At long last we have taken down the Portuguese flag and are flying the Spanish flag again. This was quite a moment for us, having seen all our friends from Lagos sail off in 2007. We have received updates of their exciting times in Greece and felt like they were all at a party we hadn’t been invited to. The Portuguese flag had been repaired a few times and was hanging on by a thread but we were determined not to buy another one.

2EZ was relaunched on 3^rd July. We sailed to Alvor for a much needed rest and checked that our repairs were all okay. We hooked up with Aubrey from White Shadow who had been our neighbour in the boat yard and made plans to sail in company for a few weeks, planning that we’d meet up in Cadiz. We slipped anchor on 11^th July for a trip of 119 miles to Cadiz.

We sailed downwind most of the way averaging 5 knots and completed the journey in 24 hours. There were some huge waves which gave the dolphins a bit of a turbo boost as they leaped out of the water, jumping 2 metres, their tails still wiggling with momentum as they jumped, I was sure one would land on our deck.

We went into Rota historic town on our first trip to Spanish soil. We were treat to an amazing sight of the town square full of people all in their fine clothes. It seems that Saturday evening is the time that couples marry and there is one wedding after another. All their assorted guests, each trying to outdo the other, mingle together in the square whilst photographs are taken in the castle courtyard.

We took a ferry trip to Cadiz which is Europe’s oldest civilized city. Over three thousand years of trade stemmed from Cadiz. The streets are narrow with tall buildings each side which keeps the heat of the sun out through the day. Bourgeois merchants traded in silks and spices from the ground floor, the families lived on the first floor and the servants on the 2^nd floor.

A few days later Aubrey from White Shadow and his crew member Porky sailed into the Bay of Cadiz having had a very lumpy sail. We also spotted John from Tanna, in the bay. John had been a pontoon neighbour in Portimao. Aubrey and Porky needed to rest a few days before the next leg of the journey meanwhile we had a very strange experience one afternoon.

We had been ashore most of the day doing shopping and using the laundry services. Our bucket was dangling from the rope into the water and we could see that our chart plotter was twisted and as I got on board I noticed the locked door was open. Thinking it must have been a freak wave that jostled everything I set off inside to meet face to face with a naked woman, all but a tassel belt, coming up from the starboard side hull. After a shocked intake of breath I squealed ‘who are you and what are you doing on our boat?’ It was at this point that it all went a bit strange. My iPod was playing, a quick look round I could see nothing was missing, even if it was, where would she put it! She said she had been swimming from the beach and was swept out and took refuge on the boat.

However if that was the case she should have just sat in the cockpit, this woman who was in her early forties was climbed in through the roof hatch, dropping onto the bed, had a good look round, read my diary, looked at ship’s papers and sacrilege, had touch my iPod! Apparently she had been on the boat for hours, after taking to neighbouring boats, she had been doing yoga on the foredeck, blowing the fog horn and looking through binoculars. She was either completely barking mad or very astute. She may have been dropped off and was blowing the horn for co-conspirators to come and get her and the contents of the boat, there had been a small dinghy buzzing around the night before that made us feel a bit suspicious.

In retrospect we should have radioed the Maritime Police but she seemed to be so mad we just wanted her off the boat. I gave her an old tee shirt and Keith took her back to shore. The good thing that came out of this was that it made us think long and hard about our security. Until we can get some bars for the roof hatches we now close and lock them, despite the heat. We always lock the door but now close the top lid and padlock it, and have moved the sound box for the alarm out of a back locker and set it.

Now fully rested we left the Bay of Cadiz bound for Tangier sailing with White Shadow. Aubrey mentioned he didn’t have a Moroccan flag. I had made ours a few months ago, and have 2 metres of the popular colours on board. I’ve even made the Tunisian flag. So whilst sailing I got the sewing box out and made a flag for Aubrey, not recommended whilst at sea, I must have pricked my fingers a hundred times!

