Getting ready to leave

Sandpiper being lifted out

 

After our visitors left it was time to have Sandpiper hauled out of the water so that her bottom could be cleaned and antifouled ready for the new season.  This was the first time we had been on board for a haul out and the prospect of our boat being lifted and manoeuvred on two straps was quite daunting. Thankfully Tony from Reveller offered to come with us, which was reassuring as he’s done it all before.

Moving the boat across the yard

It was very strange (and scary) sitting on Sandpiper as she was lifted up by the travel hoist. Once she was level with the hard we jumped off and watched as the giant hoist moved her forward and gently swung her round into the yard. As soon as she was chocked up we were able to go back on board to our new home out of the water. We spent three days in the yard as they blasted the weed off the hull and then repainted it with anti-foul.  We cleaned and polished the gel coat on the sides of the boat then I serviced the toilet while Cliff serviced the sea cocks - such is the romance of life at sea!

Cliff cleaning the mast

Now we are back on our mooring and we’ve almost completed the list of jobs we need to do before we leave. Over the winter we had wind from the Sahara which left the boat covered in a thick layer of muddy sand, and we knew that at some point we would need to climb to the top of the mast to clean it out of the mast track. Climbing the mast is normally my job as I’m not strong enough to hoist Cliff up, but this time Cliff decided to give it a go using a special climbing device, and it worked well. It was the first time Cliff had ever been up a mast and he seemed to enjoy it, so that’s one job I’m happy to hand over to him.

Hopefully our next update will be from a new port…

Friends and family on board

Paddling at the beach with Melanie

Melanie and Derek next to the statue commemorating the victims of terrorism

March turned out to be visitors’ month. First we had our friends Melanie and Derek, who almost didn’t make it due to the bad weather in the UK.  They missed their original flight after being snowed in on the A23, but managed to get away a couple of days later. They only stayed with us for two days and it rained steadily for one of them,  but we were able to fit in a visit to the underwater archaeological museum, (which was brilliant, even with a hangover), then  a seafood lunch at the beach the next day, followed by a quick paddle in the sea.



Gina out on the headland

Gina arrived next and stayed for a week. Gina is a keen archaeologist and was interested in finding out more about Cartagena’s history. We left Cliff working on the boat while we visited the main archaeological museum (a bit of a disappointment), then the Roman Theatre and the Roman baths, which I had seen before, but enjoyed even more a second time round. We also took the bikes for a ride around the bay and stopped at the beach for a paddle, quickly confirming it was still too cold to swim!



Nigel walking at Puerto de Portman

 My brother Nigel and his wife Anne were the last to visit, staying in a hotel in town. It was great to see them, Anne was in good spirits and very brave in ‘walking in the plank’ on and off the boat, as everything is a bit more of an effort now that she suffers from Parkinson’s. It was also good spend some time with my big brother, as I rarely get the chance to chat with him nowadays. 


 

Float in the Holy Week procession

Nigel and Anne timed their visit to coincide with the Holy Week celebrations here. They are organised by four local religious brotherhoods (who tend to compete with each other to produce the best floats) and take place each day for ten days leading up to Easter Sunday, really taking over the life of the town. We watched four different processions, each slightly different, but all very impressive.

Men, women and children of all ages take part in the processions, dressing in traditional costumes  that date back to the 17th century and pushing or carrying ornate floats that tell the story of Christ’s Passion. The floats carry religious sculptures and are decorated with literally thousands of flowers. It was lovely to see  the children taking it all so seriously, marching in time to the drums, or handing out sweets to the crowds. We were also fascinated by the costumes, especially the strange pointed hoods of the penitents which reminded us of the Klu Klux Klan.

Roman soldiers of all ages!

The Penitents

 

A special thank you to all of our visitors for making the effort to come and see us, and for bringing out much needed supplies, ranging from a spare sensor for the gas detector to packets of Assam tea!

February in Cartagena

Lunch at the beach with Tony and Alison

I arrived back in Cartagena on 10^th Feb alone (Cliff was still in the Caribbean) and was greeted by howling gales - the boat was rocking so violently I felt quite queasy! My mood was not helped by the fact that the seacock to the (only working) toilet had seized up so I couldn't use the loo that night. The next day I got Charlie, one of our lovely fellow cruisers, to come and open the seacock, but then had a bit of a panic when seawater started to pour into the boat. Charlie managed to sort it out by tightening the screws, but servicing the seacocks is definitely on the to do list when the boat gets hauled out.

Cliff flew in on 14^th Feb, it was so good to see him again after almost two months apart. He enjoyed the Atlantic crossing and loved the Caribbean, so he’s now hoping that we will make it there on Sandpiper once we’ve finished sailing in the Med. We shall see!

The weather warmed up towards the end of the month and on the 26^th  Don on Northern Shadow offered to drive us and Tony and Alison from Reveller out to the beach for lunch. It was so nice to eat outdoors again – note the lone sunbather on beach in the picture!