2022
MAINLAND SPAIN: 1) Cartagena to Mar Menor 2) Santa Pola Marina 3) Calo de s’Oli *FORMENTERA* 4) Playa de Tramontana 5) Cala Llonga *IBIZA* 6) Santa Ponca *MALLORCA* 7) Port Soller 8) Cala Pi de la Posada 9) Cala Mata 10) Platja Sa Canova 11) Fornells Bay & Marina *MENORCA* 12) Addaia 13) Bombarde Beach *SARDINIA (ITALY)* 14) Fertilia Marina 15) Isola Piana 16) Isola Rossa 17) Rena Majori 18) Plage de Balistra *CORSICA (FRANCE)* 19) Punta Capiccola 20) Plage de Balistra 21) Marmorata *SARDINIA* 22) Figari Marina *CORSICA* 23) Bai D’Arbbitru 24) Baia Di Santa Reparata *SARDINIA* 25) Isola Rossa 26) Isola Piana 27) Alghero Bay 28) Fertilia Marina 29) Alghero Harbour Wall 30) Alghero Bay 31) Platja des Carbo *MALLORCA* 32) Santa Eulalia Marina *IBIZA* 33) Cala Llonga 34) Santa Eulalia Marina 35) Calo de s’Oli *FORMENTERA* 36) Altea *MAILAND SPAIN* 37) Santa Pola 38) Mar Menor 39) CARTAGENA, our 2022 winter stop-over
2021
MAINLAND SPAIN: 1) Cartagena to Torre de la Horadada 2) El Campelo Marina 3) Cala Sardinera 4) Cala Roja *IBIZA* 5) Cala de’Es Torrent 6) CalaBenirras 7) Portinatx 8) Cala Benirras 9) SanAntonio Marina 10) Cala Tarida 11) Raco de sa Talaia 12) Santa Ponca *MALLORCA* 13) Port de Soller 14) Sa Calobra 15) Cala Pi de la Posada 16) Platja de Son Saura *MENORCA* 17) Cala Santandria) 18) Cala Morell 19) Cala Pregonda) 20) Cala Tirant (Pyrex Bay) 21) Ses Salines 22) Fornells Marina 23) Punta des Macs, via Pyrex Bay 24) Mahon 25) Son Bou 26) Radjada Marina *MALLORCA* 27) Cala D’Or 28) Es Carbo 29) Santa Ponca) 30) Pou des Lleos *IBIZA* 31) Botafoc Marina (Ibiza town) 32) S’Espalmador 33) Cala Llonga 34) Santa Eulalia Marina 35) Racco des Barro *FORMENTERA* 36) Cala Sadinera * MAINLAND SPAIN* 37) Javae Marina 38) El Campelo Marina 39) Marina de las Dunas 40) Mar Menor 41) La Manga 42) CARTAGENA, our 2021 winter stop-over
2020
A Coruna * S P A I N * 1) Muxia 2) Illa de Salvora 3) Illa de Cortegda 4) Illa de Ons 5) Baiona 6) Viana do Castelo * P O R T U G A L * 7) Porto 8) Aveiro 9) Figueira da Foz 10) Peniche 11) Cascais (Lisbon) 12) Sines 13) Sagres 14) Lagos 15) Portimao 16) Vilamoura 17) Faro 18) Ayamonte * S P A I N * 19) Huelva 20) Chipiona 21) Cadiz 22) Barbate 23) Gibraltar * U K * 24) Estepona * S P A I N * 25) Benalmadena 26) Este 27) Augadulce 28) Garrucha 29) CARTAGENA, our 2020 winter stop-over.
2019
Our yard, Gosport * U K * 1) Yarmouth 2) Studland 3) Alderney 4) Guernsey 5)Jersey 6) Sark 7) St. Cast * F R A N C E * 8) St. Quay 9) Treguier 10) Roscoff 11) L’Aber Wrac’h 11) Cameret 12) Audierne 13) Iles de Glenan 14) Lorient 15) Port Haliguan 16) Porniche 17) Ile D’Yeu 18) Les Sables-d’Olonne 19) La Rochelle 20) Bilbao * S P A I N * 21) Santander 22) Llanes 23) Gijon 24) Ribadao 25) Cedeira 26) A CORUNA, our 2019 winter stop-over.
