Cabo Roig
17 June 2013 | San Pedro
Jane
We spent a happy few days anchored outside the marina at Cabo Roig. The weather was hot and sunny, the water was warm if a little chippy at times and we were hugely entertained by more Spanish anchoring techniques especially on the Sunday. Amazing how far a boat can slip on its anchor before someone on board accepts that they have a problem! We also went ashore and walked round to our apartment which was fine and just as we had left it in March. It was lovely being somewhere familiar for once and simple things like just knowing where the supermarket is and where to get supplies (instead of the usual fruitless walk) was lovely.
Eventually though we knew we had to move the boat to San Pedro del Pinatar marina as we had a flight booked for Friday 21st. We had emailed every marina around the Mar Menor, Cartagena and up to Alicante and they had all come back with prices of between 420 and 575 euros plus a charge for water and electricity for a month with the exception of San Pedro who quoted and confirmed 253 euros all in. Obviously no contest and we booked in with them from 17th June but we kept wondering what the catch would be. Maybe it was a really shallow, dirty horrible marina and we would be rafted up against the fishing fleet.. Who knows? Anyway we set off hoping for the best but expecting problems but we were really surprised and delighted when we got there. It was a fairly easy entrance, past the fishing fleet and in to a modern, spacious and well appointed marina. The facilities were great, the staff friendly and welcoming and Gemini settled in well. We even had a successful stern to mooring with no problems.
The only downside is perhaps the distance to the town and any shops but we knew that before we got there. It was quite a long walk but it took us through the marine reserve and salt pans so at least the scenery was pretty and there were lots of flamingos. Although after you have seen one flamingo you have seen them all! With regard to the marina price though it just seems as though they have reduced their prices to attract some visitors. We are all for that and glad we were encouraging this rare initiative..
Our luck seemed to be holding as after we had been there only a few hours the radio aerial which had come loose during our crossing from Africa and had been precariously hanging on ever since finally broke free and fell to the ground missing our decks and landing on the boat next to us. Miraculously it was all in one piece too - that saved a trip up the mast to bring it down! We will be able to get some replacement screws or rivets when we go back to the UK next week but it will be a trip up the mast whe we get back to fix it unless we can think of another way of getting it back in place.
As we had a few days before our flight we decided to hire a car and provision the boat and the apartment so we felt very spoilt driving back and forward from the apartment to the marina and not having to carry all our shopping on our backs for once. I took full advantage of the opportunity and restocked with everything I could think of. I hope Gemini won't sink under the weight! I know I will be grateful though when I don't have to walk miles in Mallorca or Minorca next month to buy tins of tomatoes and bottles of water.
We had kept in contact with Mark and Angie from Cygnus 3 - last seen disappearing round the headland by the hippy naked beach (a place never to be forgotten!) and we knew they were not far way in Cartagena so we drove down, picked them up and they came and stayed with us for day or two. So simple when you have transport but it would have been so difficult without. Once again this made us realise how much we take for granted back home, even just driving 20 miles to see some friends would have to be a carefully researched and planned mission here using public transport. Unfortunately the buses here are not very frequent or reliable (unlike in Portugal).
Angie had also booked a flight back to the UK on the same day as us although she going to Manchester not Bournemouth but we were able to give her lift to Alicante airport and it was good fun to spend some more time with her and also to help out friends. So it is time to go home for a couple of weeks to check on the house and maybe some some work but most importantly go to Glastonbury Festival which will be amazing. Be so lovely to see family and friends too.. Can`t wait..