Gibraltar Arrival

Pics to follow.....

Our last Spanish port was just 35NM from Gibraltar, but we were pinned down for a day waiting for some minimum reduction in the wind strength (which of course was coming directly from the Straits of Gibraltar).

The decision to leave that port into building winds (projected to reach 25) was made based on the projection over the next week....nothing better for days and some options get out of Gibraltar if we could just make it that far.

Our fuel situation wasn't ideal, both tanks showing about ½ and the marina we stayed in only sold gas.

¼ mile back there was a marina that sold diesel, but (being a man) I never backtrack, plus there were other marinas along the coast we could stop and refuel at.

The wind was just off the nose, so we motor sailed (main up) and I debated whether to stop for fuel or not...I decided against it as I wanted to reach Gibraltar in good daylight.

I think you can probably see where this is going....

As we got within 10 miles of the Rock, the winds continued to build, until they topped out at what we later learned was 50NMPH.

Which slowed us to a crawl and made me start to think about just how much fuel I had.

The fuel equation is not just how many gallons one has in a tank, it is how many gallons are required to keep the fuel line submerged, given things like sloshing (JTR builds fine tanks and these are well baffled, but there is only so much baffling can do) and the angle of heel of the boat (the main tank likes the boat heeled to port).

I was contemplating switching from the aux tank, which is smaller and less affected by heel and yaw, and was watching the gauge closely, it was reading ¼ so I knew I was pushing it a bit.

A short primer on diesels for the uninitiated....running out of fuel introduces air into the system, which requires a procedure called “bleeding”, not that big a deal, unless one is trying to enter one of the busiest ports in the world in 50 knot winds and high sea conditions.

Ok....I think you've all guessed that the engine (of course) sucked in some air, sputtered and my switch to the main tank was a day late and a dollar short.

We hadn't rounded the point into the harbour (even though we'd been very close for several hours) so we now fell off the wind, gave up the fight and started sailing through the scores of anchored ships trying to stay out of the winds and waves just to the East of the big Rock.

We put out some genoa for better control and I decided to sail up as close to the Rock's cliff as possible, which should have put me in calm, protected waters.

However, as I looked along the shore I was trying to tack up to I saw the water equivalent of “dust devils” swirls of winds that pick water up from a flat spot where the winds whipped the water and foam out....really cool thing to see except for the circumstances.

When we got as close to the Windward shore as possible the water was calm, but somehow the SW winds, which should have been blocked by the 1000' cliff, actually were blowing right out of the North and right down the rock beach!

Wow, and island with more than one windward side, that's a new one to me, but then again I seem to discover things like that.

Time to furl the headsail and drop the hook...except that the headsail took three turns and the furler jammed!

Damn, throw the hook anyway and we can sort it all out at anchor.

The anchor held (1st thing that went our way) and we figured out the furling problem (spinnaker halyard tied in the wrong spot so the top furling gear hooked on it of course).

Next, down the main, set the anchor drag alarm, take a few deep breaths and crack open a cold one!

We're still being buffeted by strong gusts and it turned out a flailing genoa sheet (that had gone out as far as the stopper knot allowed it) managed to shatter the large starboard section of “glass” (actually a stiff plastic that must have been extra hard due to the extreme cold temperature at the time....I did mention it was colder than Hell didn't I?).

Time for a plan.

1st things 1st, transfer the remaining fuel in the main tank to the smaller aux tank (where it would pose no potential for sucking air as the boat rocked).

Easy deal, except that I never put in any tank to tank transfer capabilities, so off with the inspection port and in with a pump hose for transfer to our (empty of course) spare diesel container, then the transfer to a smaller jug and into the aux tank.

We pulled about 8 gallons out of the main tank, so the aux tank was almost full...no problemo with that anymore.

Bled the diesel (at which I now rank as an expert) and let it run for 1 hour to ensure all the air was purged, which of course it never is and you inevitably experience some residual effects often at inconvenient times.

The wind continued to howl and I was resolved to wait for a respite or for the sun to come back in 12 hours before attempting the point rounding and bashing up the harbor.

However, the wind decided to clock and our windward shore became a lee shore (meaning if our anchor dragged we'd be on the rocks), so that “helped” me make the decision to complete the journey.

Pitch black, dozens of anchored ships, some ship traffic and the wind on the nose as we rounded the point and went up the harbor (I still can't figure out how a place can have winds from so many directions simultaneously.

Anyway, as we approached the marina suggested by my pilot guide we were lit up by a police boat that informed us that marina was now closed, but gave us a name of an open one and, within an hour, we were tied up alongside a cement pier....destination achieved!!!

I sometimes marvel at how easy I can make all this stuff seem!