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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
