Adventure sailing at its best

Where do we start - since leaving Ayamonte on the evening tide we have had a real adventure, the winds have been near perfect, sea conditions kind and with Tim and Ed experiencing their first night sail things were looking up. Some truly amazing stars, an early morning boarding by fierce customs officers and goosewinging up the Gibraltar straits all added to the excitement.
With all of us grinning from ear to ear, we visited out favourite Argentinian Tapas bar in La Linea before spending morning exploring Gibraltar and setting sail just after lunch, we knew it was going to be breezy so set 2 reefs in the main and hoisted the working jib, approaching Europa point the winds hit 35 knots plus and we even had to put another reef in the main, once we got El Rubicon settled she rode the waves and rocketed up the coast to Marbella where we have met up with the crews of Andante and Carpe Diem.
With so much having happened in the last 48 hours, the question is what will be tomorrows highlight. Adventure sailing as it should be with never a dull moment, plenty of fun and amazing sailing - to find out more or book your place on our next adventure, call Debbie on 00 34 695 326 184.

Last week in Ayamonte

Our time in Ayamonte is running out, we are into our last sail training week before re-stocking the yacht and heading towards home next saturday. Of course the adventure will not end there, we will be stopping off in Gibraltar and somewhere on the Costa del Sol before reaching Almerimar and a probable stop in Garrucha to view the new marina and say Hi to Mum who lives a 20 minute drive inland. The thought of being back in Cartagena and Mazarron are exciting although we will be sad to leave this wonderful area behind - albeit we will be back!.
Join us for non-tidal sailing courses and gain Competent Crew and Day Skipper qualifications in the Mar Menor area, we have 1 space remaining for the week commencing 1st July - so give Debbie a call or contact us for more info.

Mar Menor Bridge

With summer almost upon us, the sailing world is re-awakening from its winter spell as sailors start to plan their summer adventures, as always the Mar Menor bridge is causing some confusion with its lifting times, at present the opening times are 10.00 hours to 20.00 hours with lifts on the even hours.

Guadiana Adventure

The strong winds subsided and we set off up the river Guadiana that seperates Spain and Portugal, from the moment we cast off the lines in Ayamonte it gave us a sense of adventure that only comes from exploring somewhere new. Passing under the bridge the  river winds it ways North, the scenery is rugged with only a few old farms visible on the river banks. The sound of birds chirping is delightful and we did not appreaciate how noisy they really are until we spent the day on a mooring buoy in Larenjeiras whilst Paul who lives on Uno X fixed our bimini. Paul is an interesting character he does sail and canvas repairs but has also laid a series of mooring buoys available on a monthly basis, he has been on the river for around 12 years having sailed around the World twice and given the chance I believe he would go again.
Slipping from the buoy with newly stitched bimini we headed up river, with welcome shade as the temperature were soaring and the winds eased. Arriving at Alcoutim we were amazed to find space on one of the 3 pontoons, the middle one is reserved for day trip boats bu the other two can be landed on and for 10 euros a night you also get electric and water. There is also a shower and toilet block next to the pontoon and the town is an absolute delight. Very quaint and sleepy it has wonderful walks and the views from the Castle are spectacular.
The birdlife was not as abundant has we had hoped but there was still plenty to see, especially on some of the footpaths that lead down the river beach. Overall it is a great place to spend a few days and detach yourself from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, some cruisers we spoke to have been there for over 15 years - not sure I could stay that long but it is a very beautiful place indeed. especially for those that crave isolation - the only downside was the amount of debris in the upper reaches of the river. Is it a place I would return to - absolutely, to view pictures on the area visit our facebook page

Strong winds delay river adventure

Strong overnight winds have caused a slight delay to our Guadiana river adventure, having seen the forecast we opted for the safety of the marina rather than lay awake all night on anchor watch. A high pressure mid way between the Canaries and the Azores is squeezing the low currently approaching the UK resulting in gusty winds. The wonderful thing that makes cruising so relaxing - you move when the weather is good not because you have to!




The low is due to fill and High pressure will again sit over the UK either later today or tomorrow so with a little luck we will be on our way shortly.



In the meantime we have ben taking advantage of our unexpected stay and sampling the local wines and serrano hams - delicious.

Exploring under sail

Time is becoming even more precious as our tidal sailing adventure comes to an end for this year. We have finally managed to free up some time and are planning to explore the upper reaches of the river Guadiana that separates Spain and Portugal. This area shows whats cruising is all about and with an excellent blend of river/lagoon anchorages and marinas, it is challenging without being too restrictive and tests your skill at every level. This week we are heading up river, there are no charts other than the pilot book despite being able to penetrate upto 25 miles inland. The fishing gear, nature books and camera are primed as we hear that the wildlife is superb,  visit our facebook page for pictures.
Most Sea Schools concentrate on sail training in their local area, our ethos is different, we believe that a sailboat is for exploring and thats exactly what we set out to do, the more places we visit the more we learn and because everything is fresh and exciting our enthusiasm never dulls.
Unfortunately those that could not join us this year have now missed the boat, however just like the tide we will be back, it won't be until next year but this fantastic area is not to be overlooked and with so much still to discover I am looking forward to coming back even more.

Sailing opportunity

Our Tidal sailing adventure is coming to an end and we will be moving El Rubicon back into the Mediterranean and heading for the Mar Menor/ Cartagena very soon. We are offering a very special sailing experience leaving either Ayamonte on Saturday 9th June or Gibraltar on 12th June, this trip is suitable for any level and provides a fantastic opportunity to gain quality sea miles with tuition at no extra cost. The trip is estimated to take 7 days from Ayamonte or 5 days from Gibraltar as we will be stopping off en-route to enjoy the odd night ashore. For more details please call Debbie on 00 34 695 326 184, cost for the trip is 395€ per person. Places are limited and offered on a first come first served basis, so pick up the phone and book yourself a low cost sailing adventure.