Tips for Entering Straits of Gib next week Please

jerrytug

jerrytug

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Hi guys I mucho appreciado this is long range passage planning for next week but the departure time doesn`t matter that much..or does it? We enter from Portugal having passed Cadiz and stop in G`b to feed Apes. Anyone hang out from Guardiana to The Rock got any suggestions naughty or nice?
With a ho ho ho Jerry
 
Arrive at Barbate, (or whatever it is called), as the tide turns, and you'll fly through - particularly if you have the wind with you.

When you get to just before Tarifa, you'll probably find yourself pointing well inside the light, as the tide will be rushing you towards the shipping lanes.
 
Treat the Straits with great respect. Winds 2 or 3 forces above what you'd expect -- knockdowns possible. Listen to weathers and allow plenty of safety margin for your vessel and crew capability. You need to study the tides/currents carefully; they vary across the Straits. Reeds has (had?) a fairly acceptable section as do the pilots.

I mean to be alarmist....can be a lovely place to sail but is one of the most notorious spots in Europe but OK if you read the pilots and listen to the forecasts.

Anchorage is now closed. You can anchor in La Linea otherwise you have a choice of Marina Bay (by the airport) or Queensway Quay (not by the airport). QQ is usually full. MB have been refurbing....phone them first. Both QQ and MB are nice, and reliable people but in MB especially you need to have seriously good moorings (chains, springs (as in big stainless steel jobbies), etc.).

The apes are great.
 
Just to expand on Lemain's comments, La Linea anchorage is excellent, good holding, good shelter (although it's big so there can be a bit of a chop) and free, although the small marina in the NW corner will charge a small fee for berthing your tender. Although you can get ashore elsewhere, this may be worth paying as there have evidently been reports of dinghy thefts in the area.

Central La Linea's also moderately attractive (for a border town), whereas Gib's a bit of a dump (albeit a deeply historic, majestic and fascinating dump). The walk from La Linea to Gib takes around 30 mins. You can usually expect to stroll through customs in seconds. Obviously you'll need £ in Gib, but ATMs are surprisingly thin on the ground.
 
Agree with all the above but to add a little on the La Linea anchorage. There was and may still be a gang of scrotes who will have your tender away in a moment. A friend had his stolen from under the nose of the Spanish watchman he'd paid to keep an eye on it. When we were there the boats in the anchorage were operating their own taxi service to and from shore. Well worth striking up a conversation with other yachties there. Secure the dinghy with padlock and chain at the least to your boat and if possible bring it onboard. I've not heard of them boarding boats to steal but they will swim out and try to pinch good quality tenders. They tried to steal my friend's brand new replacement tender and outboard but were seen by another yachtie who chased them in his tender (they were swimming) and beat them repeatedly about the head and shoulders with a paddle. What fun!!!!

Apart from that the anchorage is as dscribed very good. Excellent shelter and holding. Supermarkets, bars and internet cafes all within easy reach. Enjoy, just be careful.

Chas
 
Any suggestion of the Levante blowing and hold fire for a few days - I ended up nearer Casablanca than Gib ! Telltale signs if already at sea are large cigar shaped clouds, and it can pick up in minutes not hours. As mentioned get a good forecast if intending to do it in one hop from Guadiana or if doing it from Barbate do the inside route but keep clear of the bank (can't recall its name at present) which breaks in calm water and has about 1500 wrecks around it (at last count)

Don't know what your time constraints are but if you've got time then there's a whole seasons sailing and exploring ashore on this coas tbefore going to Gib. This was covered several months back in detail on this forum you might want to search it out as it covered nearly all ports before reaching Gib - fair winds whatever you choose.
 
If you get a chance beg or borrow a copy of "The Straits Sailing Handbook" about £6.50, which gives you all the information you will need about the tidal streams - that aren't as simple as you would expect. Also details about weather info and the places to stop on the way. We are in Lagos with a copy.
 
If you are thinking of using Marina Bay, a call ahead is definitely a good idea. They are refurbing and moving boats round all over the place - some yachts have been turned away in the last few weeks.
 
Much the same as previous posts: Easy passage on a tide from Barbate, just so long as you've got westerlies pushing you through; wind over tide is seriously uncomfortable and if there's even the suggestion of a Straits Levanter, wait it out, plus an extra day for the seas to ease in Barbate. The town of Barbate's OK, though a bit of a walk from the marina (the supermarket's just outside though) The marina itself is the nautical equivalent of a bomb shelter - I'd have loved the contract to supply its concrete - and having personally sat out a full on Levanter there, I can appeciate why!
 
