Back to Spain
25 May 2013 | Sant Carles
Pete Jackson
How on earth had we accumulated so much stuff in just a short time back in the house. Additionally our new tenant didn’t want the white goods in the kitchen. New homes had to be found for the fridge, freezer, washer & dishwasher. Sunday was the final push up early we deep cleaned the remaining rooms of the house. Moved the mattress out to the car as well as the borrowed chairs & cooking pots. All had to be returned to their respective owners. Finally we were complete.
Somehow leaving this time didn’t feel as much of a wrench as last year. Whilst this house was still ours it no longer felt like home. This was Argonauta sitting at her mooring on the Med. Up early next morning for the flight 04:00am departure we were very nervous checking through security with only hand luggage our bags were crammed to the Max. Unlike the holiday makers and weekend travellers amongst us, ours were crammed with bits and pieces for the boat. Pete even had a rear cycle rack crammed in his rucksack what would they make of that on the x-ray! We expected, at least to have to empty out the bags and explain the tools, spare parts, fixings etc. wrapped up in underwear. In the end we sailed through security without a hitch. We left the UK to its grey fog and drizzle though arriving in Spain we discovered the weather here for the last month had been anything but normal with regular rain & storms for the last month.
Warmer than the UK and we had at least a week's worth of jobs to do before we could leave so it had time to sort itself out. From the pontoon Argonauta looked fine and the mass of weed we had dreaded on her hull not present. Running the engine seemed fine but the wash created when in gear was less than expected. Pete dived over the side and discovered the prop was a giant ball of barnacles. We weren’t going anywhere! A lift was booked for the following week if she was coming out we better anti-foul & Change anodes as well. So are waiting or Tuesday when our lift is booked, with the most expensive tin of paint we’ve ever bought sitting in the cockpit, to paint the bottom and anodes ordered from the chandler.
Whilst we were waiting we visited the local fish market This was a interesting experience the whole process is hi-tech and the speed at which the sales occur were amazing. They use a Dutch auction style starting with a high price the electronic price dropping till the first one bids using wireless keypads, they then have bought it at that price. If several boxes are offered then the buyer get to choose the number of boxes they want the remaining being re-sold. The whole process from the fisherman placing the boxes of fish onto the system to being sold and moved to refrigeration takes but a few mins and the whole site was a mass of activity (see Picture).
The weather hasn’t relented yet but it has another week or so to sort itself out before we really get angry with it