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Old 04-27-2010, 06:02 PM   #1
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I've just looked at the date of my last post, late March! In the intervening time I have moved my boat less than one mile..

I was due to leave my winter berth on 28th March but a few days previous, I became ill. Extremely weak, nauseous, and drenched with perspiration I was convinced that I had developed food poisoning. For three days I had difficulty standing and spent the time lying on bath towels and drinking as much fluid as possible and feeling grateful that this illness had not occurred while I was at sea, singlehanded as always.

On the forth morning I awoke to find my left leg a mass of blisters from the knee down and feeling as if it was on fire and so swollen I had problems getting my jeans on. I went to the out patients department at the local hospital to be told that I had developed a serious case of Celullitis, which is apparently a bacterial infection which enters the skin through a tiny cut or abrasion, in my case possibly a mosquito bite. I'm nearly 66 years old but still run three miles a few times a week, haven't seen a doctor in five years or so, and have a fairly good standard of fitness for an old codger..but this absolutely decked me, it is an extremely unpleasant illness.

Over the past few days I've been working on my fitness routine and now feel almost back to a reasonable level. No longer on the anti-biotics and pain killers from the Doctor and looking forward to continuing the voyage this coming weekend. If this had occurred while I was at sea, then I know I would have been struggling to get to safety, but it didn't, and life goes on. So, on with the voyage, bound for the Bay of Cadiz, Gibraltar and into the Mediterranean. So once again, safe sailing and I'll post some photos when next I'm in port. Regards to all..Saxon..
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Old 04-27-2010, 07:08 PM   #2
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How unpleasant for you. Please keep us updated on your movements.
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Old 04-28-2010, 04:30 AM   #3
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I'm glad to hear that you're better now. I hope your travels are pleasant and you will update us with info along the way.

+++

As an aside, you remind me that being sick aboard is the one way to end up totally useless and it is a dangerous situation. A couple months ago, during a period of high winds and heavy seas, I awoke to the VHF emergency channel 16 call for help by a solo sailor sitting on a boat in an anchorage around the corner (about 2 miles) from our anchorage, terribly sick with the flu, unable to sail off the anchor, without engine, and needing to get to the hospital.

All the other vessels had vacated the anchorage the day before when the wind shifted to create a dangerous situation of waves and lee shore, but this sailor had been too sick to successfully sail off anchor after 3 tries giving up. When the sailor finally called for help, waves were breaking over the boat at anchor and the boat was slowly dragging anchor. No commercial vessel assist company would try to help the small boat, no other private vessels were out in the weather. In the end, the US Coast Guard picked up the sailor as well as the dog and cat aboard and the small sailboat was left behind to drag into a nearby jetty or ashore. The sailor was taken to the hospital and the boat ended up dragging and later drifting. We heard it all play out on the VHF and later in the afternoon, the USCG reported the as a hazard to navigation for several hours that afternoon and evening until it grounded.

++

Take very good care of yourself as you travel onwards solo.

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Old 04-28-2010, 05:21 PM   #4
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Yes, take care and get well!

And enjoy the sailing once you are 'around the corner' (Cabo de Sao Vicente), leaving the atlantic swell behind and having the choice of so many nice harbours and Marinas along the Algarve coast. We especially loved the anchorages, our favorite was just east of Lagos, the lagoon of Alvor (Ribeira do Farelo), and then the lagoon of Faro, anchoring behind the Ilha de Culatra and walking the endless beaches of the island, wow!

And did you ever go up the river Guadiana? Guess, your mast length will allow to pass under the highway bridge just north of Ayamonte (Spain). Â*We planned 4 days on the river and stayed 4 weeks anchoring here an there. You can go up to the villages Alcoutim(Portugal) an Sanlucar de Guadiana on the Spanish side. Both villages have pontoons to tie up to, or you anchor in the river in front of the towns. You could even continue to Pomarao (but watch some shoals south of this village).

And then the Spanish Atlantic coast line (Costa De La Luz). So different from mediterranean Spain. Empty beaches, lots of nature, not so many tourist developements. We loved the towns of Chipiona and Rota (where we wintered one year), both have small Marinas and from Chipiona you could go up the Rio Guadalquivir to Sevilla!!!

Â* And then the city of Cadiz, surrounded by water. Just too bad that the Marinas are situated way behind the commercial harbour at the northern end of the peninsular. Back then (2003) the marina looked rather deserted - no place to leave your boat unattended, but that might have changed.Then south of Cadiz the ghost town of Sancti Petri with a small marina and plenty of room to drop the anchor (on these grounds we even weathered a Levante! It was a light one with only about 45 knots in the peaks).

And then around Cabo Trafalgar, Gibraltar is not far. A good stopover was Barbate (big tuna fishing town back then, but as the tuna is gone, this big fishing harbour is very quiet now). Â*And once you passed Tarifa the Med isn't far.

Initially we did not intend to sail the Algarve and the Bay of Cadiz, but after changing plans (not crossing the Atlantic) we initially thought that this coast line does not offer enough to cruise for half a year. We were so wrong. We enjoyed it. We even wintered there (with heating on board).So, take plenty of time to enjoy the Algarve and the Costa De La Luz (Coast of Light) before the Med, which will be more touristic (and more expensive).

Take care

Uwe

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Old 04-28-2010, 06:39 PM   #5
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Do help to expand on the existing information on the Spanish coast in the Cruising Wiki - HERE
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Old 04-29-2010, 02:52 PM   #6
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Thank you all for your good wishes. This is my forth voyage along the Algarve and my second winter spent here, the last was in 2006. There are still places to find solitude here I'm glad to say, and life is not quite the whirl of tourist resorts as the Spanish Mediterranean coast has become. Still, the sea is blue, the sun is hot and with luck I'll catch a nice Westerly to carry me through the Gibraltar Straits. Fair winds, regards Saxon.
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Old 04-29-2010, 03:43 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by saxon' date='29 April 2010 - 04:52 PM View Post

... This is my forth voyage along the Algarve and my second winter spent here, the last was in 2006....

Fair winds, Â*regards Â*Saxon.
oh, that is much more ( and much newer) experience than we have!!! Â*Â*

In fact, we have been sailing the Algarve the first time in 1992 (still very young and therefore under the motto "sailing the Algarve in two weeks... and now we know it allÂ*Â* ), and it was in 2002/2003 that we really got to know and love this coast line and it won't be the last time sailing there.Â*

So, happy to hear how things are now and maybe you keep us updated (Cruising Wiki).

Good sailing

Uwe

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