Trouble...

 

Sunset at sea

Our good friend, John, arrived in Lanzarote on the 16th of November.  On Friday the 17th, we rented a car and all of us went to check out of the country.  Fortunately for us, they give you some time to leave the country after you officially "check out".  So on Saturday I cooked us all a big Thanksgiving dinner and on Sunday we departed.  It took us a bit longer than John, as we needed to fuel up and the marina had several boats tied up in front of the fuel pumps.  We had to wait for folks to move their boats before we could pull up to the pumps.  

Sunrise at sea

Fueled up, we left intending for our next stop to be Martinique.  But that was not to be.  We were motor/sailing as the wind was light when the engine suddenly died.  Michael thought the fuel filter was dirty, so we changed both the primary filter and the pre-filter.  Once the filters were changed we started the engine back up but after about 15 minutes the engine died again.  He changed the filters a second time and we decided to divert to Las Palmas, Gran Canaria to have a Yanmar mechanic take a look at the engine.  Las Palmas has all the resources a boater would need, however accessing those resources is trying.  The marina is packed with no room for boats that need assistance.  The marineros were unbelievably rude.  If it weren't for the Yanmar fellow that I had been communicating with I don't know that we would have received any assistance at all.  Fortunately, he called the marina to let them know a mechanic was coming to assist us so reluctantly they let us tie up at the reception area.

The pre-filter with pump

The mechanic came over within an hour and diagnosed the issue.  On the pre-filter there is a little pump with a membrane.  If the pump malfunctions fuel is unable to get into the pre-filter and the engine is starved of fuel.  Sadly, they thought it would be a couple days before they could obtain the part.  As we were contemplating what to do regarding this setback the Yanmar guy called and said he found the part in his shop!!  What a stroke of luck.  The next morning the mechanic came and replaced the part.  We were on our way before the dust settled.  

Mindelo, Cape Verde

Again our intention was for the next stop to be Martinique, but yet again that was not to be the case.  After departing Las Palmas we got our sails set and went to shut off the engine.  And then we heard the navigational warning over our VHF:  "Extreme navigational hazard" near our position.  There were several migrant boats between the coast of Africa and the Canary Islands and they were all adrift.  Meaning no-one was in command of the vessel.  Those vessels do not have navigation lights making them impossible to see at night.  We had no choice but to run the engine and try to put as much distance as possible between us and the migrant boats.

Cape Verde

Concerns about our fuel consumption and the sudden failure of our solar controller forced us to make another stop that we had not intended to make.  Seven days after leaving Las Palmas we arrived in Cape Verde.  Our goal was to get fuel and replace our solar controller.  We had another bit of good luck in that there was space at the marina for us.  We were uncomfortable with anchoring as we would have felt unsafe leaving the boat unattended.  Safely tied up at the marina, we set out to obtain a new solar controller.  Unfortunately, the solar controller did not get replaced as quickly as the engine was repaired but we did get it done.  Two days were spent in Cape Verde and then we were once again on our way.  This time the next stop is definitely Martinique!  There is nothing but miles and miles of ocean between Cape Verde and the Caribbean, 2066 nautical miles to be exact.  

 

 

Another Transatlantic Passage

Entering the Gibraltar Strait at sunrise

 We have been sooooo busy, that I have neglected writing.  So to catch up... for the first time in years we left the EU during the summer and not the winter.  We went back to the US and I returned to work for the summer.  Between work, passage planning and helping our son with his new house there was no time left for anything else.

The Convoy

We returned to La Linea, Spain in October and have been prepping for another transatlantic crossing.  Our plan is to sail to the Caribbean in December and then eventually back to the US.  As many of you may know Orcas have been causing all sorts of issues for sailboats in the Strait of Gibraltar and along the coasts of Spain, Portugal and Morocco.  They have been "attacking" sailboats causing considerable damage and sinking some boats.  There is so much to think about and plan for when crossing an ocean, so the added stress of Orcas gone wild is just too much!  But it is what it is and we had to prepare for the possibility of an attack.

