We make these observations of the Med for sailors based on our six weeks of cruising the coast of Mediterranean Spain, not any other part of the Mediterranean. Some of these things we knew because we had read guide books, other things were unexpected. There are no photos. In no particular order here is what to expect:
- Entering the Mediterranean we passed through the 30 mile long Strait of Gibraltar which at it's narrowest point is named Tarifa. At this point Africa is only 8 miles away. The water at the western end of the Strait is 2 - 3 meters higher than at it's eastern end causing a constant surface flow into the Mediterranean of 1 to 2 knots, or up to 6 knots, depending on barometric pressure, surface winds, and Atlantic tides. So getting into the Med was easy, getting out may be a challenge.
- The wind at Tarifa are said to blow in excess of 30 knots 300 days per year; we were glad we passed through the Strait on a calm day.
- The scenery along the Costa del Sol is one long stretch of condominiums, apartment blocks and white sandy beaches. There is very little wilderness to break the monotony of the construction.
- There are really no secure anchorages along the Costa del Sol, we stayed in marinas, as did everyone else.
- There are some anchorages along the Costa Blanca between Cabo de Gata and Cartagena, but most boats opt for a marina.
- The scenery along the Costa Blanca is stunning when seen from the Sea. We travelled within 0.5 miles of the cliffs, something we never do, to get a better view of the spectacular geology.
- We sailed 60 miles overnight to Ibiza and Formentera, two of the Balearic Islands. Finally there were more anchorages than marinas, and the scenery is pretty nice as well.
- It is either blowing too much in the wrong direction, or not wind enough to sail. This year we moved 1200 miles and 716 miles was motoring. Be prepared to burn a lot of diesel or you will be waiting around or sailing very slowly. Due to our visa restrictions we did not have the time for the latter two options.
- Weather forecasts are only correct 20% of the time, 80% of the time the wind comes from a completely different direction. This makes it difficult to choose a destination or an anchorage. In addition the wind strengths are poorly predicted, with no wind in the mornings and good sailing winds in the afternoon, despite the forecast calling for good winds all day.
- Wind shifts of 180 degrees generally occur in the dark of the night.
- The anchorages we stayed in are not snug little coves, they are generally off of a beach and shore side cliffs provide protection from the wind and swell.
- The swell: this came as a complete surprise. It was always there and was not consistent. Some days the wind would blow from the south but the swell would come from the north, the wind and swell directions seldom matched. This made it even more difficult to choose an anchorage. We generally opted for protection from the swell unless the wind was forecast to be 'blowing a gale'.
- Marinas are not always protected from a swell event. At one marina on the Costa del Sol Curare was rolling so badly we had to sleep crossways - and we were at a dock!
- Anchorages fill up between 11 in the morning and 5 in the afternoon. By 7 in the evening most boats have left, racing to get back to their home port before dinner at 10 or 11 at night. Arrive in the morning or after 7 in the evening to get a better spot for your hook.
- Dust gets everywhere. At first we blamed it on the Sahara Desert but as we moved north, away from Africa, every morning we still had a layer of red dust coating every line, stanchion and piece of canvas, despite wiping everything down the previous evening.
Now we will go into one final marina to clean everything, do some maintenance, and put Curare to bed for another winter in Spain.