Palamos or bust!

Friday – Managed to get Mum up reasonably early (8.30!) prepared for sea and off we went. Great to be out at sea again – spent the first hour or so in the Bay of Roses, swinging the compass and ‘teaching’ the autopilot how to work. All working well – at last, compass swung within 2 rotations with a 1 degree deviation – perfect! We were planning to go to Estartit but we were making such good progress we decided to go on to Palamos – what a great day’s sail.

Not too much wind and we had to motor part of the way but the sun shone most of the way although it was quite cold – Mum managed to stay warm with her blankie!

Sailed the other side of the Isles of Medes and there were plenty of free bouys! No one else out on the water. Arrived in Palamos about 4.30, called them up on Channel 9 and were asked to go to the blue crane where we would be met by a Mariniero (some one who works for the marina we think), we found the crane but it was on the move – a travelift just like Gramps used to have. Anyway we were directed to Amarre no. 3 and we slipped easily in bows to. Slime lines made a bit of a mess of the decks but a quick rinse down left Ma Belle as good as new again.

We went for a lovely walk into Palamos and visited the fish market – the fish was that fresh the gambas were still on the move!

Spag Boll on the boat to end a brilliant day.
Saturday – at last managed to Mum managed to convince the captain to have a shower! We decided to stay another night and explore the town a bit – we paid early, a bit pricey though at 72 Euros a night in March! Another lovely walk through the fish docks and along the beach – the last time we had been here we were with Tom and Lauren and the docks were full of tall ships. We spotted a very large super yacht anchored in the bay – british flag, but couldn’t see the name. Unusually it had a green hull – looked really good.

Lunch was a mini ham baguette and a café con leche. Grabbed some chicken, veg etc. for supper from the supermarket and made our way back to the boat. Met an English couple who had just bought a new Beneteau Oceanis 46 , 9 days ago who spent their time cruising the med – summer months on the costa brava and winter months in southern Spain. They have two months off in Dec and Jan to go on holiday and get some sun! They have an apartment in Palamos but are mooring their boat in Badalona for the summer. 460 euros per month with a shuttle bus to take customers into Barcelona. Sounds OK but we have been to Badalona and it really is soul-less if you are staying on the boat for any length of time. Afternoon wind started to get up – checked the forecast which gave 20-25 knot winds from the south East on Sunday. Should be OK but the problem is always getting off the mooring. A couple of beers in the marina bar (the place which Tom and Lauren kept open very late with only ordering 2 beers all night!) and a lovely chicken dinner a la belle helene. Any way needless to say the captain didn’t get much sleep worrying about how to get the boat out of the marina – to no avail – up bright and early. Ropes sorted and off we went!
Sunday – still reeling as I sit here writing this – probably the most tiring day’s sail ever on Belle Hélène. Started with a single reef in the main and a small reef in the genoa – 15 knots of wind so going very well, took the reef out of the genoa but left the main as I had some idea of what was coming! It got very windy – gusting 30 knots, very exhilarating but quite tiring on the helm. Managed to get the boat to goose wing for a short time but lost it when Mum asked me to show her how to use the phone to take a photo!

Broad reached most of the way in building seas. Eventually ended up with no genoa and 2 reefs in the main – and we were still making 8 knots. 9.8 knots was the best speed of the day – brilliant! Arrived safely outside the entrance to Empuriabrava dropped the main and surfed through the entrance with 0.6 m under the keel – all in a days work! Still blowing 20-25 knots so didn’t manage to back the boat onto its mooring – called for help but to no avail – they were on lunch! We ended up straddled across three power boats on the opposite side but eventually managed to go bows to in our mooring - a safe end to a great day.

I feel as if I have just done 10 rounds with Mike Tyson (and he has won!) but all is well, no one hurt and no damage done – another 33 miles notched up!. Looking forward to my beans on toast and a large beer for my tea – belle helene really knows how to keep the captain happy!

From the Dark Side!