Sunset at Sea

Our Orca plan changed so many times that we lost count.  In the end, we joined four other boats and left in a convoy.  We stayed close to each other and hugged the coast of Spain all the way through the Strait of Gibraltar and for several miles after that.  All in all we went many miles out of our way, but it got us through "orca alley" without mishap.  

Landfall in the Canaries

 Once we got past Orca danger we all went our separate ways.  After a five day passage we reached the Canary Islands.  We are now at a marina on the island of Lanzarote.  I would like to say we are resting but that would be a lie.  We have been busy repairing what was broken on the passage and cleaning up.  Our plan is to leave here on the 20th for the Caribbean.  It is a three week passage.  Depending on the sailing conditions we may stop in Cape Verde to refuel.  Our tracker is up and running for those who have been watching.  Next post from the Caribbean.
 

Catching up with old friends in Barcelona

Barcelona Port

After double and triple checking the weather, we departed for Barcelona on June 2nd.  It would be an overnight sail with the expectation that we would arrive early in the am on June 3rd.  Barcelona is a big city and a big port.  Twenty to thirty miles out we started seeing considerable ship traffic.  And not just commercial ships but also several pleasure boats.  There were quite a few sailboats trying their best to make some headway with less than five knots of wind.  It was clear that they were just out sailing, not destination bound.  

Barcelona port entrance

 It was still dark as we approached Barcelona so we waited outside the port for enough light to enter.  There were several cargo ships at anchor and several coming into the port - time to stay alert!  

Me and my friend, Brenda - Barcelona Cathedral

As in much of Europe there is no shortage of beautiful cathedrals in Barcelona.  But the most iconic cathedral is the eclectic Sagrada Familia.  It is doubtless the most unusual cathedral we have ever seen.  The four of us walked to the Sagrada Familia, but did not go inside due to time constraints.  Michael and I had scheduled a tour of the cathedral for the next day, but sadly our friends cruise ship was only in Barcelona for a brief period so they did not see inside the church.  That is the way with cruise ships, they prefer that you spend the majority of your time on the ship.  

Sagrada Familia

 Sagrada Familia is the largest unfinished Catholic Church in the world.  Construction began in 1882, yet some question whether it will ever be finished.  There are serious obstacles in the path of completion, one of which is the inconvenient fact that there are now apartment buildings in the space where the rest of the spires are to be built.  The folks that live there are not agreeable to having their homes torn down to make room for the church's completion.  To say that the church is controversial would most certainly be an understatement.

Sagrada Familia

 

Even if you don't care for Antoni Gaudi's design that mixes Gothic and Art Nouveau styles, the attention to detail is admirable.  Some call the church "hideous" and some think it is "genius".  I think everyone can agree that it is in a class all its own.  Gaudi wanted the inside of the church to look like a forest - the pillars are to represent trees.  And he wanted a lot of natural light via the stained glass windows.  

Sagrada Familia

 

The inside of the cathedral for us was jaw dropping.  Definitely a must see if in Barcelona.  If it is ever finished we will make a return trip!

 

La Rambla

  Michael and I walked and walked and walked all around Barcelona.  After our second visit to Sagrada Familia we decided to stroll down La Rambla.  An iconic pedestrian street that was the site of a terrorist attack several years back.   Barcelona has been on my bucket list for some time - we were very happy to spend a few days there.  The weather was nice.  It was crowded but not Venice crowded.                                   

La Rambla

We have to arrive in Gibraltar by June 26th and still have a few places we want to visit along the Spanish coast.  And... Barcelona is very expensive - we can't afford to stay at the marina too long and there are no suitable anchorages (unless you are a cargo ship).  So we will be moving on to Valencia which should be our last overnight sail.  After that it will be short hops down the coast.  Looking forward to some more leisurely sailing😀.
 

 

Leaving Italy...

Mahon Harbour

 We were very sad to have to leave Sardinia so soon.  There is never enough time it seems.  I will refrain from complaining about the Schengen restrictions yet again... I have complained enough.  Much as we would love to linger longer in Italy, we are now headed to Spain.  From Sardinia to Menorca, the closest island in the Balearic Islands of Spain, is another overnight sail.  The trip started out fine... but as the night wore on the weather took a turn.