About 11 miles from Tangier we were buzzed a Navy vessel they must have picked us up on their radar. No longer in the EU we had to abide by different rules ie:- not stepping ashore until we had gone through the check in procedures. We hauled up the yellow Q flag and waited for Customs to board, however as it was late no one appeared, so we just had to sit tight until morning when we could go to the port office. They held our passports and ships papers during our stay and we had to go through the port authority whenever going ashore.

But the wait was worth it. We went into the Kasbah and saw some amazing sights, smelled a wonderful mix of spices and heard amazing music, drowned out by the call to prayer 4 times a day. I was quite tempted to buy a traditional original kaftan, long coat dress with hood and hundreds of buttons down the front, and silk trousers underneath for my son’s wedding, but as I’d already held off from buying a flamenco dress, I had second thoughts. A beautifully embroidered Moroccan outfit like that wouldn’t look quite the same in a rainy Yorkshire. But I did buy 10 metres of wonderful upholstery material for only 250 Dirams, about £15!

Morocco is trying to improve its image and after speaking with a very charming President of the Royal Yacht Club, he told us they are cleaning up their act. Wiping out the drugs image people have of them and plan to build a super marina within two years. Most of the street traders are now licensed and those that aren’t, are arrested, which we witnessed. The reason for tight controls at the port is to stop Moroccan nationals going aboard visiting yachts if they do they are arrested along with the skipper of the yacht. Another event we witnessed.

Now 2EZ was ready to put some sea miles between the hulls, having gained confidence in the boats abilities, and our own, we were getting anxious to get as far east as quickly as possible before stopping to book flights back to Mark and Sam’s wedding. Leaving Tangier we headed for Ceuta where we filled every available container with diesel, at 98 euro cents a litre we took on 172 litres!

Next stop was Estepona, a fantastic view as we approach, with a huge mountain behind the town. During our night sails we enjoyed a spectacular sight of shooting stars from dusk until dawn. During the day the dolphins were swimming six abreast between the hulls, all rising and diving as one. Onwards to Fuengirola (a real Brits abroad place) then Mortil, Almeria and finally into Cartagena, where we are fastened to a pontoon again for the next 5 to 6 weeks. The flights are booked, we have wi-fi on board and we’re feeling much better having sailed 487 (trouble free) miles in the last month. We parted company with Aubrey and Porky at Fuengirola but hope to see Aubrey and his wife at the Southampton Boat Show.

Cartagena has a lot of history, the Carthaginians having their 15 minutes of fame around 227BC until the Romans took over. The bay still has its fortifications and there are a lot of Roman remains here. The town is host to a Naval Academy and there are lots of nice sailors walking around in very tight fitting white trousers as part of their dress uniform, though I’m sure Keith is enjoying seeing the lady sailors! The town had a revival in the 1800s when Cartagena had the best fleet of vessels and crew in the Med and tried to form their own Navy, perhaps trying to recapture previous powers. Spain retaliated by declaring the Carthaginian fleet as pirates and informed all other Navies to destroy the fleet on sight! 

Other than that Cartagena has a famous son, Issac Peral invented the first submarine, which is on display on the main Avenida, the vessel was constructed in Cadiz in 1888. I’m looking forward to having a good look around the Roman sites before we fly back to England, the wedding and to see Clara again. 

Post Script:- I visited the Roman Theater today (Tues 12^th Aug) and found it to amazingly fantastic. A complete Roman Theater which lay undiscovered until 1985! As the Roman Empire went into decline the remaining Romans turned it into a kind of shopping mall. Then the Byzantines built little houses on the steps/seating which eventually collapsed so the Islam’s paved over it and built their houses. Once Christianity took over, to crown it off, a church was built, followed by housing which became the poorest area of the town. It was amazing seeing the pictures of three storey houses which TV aerials on the roofs and a van parked on a road prior to the discovery and excavation. Now it is restored, complete with wooden stage. A wonderful sight.