The weather remained quite awful. Our mooring was very exposed but the marina was full and there was nowhere better available. Mooring round at Shepperds looked terrible and very dirty.
4 October Friday
Finally slightly better weather
The mate and I cycled across the airport runway and over the border into Spain. We left her old faithful - and very rusty - bike in a rubbish bin and she boarded a bus to take her on her way to see Bosse and Nilla in Ribera.
6 October Saturday
Here began a week of boat work. The weather turned bad again and became a source of concern because escaping westward from Gibraltar could be quite a problem and certainly not to be undertaken with bad forecasts.
We broke one mooring warp and badly chafed a second.
The rigger was understandably unwilling to undertake a survey until the weather calmed down.
The start of the Rugby World Cup provided some very welcome distraction!!
12 October Sunday
Met Isobel at the airport, got final stores and checked out in preparation for earlyish morning departure. Careful study of all available forecasts give grounds for hope!
Bike aboard!
13(!)October Monday
Dropped Queensway Marina. Overcast with light variable winds.
1115 Tarifa light abeam.
Plenty of shipping, 10kt true wind NNW. Almost ideal for a first day.
2359 106nm over the ground and 101nm on the log. The current is also on our side.
14 October Tuesday
0400 Wind failing. Clear sky and a near full moon. Very pretty but Perkins is fired up.
0430 "all jolly quiet" - Isobel.
0930 Rabat abeam but below horizon. Beautiful morning, long NW swell and puffy clouds. Wind only f2.
To: "wiksberg" <john.kirkus@kolumbus.fi>
Subject: Atlantic Letter
X-MID: 1099_m0jrk
X-Type: Email; Outmail
Date: 14 Oct 2003 12:34:59 -0000
X-From: m0jrk
X-Status: Sent
X-Via: HF.PA3DUV
X-Date: 2003/10/14 12:35:00
Hello!
Not sure if I can still reach the Dutch operator but I will try to send this and get the grib files this pm. Light NW breeze, 1/2 kt helpful stream. Main, genoa + Perkins.
Beautiful day 23C, a few puffy clouds and little traffic. The night however was remarkably busy.
I will send a pos. report if I get through. At present off Rabat, 34,21.ooN 008,00.00W
pok
pn
s/y Bluesipp. 0910Z 14.10.03
The winds got lighter and Isobel went for a dip....
And then we met an ocean-full of dolphins, almost as far as the eye could see. Delightful.
15 October Wednesday.
Hello
Still pottering down the African coast - though it is well below the horizon.
I rather doubt that yesterday's pos. report got sent. It says I do something wrong, but I do the same as always. Anyway I'll try again today.
Winds continue fair and light so Perkins is working away.
Yesterday we met hundreds and possibly thousands of dolphin. Quite wonderful.
Last night a flying fish came aboard but we didn't eat it.
All well
pok lol
pn
16 October Thursday.
Main guyed and Genoa poled seems a much better rig than twin gennys. Rolling significantly reduced with no noticeable loss of speed. There remains the worry of rolling the main boom into the sea however.
X-From: m0jrk
X-Status: Sent
X-Via: HF.PA3DUV
X-Date: 2003/10/16 18:27:54
Possibly our last night before Lanzarote. A bit squally but very pretty. Approaching the spot where we met our fisherman.(In KwaHeri) None yet seen but expected during the night. 1830. N30 09 W012 23
Nats pok
17 October Friday
0200 Lights of Lanzarote raised
1230 Moored J20 Trip 584 on log. Charted distance 615 .......30nm gift from current.
Spanking new marina. Long walk to office but all efficiently checked in.
Odd....Google images from the time show a much smaller marina than I remember
18 October Saturday
To airport to fix Isobel's flight for Tuesday
(24 October - Concorde's final flight - not related to Iso's flight)
25 October Saturday
Left keys in office for Göran and Pia
Joined Aurinko Matkat group for direct charter to HEL