Mahon, Menorca - Spain

Being very sensitive to lightning following our near direct lightning strike, we became very alert when we started to see lightning off in the distance.  We turned on the radar to locate the storm cell and then we promptly diverted our course.  No way were we going to sail through a storm with lightning after just getting Talaria repaired a couple months earlier.  

 

Mahon, Menora

Diverting would mean we would get in later in the day, but still on the day we intended.  In the end, we went about five miles around the storm and when we saw a path to get back on course we took it.  For sure, we got rained on but we avoided the lightning, so although wet we were happy.  By the next afternoon we spotted Menorca and started in the harbour entrance at Mahon.  The small island of Menorca is not the most popular but definitely the closest from Sardinia and the first opportunity to check in to Spain. Although now short on time we lingered a day to have a look around the town of Mahon before heading to Barcelona.

Mahon Harbour

A high school friend that I have not seen in 10 years is on a cruise and will be in Barcelona.  Since we are in the area we decided to try and make it to Barcelona while her cruise ship is in the port.  So we can't linger in Menorca too long, but plan to stay in Barcelona for a few days.  

 

Island of Menorca

On the day we set out to leave there was a fellow in a kayak beside Talaria.  We were motoring out of the harbour and he was just out kayaking.  He started talking to us about coming from the US and then asked if we were heading to the next island, Mallorca.  After we told him we were heading to Barcelona he said "be careful, there will be heavy storms".  Now mind you we are very diligent about checking the weather, but I had not checked the local weather forecast.  Instead I used a weather app we use often called "Windy".  Windy was not forecasting the storms at the same intensity as the local forecast. 

Mahon, Menorca

 We were thinking "how did we not see that?"  So... we decided to at least get to the other side of the island.  Initially, we were going to go to a marina but there were visible storms in that direction. Instead, we made the decision to just stop at an anchorage that looked okay.  It was raining but the storms were all ahead of where we were stopping and not moving our direction.  Several other folks had the same idea.

Anchorage - Menorca

 The rain finally stopped and it was a quiet night.  Early the next morning we pulled the anchor and set sail for Barcelona with blue skys. 

Sardinia

Fish farming in Sardinia

It was only about a six hour trip the next day to reach Carloforte but we still left fairly early as we wanted to visit the town a bit.  It seemed we were the only ones out on the water that morning. But then as we were coming out of one bay and into another, we noticed a power boat coming at us fast.  Both of us thought it was a pleasure boat running wide open and our thought was "that guy is going to wake us and it won't be pretty".  Michael was giving them the "what the hell" look as they got closer and closer.  As soon as we saw the guns though, we thought uh oh... we better slow down.  As it turns out it was the Italian Military warning us that they were getting ready to start live firing exercises where we happened to be sailing.  They told us what course to take and to stay on that course for five miles... after that we could resume our plotted course.  No problem ... we are changing course!  We had no desire to be shot on that particular day (or any day)!

Sardinian Coastline

Our first impression of the Sardinian coastline was that it appeared very Spartan.  As unpopulated as Sicily is populated.  It is both pretty and rugged.  Up near Corsica is apparently very beautiful but we will have to come back for that visit.  It is very clear to us how folks would just want to linger here for a long time.  The isolation is appealing and the water is such a clear vivid blue.  

 

Coming in to Carloforte

Carloforte is a small, charming town.  They were having a "tuna festival" so there was a lot of horn honking going on by folks in funny costumes.  We replenished our grocery supplies, got fuel, did a bit of exploring and then went to find the Guardia Costiera to "check out" of Italy.  That involved a bit of fuss and paper shuffling but we managed to get it all accomplished in about 30 minutes.  

Sardinia coastline

The town of Carloforte is on the side of the Isola di San Pietro, as opposed to the tip of the island.  I puzzled over which way would be the quickest for getting around the island and the closest for our course.  I decided against going the way we came in, choosing instead to go around the other way.  There was a fishing boat coming around us as we were starting to come around the island.  They were staring at us... we thought it was because of our American flag.  Our misconception was soon revealed by Port Control,  who was then calling us on the VHF radio.  The path I had chosen ran right through a "restricted area".  About the time Port Control called we started to notice the huge fish farming operation going on in the area.  So thats why they were staring!!  Again we were given a heading to follow for five miles away from the fish farm ... after that we could get back on our course.  

