tcm
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I took the boat along the coast of the western med over Easter. Here's some notes.
Le lavandou. Stopped here to tip out Learner who had stowed away the night before but then started wailing that barcelona was too far and he needed a passport. Good staff here, not silly and fussy, so no prob up against the (whole of the) visitors pontoon for 15 minutes and he gave us the forecast which told us the weather was getting windy. Decided to head off quickly, not for barcelona but Toulon.
Toulon
Huge natural port, home of the french navy. hence, like portsmouth, bit of a dump. Quite good maritime museum. Otherwise rather weird town with piped music along all the streets. Toulon is a fairly run-down. Fuel 93 cents a litre, argh. Needed 63 amp red connectors for power which i smugly had on board. Selves andf neighbour arrive at the same time. On entry to the port I heard something about "1000metres" on the vhf and look uop to see a minesweeper. Erk. Not seen one before, ever. Also ,he is right inthe middle of the entrance so not easy to give him 1000 yards clearance.
Neighbouring boat and us are now hanging around in Toulon waiting for a good time to cross the Golfe de Lion. Nice crew, 80foot rizzardi "du Ciel" also on their way to Sotogrande. Their boat is totally open inside, with the ultra-modern steel/perspex galley positioned right in the middle of the saloon with seating around as if to do cookery demonstrations. But the crew didn't quite know how to wire their power, so blew it up, praps blew up bits of his lectrix, so he decided to limp back to Cannes. 2 nights here. No idea what the loos or shower are like at any ports, incidentally as we use our own on board. Yes, we do have a holding tank and even a grey water tank too but no you can't smell anything.
Tossa de Mar. No port here but a nice little bay. Hoiked the dinhy out and whammed it up the beach to go and buy daft hats and t-shirts. No brits whatsoever, and none of the shopkeepers understand why you are smiling whilst buying a hat printed with "Tossa de Mar" on the headband.
Barcelona, Port Olimpico. Excellent place, good staff ready for anyone in any language. Fuel only about 72 cents a litre, same all along the spanish coast. El tunnel restaurant was closed for a refit, damnit. Took a cab round some sights including the Nou Camp - barcelona FC home ground. A cafe called "Opera" on la Rambla is recommended. Cheap port - about 50 euros a night for a 23 metre - tho obviously off season.
Denia
We are getting better at these long runs. The boat seems to do 10 litres a mile and will whizz up to 30 knots if we want, probably a bit more but you have to wait a bit at WOT and i don't much like doing it. We trundle along at between 20 and 24 depending on conditions. In open sea we can play a DVD on one of the dashboard screens and shift the radar plus nav to the other screen. I have other nav as well on old garmin handheld. Engine noise is not too loud but for a long run i wear earmuffs. Then we need to turn up the sound system a lot. Must look a bit mad to others boats making such a racket, but we can still keep a good lookout and there no rule saying you can't play dvd at full blast i suppose.
Denia is a smart new marina, but rather rubbish staff who need to be treated with kid gloves. Arrived at about 1:30 and the guy at the fuel pontoon went a bit mental said no no no and various other incomprehensible but negative things in spanish. But thru sign language and by talking to the lady in the harbour office, we agreed it wd be no prob to get fuel and a place after lunch, at about 3ish. Marinero chap much happier that he will get his lunch break. Went to a smart caf/restaurant in the marina close to the fuel. No english spoken, nor french. The waiter explains something abou the menu and we wave expansively to agree that he should bring it on. Not at all sure what we orderd, not when the food due, but paella and other stuff turned up, with wine and more wine and rather massive Cointreau with ice all for 60 euros for 4 including wine. Fuel lorry goes past at 3:25. Slot boat in and find we only have 32 amps, but unmetered. Promptly blow the shore supply fuse, so darnit no airconditioning/heating upstairs for us.
