After nearly 6 weeks in Gibraltar, we decided it was time to continue our adventures East. On leaving Gibraltar we soon found ourselves having to weave our way in and out of ships for 30 miles along the Costa del Sol. The ships were all queuing up to enter Gibraltar where they could fill up with duty- free fuel. For many it is their last stopping point in the Mediterranean before crossing the Atlantic or heading to Northern Europe. At about 24 hours out of Gibraltar, well along the Costa del Sol, we spotted a huge black speed boat heading straight towards us which passed us by before turning and following us. We were a little concerned at first, but soon relieved when we realized it was a Spanish customs vessel. We were directed to head into the wind while they came along side and two customs officers jumped onboard. The two officers were very kind and patient with our lack of Spanish. They searched the boat and wanted to see boat documentation, passports etc. They also chec ked out our log, charts and electronic plotter to confirm where we had come from. They explained that they have a big drug problem in this area with boats bringing in narcotics from Africa. This whole event took about 30 minutes and then the black speed boat returned and picked up their officers. Soon after this, our engine stopped charging the batteries and we decided we should locate a harbour along the Spanish coast where we could get the engine repaired. We decided on Cartagena, along the Southeastern Spanish coast just above the Costa del Sol. Catagena turned out to be a hidden gem. There was not much information about the city in any of the pilot or guide books but it turned out to be an amazing place with over 3000 years of history on display. Our favorite spot was the Roman amphitheater. The engine charging problem turned out to be a faulty regulator which we had to order from the US. We paid for a fast delivery and got the part into Spain in 3 days and then had to wait an additional 7 days to get it through Spanish Customs and finally 1 hour for us to fit it. We found our Spanish improved significantly while in Cartagena mainly due to our communication with the Customs authorities. Although I am not sure how we would have managed without the help of the marina staff translating emails and helping us compose Spanish notes.