Fishing boat

Maybe its just as well it was a brief visit to Sardinia ... we haven't had the best of luck navigating the area so far :).  Once out of the fish farming area we got on our course to Menora, Spain - another overnight passage. 

 

187 nautical miles in 31.5 hours

 

Teulada, Sardinia

I will not lie - we are sometimes lazy sailors.  When the wind is not right: either not enough or from the wrong direction we will turn on our engine and "assist" the sails somewhat.  Especially, when we have a long way to go.  We got a late start from Trapani, as we had to wait on the fishing boat to move away from the fuel dock, which meant we would get in late the next day after an all night sail.  We raised our sails as soon as we got away from the harbour but the wind was light and variable.  On went the engine as we wanted to maintain at least five knots of SOG (speed over ground).  If not, we might have two nights out and not one, or we may be trying to identify an unfamiliar harbour at night.  We did not want to do either of those things.  

 

Sardinia Coast

 Sailing in the Med is different from sailing in the Atlantic.  For one, in the Med, there are numerous big ships and smaller boats as well.  When you get way offshore in the Atlantic there is no-one and nothing around - just ocean from horizon to horizon.  Which sounds scary but in many ways there is less danger.  The water is very deep so you won't run aground, you won't run into the lee shore in a storm, you don't have to dodge huge tankers and cargo ships, there are no fishing buoys to watch out for and no fisherman dragging huge nets.  Providing the weather is okay, you can just relax and enjoy the ride.  If the weather is not good, you just deal with it or try to avoid it. Since there is no "safe harbour" to get to - there is also no time pressure.  Ditto for time pressure getting to a harbour before dark, as again, there is no harbour at all.  So time is not so much an issue... you set your sails and go and deal with what Mother Nature throws your way.  If you are well prepared and are sailing at the right time for where you are, everything should be fine.  Of course, there are occasional tragedies, however many, many sailboats cross oceans and have uneventful passages.

The water coming into Carloforte, Sardinia

It is hard to describe the brilliant, teal blue color of the water in Sardinia.  It is so perfect, you can't keep your eyes off of it.  Sailors are adept at watching the water anyway, they are drawn to the water like a lover.  The depth of color gives a sailor clues to the actual depth of the water - the lighter color is deeper and the darker is shallower.  Very useful information for all sailors, but definitely for sailors of old who did not have all the fancy gadgets we have today.  

Sardinia Coast

We sailed from Trapani, Sicily to Teulada, Sardinia in a bit over 31 hours.  It was around 1630 when we arrived and we were tired.  I try to take a couple pictures wherever we are, but I failed to do so here.  Just too tired.  We got all tied up and checked in and then we ate something and went to sleep.  Or at least thats what I imagine we did ... I honestly cannot remember the marina or what we did for dinner.  That is how tired we were... and I have no photos to jog my memory.  I remember the discussion we had when trying to find the harbour hidden behind a rock but thats about it.  It was just a stopover for the night - nothing more.  Next day we are heading to Carloforte, that is where we will go to check out of Italy before heading to Spain.
 

Trapani and Erice (air- ree- che)

 

Castle in Erice

The weather improved and we sailed on to Trapani, which will now be our last stop in Sicily.  We are bypassing both the Egadi and Aeolian Islands, which is a crying shame 😢😢.  I keep telling myself that it gives us good reason to return, but I am still sad that we will not be spending some time in the islands.  Schengen rules (only three months in the EU) really put a damper on enjoying what Europe has to offer - which is a lot!

Rob and Sue (and Michael)

One of the best things about traveling around the world is the people you meet.  We met Rob and Sue when we arrived at the marina in Trapani.  By the end of the day we were making plans to visit the ancient town of Erice - just outside of Trapani.  As with most of these medieval towns it is positioned way, way up the mountain.  We rode in a cable car to reach the town.  As we were walking around, Rob was saying "we need to go just a bit further... just around this corner... you will see... it will be beautiful".  We rounded the corner, following Rob's direction and were just blown away by the magnificent views.  You can see all of the countryside and the sea from way up there.  We were all cheering Rob!!