Finally got fuelled and a space by 5:25pm. Decide to do the paperwork the next day, and popped into the harbour office to say i will be round tomorrow. But the officious girls go potty and say no no you must pay up front and answer loads of stuff on the computer. Oh, and it's 130 euros a night. erk
Denia port is spanking new, tho the town needs some work. There's a good restaurant along the front, right at the far Northern end forgot the name, in the place ramses or summink. Had enopugh of denia after 2 nights . Met an old friend who has a place in the town (jerba?) nearby. The kids think denia is an excellent place cos we lettem go to the dodgems all evening.
Alicante
Short trip cos the sea was iffy. Alicante is a big serious city. The darse restaurant is popular, and the Monastrell is almost worth a special trip to alicante from the UK. the local michelin rep needs shooting becos this pace has no star. We promised we would badger the michelin peeps to go round and give them a star. Continuing dodgy weather so hung about for three nights here.
Took a cab to benidorm 30 miles away cos they are advertising a bullfight. Benidorm is very weird. The tower block are resticted to several hundred in number and 50 floors in height, so the place is a mess, and like everywhere else, it's a building site. Seems the reason spain is doing well is cos loads of brits are spending their money here. Like us i spose. Some of benidorm is new, but some of it is very horrid. One of the lower seafront aprtments has a corrugated iron roof. In benidorm we wear sunglasses to ensure we don't meet anyone we know. The cathedral church in the middle of town is nice enough though. A woman is praying, possibly begging forgiveness for wearing non-matching shell suit trousers and sequinned sneakers. Son #2 buys a large sombrero so we look like the biggest nerks of all.
The bulfight is cancelled due to lack of interest. We arrive as they are putting the bulls back inthe lorry which is still quite interesting, tho of course not as interesting as watching them charge about in a vain attempt to stay alive. We trusdge back to the coast tthough the park, quite good actually, made as if to create another seafront cos all the rest is built over. I attempt some spanisg with the lady taxi driver "Toros cancellado!" i venture and she seems very surprised and natters away. I may have just said that i personally wiped out the bulls, or of course i may have got it right, nobody is quite sure.
Cartagena
Alicante is protected from the north of course, and i knew there's be a bit of wind like praps 12 knots, but not 27 knots. Windguru really is quite rubbish for forecasts. So turned in at Cartagena only 40 miles away, complete contrast, hardly touristy at all. Alongside berth (no water or lecky) for 40 euros. Chap behind us in 22 m princess is on a big adventure coming up the coast, owner plus three crew, and seems a bit baffled that our kids are our crew.
It utterly chucks it down all afternoon. There's an excellent and brand new museum about the thirties civil war air raid shelters dug into the side of a hill in the town. Otherwise, the harbour building is probably one of the best places in town, and it's not much cop in the rain cos there are leaks and no heating. Mare Nostrum rrestaurant in the port looks v promising but is rubbish. Only one night here. Two old blokes in the bar affect massive experience that they have been here all winter. Very sheltered, but very dull - apart from the museum.
Puerto del Este
This is far too small for us really, and we find that they have no blimmin water. We meet up with dave snelson for a couple of hours, but then he has to go off back to nerja, and we go out and find lunch. I explain to kids that dave is on holiday here. "what, here for a whole holiday???" says the youngest and shudders. No arcades, see.
Puerto (Jose) Banus, Marbella
This is a supposedly quite poncy jet-set place. But it is a tired and poor imitation of St tropez, especially on the front around the port. Behind the front the supermarkets and shops are pretty good and obviously catering for large influx of brits. Berths prices are high around here and the nitwit port has flooged most of the spaces. 160 euros for just one night out of season.
Sotogrande
Originally intened to go Duquesa to see suncoast, but Phil Cool calls and explain that in the swell we mnight hit the bottom, so press on for sotogrande. Getting a bit blase about the weather now and we bosh along with big swell, quartering seas and 25 knots on the beam.