(Written by Robert, October 2019)
Our journey has so far taken us over 1,200 nautical miles and we have travelled only in daylight hours (with the exception of our Biscay Crossing). Being in no hurry, we have stopped where we liked and managed to get flavour of the places we have visited. Often marvelling at other yachtsmen’s decisions to head out into (in our considered opinion) very unsuitable conditions, we have enjoyed travelling when the weather and sea conditions were right for us.
Sailing has to be about fun for us all, so many families have turned their backs on cruising by being forced into uncomfortable and frightening situations and I wanted this to be pleasant experience and one we can all look back on with pleasure.
It looks as though we will be spending our winter (2019) in A Coruna in Northern Spain. We didn’t get to the Med, which was our goal but on the other hand we wanted to see the Spanish Rias and spend some time there, so we will proceed as weather improves in the New Year.
We left Gosport on the South Coast of England on 10th July 2019. Robert, Karen and Jack in our Southerly 105, built in 1982, planning on gently heading south towards the Mediterranean. Heading into the unknown, this was to be our very longest cruise and also a very steep learning curve for us all. Having moved out of our house, sold our cars and given up our jobs, we were making a major commitment to this project. We left the UK much later than intended due to the massive workload of readying our house for tenants, preparing Hoopla for her trip and a million and one jobs that needed to be completed. Finally, we headed out on 10th July with the first stop being Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight.
Since leaving our home port we have explored all of the Channel Islands, the North, West and South Brittany coast right down to La Rochelle. Then across the Bay of Biscay to Bilbao in Northern Spain and right along the whole of the Northern Coastline. We have experienced weather ranging from flat calms to outright storms but progressing in a series of day-sails, we can pick our weather and sea state. Luckily, as both Karen and I have quit our jobs, we have no timetable so can afford to wait until the time is right.
Probably one of my favourite ports have been Treguier in Northern Brittany where we waited out a couple of nasty little low-pressure systems tracking along the English Channel and I laid in our cabin and listened to the cathedral bells chiming the quarters and the mid-day Carillion, which played a hymn. Then there was Llanes in Northern Spain. We got caught out here in a horrible Biscay swell with no wind on a trip from Bilbao to Santander. I have found that the pilot books often “get it wrong” about some of the ports and some of their information is hideously out of date. It was with trepidation that I approached Llanes as there was quite literally no more shelter for the next 4 hours and we had all had quite enough. The pilot book stated that there were no facilities for visiting yachtsmen. The harbour was very well hidden and we approached the shelter of the harbour wall and passed through the storm gates into perfect tranquillity and a waiting visitors’ pontoon! The scenery was stunning and that night the town was celebrating a special festival and the whole population were dressed in traditional clothes and having a huge fiesta. It was quite simply magical!
Some ports that we stayed in have been awful, where, once again the pilot books got it wrong. One of these was Santander where the Marina is about an hour’s bus ride away from civilisation and where the showers had no shower curtains and toilets are infested with hungry mosquitoes. Santander however, was a lovely city and it was also where we managed track down (of all things) a microscope for Jack’s Science studies.
There were several upgrades that I fitted to Hoopla before we left, some have been invaluable and some have still to prove their worth. I was pleased to have fitted a holding tank as it meant that in Marinas such as Santander, where they locked the marina toilets at 8pm at night, we had our own facilities. I fitted a solar panel gantry and put two 100 watt panels on, this gives me about 9 amps and has so far kept all the lighting, fridge and electronics going 24/7 for the past 2 and half months. The microwave and electric hotplate along with the charcoal Cobb cooker have meant that I have only changed the Gaz cylinder once so far. The wind generator and the Honda 2kw generator have yet to be used…
The main saving grace for us has been the wonderful 36hp BUHK engine with its enormous fuel tank. has chugged away relentlessly and is now my best friend. Karen often tells me that I love the engine more than her as I kiss it goodnight after another long passage.
If you want to read more, see the ‘Ships Log’ from the menu above.
