sySpringDawn

Vessel Name: Spring Dawn
Vessel Make/Model: Rival 41
Hailing Port: Hamble
Crew: Robbie Wilderspin & Jacqueline Cole
About: Robbie's a salty old sea dog. Jax is still learning.
20 June 2017 | Rio Judeu, Seixal
17 June 2017 | Praia Grande, Portimao
15 June 2017 | Alcaidesa Marina, La Linea
13 June 2017 | Benalmadena Marina
12 June 2017 | Almerimar Marina
08 June 2017 | Marina Alicante
07 June 2017 | Marina Alicante
06 June 2017 | Marina Alicante
03 June 2017 | Rada del Moraira
02 June 2017 | Islas Columbrete
05 October 2015 | Sant Carles de la Rapita, Spain
30 September 2015 | RCN Palma, Palma de Mallorca
26 September 2015 | Cala Gran, Mallorca
25 September 2015 | Cala Ratjada, Mallorca
24 September 2015 | Puerto de Pollenca, Mallorca
17 September 2015 | Villa Can Joan, Pollenca, Mallorca
13 September 2015 | Puerto Soller, Mallorca
11 September 2015 | Real Club Nautico de Palma, Mallorca
09 September 2015 | Isla de Cabrera, Balearics
08 September 2015 | Sa Rapita, Mallorca
Recent Blog Posts
20 June 2017 | Rio Judeu, Seixal

Lisbon and an intermission...

Having enjoyed a day to go ashore, do a bit of swimming and generally restore ourselves we left the anchorage on Monday morning. First stop was the waiting pontoon in Lagos so that I could go to Sopromar for impellers and gas, Tom went to Intermarche for other essentials. Sopromar came up trumps, though [...]

17 June 2017 | Praia Grande, Portimao

And so to Portugal...

Left La Linea bright and early for the journey onward from the Med and into the Atlantic. It was the first day of the tuna season so our exit was in company with a number of power boats equipped with fearsome looking rods and what appear to be dentist chairs into which the fisherman can be strapped should [...]

15 June 2017 | Alcaidesa Marina, La Linea

Leaving the Med (and more socialising)...

Left Benalmadena around 08.00 for a motor sail around Europa Point and into La Linea Alcaidesa marina, picking up fuel in Marina Bay, Gibraltar, on the way - 50p a litre ! Bit hazy all the way with the rock appearing out the mist at around 5 miles, and if you want to see traffic on AIS look no futher [...]

13 June 2017 | Benalmadena Marina

Sail repairs and socialising...

We left the marina at Almerimar about 3pm to anchor outside (and not incur a second nights charge). The plan was to have supper and set off for Benalmadena overnight, about 85 miles. Didnt really fancy much to eat as we'd had a largish lunch (black pudding sausage n chips for me) so a quick sarnie, up [...]

12 June 2017 | Almerimar Marina

A bit of a blur...

On leaving Alicante we had a short trip to an anchorage in the entrance to the Mar Menor. We passed Torrevieja on the way where I have been assured the cheapest full english on the Costas can be had for something like €2.99, never mind the quality eh! The anchorage is not pretty but it is secure, its [...]

08 June 2017 | Marina Alicante

The delights of Alicante...

The marina is part of the local scene as the paseo goes around the outside of the basin with a casino and many restaurants and bars. The city is a cool network of narrow streets and squares overlooked by a castle whose origins go back to the 9th century during the Muslim occupation of Iberia. The paseo [...]

Ceuta - A Spanish Enclave in Morocco

13 February 2012 | Ceuta
Jax/Bright and breezy
On Sunday morning we readied ourselves to leave Smir to make the 12 mile journey to Ceuta which is a Spanish enclave on the North coast of Morocco. We had intended to fill up with diesel in Smir in order to take advantage of the cheap fuel price in Morocco - only 7.5 Dh (57p) per litre. However, unfortunately, there was no fuel available in Smir (we're told it's only available in the spring and summer).

