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Nostrodamus

Nostrodamus

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7 Mar 2011
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www.cygnus3.com
So far I have got everything wrong weather wise or the gods are conspiring against me.

1) Gib to Estepona ... Just after setting off the fog descended. Never saw Gib from the Med or anything else until we hit Estepona.

2) Estepona to Fruengirola... Bit choppy but not too bad. Holed up in a concrete Butlins that is Fruengirola for 5 days due to high winds.

3) Fruengirola to Almiirimar... Read the weather totally wrong. Thought we would get a little sailing during the day and have to motor through the night.
Ended up in 35 knots of wind, mostly about 25 knots, 2 meter swell, best speed of 9.7 down a wave, sailed all the way, got there 6 hours early at 0130 in big winds and very roly seas.

I thought the med was supposed to be pretty flat.
I also need a new course in the weather.
 
Well so far this has been the strangest May we've ever had on Crete, even the locals are perplexed. May is usually pretty calm with mostly sunny days as we begin the warm-up to high summer. We'd planned to head off round to the south of the island again to take advantage of the relative calm before the summer Meltemi descends. We're still in our marina though because we're still getting lows pass close to Crete which mean southerly winds for a day or so each time (we never usually get southerlies after April). The south coast of Crete is not a place to be with any south in the wind. I think that perhaps the weather throughout the Med is a bit strange for May at the moment?
 
Tony Cross said:
Well so far this has been the strangest May we've ever had on Crete, even the locals are perplexed. May is usually pretty calm with mostly sunny days as we begin the warm-up to high summer. We'd planned to head off round to the south of the island again to take advantage of the relative calm before the summer Meltemi descends. We're still in our marina though because we're still getting lows pass close to Crete which mean southerly winds for a day or so each time (we never usually get southerlies after April). The south coast of Crete is not a place to be with any south in the wind. I think that perhaps the weather throughout the Med is a bit strange for May at the moment?
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Our resident forecaster, Simon Keeling,(Weatherweb) on his 3 months summer forecast for June July August, showed the jet stream hanging around blowing through the med. If that is the case we should expect several unseasonable SE blows in the Peloponnese etc and of course the Gulf de Lion may over live its reputation.

I hope he is wrong.
 
I've just completed my regular May trip from S France to Greece. Been doing it since 1978 (except 6 yrs doing N Europe).

Yuk. Worst ever. 2 days mistral (sunny, but v rough). Cloudy southerlies down W Italy. Thunderstorms thru Messini and S Italy with copious red rain and one nasty twister. More southerlies down W Pelops.

Shaken, and well stirred. Won't be seasick any more this season!
 
Locals here tell me they have never know a start to the summer as bad as this. Averaging just 16 C when this time last year it was 32 C.
What I have not seen is anything from the meto boys giving their take on whats going on. Perhaps they don't know or are not saying.
Perhaps its the start of the next ice age :D
 
Nostrodamus said:
I thought the med was supposed to be pretty flat.
.
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This is what people who don't live in the Med think!!
Yes, May so far, at least in the East Med was completely crazy. It begun with extraordinary hot (30+ C end of April/beginning of May) temperatures and windless days. Then temperature drop, rain, thunderstorms etc.
This is the kind of wheather (well, besides the high temperature) I would expect in March.
 
Sandyman said:
Locals here tell me they have never know a start to the summer as bad as this. Averaging just 16 C when this time last year it was 32 C.
What I have not seen is anything from the meto boys giving their take on whats going on. Perhaps they don't know or are not saying.
Perhaps its the start of the next ice age :D
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Nazare on the Portuguese West Coast frequently has cold & wet weather - very different once you get around Vincent.

From long experience, we hear the same story most years - said by 'the locals' for the benefit for the tourists to protect the areas reputation for good weather & try to ensure those holidaymakers return.

On The Algarve this has been a typical May (some good, some bad, some hot & some cold).

Again from experience summer often doesn't really kick in until mid June but holds around until the middle November. Late July, August & early September can be painfully hot. The tourists love to cook themselves but many locals haul & head north to find respite.
 
It is odd weather, we are in Palma Nova Mallorca and it is not exactly warm, overcast and we had an F7 night before last in the anchorage (cue: 4:30 am wake up, tell SWIMBO to get dressed whilst we dance around the anchorage she resets the wretched thing holding onto the deck whilst dog and teenage daughter remain asleep!). Its calm now but clearly unsettled. Last year at this time I seem to remember it was blisteringly hot, I have not taken my jumper off yet!

Not even considered a swim yet!
 
SeamanStaines said:
And you went to Almiragrad!
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I was about to say that, would not stay there again even if it were free.. Bet Fuengirola doesn't look too bad now! Strong winds seem to have abated now, we've dragged (unusual for us) and had to reset anchor several times over the past few days with a few choice words at stupid o'clock..

Today is calm but overcast with the threat of rain, forecast looks better in a day or two. Unusual in our experience to have this weather end of May.

Obviously Mallorca being such a popular tourist destination is overrun with holiday makers and caters to their needs, would strongly recommend Minorca, still a tourist destination but very few high rise buildings with lovely anchorages and far more locals.

Anchoring off Aquillas was lovely (if you decide to anchor) and you should all enjoy Cartagena :). By the time you make it to the Balaerics the summer will be here!
 
Originally Posted by Nostrodamus
I thought the med was supposed to be pretty flat.
Click to expand...

.....and lots of people think they can bask in the winter sunshine in the Med, let alone the spring.:p
 
Just looked at Simon Keeling's forecast for the next 4 weeks. He describes it as unforecastable, with continuing low pressure over Europe and the Med leading to heavy rain - and presumably unseason winds......

Take care!
 
Our very first experience of 'Med sailing' was a broad-reach, with following tides/currents and flat seas; we made 160M from Ceuta to Cabo de Gata in 27 hours on a twenty seven footer. Sat in the cockpit with a beer each once we'd anchored in the lee of C de G, we discussed how great the Med was, though perhaps it might not be this good all the way?

How right we were, as the following day was 80M all under motor across glass-flat seas and when we next went out to sea we got battered going between Cartagena & Torrieveija, thus discovering what the Med was really like: A fantastic place to live on a boat, but a blooming-awful place to 'sail' one!

We were well advised by an old Med sailor in Torrivija: "There are two types of motorboat in the Med, those with masts and those without masts."
 
I think the warmists should update their software too!
I'm launching from Aktio on the 10th June and heading west.
Should pass you going the other way Nostro!
 
SeamanStaines said:
It is odd weather, we are in Palma Nova Mallorca and it is not exactly warm, overcast and we had an F7 night before last in the anchorage (cue: 4:30 am wake up, tell SWIMBO to get dressed whilst we dance around the anchorage she resets the wretched thing holding onto the deck whilst dog and teenage daughter remain asleep!). Its calm now but clearly unsettled. Last year at this time I seem to remember it was blisteringly hot, I have not taken my jumper off yet!

Not even considered a swim yet!
Click to expand...

Totally agree we're in Alcudia bay at the moment, the weather has been rubbish for the last week dull and overcast an windy at times. The rest of the week doesn't look great either.... Bit too close to the weather system west of Minorca for the rest of the week

I was anchored in a cala today and considered a dip, until I saw the jelly fish in masses.
 
We're in Alghero at the moment, having got here in a flat calm from Pollenca aboutn10 days back. Since then we've had rain, winds and general murkiness which is set to continue for the next few days. Our intentions had been to head for the southern Ionian via Malta but I'm beginning to think that coast hopping through Messina might be a better bet - shorter hops to fit in with the breaks in the weather. And have you seen the price of diesel in Italy?
 
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