The wind was picking up and there was quite some distance to be made, in order to get Trilogy to Sant Carles de la Ràpita, 100 kms south of Barcelona by the end of the season. As much as cruising is about 'wandering' wherever you choose, the weather and certain deadlines actually direct decision making more than we would like sometimes.
It was a combination of the two that was starting to impact on the sail planning for the remainder of the season. The following morning Trilogy departed Nikki Beach and motor sailed for 34 NMs with the wind swinging from the east at 10 knots in the morning to the west at 10 knots by the time Trilogy anchored in Anse de Fabre Gas. The following day a further 12 NMs was covered, this time the wind building from the west at 10 knots and the seas were short and sharp. It was hard work getting around the peninsula and quite early on, the tender got hit by a big wave and the sides deflated. The skipper decided to return to Anse de Fabre Gas to pump up the tender and ensure that it was lashed firmly to minimise any swing action on the davits. Trilogy set off again and it was a battle with wind on the nose at 20-25 knots, but finally Trilogy arrived at Port de Bandol. Trilogy was allocated an outer finger marina berth and with the consistent building of the wind strength there was a lot of attention given to adjustment of the mooring lines.
Once snugged away to the skipper's satisfaction, there was time to explore the township of Bandol, a busy town for local, rather than international tourists. Bandol is a gentle seaside resort, cradled by hills and protected from the worst of the Mediterranean wind. Amelia chose La Chipote Restaurant for the evening meal. This was a lovely experience as it was located across a small isthmus on the beautiful Anse de Renécros. Palm trees lined the harbour front, along with the usual string of restaurants and cafes behind which is the old town. In the hinterland around Bandol, there are many vineyards producing some of the best known rosés and reds of the Côtes de Provence.
Colin and Amelia departed early next morning and I had arrived back on board late the night before. There followed a day of shopping and washing and the next morning we departed at 06:00 from the marina, in order to leave in calm conditions, with only 6 knots blowing from the south. The storm sails were set with the third reef and it wasn't long before we were in high wind and heavy seas. We went into one hour watches because the helm work was hard and it was very, very cold. The helming required steering across the back of the wave, turning on the top and sliding down the front before the next wave arrived, to repeat it all again. Fortunately none of us got seasick and we were able to wedge ourselves into the seats or bunks below so that we could remain stable. The heavy weather eased by around 14:00 and we could put up a bit more sail to keep Trilogy powering along. We had a brief visit from some dolphins, but alas, they didn't want to play. We all had dinner in the cockpit (a one bowl version of curried tuna with rice with some greens) and we continued the sail until around midnight, when we dropped the sails and nudged our way into a small bay called Cala Guillola. This was a late change of plans because the 21:00 weather report indicated we were in for a significant weather event, starting in the early hours of the morning. We were now making landfall on the Costa Brava Spanish Coast, at the base of the Pyrenees and known for its very unpredictable wind strengths, that rocket off the mountains in intense gusts. In the dark as we slowly made our way into the Cala we could make out cliffs ahead, an outline of a small box shape building and a mast to one side of the bay. The first attempt at anchoring failed to get a hold on the bottom, which meant it was either weed or a rocky bottom. The second attempt a little further over was successful and we could finally settle for the night, but not before the skipper shouted us all a Baileys!
We slept very well but awoke to an updated weather report that sounded even more concerning. On deck, everything was double tied down and as the morning progressed and the wind strength increased, the skipper asked us all to assist with collapsing the Bimini, before it got shredded. Just as we were getting ready, the skipper noticed we were drifting rapidly down onto a small yacht on a mooring that had joined us in the cala during the morning. There was a flurry of activity, turning instruments on, starting the engine, lifting the anchor, all seemingly simultaneously. The 'anchor watch' app had not gone off, which was mystifying. The anchor was extremely slow to lift as we had 60 metres of chain out and Trilogy had circled many times during the night. The wind was blowing Trilogy sideways but bit by bit the anchor, which was laden with weed, was lifted back on board. The skipper headed Trilogy for open water and the next challenge was to find another spot to shelter.
This was a rough ride! The skipper saw the true wind dial hit 50 knots, the wind was howling and the sea was spuming. The guys were tied on in full foul weather gear and the girls stayed below, pinned to the seats. Trilogy didn't need sails to make 9 knots of speed. Several bays were passed that had looked promising on the chart, but the force of the wind and the state of the sea made it impossible to make an attempt at entry. It was amazing to us that we were unable to find decent protection in the lee of a very large headland. It took 2.5 hours to cover 7 NMs to reach Cala de Canyellas Petites, a bay with high sloping hills on all sides and lots of white houses and apartment complexes stacked around the bay. We only stayed an hour as the skipper was concerned that we did not have good enough protection. The weather forecast was still woeful for the next few days and we needed to anchor securely in sand.
After much consideration, the skipper moved Trilogy a further 2NMs to a much wider open bay called Bahia de Roses and anchored in 7 metres on a sandy bottom. The winds were consistently gusting to 40+knots, but we felt safe and Trilogy had certainly proven herself yet again to be a very sea worthy vessel. In this anchorage Trilogy had plenty of room to swing and the 'anchor watch' app was set to alert us of any movement and we huddled below, while the winds whistled through the rigging!
Bahia de Roses harbour is a very old fishing port and has been in use since the earliest of times, it's origins being connected with Emporion. Greek and Roman records refer to Rhodes, which was probably Roses. In the Middle Ages it was a naval port and the fort built at this time was blown up by Suchet in 1814.
Next morning we got underway early enough to set off in relatively calm conditions. Before we got too far out of the harbour we hoisted a full main and unfurled the headsail. We turned around to see the Pyrenees covered in snow. No wonder we had been feeling cold! The wind and seas picked up as we rounded the headland and again Trilogy had to weather the storm. The winds were from the north east at 25 knots, gusting at times to 30 knots. We motored 25 NMs and would have liked to go further but the skipper was concerned there may be no suitable anchorages between Playa de Palamos and Barcelona. This playa had a long sandy beach and had some rather ugly high-rise apartments in the seaside town that backed the beach. We anchored as close to the beach as the buoys would allow and fortunately had the protection of a long seawall, which stopped the swell from getting to us.
A little bit about the wind conditions we have experienced! It is known as the mistral in France and the tramontana in Spain. It is a strong dry wind and is caused by a secondary depression forming in the Golfe de Lion on the cold front of a major depression that is crossing France. The northwesterly airflow generated is compressed between the Alps and the Pyrenees and flows into the Mediterranean basin. In Spain it chiefly affects the coast to the north of Barcelona, the Islas Baleares, and is strongest at the northern end of the Costa Brava...right where we were! It is said that the tramontana can arrive and reach gale force in as little as fifteen minutes on a calm sunny day with virtually no warning...that was our experience precisely! The weather forecast just suddenly changed dramatically. It normally lasts for at least 3 days but may last for a week or longer. We knew something was seriously up when we could see 6 big fishing trawlers all heading at top speed into port, right behind us!
Thanks to Mediterranean Spain by John Marchand 6th Ed for the wind diagram.