was built in the early 900s. Can’t wait to go check it out! There was one in Malaga we also visited; we just love these things! Hopefully the port people will show up soon so we can be on our merry little way.

We waited ’til around 9 am for any ‘authorities’ to show up at the boat, then headed by dinghy over to shore.  Locked it up & walked down to the port office; found someone who spoke English & talked to him. He talked to another guy. Their bottom line was that we were outside their jurisdiction, since we were kind of outside the harbor (definitely outside the inner harbor). They didn’t know if we could be there or not. Gave us someone else to walk to see elsewhere, but when we left Robert just said ‘fuggedaboutit’ & so we headed to the tourist office. Picked up a brochure & headed on our town tour. The Moorish castle is closed on Mondays, so we could only walk up & look at it. Then headed around to see the other historic buildings. Got to the cathedral, which is only open from 8:45-10 am to see inside, so missed that by 15 minutes. A great day so far! Kept on keepin’ on & did get inside ONE church; it was pretty so worthwhile. We’d seen most of what there was by 11:30, so got some pastries & stopped by a market for a still warm baguette (for sandwiches on the boat) & headed to a park to sit & eat our pastries. Then we headed back to the boat & by 12:30 we had pulled up anchor & headed out. We are presently near the Punta de Los Lobos (Wolf Point, we like that!!) & are continuing on our merry way up the shore. We’ll pass the Punta de Los Muertos (Point of The Dead) — well, we won’t stop there . . . Will probably head in towards the Carboneras area & spend the night somewhere along the beach. We had a good wind & were actually able to sail for awhile, but it died around Cabo de Gato (Cape of the Cat!) & so we’ve been motoring since then. We have some company for this leg, which I imagine will continue to build as we get closer to Valencia. There are four other boats nearby also motoring north . . .

All I can say is . . . this DEFINITELY is better than being at work on a Monday!  :)

20 June

We spent the night in Torrevieja last night. Were able to anchor in the harbor, so it was a quiet night. Just sat around & read while RH jumped in the water (with a wetsuit, since the water’s quite cold) & wiped down the boat bottom.

Left around 7 am today & are headed to Alicante. Should be there by lunch. Will perhaps walk up & see the castle (it’s up a big hill/mountain so will be a good stretch for the legs) & then to the cathedral. Then perhaps head on up the coast.

RH met a guy from Denver, when we were in the Azores, that was also sailing to Valencia for the Cup. He’s already there. I’ve been emailing him daily. We will meet up with him when we get there. His name is Eddie Miller (same as my cousin).

21 June
We spent last night in a small cove on the beach by Benidorm. There were a few moorings, so we were able to pick one up & keep things simple! Thought we’d have the cove to ourselves, but another sailboat saw us there & altered course to come join us. Some Brits on a monohull; enjoyed watching them try to get the mooring.

Headed out around 6:45 am today for the final leg up to Valencia. We are off the coast at Denia right now, so we have less than 50 miles to go. We could be there in an hour in the car. But it’ll take us ’til evening by boat. Think we ought to just have a motorboat at this point. We have had to pretty much motor the entire way up here on this leg! We finally got some wind today, but would have to sail an angle quite a bit offshore, so have decided to stay tucked in close & motor in case the wind dies.

Tomorrow we’ll be able to look around the Americas Cup Village and see what’s up. Last we heard, the first race is supposed to be on Saturday. Robert’s folks fly out this morning from Tampa to Madrid, and on Monday will take a train from Madrid to Valencia. Our friend Al Thomas, also from Tampa, is already up in Barcelona. He and his wife are coming down on a cruise ship to view the Cup races, so we’ll get to see them here also.

Will be nice to stay put in one place for more than one night!

22 June
We got to Valencia and anchored off the beach, right next to the Americas Cup harbour, about 5:45 pm yesterday. We actually got some wind (imagine!) yesterday afternoon & were able to motorsail with the jib up, so made better time. There are only four other boats anchored here (most people pay to stay in the harbor, but the $400/night is a little too steep for our pocketbook!), mostly Swiss people coming to see Alinghi defend her title.

We ate dinner and just lounged around the boat last night. We will head to shore today & check out the Americas Cup Village as well as getting the race schedule. One of the boats was coming in from practice last night as we headed over to anchor. I told Robert that I wondered what they’d do if I t-boned them! We will also look for our ‘friend’ from Denver that sailed over here & is staying in the port. Robert met him for a minute in the Azores; I haven’t met him yet, but he and I have been penpals during our crossing. So we’ll go meet them today & see about borrowing a pass so we can get in & out of the marina (and use ‘land showers’!!).

If the Cup goes the full nine races, we’ll be here about two weeks. That will be a welcome change. After the Cup we will head over to the Balearics & check out Ibiza, Menorca & Mallorca. It’s supposed to be a great area for cruising.

27 June

Oh, man, yesterday’s race was unbelievable.  It doesn’t get any better than that!!!  We took our boat out, first time for Lewis & Sally, and I drove (I drove on Sunday also, but they weren’t here). I had us front & center — the very best view. People give me more space since we’re twice as wide (as a catamaran), and I joke that they see a woman at the helm and steer clear!  Ha! I just don’t let anyone intimidate me, and I am pretty darn good at wheeling this thing around. Also helps to understand racing and move around. They had changed the downwind marks, so I knew/noticed and moved over before lots of others. Ditto with the finish. Plus some people go and start following up the course aways; I just hold steady and jockey for better position.

Anyway, we are having a great time. We have been hanging out with the folks from Denver that I was emailing on the way across. Eddie Miller is here with his 46′ monohull. He’s in his mid-60s, I’m guessing. His girlfriend of ten years & one of his friends flew over last Tuesday from Denver. His friend, John, is an environmental attorney in Denver. He’s a great guy. Anyway, we’ve all been hanging out together. The first race we went over & went with Eddie et al on his boat. The 2nd & 3rd races they came over & went with us. One night we cooked dinner on our boat; I served dinner for nine! It was a lot of fun.

Well, I need to run for now. I’m cooking dinner (rigatoni w/meat sauce & a caesar salad). Fed these guys last night as well — white chicken chili with taco rice & a salad.

28 June

We went to the historic part of Valencia today (central part of town) since it was a lay day from racing. Walked around and saw lots of beautiful buildings. It was overcast the past two days, but today cleared up & is nice.