Narrow streets of Erice

Such an amazingly beautiful place... I loved it.  By far one of the prettiest little villages we have seen in Sicily, but I am sure there are more gems out there.  Everywhere we looked it was just so pretty.  I was thrilled when we found this little church that was open.  Just one fellow was sitting inside.  So, so pretty.

Erice Cathedral

 We spent a couple of hours just walking around and then found some lunch.  It was such a nice day, we were wishing we had more time to linger in Trapani.  As it is we spent the day in Erice, but have really not seen much of Trapani.  Thats what happens when you start wandering around the world... you just want to keep wandering and there is never enough time.  Our planet is vast, diverse and delights the senses in so many ways.  

City of Trapani seen from Erice

 We will be doing yet another long passage from Sicily to Sardinia.  Sardinia is another place I would like to just linger for a while, but we cannot, as I also have many places in Spain on my list of "places I want to visit".  My bucket list keeps getting longer and longer :)).

Rob and Sue on their s/v Kered

The next morning we had to wait for the fuel dock to open before we could depart.  We were ready and had planned to tie up at the fuel dock and wait for the "fuel man" to arrive.  But... as it turned out the fishing boats had just come in and one of them was tied to the fuel dock, unloading his fish onto a truck.  So... we had to wait for him too.  We just did circles out in the harbour, waiting our turn.  Rob and Sue came out of their beautiful Southerly sailboat to say goodbye.

 

Trapani fishing boats

We finally got fuel and headed out - on our way to Sardinia.  From there we will go to the Balearic Islands of Spain.

 

 

Making Tracks

 There is not too much to say about Pisa - the big attraction is the tower that leans.  It is actually the bell tower for the Pisa Cathedral.

Leaning Tower of Pisa

Although you know that the tower leans, it is still odd to see.  Apparently, it started to lean fairly quickly due to a soft and unstable foundation that was unable to support the weight of the tower.  Over the years attempts have been made to reduce the lean.  And they have indeed reduced the lean to about 4 %.  

 

Pisa Cathedral

Of course, they cannot completely correct the tilt or they would have no "tourist attraction".  Italy has struck a compromise it seems - a little tilt so the masses come to see it, but not enough that it falls over.

Pisa

We walked around the town a bit, but really that bell tower is about it.  Other than that oddity, it is just a sleepy town.  Now that the winds have died down we will be making tracks to Trapani.  Sadly, because of the weather delay and our dawdling we will now have to miss some highlights.  I knew I had our itinerary too jam packed, with no days built in for weather.  I was just hoping that it would all work out.  There is so much to see and we like to roam around at a leisurely pace- so it doesn't always work out.  It is also a very long way from Montenegro to Gibraltar.  Someone from Montenegro shared this image of a map showing the Mediterranean Sea within the US.  It is great visual for understanding the size of the Med - its a large body of water!

Mediterranean in the US

 Later this year we are crossing the Atlantic again.  The time for crossing to the Caribbean is the winter, we are planning to leave Talaria in La Linea, Spain while we go home for our three month exile.  In October, we will return and prepare for the crossing.  However, the reality is that you start preparing months in advance for a big ocean crossing.  One of the items on our list is having our liferaft serviced.  The liferaft has to be serviced every five years, so we are due.  It has been difficult to get that arranged as there are not many places that service our brand of liferaft.  After much searching we found a place in Gibraltar that services our brand.  That was good news!  Unfortunately, it is difficult to reserve a berth in Gibraltar to get the work done.  And due to Brexit moving things and workers back and forth from the Spanish side to the British side is next to impossible.  Finally, after a couple attempts we were able to secure a spot in Gibraltar for one week.  Phew... just enough time to get a few things done over on the British side.  