[ QUOTE ]
just so long as you've got westerlies pushing you through; wind over tide is seriously uncomfortable!

[/ QUOTE ]

Possibly "teaching my grandmother .... ", but dont forget that if you have the desired wind with some west in it, you will experience a level of wind over tide before the tide changes, and it will calm substantially after the change.

In June 2007, we left Rota at about 1100hrs, for a tide change off Barbate at around 1730hrs. IIRC, I based my passage on 5 knots, and everything went according to plan. We had just passed Gib as it was going dark.

BTW - I will be hoping for an Easterly when we transit tha Straits out of the Med. in late July /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Took delivery of my boat from Gib, a couple of years ago. Moored in Queensway marina, the boss is Jackie, and she's brilliant, not to be messed with though!!
Stayed in Gib for 3 days sorting the boat out, Gib is a DUMP. Hated the place and couldn't wait to leave. Heading for Corfu. Left really early and no wind at all. It started to pick up at sundown, and blew from the west, up to about 33 Kts, gusting to about 36, all night long. Has a snorter of a sail, reefed to half the main and ripping along at 13 odd Kts. Brilliant!!
Buggered up the Rudder bearing though! Ended up in Almerimar, having the boat out and the bearing carrier fixed, Carried on the journey, a couple of months later, and it was ace, all the way to Sicaly. No more wind!!
 
[ QUOTE ]
Took delivery of my boat from Gib, a couple of years ago. Moored in Queensway marina, the boss is Jackie, and she's brilliant, not to be messed with though!!

[/ QUOTE ]Yup, Jackie still there and still not to be messed with. No berths, though, most of the time even when you know how to butter her up. Has to be MB, I think, but with the refurbing going on that isn't easy.

Gib seems to have a death wish.
 
Another vote for The Straits Sailing Handbook to which sailinglegend refers to above. My copy is a few years old but the 2009 edition can be purchased from here. It's available as either a hard copy or can be downloaded in pdf format. Packed full of useful info and highly recommended.
 
Yes, an excellent publication. You can safely nip round Europa Point from the Med, going out, and buy a copy in Gib but coming in from the Atlantic it would be great to have a copy to hand. I wasn't even aware of it when we sailed in....Reeds and the pilots do suffice if it is hard to get a copy but study the tides and weather with care....this is not a place to navigate carelessly!
 
I have a copy of the Straits Handbook from 2007 if anybody wants it for a couple of quid, posted.

Obviously the tide times are all wrong but the information about the flows is very helpful indeed.

On our exit from the Med we motored from Almerimar to Lagos (overnighted in Rota) with hardly a breath of wind the whole way - 5kts off Tarifa - so its not always nasty.
 
Gib has changed a lot in the last few years due to the large influx of online gaming money! Most people would not recognise it. Marina Bay is now Ocean Village and has completely changed, Casemates is fully renovated as is Main street. The Line wall area is renovated especially Kings Bastian where there is a bowling alley/cinema and ice rink.

Lots of new flats and offices built and yet still freindly and good value!

As for Berths, Queensway full but may fit you in for a few days. They are still building the latest apartments here in the Marina so still 1/4 of berths out of action. In OV (former Marina Bay) they are putting in New pontoons and moving boats around but they should fit you in. OV is very lively now with about 20 new restaurants and bars and a casino!

Fuel, Booze and other things VAT free so very cheap. The straights are a challenge so please take the forums advice....it can be very Dangerous!

Good luck

Paul /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
All change in GIb as it changes from dump to modern Tax haven complete with modern marinas! Also big new Marina on East side has started...about 2000 boats..theretically started anyway. Norman Foster has designed it!

Transition at the level Gib is going through is very difficult, a new Airport building is being built as well and the road across it directed under it! Growth here is 7%, more companies moving in because of the UK Tax situation and those are mostly High earners. William Hill moving over 200 Jobs here and some small brokers and traders from London just signed up to move (about 30 People).

In 5 years it will be an amazing place hopefully! Big concern over small boaters being pushed out but the government have commited to sort it out in the next few years.

Paul /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
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