Wander Lost

Tag: Marinas

Marina information

  • The wild west of Italy

    We have reached Salerno where Patty needs to leave for a few days to go back to Barletta. I will probably stay here and work on a phone app I am developing but may move South toward Scicily. The weather forecast is all over the place with some models predicting more storms. One unforecasted storm blew through last night forcing us to leave the anchorage to seek shelter in Salerno harbour.

    Salerno

    This coast would be beautiful and well worth visiting if it were not for the Italian boaters. I would strongly advise any cruisers to avoid this coast in July and August. The marinas are stupidly expensive, €100-€160 per night, some places even charging €50 or more to just stop and fill with water. Luckily we have a secret weapon for that and have got free water (we did tip the marineros). We have an Italian speaking woman to soften up the invariably male marineros 😉. The other major problem is the sheer number of power boats going past between 10am and 8pm causing wash. It is very uncomfortable rolling on an anchor and as the waves come from all directions, a stern kedge anchor doesnt help. The Italians have no sence of courtesy on the water, they speed through anchorages, anchor too close to other boat and pass far too close.

    On the plus side, the scenery is stunning, water is beautiful South of Naples, at night the anchorages are like mill ponds and we sleep with the hatch open and star gazing.

  • Garrucha to Altea

    I have not blogged for a while so there’s a lot to catch up on. This will be a longer blog including carnivals and possible romance. How’s that for an attention grabbing opening 😉

    Carnivals

    From Garrucha I sailed to Aguilas, my mum had told me about carnivals there and the timing was perfect for getting to see some of it. I booked into the Marina for 5 nights and while there managed to see 3 carnivals in total. One night was a party night where everybody dressed up in different costumes and just went out for a drink at the bars and the restaurants, the place was buzzing and although I went back to the boat at around 11pm, I could hear the partying going on until the early hours. I really need company to share this with.. more on that later.

    Aguilas Carnivals

    From Aguilas I sailed up to Mazarone, my mum used to live there, And then up past Alicante and Benidorm to Altia. I’m here for 2 nights to refuel and resupply ready to cross to Ibiza.

    And now the bit that I’m sure my mum is dying to know more about. Last November I went on some dating sites and I’ve been quite successful. I’ve got several new female friends who I chat to online and may progress further, but time will tell. It takes a very brave and adventurous woman to come out and meet me on the boat having never met me ashore. But those are the qualities I like so it’s a good filter for the people that may be suitable for me. Two ladies have booked flights to come out and meet me in the next 2 months, both of them coming out as friends and they may leave as friends, we don’t know, They do know about each other, I am very honest and open with them and we are mature enough to understand what is going on. And in case you hadn’t already guessed Marina is a lady I met on a dating site, she came out as a friend in Gibraltar. We agreed we’re not compatible and that’s OK, we still enjoyed our time together doing some sightseeing and sailing.

    Tomorrow I hope to sail to Ibiza I could write a song about that.. “Hey, I’m going to Ibiza 🎵”. Its 12 hours away roughly depending on the weather, the forecast looks good though. I will check the forecast again tonight and tomorrow morning but it’s likely I’m gonna do it as a night sail so I can arrive in Ibiza during daylight. That means leaving late tomorrow afternoon.

  • Gibraltar with Marina

    Now this could be confusing so bear with me. Marina is a good friend who flew to Gibraltar to spend a week with me on Lady Cindy, who is in Gibraltar at a marina. As I explained to my mum…

    Yes, it’s Marina. I am going to a marina to meet Marina and will stay with Marina at the marina for a couple of nights at least to walk from the marina with Marina up the rock. Then Marina and I may leave the marina to go to a marina at Cueta to stay a couple of nights and Marina and I may get a bus into Morocco. Then return to the marina. Then Marina and I will sail back to the marina in Gibraltar to stay another night or two before Marina flys back from the airport near the marina. Come on mum, keep up 🤣

    And that is exactly what we did 🤗 for once, everything went as planned and we had a great time.

    Tetouan in Morocco

    But, all good things come to an end eventually and my time with Marina in Gibraltar is one of them. Yesterday she flew home but as the marina is right next door to the airport, I got some video of her leaving..

    I plan to spend a couple of days in Gibraltar, there is a Yanmar dealer here where I can get engine parts so I will service the engine, do a few maintenance jobs and then sail into the med and up the Spanish coast. I am in exploring mode now so although I have a rough idea of direction (Italy) I can wander to get there. The weather forecast shows a windy week of 20 knots or more so I will wait till that blows away.

  • Merry Christmas

    We never left Sines and are here for Christmas 🎄 ❤️.

    Overnight one of the mooring lines broke which put a lot more strain on the remaining lines and the stern fairleads. This ripped the stern gunwale off (wood deck surround) 😔. That together with a change in the forecast meant following mother natures suggestion to stay.

    I have decided not to fix the gunwale just yet. Its not structural, it needs a carpenter to fix properly and renovating the gunwale is on the project list anyway. It will go on the list for the next haul out. I have had the boat moved to a more sheltered spot in the marina.

    So here I am on Christmas eve, in shorts and T shirt sat in the cockpit with a glass of wine in the sunshine. Life is good 🙂. I have a turkey leg 🍗 for dinner tomorrow and plan a lot of video calls to friends and family tomorrow 😊. I want to get moving after boxing day, the forecast is looking good for that. I need to be in Gibraltar in the first week of January to pick up a guest at Gibraltar Airport.. more on that in a future blog 🤫.

    Merry Christmas everyone.

  • Aberystwyth Marina Review

    I have been over Wintering at Aberystwyth marina for the last six months and before that using it to shelter from strong northerlies when anchored at New Quay.

    Location

    The marina is the only suitable all weather shelter for deep keel boats between Milford Haven and Pwllheli. Nearby anchorages for deep keels are Fishguard (exposed to the East) and New Quay (exposed to the North). The harbour and entrance can be tricky with silted up sides; my 1.8m yacht can only get in 1.5 – 2 hours either side of the high tide. The entrance should not be attempted when big waves are coming in from the North. Care should be taken around the rocks either side of the entrance.

    Aberystwyth Harbour (c) David Jenkins, reproduced with permission.

    Marina

    Part of The Marine Group, it has a fuel Dock, on pontoon water and electricity, a marina office and a toilet/shower block with laundry facilities. There are liftout and yard services. The showers are clean, spacious and powerful. A couple of times I found the hot water ran out but that was rare.

    Local shops, the railway station, beach promenade, pier, Tescos, Matalan, pets at home, Iceland, takeaways etc. Are all a short walk away.

    The marina is badly silted so most deeper boats such as mine touch bottom at low tides, I understand there are plans to do some water blast dredging in the near future to improve this.

    Staff here are excellent. There is a pleasant and friendly atmosphere to the place. Some of the staff are ‘retired’ but still help out.

    There has been a recent change in management and there are some big plans announced by the Council for the Marina, I hope the marina keeps its character through these changes. My preference would be for the Council to get the basics right first by properly dredging the channel and dumping the spoil out at sea. Currently they use diggers and dumper trucks to move it from one point in the harbour to another. Mother nature just moves it back in the next storm.