Sunriser

For two weeks long, the Levante, a very strong easterly wind, has battered Estepona. We can barely step out of the boat as our gangway appears to be too short, let alone sail. Also there is a Calima, a wind that takes lots of Sahara sand covering the boat in red sand.

So, what do we do when we cannot sail?

In view of the difficulties encountered at stepping off the boat, Jos applied all his inventivity to lengthen the gangway.

We work ourself through the maintenance schedule. Because “if you don’t plan your maintenance, your maintenance will plan you”.

And the last thing is the list of broken items. Fortunately this list is still very short.

We tried to escape the relentless winds doing some excursions to the mountains. In Setenil de la Frontera the houses are carved into the rocks, but still the wind funnels through the cannyon.

Also in Casares we were blown away, not only by the beauty of the place.

There was also time to do some progress on the journal/sketchbook.

We washed out the sand blown on the boat from the Calima ( Sahara wind), and repeated the operation two days later. We shared some drinks with the boat neighbours brave enough to venture out and face our makeshift gangway. We tried out every restaurant of the harbour, went shopping for random items everyday, bingewatched Netflix, read, slept siesta….

Finally, the Levante died down slowly and turned to Poniente, the west wind, so we could sail further east the Spanish coast towards Benalmadena. This place has some special meaning for us, as this was the harbour where we fantasized already before our marriage about sailing (Beatriz’ parents have a holiday house here). More on that later.