Episode 31 | Marina Ambiance & Penitence
Hello dear Winded Voyagers!
Wow! Today we have arrived to the Canary Islands. (Hence why I couldn’t post on the usual Tuesday). A 5 day 4 night passage fromTangier Morocco. But that will be for upcoming episodes.
Episode 31 takes place in Cartagena Spain. It was a destination I’d been hoping to get to from my days in frigid France. I made it to Yacht Port Cartagena in the dark of night. Once moored I met my neighbor Jos who was casually rolling himself a cigarette. "Is that a joint?" I said, he laughed and said "No man, but I’m Dutch so no worries". I immediately knew I was in the right place.
I was also there at the right time, it was Semana Santa or Easter Week. Cartagena was reputed to be a sight to see, and it is. They have very interesting religious processions parading through the streets. Prepare yourselves to watch something unexpected. The other cool thing about Cartagena was that the marina ambiance is the best of my travels so far. As you’ll see, I meet lots of good people there.
Hope you’ll enjoy this new episode, there are many to come as my Winded Voyage is really going now!
Big ups and much love, Alex.
Winded Voyage 2 | Episode 31 | Marina Ambiance & Penitence (YouTube)
Comments (7)
And finally, good on you for reaching the Canaries! You move faster than I expected. Looking forward to seeing the videos.
BTW, I recently came across a comment by you (from quite some time back) on one of the French sailing forums, in a thread discussing the Kirie Fifty 33 motor sailor. I know that you've gone a different route now with your Jeanneau, but do you still think that the Kirie is a viable option for use as liveaboard on the Med? It's one of the models I am considering (and I viewed one in the Netherlands in March when I was there on a short trip). I really like the interior layout and ample space for the relatively short length, but the large cockpit with possibly slow drainage is a concern.
Hola Wolfgang. Yes I did consider a Kirie Fifty, a "motor sailor" vessel. But now that I have some Med sailing experience, I'm glad I have Galopin and his 40 feet. Bigger would be even better due to the short hard waves that beat the hull furiously. For most of the year, the Med is pretty hard to sail. The weather changes really quickly and the forecast are approximate at best. It really depends how much sailing you'll do or living on the boat. As well the deep cockpit of the Kirie has been said that it can fill up with one good wave and the drainage is not the best. That being said, all boats are a compromise. Cartagena was a great marina to spend time at. Great price, good facilities, great small city and a wonderful marina ambiance. As well it's fairly far south so the weather is pretty good most of the year.
I hear what you're saying with regard to the Med, Alex. I will have to take care of that too when I'll start my 'residence' in the Med fromabout the end of this year. I also experienced that difference when sailing the waters of Japan. The open Pacific with its long slow swells can be less scary than for example the top of Tokyo Bay with its short steep chops.
What a difference the Atlantic swell was. Long and rolling as opposed to the hard chops of the Med. It seems you know what I'm saying from your experience in the Pacific and Tokyo Bay.
Hi Darrian. The Med has wonderful places to see indeed. But keep an eye out for what it's like to sail that sea. It's capricious. The weather changes quickly, sometimes furiously and the waves a short and hard and they form quickly. In general it's all or nothing. We've made it to the Canaries. And the difference in sea state was quite a surprise. The waves are big and round... impressive but rolling and smooth in comparison to the Med. A welcome relief. You'll see more in upcoming episodes. Enjoy sailing school!
Excellent! as usual Alex, You are giving me valuable glimpses into the places I would want to see when I hit the Med. BTW, I start sailing classes in June, so in the future we definitely have to meet up when I "chop" these lines