When the big waves created by th easterly winds had calmed down, we resumed our journey and headed for Cartagena. We would have loved to spend more time in this city but needed to move on before the next blow pined us down.
(Not so) calm passage
The seas were very calm when we left Estepona in the afternoon. We knew that the wind would be on the light side and had to start this 226 nautical miles journey by motor. After rounding the Cabo the Gata, we changed course to North-East along the mountainous coast of Spain.
We hoisted the sails and tried out various downwind combinations, including wing on wing with Genoa and Jib. This was a suggestion by a med sailor for dead down wind, when you want to adjust the sails quickly.
During the night, as we were bubbling with almost no wind, Yan heard a Mayday on the VHF for a location within our reach. The message mentioned that people had fallen off a small boat of immigrants. When we arrived there, another sailboat had already recovered people. The search was coordinated by the Cartagena coast guards and extended for an additional hour in the dark night with winds now gusting up to 20 knots, using a handheld search light. Then the Rescue boat arrived and discharged us. This was an unsettling event.
Fun time in Cartagena
Not only was Cartagena conveniently located on our way, it also gave us the opportunity to meet Marina and her cousin Antonio. They brought delicious specialties for the apero on the boat. Then we enjoyed an excellent meal at “A la Brasa” located in the bicentennial vaults of the Parque de Artillería. We had such a good laugh, despite the fact that our Spanish was basic.
Cartagena is a port city and naval base founded by the the Carthaginian general Hasdrubal (220 BC – Carthago Nova). Much of the historical significance comes from its defensive port located in a cove. The city developed a lot during the Roman period, beeing one of the most important ports in the western Mediterranean. A series of Art Nouveau buildings along the pedestrian city center are testimonies of wealthy families from the early 20th century. We had little time for exploration and definitely should come back. Hasta la próxima!
Our next step: Ibiza.
4 replies on “Quick stop in Cartagena”
Quelle aventure dramatique.. en esperant que le reste de votre etape de voyage soit bien plus calme xxx
Nous sommes bien arrivés aux îles Baléares. Mais avant de se mettre bikini, il va falloir encore attendre un peu.
Contente que vous ayez pu continuer votre voyage et j’espère pour vous que le soleil sera à destination
Bon vent les braves !
Nous sommes effectivement très dépendants des aléas de la météo et espérons que le mois de mars va amener un peu plus de chaleur et de soleil 😉