Tuesday – another cracking run along the beach and up along the River Muga, over the bridge at the water treatment works (very smelly!) and back to the beach via La Laguna campsite (looks good for enormous camper vans Gramps!) Weather much improved with the sun shining. On my return from the run, Belle Helene was still in bed but I noticed that the German Yacht had gone off our mooring. Ten minutes later we had slipped our mooring on ‘the dark side’ and were safely berthed ‘back home’. What a massive difference – two days of not seeing anyone or speaking to anyone and within ten minutes we had met up with loads of new best friends. A Belgian couple were on hand to take our lines and it turned out that they had just put an offer on the 75 foot Monte Fino superyacht which was moored in Eve’s berth. Rene and his wife (didn’t catch her name) have three sons and he is clearly a successful businessman in Belgium. They have fallen in love with the boat which is currently moored in Roses but they hope to buy it and moor it next to us in Cataxo’s berth (they seem to think that he isn’t staying). Oscar arrived with three crew to move her back to Roses and they made a bit of a pig’s ear of getting her off the berth – they left two fenders out on the starboard side which got caught on the post! Anyway Mr and Mrs Rene went with them and returned to tell us how much they loved it – they didn’t want to get off! Another possible buyer was also on board so we hope they get to buy it – they seem very nice people. We have had a Pershing 62 next to us all day which was for sale for a mere 1.5 million Euros! Still didn’t show up ma belle helene though! I’m glad that we moved when we did as the wind soon got up and no further movement was possible after about 11 am. Met Ken off an Amel Santorin which he was trying to sell in the boat show – no joy; he is selling it to buy something a bit quicker. He has a house on Port Salins with a mooring which looks pretty nice! Chris from the Aquaterra shop appeared and it appears that he is selling Ken’s boat for him – he must still be in business although his shop next to La Pachanga is definitely closed up. He operates from the main road and tells us that he may rent the shop out as the marina seems to be picking up – nice to hear something positive from him!
Paul and Corrine from Sea Song popped over to say hello – they have been moved opposite Daniel’s bread shop and apparently the marina people lost some of their warps, chains etc. when they moved them. Paul had specifically asked them not to move the boat as he wanted to do it – so he is not best pleased.
Wednesday – not such a nice day but still OK (although it is raining as I write this!) – just settled down to breakfast on the aft deck when Corinne arrived to ask if we could go and help them move Sea Song. Great fun – she is beautiful but a real handful to manoeuvre – 30 tons with one engine and no bow thruster. Captain Paul did a great job and treated us to a Café con leche in El Tam Tam for our help. Messing about on boats is such good fun!
Fixed autopilot has been refitted but still needs to be tested and I have had the Radar dome out to check on the wiring before we fit that later in the week. Learnt a new skill today – whipping ropes to stop them fraying. Visited the Rattery this afetrnoon to try to get some ideas on how to use an aluminium ladder for a gang plank – custom made one’s are 650 Euros!
Vegetarian supper tonight – but after a stiff gin and tonic!

Easter at last!

Well here we are – arrived Saturday lunchtime after a good flight. Matt took us to Bristol airport so had to insure the car for him!
Belle Helene looking good but has been moved off her normal mooring because of the used boat show which ends on Sunday. We are currently over the other side of the marina on one of the moorings at Port Grec, outside the Thai restaurant. OK but just not quite the same – very quiet over this side. There is a massive German yacht on our mooring which Oscar tells us should be moved on Tuesday. The weather is OK but the Tramontana is blowing a force 8 gale. We are quite sheltered over this side and the wind does tend to drop at night so we get a decent night’s sleep.
Saturday lunch at Montserrat supermarcat – I really do know how to treat my darling wife! The afternoon spent looking around the boat show – not many boats sold and Oscar from Eastmarine looked pretty down when we asked him if he had had a good show. “we have had some movement”. Any way El Tam Tam is open again and we can’t wait to get back over the other side on Tuesday, weather permitting.
Easter Sunday – very windy again. We had a lovely brisk, wind beaten walk along the beach front followed by a couple of café con leches in our favourite bar on the front.
In the afternoon we decided to try the Brittania Bar for a couple of beers before dinner – Oh my God –I don’t think we will be going in there again! Helen cooked a beautiful chicken and prawn Gumbo for tea, followed by a great movie on DVD.
Easter Monday – about time I started running again. Left belle helene in bed and went for a swift, cold and windy run to Marina Estrella and back – 45 minutes and still holding up OK!