Sotogrande is advertised in the sunday times a lot, and its quite refined as building sites go, but the main development all around the port is a bit dead. Lots of bored kids accompany parents in the sparse restaurants, no shops, not much to do. The actual town of sotogrande is just far enough away to be too far to walk, but just near enough for it not to be worth while for anyone to open up competing shops in the port. Hence sotogrande may always be a bit dead. But facilities for boats are okay, with big boat lift and better and better shelter the further back in the marina you go. But over 20 m you are on the back wall.
Kids make friends with a lonely looking 12 year old whose Dad has talked nonstop since they arribved on the next table to us and they seem to get on okay. When they return from another wander about to verify that there is indeed nowhere to go, their Dad turns up and talks at us. On a boat eh, yes we've got one of those too. Dad says their boat is 60 feet long. But the kids say it was 40 feet long and they sold it. They exit the restaurant and instead of driving home, they zoom all along the dead end road towards the Hm office and zoom back - as if to check out if our boat is real or make-beleive like theirs we wonder? They cruise past the next day too, but don't introduce themselves.
The boat is due to come back on a ship from Gib to Soton which is why we are here. The power is a bit iffy in sotogrande. We decide to disconnect whislt the boat is unattended and give back their special plug. But just before leaving it trips out and not sure if the problem is on the boat or the shore. Swwmbo needs power for jsut a few more minutes for cooking or washing something, then we can disconnect. instead of fixing it I commit the cardinal sin of swapping plugs with next door to see if that will do and it does. I know the skipper nexy door, and he is along so it's all ok. But the port goes mental and wants to charge us for all our electric and all of next doors lecky too. But it gets sorted out eventually.
The boat's still in soto under the stewardship of Suncoast based in Duquesa, a smaller port (limit of boat size 20m) but a far more lively place than sotogrande along the coast, praps 12 miles from Gib instead of 6. Why not stay in Gib? Cos it's a dump, and it's very swelly unless you are a massive ship in which case it is still quite swelly but not as swelly as in the open sea.
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Le lavandou. Stopped here to tip out Learner who had stowed away the night before but then started wailing that barcelona was too far and he needed a passport. Good staff here, not silly and fussy, so no prob up against the (whole of the) visitors pontoon for 15 minutes and he gave us the forecast which told us the weather was getting windy. Decided to head off quickly, not for barcelona but Toulon.
Toulon
Huge natural port, home of the french navy. hence, like portsmouth, bit of a dump. Quite good maritime museum. Otherwise rather weird town with piped music along all the streets. Toulon is a fairly run-down. Fuel 93 cents a litre, argh. Needed 63 amp red connectors for power which i smugly had on board. Selves andf neighbour arrive at the same time. On entry to the port I heard something about "1000metres" on the vhf and look uop to see a minesweeper. Erk. Not seen one before, ever. Also ,he is right inthe middle of the entrance so not easy to give him 1000 yards clearance.
Neighbouring boat and us are now hanging around in Toulon waiting for a good time to cross the Golfe de Lion. Nice crew, 80foot rizzardi "du Ciel" also on their way to Sotogrande. Their boat is totally open inside, with the ultra-modern steel/perspex galley positioned right in the middle of the saloon with seating around as if to do cookery demonstrations. But the crew didn't quite know how to wire their power, so blew it up, praps blew up bits of his lectrix, so he decided to limp back to Cannes. 2 nights here. No idea what the loos or shower are like at any ports, incidentally as we use our own on board. Yes, we do have a holding tank and even a grey water tank too but no you can't smell anything.
Tossa de Mar. No port here but a nice little bay. Hoiked the dinhy out and whammed it up the beach to go and buy daft hats and t-shirts. No brits whatsoever, and none of the shopkeepers understand why you are smiling whilst buying a hat printed with "Tossa de Mar" on the headband.
