Up and away quite early next morning, we were on the last 15 NM of our journey. It was unclear where we could clear customs from Spain, so skipper Garth wanted to have as much time as possible available to negotiate the minefield of difficulties we anticipated. The Schengen Agreement requires Australians to stay no more than 90 days in a 6 month period in the EU and then no re-entry for 6 months. As Gibraltar is not part of the EU, we needed to get passports stamped as we exited Spain, so that our precious 90 days were not being used in Gibraltar.
The sea was glassy smooth and we had a surreal experience as we approached 'The Rock' and went through the Strait of Gibraltar. There was a hazy sky that merged the sky with the sea yet great clarity existed at closer range and the water was very clear but inky black in colour. The reflections of the sky and clouds were fantastic. The guys were kept very busy navigating around the huge number of wrecks in these waters, large commercial ships at anchor and the fishermen's tuna nets. Sue and I were also kept busy, totally captivated by the surrounds and photographing all that we could. All this trip we had hoped for dolphins to join us and apart from one distant glimpse, we thought our hopes were dashed. However, to our absolute pleasure, several dolphins joined Trilogy's bow for a good 15 minutes crisscrossing, surfacing and diving with amazing speed. The dolphins delighted in the experience and looked up at us every sos often, with a smile to say 'we're so glad we found you!' Our cameras were worn out but we were exhilarated by the awe of our experience.
It was eerie to pass through the Strait of Gibraltar in absolutely calm conditions. We were all surprised at the closeness of The Rock to Morocco. Just 14NM separates these two land masses, yet culturally they are very distant lands. Seventy thousand ships pass through the Strait of Gibraltar each year and four thousand call into Gibraltar to bartel ie get supplies, fuel, change crews etc. The Strait is also the geographical divide of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean and was known as the Pillars of Hercules in Antiquity, as the two promontories represented the end of the known world.
We worked our way into the busy Bay of Gibraltar with the city of Gibraltar on the east side and Spanish Algeciras on the west and headed to the marina at La Linea, the closest Spanish marina to Gibraltar. We encountered the anticipated confusion, with several polizia insisting we head through the check point into Gibraltar on foot with no stamp in the passports. We formed a huddle to work out our strategy and were soon told to move on, if we refused to go through the barrier. Then another polizia appeared and with a small amount of English, we communicated we had a yacht and wanted to sail into Gibraltar. Several rounds of refusal later, a telephone interpreter assisted with the negotiation and finally, with smiles all round and handshakes galore, we were sent back to Trilogy, with our precious stamps.
Entering Gibraltar around the corner caused no problems, as no one seems to care if you have a stamp or not there either. That seemed to be the case for many aspects of Gibraltar! Everything seemed quite run down and neglected, starting with the marina and its dilapidated yachts. One motor cruiser had sunk 2 months ago in its berth and it was still there, looking very sad. There were small parts that we later discovered were quite upmarket, but that is because Gibraltar is a tax haven and the rich demand the best. The Gibraltan people have voted to remain British and legend has it that until there are no more Barbary macaque monkeys on the Gib, it will remain British. Large numbers of migratory soaring birds from Western Europe congregate at the Strait twice a year, which makes the shortest sea crossing to and from their North African wintering grounds. The raptors, in particular Booted Eagles, congregate and await favourable winds in the autumn migration. Although storks are famed for their migration across the Strait, most of these birds avoid Gibraltar and instead head for Tarifa.
Trilogy was cleaned from top to toe next day, and the sparkle made us all even more proud of her. We vacated our cabins, happy in the knowledge that we had kept her in good order and that as the journey south to the Canary Islands and across the Atlantic Ocean draws nigh, Trilogy is up for the challenge!