Ceuta, Africa at last

We were relieved that the morning of our long awaited departure was fairly calm and sunny, mainly because this was to be Giblet’s first proper voyage and we wanted to break her in gently. (That’s our excuse anyway!) We were not too bothered at the thought of motoring the 15 miles across the Straits in the warm Mediterranean sunshine and since the weather had been settled for a day or two we assumed we were heading into a smooth sea.  We said our goodbyes to the friends we had made on the pontoon, paid the dues (ouch!) and slipped out into the tranquil Gibraltar bay.  The continent of Africa lay ahead.  

If you think it all sounds a bit too good to be true, then you’d be right.  Within about half an hour of us setting off, a southwesterly breeze picked up.  We unfurled the genoa and Giblet curled up on my lap as we left, a bit confused about what was going on, but content to be with us on her boat!  Then the choppy waves began.  Having already sailed about two thousand miles since leaving Blighty, we thought that we had experienced choppy water, but this was something quite special.  Great lumps of green-grey sea surged over the deck, sometimes high enough to get Chris soaked in the cockpit.  I had the dubious honour of keeping Giblet down below, and I sat in the companionway, under the spray-hood, staying relatively dry but wishing I had a better view of the horizon.  Luckily Ceuta was nearly in sight when I realised that an ominous stormy black cloud was looming.  The cloud passed behind us, reaching right down to the sea dropping its load of rain just half a mile astern.  We had somehow been fortunate enough to dodge the shipping lanes without having to change course and the only other hazards left were the high speed super ferries arriving at, and departing from, Ceuta.  I watched Giblet skulk along to the forecabin where she eventually settled down into the duvet.  For one moment, as she jumped up onto the bed, the boat lurched and she was still in mid-air when she thought she should have landed!  Oh well, I’m sure she will get used to it!

Magically, as we headed into the harbour, the sun came out and it was as if the three-hour journey in gusty winds and lumpy seas must have been in our imagination.  I put in the washboards to keep Giblet below and out of harms way while we tied up on G pontoon as directed by the pilot book.  Africa at last!

Ceuta has been a Spanish enclave since the 16^th Century, a bit like Gibraltar belongs to Britain, and the Spanish flag is flown proudly all around the city.  It is a place of many different faces, however, being home to Christian, Muslim, Jewish and Hindu societies.  There seems to be substantial modernisation underway, with a focus on tourism.  A huge aqua-park has been built and the promenades around the waterfront are wide and attractive.  It is a duty free port, and is visited by many mainland Spaniards as well as Moroccans who seem to make daily trips across the border to buy goods which are not so readily available in their home country.  The Guardia Civil are also kept very busy in Ceuta, which appears to be the smuggling capital of the Straits area.  A huge number of very expensive looking RIBs with even more expensive looking outboards were impounded in the marina, as well as a yacht which had, we are told, been used to smuggle Moroccans across to Europe!  

A few yachts had chosen to winter here, and it was so much more comfortable than Marina Bay in high winds that I can see now it would have been a sensible choice.  Steve and Marian, on Mi-Lou had been there since October!  They say they are planning to move on in the next few weeks so we may well see them again soon.  We took their advice on how to get to Tetouan, an old walled Moroccan city, and heard about how they could not get out without buying at least a tablecloth from the insistent carpet shop salesman!  Forewarned, we decided to venture across the border into Morocco!

On our return to the Marina who should we see moored beside us, but Zephyrus!  They came over to La Premiere for supper and we chatted about their plans (and our experience!) for a trip into Morocco.  It was the week before Lent, a time for Carnival in Spain and we went to the procession on the Saturday night.  My favourite float was full of “Computer Mice”.  The costumes were excellent but they, like many of the participants, didn’t seem to do anything.  

The operatic society style singing groups were good, apart from not being able to understand the words, and to the Spanish crowds were clearly funny and popular.  The funniest though, was a wobbly woman who was dressed a bit like a pearly queen but was dancing a wobbly dance to music only she could hear through her personal stereo!  Very strange.  After our Sunday dinner on Zephyrus the celebrations were completed with a firework display, which we could see from the marina. 

Our next stop was planned for Estepona, on the Costa del Crime Sol.  The forecast was good so on Monday morning we set off once more!