 

Church is Pisa

 

Anytime we have had work completed by British folks we have always been happy.  They do quality work and often tend to perfectionism.  So in addition to the liferaft, we wanted to have the engine serviced and the rigging inspected.  In particular, we wanted an actual trained rigger to inspect our rigging and tune it.  Its a sad fact, that many people who have become dismasted or had some sort of rigging failure, had just had their rigging replaced!!  You think "how in the world can that happen", but we have heard and spoken with folks who have had that happen more than once.  The riggers make mistakes or aren't completely qualified or the rigging is not tuned properly... Regardless, the reason - we do not want to experience a catastrophic rigging failure in the middle of the Atantic Ocean!   Securing the berth in Gibraltar for the work was a stroke of good luck, but it also took away another week from our travel time.  No more dawdling - we will be on our way to Trapani soon and then off to Sardinia.

Florence

The Duomo

 Florence is "The Duomo" and "The David".  The Renaissance.  Whats more, the Duomo and the David, are actually very intertwined.  There is a story there that we only learned on our visit to this great city.  We thought that Venice was overrun with humans, if possible, Florence is even more saturated.  Naturally, they are two of the most visited cities in Italy, outside of Rome.  Once you see the Duomo you can easily understand why everyone wants to see it up close.  Not a picture, but the real thing.  That is definitely how I felt about Michelangelo's David.  The lines to see inside the Duomo were far too long for our liking ... but I did manage to get tickets for a guided tour to see the statue of David.  Needless to say, I was pretty happy that we managed to get tickets on such short notice.

David

Initially, I thought " who needs a guide to see a statue"??  However, that was the only way to get tickets that "skip the line".  Again not wanting to spend the short amount of time we had standing in a line, we went for the guided tour.  Were we ever glad we did!!  The guide was actually a teacher (special education) and so knowledgeable.  It was immediately apparent that he loved sharing the story of Michelangelo and the David...we were engrossed.  

David

What we did not know before going to see the David was that Michelangelo actually had his sights on the Duomo.  He wanted to be The Artist to finish the exterior of the Duomo, but he was considered far too young and inexperienced for such a project.  He was told that he would have to prove himself first, before even being considered for such an important job.  So he said "alright then I will do a statue of David, but unlike any that has been done before".  And with that he chose his piece of marble and then built an enclosure around it.  For the entire time he worked on David he never came out of that enclosure.  He sweltered in the heat of summer and suffered the cold in winter.  He ate, slept and carved his masterpiece in that enclosure.  No one saw the sculpture until it was completed.  Folks brought him food and he had a little cot to sleep on - that was about it for comfort.  It was him and David.

Prigone

Now I ask you - do you know of any human today that has committed themselves to a project in that way?  No-one - there is no-one that displays that sort of dedication.  Remarkable does not even begin to describe it.  The attention to detail and the degree to which he studied the human body is incredible.  He carved the veins in the arms and hands!  Now why did he make David naked?  There are many answers to that question; the most obvious being we are all naked before God.  But there was some vanity there as well, it is much, much harder to carve a naked David than a clothed one.  And after all - he was auditioning for the big job!

Gates of Paradise

 There has only been one Renaissance, and from that one period in time the world has been gifted all this beauty.  Seeing Michelangelo's David was a seminal moment in my life.  And maybe, partly, it was being enlightened as to the character of the man that did it for me.  Alas, we Ioved the visit.  In addition, to the David there were other statues that we also loved.  They are called "Prigone" or prisoner.  They are said to be "prisoners of the stone" until Michelangelo "freed them" by carving them out of the stone. And then there are the Gates of Paradise - the doors of the Baptistry that took 27 years to carve.  Made of bronze with gold covering, they depict scenes from the bible.  The detail and perfection is stunning.  There are many folks wanting to glance at the doors and take pictures in front of them.  But if left alone with the doors you could stare at them for hours and hours and still not take it all in.

Florence piazza

  Sadly, the visit came to a poor end however.  As we were getting on the tram to go back to the hotel Michael was pick pocketed.  Now, he did a foolish thing by putting his wallet in his back pocket, he was rushing and just not thinking.  That has now made our lives a bit more complicated.  Thank goodness I was able to cancel the cards before the thief was able to get money.  And thank goodness I had taken the credit card and had it separate from other cards - otherwise we would have really been in a bind.  Lesson learned:  Wallet goes in front pocket only.  Never, ever in the back pocket!!  We cannot fly back to Mazzaro del Vallo from Florence so we are taking a shuttle to Pisa and will fly back from there.