The lighthouse on Cabo Trafalgar.


Salara had been at anchor over night in La Linea, Spain, after leaving her last port of call in the Mediterranean. Today I had decided to go into Gibraltar to fill up with tax free diesel then return to Spain and spend a couple of nights in Alcaidesa Marina. All went according to plan and I had secured Salara safely in the allocated berth and fitted the sailcovers. I was sat on the aft deck relaxing in the sunshine while drinking a much needed mug of tea. In the berth opposite a German yacht was preparing to go to sea and I watched her with interest. She was decked out with banners and hull stickers proclaiming that she was on her way to join the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers, the famous ARC.

As she finally cast off and left her berth she was late turning and I realised immediately that she would catch Salara with her stern. There was no chance of fending her off and I watched in horror as her aft quarter crashed into the Hydrovane selfsteering unit. I shouted that damage had been done and they returned to their berth where we exchanged insurance details after which they made a more successful job of leaving.

The damage to the Hydrovane is fairly extensive requiring a new rudder shaft assembly at least and maybe some other parts once the unit has been stripped down and examined which cannot be done until Salara is ashore in Faro in November.

I stayed in the marina for two days while I stocked up on food from the large supermarket in the town and attended to one or two small maintenance jobs on board. Once that was done I returned to the anchorage to be ready to take the first opportunity to transit the Gibraltar Strait and sail into the North Atlantic. I did not have to wait long and two days later Salara left an hour before dawn to head across Algecirus Bay dodging the early morning ferries and big ship movements.

At first light Salara was rounding the Perla Buoy and Punto Carnero and at four hours after High Water Gibraltar the tide was starting to turn in her favour. As there was no wind Salara was motoring and I steered her close inshore where the favourable current was strongest and she was whisked along at almost eight knots at times. So she made a quick and easy passage through the Strait and around Tarifa to Barbate where I anchored her in the harbour approach during the early afternoon.

The next morning at 10.00 hours after a peaceful night at anchor Salara was again on the move, today her destination was Cadiz, it was calm and with no breeze so again she was motoring and heading for the inshore passage around Cabo Trafalgar. I had never tried this one before having been warned off by the pilot book advising ‘use with local knowledge only`. However I now have Navionics on my side so I reckoned all would be well. Salara shot through with the tide under her, crashed through the overfalls and that was that, all over in five minutes or so.

A very short time later Salara was enveloped in thick fog, I had the AIS on as well as the radar as I headed across the offshore banks to deeper water. I knew that there were other yachts in the vicinity as well as many small fishing boats but I saw none of them. It was the first time in years that I had to use the foghorn. After a couple of hours the fog cleared and Salara completed her passage to Cadiz where she tied up in Puerto Americas Marina having motored for the whole of the trip.
Salara stayed in the marina at Cadiz for almost a week just because I like wandering around the narrow streets of this ancient city and I had time on my hands as she was not due to be lifted out at Faro for another month. Eventually the urge to move on overcame my appetite for beer and tapas and I left the marina and steered Salara along the coast to anchor just inside the Rio Guadalquiver opposite the town of Bonanza and with the Donana National Park on the near bank. I had never anchored here before and it is the ideal starting point for a trip up the river to Sevilla. Also at anchor was the yacht Variety with Mark and Carolyn on board. I know them as they wintered next to Salara in Faro last year and like me they were making their way back there. They had been visiting Sevilla which is something that I have always meant to do but never got around to. Maybe next year.

The next morning there was thick fog and later, when it had cleared a little I noticed that Variety had left the anchorage and was making passage to Mazagon. Rather them than me I thought so I spent a lazy day at at anchor. I had intended to make an early start for Mazagon the following day but once again there was thick fog. I could hear ships passing in the river but I could not see them. However the fog cleared after a couple of hours so I lifted the anchor and set off. By that time the tide was ebbing fast and Salara had a fairly bumpy ride as she left the mouth of the river. Once on course I decided to set the headsail but for some reason I found that it was jammed and however hard I tried I could not free it. I ran through various options in my head but as the marina at Chipiona was only a very short distance away I decided to go there and sort the headsail furling system out in relative comfort.

