Fun with new friends 🏐 - Almerimar

Julie

As we leave the port of Melilla we experience quite a swell. Finn starts to feel sick, but as we sail further out of the bay the sea calms down. He takes refuge in the litter tray - not the most ideal spot, but we'll make sure he's cleaned up later. Peter and Greg cast out their fishing lines and we are visited by two large dolphins. They seem to find our boat interesting and swim alongside us for a while. We stop the engine and set course for a wind angle of 55 degrees. Ray, our autopilot, steers us towards Almerimar at about four knots. Finn has been sleeping in his litter tray for hours now and is so dirty that we have to wash him outside. After his bath he is more affectionate than ever and snuggles up close to me, falling asleep as we watch the sunset together. When night falls and he's dry, I put him safely inside. Meanwhile, Nelly sleeps peacefully in our bunk bed. Having cats on board takes away some of your freedom, and it's not always easy, but I wouldn't want to be without them. We start the engine and sail into the night. At night we are joined by small striped dolphins. For the first time I see a baby dolphin, and during Greg's watch he gets a show around the boat for almost an hour.Their underwater shadows in the moonlight, combined with the reflection of our navigation lights, are apparently breathtaking.Meanwhile, there's enough wind to sail and we're moving towards our destination at about three knots.Only 30 miles to go. By sunrise, we can already see Almerimar. With the wind on the beam, we’re flying towards the coast. We anchor close to shore for extra shelter. The anchor chain is stuck in the anchor locker, which takes some effort, but eventually, we set the anchor firmly at a depth of four meters with 25 meters of chain. We tidy up the boat and celebrate our arrival with a drink and some snacks. Afterward, we take Peter back to his boat and catch a nap. We stay at anchor for a while until the swell gets too much. After a couple of nights we're suddenly hit by a nasty swell and decide to seek shelter in the marina. The marinero gives us spot 228, close to our previous location and our new friends Stephen and Manon. We quickly grab a pizza, take a nap (the swell didn't let us sleep much the night before) and clean up before spending a lovely evening on the beach with other sailors. Volleyball, drinks and lots of stories to tell. The next day we grill some fish, our last dinner in Almerimar. The cockpit is full of good company: Stephen, Manon, Peter and later Benjamin and Isabelle from Malou join us. It is a lively but wonderful evening. Before leaving Almerimar we have a last breakfast with Peter, shop at Mercadona (which will never sound the same again - an inside joke with other sailors) and fill the water tank. Our neighbours wave goodbye as we leave Almerimar.

Boat & Crew

El Burro

Swallow Craft Design Group, Swift 33

Gregory Ramis Ferriol

Owner

Finn

Pet, Male

Nelly

Pet, Female

Julie

Owner