SARAH SMITH
FAMILY AFLOAT PART VI
Hercules. The Straits are famous for whales, appears to be the thing that fish just can’t
but we only saw a couple of dolphins resist. It was in Ceuta that we had our first
hurrying past. swim in the Med – the water was cold. The
beach was interesting, a bit like builders’
CEUTA
rubble with shells mixed in, although
So, here we were, June 2008, in the Med there was real sand underfoot in the (clear,
– only a year later than originally planned. turquoise) water.
Berthing in the marina at Ceuta was Ceuta – like Gibraltar – is a bit of a boatie
entertaining to say the least. To be fair, it crossroads. We met a few people heading
was still blowing pretty hard, plus this was west and met up again with folks (Altika
our first real experience of going bows-to and Suzanna), who, like us, were working
using a lazy line. This made for some their way east. After a couple of days in
interesting manoeuvres and language (it Ceuta we prepared to head east again.
isn’t just Beth and Bryn’s grasp of Spanish Next stop – Morocco!
and French vocabulary that is going to
improve on this trip).
Once safely tied up, there was the issue of
getting off and onto the boat. I understand
PILOTS & CHARTS
that the sight of me climbing over the
Atlantic Spain and
Imray ROYAL
CRUISING
PILOTAGE CLUBFOUNDA
TION
ironwork of the pulpit, around the genoa
Portugal, La Coruna
Atlantic Spain
and Portugal
furling gear and teetering on the anchor
RCC PILOT
A
to Gibraltar Martin
GE F
MAR OUTIN W NDALKER ATION
The Fort in Ceuta
AND ANNE HAMMICK
LA CORUÑA TO GIBRAL Mediterranean Spain
TAR
before making a leap for the dock was quite
Cos
Walker and Anne
tas
and Blanc
del Sol
a
Gibraltar St
rait
ROY
s t
AL
o Cabo de la N
CRUISINGPILOT
AGE CLUB
ao
FOUNDATION
amusing – probably almost as funny as the Hammick £37.50 North
Rota and headed past Tarifa (one of the sight of me trying to get out of the water
Africa
Mediterranean GRAHAM HUTT
GIBRALTAR, MOROC
windiest places in Europe, apparently) into a dinghy. Apparently this is the norm in
Fully Revised Fifth Edition CO, ALGERIA, TUNISIA
Spain, Costas Del
, PELAGIE IS AND
MALTA
before turning left towards the Med. We the Med (the going bows-to bit, not the me Sol and Blanca John
FULLY REVISED
SIXTH
would have liked to do Tangier on the way, looking daft bit), so we soon got sorted with
Marchment £29.95
EDITION
but a levanter (easterly) was about to set a plank to do balancing tricks on. At least North Africa Graham Fully Revised Thir
d Edition
in and we didn’t want to get caught out on there is no tide to go out, so we won’t be Hutt £37.50.
the wrong side of the Straits of Gibraltar. coming back to climb down a slimy ladder
All Imray RCC Pilotage Foundation
We had a quiet passage, dull motoring before launching ourselves at the anchor or
BOOK OFFER: Imray is
throughout the night. As dawn broke we vice versa.
offering a 10 per cent discount
had the misty outline of Europe (Spain and Considering that it is a duty free port, I for Sailing Today readers who
Gibraltar) to port and Africa to starboard. can’t say that we found Ceuta particularly quote this article when calling 01480 462114
You could smell Africa – an exotic wood cheap (unless you want an MP3 player
to order these pilot books.
fire tinged with spices sort of smell. or mobile phone) although fuel was only
www.imray.com
€1 per litre. Supermarkets were big, but
The UK Admiralty charts used were:
INTO THE MED AT LAST
not much cheaper than usual. For you
142 Strait of Gibraltar
The wind picked up as we entered the supermarket junkies out there, we found 2717 Strait of Gibraltar to Barcelona and Alger
Straits and we managed 8-9kn across the a Spar, a Lidl and a Supersol. Apparently including Islas Baleares
traffic separation zone under a reefed genoa, there is an Eroski too.
The electronic chart used was:
dodging high speed ferries and container The fishing was good in Ceuta Navionics Gold 23XG Mediterranean
ships. The Rock of Gibraltar and Monte marina – both Bryn and Bethany and Black Sea
Hacho in Ceuta (opposite each other across caught fish and were introduced
the straits) are the two legendary Pillars of to the joys of gutting. Cheese
Ceuta Harbour is guarded
by a statue of Hercules
with his mythical pillars
BOAT
The family’s yacht and home for
the foreseeable future is Cape,
a Gitana 43 that they bought in
January 2006. Launched in 1981,
she was built in GRP by Ton Cup
Yachts in Cape Town, South
Africa and measures 13.10m
(43ft) overall with a 2.13m (7ft)
draught, fi n keel, keel-stepped
mast and an aft cockpit.
94 Sailing Today Saeptember 09
ST149
FamilyRTG.indd 106 15/7/09 16:44:26
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