La Línea > Almerimar

July 11th 23: La Línea > Marbella Finally, we're back on track. We planned to stay in La Línea for a day, but it turned into a week. Not because we love the area so much (although we're big fans of Gibraltar), but because of our engine. Explaining exactly what happened would be too much for this post. What's important is that we could finally set sail again, and for the first time in 2023, we could truly experience the Mediterranean. We passed by numerous tanker ships, accompanied by some dolphins. After leaving the Strait of Gibraltar, which was once the Orca hotspot, we could finally turn off the engine and fully enjoy the Mediterranean. With excellent conditions, we continued northward. We reached our first stop of this leg after about 38 NM and dropped anchor just before Marbella.

 

 

July 12th 23: Marbella > Marina del Este

After a rocky night, we continued around 8:30 AM. This day was marked by strong winds and waves, a combination that's not enjoyable, especially after little sleep. Since sheltered anchorages are rare in this area, we planned to find a marina to spend the night. We didn't consider that everything would be fully booked during the high season. Fortunately, we had some luck on our last attempt and hit the jackpot. After 58 NM, we arrived at the beautiful Marina del Este - a place where we even stayed for two extra nights because we felt so comfortable.

 

July 15th 23: Marina del Este > Motril

Already shortly before 8 o'clock in the morning we sailed on. We decided to put in only a short sailing day. 11.5 NM and about two and a half hours later, we arrived the marina. The destination? Not particularly beautiful, but conveniently located: Motril.

 

July 16th 23: Motril > Almerimar

Off to one of the most famous marinas in the area. After a perfect sailing day with pleasant winds and many dolphins, the next leg took us to the nearby Almerimar. There, after a 36.5 NM journey, we had perhaps the longest and most detailed check-in process we've experienced so far. We had to provide so many details about the boat and even the engine, unlike anything we've encountered before. Fortunately, despite our 10.10 meters, we were allowed to dock at the "big" sailboat berths on the first pontoon, giving us the perfect starting point for exploration. Shortly after arrival, we were visited by Philipp, who saw our flag and was excited to meet fellow Austrians. We spent the next three days with him and his family, not only enjoying quality time but also receiving valuable assistance.

 

July 19th 23

Sooner than expected, it was time to say goodbye. Raphael had to return to Austria. The engine problems had taken up too much time. We would have loved to have sailed on with him.