On Sunday morning at 01:00 the wind that was blowing for three days, suddenly dropped to about F3 and we decided to take the chance and move the boat from the tighter inner harbour to a more convenient (maneuver-vise) place at the outer harbour because we were expecting the wind to pick up again to F6-F7 in the morning when we wanted to leave. We started the engine and prepared the lines. I dropped the mooring line, waited a bit for it to fall to the ground, coupled into reverse gear and the boat started to move. A few seconds later the engine died. I had that once before, so I turned it back on but it died again. The mooring lazy line was wrapped around the propeller… We were wondering how that could have happened because I had waited long enough for the lazy lines to drop to the bottom before engaging the propeller. Now, the mooring line was pulling the boat at the propeller. Not really nice. I was able to rotate the shaft manually in the engine room a few turns left and right and then it got free again. In order to make sure there was nothing left to be wrapped around again, I took a (very) early morning bath in the unclear harbour water (not really recommended) and checked the boat from underneath. With the help of my “self-made super-duper torch” I could spot a part of the lazy line clamped between rudder and hull and going to the propeller shaft. Now I understood how it happened. The mooring lazy line came to sit on top of the rudder when we made fast 2 days ago and did not drop to the bottom. Going astern, it wrapped around the propeller. I removed everything and went for a shower in order to get rid of the harbour dirt. We repeated the maneuver and moved the boat. It was 03:00 in the morning and 3 hours left to sleep.
The forecasted F6-F7 was not there in the morning and we motored out of the harbour. The wind picked up later and we hoisted the sails. In the last post I wrote “After Cabo de Gata which is about 35NM away, the wind is expected to drop” and that is what it did. Then suddenly after we had hoisted the full main sail again, it picked up to more than 30 knots (F7). We had to take the 2nd reef in and were still making 7+ knots. We arrived in Garrucha at about 20:00 meaning no key for the marina gates and toilets but also no marina fees.
Cabo de Gata
Moored in Carrucha harbour
The repaired tear in the main is perfect and the wind instrument is also still working! By the way, the Alamar chandlery in Almerimar which is run by some English guys was very professional and friendly. They did everything to get the work done in time and have been very helpful. 5 Stars!
Today we motored all the way to Cartagena because there was no wind and we wanted to arrive earlier for provisioning.
On the way to Cartagena
Moored in Cartagena YPC