Barcelona, Port Olimpico. Excellent place, good staff ready for anyone in any language. Fuel only about 72 cents a litre, same all along the spanish coast. El tunnel restaurant was closed for a refit, damnit. Took a cab round some sights including the Nou Camp - barcelona FC home ground. A cafe called "Opera" on la Rambla is recommended. Cheap port - about 50 euros a night for a 23 metre - tho obviously off season.
Denia
We are getting better at these long runs. The boat seems to do 10 litres a mile and will whizz up to 30 knots if we want, probably a bit more but you have to wait a bit at WOT and i don't much like doing it. We trundle along at between 20 and 24 depending on conditions. In open sea we can play a DVD on one of the dashboard screens and shift the radar plus nav to the other screen. I have other nav as well on old garmin handheld. Engine noise is not too loud but for a long run i wear earmuffs. Then we need to turn up the sound system a lot. Must look a bit mad to others boats making such a racket, but we can still keep a good lookout and there no rule saying you can't play dvd at full blast i suppose.
Denia is a smart new marina, but rather rubbish staff who need to be treated with kid gloves. Arrived at about 1:30 and the guy at the fuel pontoon went a bit mental said no no no and various other incomprehensible but negative things in spanish. But thru sign language and by talking to the lady in the harbour office, we agreed it wd be no prob to get fuel and a place after lunch, at about 3ish. Marinero chap much happier that he will get his lunch break. Went to a smart caf/restaurant in the marina close to the fuel. No english spoken, nor french. The waiter explains something abou the menu and we wave expansively to agree that he should bring it on. Not at all sure what we orderd, not when the food due, but paella and other stuff turned up, with wine and more wine and rather massive Cointreau with ice all for 60 euros for 4 including wine. Fuel lorry goes past at 3:25. Slot boat in and find we only have 32 amps, but unmetered. Promptly blow the shore supply fuse, so darnit no airconditioning/heating upstairs for us.
Finally got fuelled and a space by 5:25pm. Decide to do the paperwork the next day, and popped into the harbour office to say i will be round tomorrow. But the officious girls go potty and say no no you must pay up front and answer loads of stuff on the computer. Oh, and it's 130 euros a night. erk
Denia port is spanking new, tho the town needs some work. There's a good restaurant along the front, right at the far Northern end forgot the name, in the place ramses or summink. Had enopugh of denia after 2 nights . Met an old friend who has a place in the town (jerba?) nearby. The kids think denia is an excellent place cos we lettem go to the dodgems all evening.
Alicante
Short trip cos the sea was iffy. Alicante is a big serious city. The darse restaurant is popular, and the Monastrell is almost worth a special trip to alicante from the UK. the local michelin rep needs shooting becos this pace has no star. We promised we would badger the michelin peeps to go round and give them a star. Continuing dodgy weather so hung about for three nights here.
Took a cab to benidorm 30 miles away cos they are advertising a bullfight. Benidorm is very weird. The tower block are resticted to several hundred in number and 50 floors in height, so the place is a mess, and like everywhere else, it's a building site. Seems the reason spain is doing well is cos loads of brits are spending their money here. Like us i spose. Some of benidorm is new, but some of it is very horrid. One of the lower seafront aprtments has a corrugated iron roof. In benidorm we wear sunglasses to ensure we don't meet anyone we know. The cathedral church in the middle of town is nice enough though. A woman is praying, possibly begging forgiveness for wearing non-matching shell suit trousers and sequinned sneakers. Son #2 buys a large sombrero so we look like the biggest nerks of all.
The bulfight is cancelled due to lack of interest. We arrive as they are putting the bulls back inthe lorry which is still quite interesting, tho of course not as interesting as watching them charge about in a vain attempt to stay alive. We trusdge back to the coast tthough the park, quite good actually, made as if to create another seafront cos all the rest is built over. I attempt some spanisg with the lady taxi driver "Toros cancellado!" i venture and she seems very surprised and natters away. I may have just said that i personally wiped out the bulls, or of course i may have got it right, nobody is quite sure.
