Two nights and a day found us off Lisbon in the early morning, and though the weather was fine, the wind was rising to gale-force. A huge container ship bruising through the night forced us to alter course, rather a nuisance since we were stitched up with a preventer on the main and the jib poled out for the following wind. Damaged the jib releasing it from the pole, but at least we realised now we were in for a bit of a dusting. Took all the sail down and we were still sailing nicely at 6 knots, good job the wind was fair, didn’t even bother setting the storm jib till we were approaching Cape St Vincent. Some interesting surfing when a big breaker heaved the Anna M up on its shoulders, the white foam boiling level with the deck as she surged along, and enough water in the cockpit on occasion to make me seriously resolve to make it rather more water tight!

A sloppy coast that, in the shallow water off Cape Trafalgar; would not fancy it in a SW gale at all. But there wasn’t even much wind at Tarifa. Anchored for rest back in the Ensenada de Getayes, having dodged behind yet another obstruction, a fish farm, to a fine anchorage. Was tightening up the mainsail when the halyard gave, dodged into Gib for a new one early in the morning. Only managed to tie up there with difficulty to buy and fit same; a storm three weeks before had put the Queensway Marina out of action, no boats allowed while they repaired it, and Marina Bay was chock-a-block. The wreck wrapped round Europa Pt was another victim.

But we were lucky with the Straits weather this time. Dan left us at Duquesa next evening, going to stay with a Sherkin friend there, but he missed the best sail of the trip, up the Alboran Sea to Almerimar with quite a few dolphins to keep us company, mostly striped ones, in a fine fair breeze with warm sunshine. Lovely to see it gleaming on the Sierra Nevada again, and so come to a snug berth where the old boat can take her ease for the winter. Good to find Tony still there, though frustrating for him not to have sold old Clarabel.

Matthew Cairns went to a new woofer host in the Sierra de Gador, while I did a few days’ work on Anna M before coming home. Plus a bit of dreaming; here we are again at the threshold of the Mediterranean. Are we just going to turn round and return in the Spring? Would it not be soon enough to head north again in May? I see Easter next year is conveniently on April 12 th. How about Holy Week in Rome? If I leave Almerimar mid-March, that leaves plenty of time to get there, and spend a bit of time in the Balearics, Corsica, perhaps head up to Nice if the mistral doesn’t head us off south of Corsica, and come down to Fiumicino by way of Elba and some of those Italian islands. Might even have time to go down through the Straits of Messina to Malta, where one of Fiona’s brothers lives, before heading home. Money of course is the problem, so come on, who is up for some of the action? There is also the opportunity for a winter break in January/February, with a wee sail to Almeria or whatever (see <February 2008>).