Once Salara was secure in a berth Chipiona Marina I started work on the furling system but I could find nothing obviously wrong at deck level so the problem was obviously at the top of the system. I peered at it through the binoculars and all looked good. However after playing with the halliard tension I found that the fault cleared if the tension was fairly low. It was not to my liking but it would have to do, so the following morning Salara was once again at sea heading for Mazagon. It was an uneventful trip in light and variable breezes and Salara motored or motorsailed as conditions allowed. She arrived at the marina during the late afternoon and I tied her up on the waiting pontoon. The office was closed but eventually someone arrived and Salara was allocated a berth just as darkness approached and Mark and Carolyn from Variety were there to take my lines.

I had booked Salara into the marina for a week but stayed for nine days during which I accompanied Mark and Carolyn on a couple of trips out on the local bus to the city of Huelva and the large park complex dedicated to Christopher Columbus and the exploration of the Americas, both places that I had never been to previously.

The next stop was my old favourite the Rio Guadiana and when the tide favoured the short passage along the coast Salara left the marina and set course to the west motoring in very calm conditions and six hours later she was crossing the shallow bar with the flood tide helping her up the river. I anchored her for the night just below the Spanish town of Ayamonte ready to head further up the Rio Guadiana on the flood tide during the following afternoon.

The next day at 1400 hours I lifted the anchor and enjoyed what is now a very familiar trip up the river which forms the border between Spain and Portugal and four hours later Salara was at anchor just below the twin towns of Sanlucar, Spain and Alcoutim, Portugal. I stayed at anchor there for a week during which time I took myself off for several long walks into the surrounding countryside. The days were sunny but it was beginning to be very chilly in the mornings. A mere 18 degrees centigrade, definitely a shock to my system. Mark and Carolyn were also nearby but alongside the pontoon at Alcoutim, they were there to support their son who was playing at the annual international music festival. It is quite a popular event and lots of beer is drunk as the music goes on into the night. I leave it to the young now as I reckon that I am too old to be using a dinghy to return to Salara in the darkness of this fast flowing river.

After a week it was time to leave as the tides were favourable for the trip down the river. Salara left at halfway through the afternoon just before the ebb started to flow and was once more at anchor near Ayamonte a few hours later. It was Low Water with a depth of 3.5 metres and 25 metres of chain veered, plenty of scope to cope with the rise of tide later on. I cooked a meal and went to bed with no worries as I know that the holding is excellent here.

In the morning I rigged lines and fenders and at mid day I moved Salara into the Ayamonte Marina. I booked in until the 31 October which I had been lead to believe by our leaders was going to be Brexit Day. The advice from the RYA and the Cruising Association was that there needed to be documented evidence as to where the boat was on that important day. As we know now it did not happen yet again but at least it gave me time to refuel Salara ready for the winter lay up in Faro and also to stock up with tasty morsels of food from the large supermarkets in the town.

On what should have been Brexit Day Salara left Ayamonte and the Rio Guadiana on the last leg of her trip back to Faro and true to form she was once again under engine power. I steered her between the dozens of fishing floats outside the river and to seaward of the many fish farms and tunny nets which line the coast. Six hours later and still motoring Salara was at the entrance to the Ria Formosa and heading for the Faro Channel while still benefitting from the flood tide. I know this channel fairly well now so it holds no problems for me and at 1600 hours Salara was at anchor off Faro in 5.5 metres of depth with 25 metres of chain veered. I contacted the boatyard to tell them that Salara had arrived and they replied to say that they could lift her ashore first thing on Monday the 4 November.

I had four days to wait so I had plenty of time to make the necessary preparations, there was enough food on board to sustain me so there was no need to launch the dinghy and go ashore. Some strong westerly winds were forecast but deep in the marshes and with neap tides they would not be troublesome.

On Monday morning soon after eating a bacon sandwich for breakfast I lifted the anchor and steered Salara to meet the boatyard pilot as arranged at Buoy 23. I was there on time but I know by now that the pilot would arrive fifteen minutes late so I never worry. Sure enough he arrived as expected and with a cheery wave he led the way up the narrow twisting channel to the recently dredged basin at the boatyard. I laid Salara alongside the pontoon and handed over to the yard staff who floated her stern first into the hoist. She was then lifted, pressure washed and secured in a steel cradle. I connected up to mains power and put the kettle on.