Cap'n Robbie went to pay the bill in the marina office before we left our mooring but the marina Police Officer insisted that we had to leave our mooring and tie up again on the waiting pontoon, which was a bit of a faff but we complied with his request. We were expecting an inspection of the boat but when Cap'n Robbie went back into the office, the Policeman merely waved his hand dismissively - obviously flexing his jobsworth's muscles?! We'd read in our pilot books that the Moroccan authorities aren't adverse to a little 'baksheesh' here and there, so I had a spare packet of ciggies and bottle of wine at the ready just in case!

The wind was fresh but on the nose all of the way so we motored between Smir and Ceuta with both Diana and Simon taking turns on the helm - they both looked quite at home. The moorings in Ceuta are all Mediterannean style so there was a bit of excitement on board as we'd never tried this before on Spring Dawn. As it was, it was very simply executed but I think it was due to us having four pairs of hands available - I think we'll have to hone our skills for when we're mooring like this with just the two of us.

Ceuta is a great little town. It's very small, only 7.1 square miles and is clean and tidy, boasts a few pretty squares, a prominent moated castle and a lovely beach where I went and dipped my toes in the Med (it's still a bit cold) and Diana drew a labyrinth in the sand with her feet (she says she does this at every beach she visits).

Myth has it that Monte Hacho in Ceuta is the site of one of the legendary Pillars of Hercules, the second one being the Rock of Gibraltar. During his twelve labours, Hercules used his superhuman strength to smash through the mountains. By doing so he connected the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterannean and formed the Strait of Gibraltar. Another version of the myth holds that instead of smashing through an isthmus to create the Strait of Gibralter Hercules narrowed an already existing Strait to prevent monsters from the Atlantic entering the Mediterannean.

In 1415, during the Battle of Ceuta the city was captured by the Portuguese during the reign of John I of Portugal. The King of Spain, Phillip II, seized the Portuguese throne in 1580 and held it for 60 years. During this time Ceuta gained many residents of Spanish origin, thus Ceuta became the only city of the Portuguese Empire that sided with Spain when Portugal regained its independence in 1640 and war broke out between the two countries.

The formal allegiance of Ceuta to Spain was recognized by the Treaty of Lisbon by which, on January 1, 1668, King Afonso VI of Portugal formally ceded Ceuta to Carlos II of Spain. However, the original Portuguese flag and coat of arms of Ceuta remained unchanged and the modern-day Ceuta flag features the configuration of the Portuguese sheild. The flag's background is also the same as that of the flag of Lisbon. When Spain recognised the independence of Spanish Morocco in 1956, Ceuta and the other sovereign territories remained under Spanish rule as they were considered integral parts of the Spanish state - which Morocco strongly disputed. Hmmmm, shades of the argument between the UK and Spain regarding Gibraltar here??

On the Monday we took a walk to one of the old watch towers in the hills. Once we'd found our way out of the western end of the town and onto the promenade along the coast, we had a lovely walk. We turned up into the hills and walked up through forests of eucalyptus and cork trees, winding our way up tracks and roads until we reached one of the old watch towers. As we started to walk downhill to the village of Benzu, we could clearly see part of the 8 km long border with Morocco - lots of high fencing and lookout posts along a stretch of no-man's land. Apparently, 621 Guardia Civil officers and 548 Police Officers control the shore - that's a serious amount of manpower for a 21km coastline!
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Spring Dawn's Photos - Main
Cefalu to Vulcano and Messina
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Capo Vito to Termini Imerese including Palermo
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Trapani & the Egadi Islands
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Carbonara to Olbia & back
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Maddalenas - Alghero - Cagliari
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...Alghero to Bonifacio with Ocean Hobo
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..but mostly Valencia
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Smir, Tetuan & Ceuta
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The Guadiana to Tarifa
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Lagos, Alvor, Portimao, Faro & Culhatra
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Povoa da Varzim, Oporto, Peniche, Lisbon
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Ria de Muros, Ris de Arousa, Ria de Pontevedra & Ria de Vigo
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Ribadeo to Finisterre
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