Gibraltar

We are now nearly ready to set sail for the Canaries. Everyone we have met here in Gibraltar seems to be doing the same! We have set about working our way down the endless lists of work to be done and we are nearly at the bottom with most of the jobs ticked off….yippee!! The bottom of the boat has been checked over, the sails repaired, the window leak we had repaired and we have managed to source a few spare parts… to name just a few of the jobs sorted. Marina Bay can hardly be called a quiet marina at the moment with the runway on one side and some major works going on on the other. They are putting in extensions to the pontoons in order that a boat hotel… a very large boat hotel can be moored and we have been woken today to the sound of them pounding in the piles! However it is a friendly place and our time here has been productive.

We have also popped over the border to La Linea to source a new mattress for our bunk and it is sad to see so many empty shops and buildings due to Spain’s current economic problems. It took a long while to find the shop but we refused to be beaten asking in various shops in a good version of Spanglish for its location and finally coming up trumps in a hardware store where the proprietor pointed to a garage about 4 shops down! John went back to collect the mattress the following week armed with a couple of ropes to make it easier to transport. He then made his way back to Gibraltar doing an admiral impression of Sherpa Tensing. The journey back was particularly testing when he came to cross the runway after trying to explain to Gibraltar customs exactly what he was carrying. The wind got up on the runway and…. he very nearly took off!!

We have also had an excursion to Algerceras to see our good friend Peter who we met the very first time we came to Gibraltar. Peter is currently doing major works to his yacht in preparation for a trip to Brazil. We took the bus which was very good value and having arrived at the bus station John was gagging for a pint. It was a hot day. He strode into a café not able to hear me say as I looked round ‘ don’t think you’ll get one here’. There was a look of surprise on his face when he realised that the majority of café’s were run by Moslems so no alcohol there!! However we did manage to eventually find one where we could get a beer so panic over!