Up, Down … and Up Again

There is nothing quite like a downwind sail through the Strait of Gibraltar to make you feel like selling everything and buying a boat was a good idea.  A strong current pushing us along in a 20 knot Poniente wind (AWA 177) made for a fantabulous ride!

We watched Gibraltar to port, and Morocco to starboard fade away into the distance as Gerty carried us into the Mediterranean Sea.  Leaving Africa behind felt tragic, but COVID dictates that it is not yet a time for visitors there.  Only the dolphins can come and go as they please, flaunting their freedom with jumps and twirls alongside us.

I think it was real- the sunset over the Sierra Nevada.  The drama of it made me unsure.  It cast light on Gerty’s deck, illuminating a strange red coating.

“It’s the Sahara,” Michael said,  “sand blows over from the African desert and coats everything in reddish- brown.”

Gerty is dirty, and we smile, because the grit feels so adventurous and exotic to us.

When my night watch was over, I fell asleep to the silence of well trimmed sails and the sound of an organized ocean.

Waking up on land in Almerimar was a different acoustic experience. The days started with the noise of a beeping travel lift, and boat handlers calling to each other in Spanish .  Electric sanders, and electric waxers hummed in the background.  

Gerty was on the hard in the boatyard.  We hauled her out of the water for maintenance.  In other words, she got a makeover.

Bottom paint was the main event, but over four days we went through an impressive punch list that included: 

Swap rocna anchor for spade, strip prop & paint, swap sail drive seals (remove fishing line), change oil in drive, replace/clean anodes, bow thruster prop clean & paint, swap anodes, remove rust from lifelines, sew torn fender covers, repair sail cover hole, and last but not least – bottom clean & paint (with remove/reinstall center board).

As you can see from the photos, our four days in the yard were both productive and glamorous.  

On the fifth day Gerty got a bath, and in the end, I would say we were pretty damn proud of our work.

It wasn’t until we treated ourselves to a day at the Alhambra, Grenada’s treasured Moorish Palace, that we got in an argument.  Two parts exhaustion, one part faulty SIM card, and one part worn out rental car-clutch set us up for a day-long feud.  What can I say?  The Alhambra is architectural splendor at it’s best, and we have the pictures to prove it, but this is a blog with a purpose.  At this juncture I’m not ready to define that purpose, but I feel compelled to record the event of our squabble.  I think it’s because by acknowledging that it happened, and reading about it in the future, I will know that we worked our way through it.

Don’t judge, but it was a Dunkin Donuts in the heart of Grenada where we found our peace.  Two large iced cawfees and forty-five minutes of people watching brought us back to each other.  No espresso needed.

Last remarks:

• Sailors – the price of diesel in Gibraltar should be shared – about .6 euro per liter.
• Nice to meet you Nicki and Mike from SV Zen Again in Almerimar.
• Sal and friends- can’t thank you enough for your company in the boatyard.
• Lothar, Natalia, Karlota, Daniella, and Eric on SV Zarifa – prost!  Here’s to more good times ahead in Mallorca.