Sun, Sail and more sun.

If we had been worried at the start of the year's sailing by the weather it was proving much more reliable than the previous year and it was beautiful to leave Cartagena if only to feel a cooling (relatively) breeze through the boat and we left with all hatches and windows open. It was windless for the first hour but the breeze then filled our sails and we had a gentle day, destination Cala Bardino - about 40 miles -where we anchored at 18.00 hours.

It was probably 18.05 before we were both swimming - cool for the first time that day. We always sail with our large bimini erected - it is the full length of our centre cockpit and together with our sprayhood gives good shade - and it is hard to understand how people can sail at this time of the year with no shelter at all.

our overnight stay was very quiet and we were away early, sailing all the way under a gentle beam wind and arriving in the port of Garrucha at16.00hours. Puerto Garrucha is a small harbour protected by a long breakwater with large ships alongside the quay loading continually with aggregate from a non stop stream of lorries.

We were lucky to find an empty berth in what is a private marina and had to promise to be away after the second day as the berth owner was due back.

The heat was so overbearing we trecked into the local town looking for a large 220v electric fan - our 12v fan was unable to cope - and were pleased to find a very old fashioned ironmonger who appeared to stock everything. The owner looked like he had been trained in "Open all Hours" and was determined that we would not leave without lining his pocket. He won!