Cartagena
Alicante is protected from the north of course, and i knew there's be a bit of wind like praps 12 knots, but not 27 knots. Windguru really is quite rubbish for forecasts. So turned in at Cartagena only 40 miles away, complete contrast, hardly touristy at all. Alongside berth (no water or lecky) for 40 euros. Chap behind us in 22 m princess is on a big adventure coming up the coast, owner plus three crew, and seems a bit baffled that our kids are our crew.
It utterly chucks it down all afternoon. There's an excellent and brand new museum about the thirties civil war air raid shelters dug into the side of a hill in the town. Otherwise, the harbour building is probably one of the best places in town, and it's not much cop in the rain cos there are leaks and no heating. Mare Nostrum rrestaurant in the port looks v promising but is rubbish. Only one night here. Two old blokes in the bar affect massive experience that they have been here all winter. Very sheltered, but very dull - apart from the museum.
Puerto del Este
This is far too small for us really, and we find that they have no blimmin water. We meet up with dave snelson for a couple of hours, but then he has to go off back to nerja, and we go out and find lunch. I explain to kids that dave is on holiday here. "what, here for a whole holiday???" says the youngest and shudders. No arcades, see.
Puerto (Jose) Banus, Marbella
This is a supposedly quite poncy jet-set place. But it is a tired and poor imitation of St tropez, especially on the front around the port. Behind the front the supermarkets and shops are pretty good and obviously catering for large influx of brits. Berths prices are high around here and the nitwit port has flooged most of the spaces. 160 euros for just one night out of season.
Sotogrande
Originally intened to go Duquesa to see suncoast, but Phil Cool calls and explain that in the swell we mnight hit the bottom, so press on for sotogrande. Getting a bit blase about the weather now and we bosh along with big swell, quartering seas and 25 knots on the beam.
Sotogrande is advertised in the sunday times a lot, and its quite refined as building sites go, but the main development all around the port is a bit dead. Lots of bored kids accompany parents in the sparse restaurants, no shops, not much to do. The actual town of sotogrande is just far enough away to be too far to walk, but just near enough for it not to be worth while for anyone to open up competing shops in the port. Hence sotogrande may always be a bit dead. But facilities for boats are okay, with big boat lift and better and better shelter the further back in the marina you go. But over 20 m you are on the back wall.
Kids make friends with a lonely looking 12 year old whose Dad has talked nonstop since they arribved on the next table to us and they seem to get on okay. When they return from another wander about to verify that there is indeed nowhere to go, their Dad turns up and talks at us. On a boat eh, yes we've got one of those too. Dad says their boat is 60 feet long. But the kids say it was 40 feet long and they sold it. They exit the restaurant and instead of driving home, they zoom all along the dead end road towards the Hm office and zoom back - as if to check out if our boat is real or make-beleive like theirs we wonder? They cruise past the next day too, but don't introduce themselves.
The boat is due to come back on a ship from Gib to Soton which is why we are here. The power is a bit iffy in sotogrande. We decide to disconnect whislt the boat is unattended and give back their special plug. But just before leaving it trips out and not sure if the problem is on the boat or the shore. Swwmbo needs power for jsut a few more minutes for cooking or washing something, then we can disconnect. instead of fixing it I commit the cardinal sin of swapping plugs with next door to see if that will do and it does. I know the skipper nexy door, and he is along so it's all ok. But the port goes mental and wants to charge us for all our electric and all of next doors lecky too. But it gets sorted out eventually.
The boat's still in soto under the stewardship of Suncoast based in Duquesa, a smaller port (limit of boat size 20m) but a far more lively place than sotogrande along the coast, praps 12 miles from Gib instead of 6. Why not stay in Gib? Cos it's a dump, and it's very swelly unless you are a massive ship in which case it is still quite swelly but not as swelly as in the open sea.
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