May 21 -- Big Sky is just a 6 Euro taxi drive away from our hotel. Fingers crossed, we'll check out tomorrow, and supervise Big Sky being lowered back into the blue Mediterranean Sea. Our plan is to motor over to the other side of Sagunto (Valencia) to the public marina where we'll roll up our sleeves and apply our "elbow grease" to Big Sky and clean, wax and polish her. The Vulcan Yard's prices were incredibly high, so the decision to do it ourselves was easy.
May 19 -- We're leaving for Valencia in about an hour and had one last visit with Nolan. When we return in December 2008, Nick's baby will be the age that Nolan is right now. Pictured: Nick, Con with Nolan, and Brit.



May 18 -- We enjoy sushi then took a stroll for ice cream. Con had Nolan in the snuggly on the way back. It was warm in Calgary today, 28 or so. Pictured: Brit with Nolan, Les and Lindsey; Con with Nolan.



May 17 -- Yesterday, the family got together for a barbeque at Nick and Dan's house. Brit and Nolan came into town from Saskatchewan. Lindsey and Courtney met him for the first time.
Courtney & NolanLindsey & Nolan

May 14 -- One year ago this week, Con and I took our first sail on Big Sky. When I think back at how nervous and inexperienced I was, I have to laugh. Docking Big Sky always began with me insisting that Con and I have a "meeting" to outline where ALL the ropes would be tied BEFORE we'd go into the marina. I'd practice knots, go over Man Overboard drills in my head, and for the first few months, I was either sick or swallowing sea sickness pills. Having gotten past most of that, we're enjoying our days on Big Sky more than we ever have. We're anxious to return to Valencia to supervise Big Sky being lowered back into the Sea and to again set sail.

May 6 -- We're back in Calgary for a week after a wonderful visit in Carrot River with Brit and Kris and our adorable grand baby Nolan.

Our last day there, we traipsed around their property checking out coyote dens,

water witching (which really works!) and just taking in all the precious moments with Nolan.


May 1 -- There may have been two or three bends in the highway, and thousands of snow geese as we made our way north to Carrot River Saskatchewan.

We drove for 9 1/2 hours through the Prairie grasslands and farmlands of Alberta and Saskatchewan to meet our new 2 1/2 month old grandson, Nolan.

Photo above: Brit, Kris, Nolan, Con and Barb




April 22 -- Our last day in Holland, we biked to Hilversum to buy a few items for Canada, and visited Nomie for tea in the afternoon. Our flight to Canada leaves early in the morning.
April 18 -- We're in Holland for the next week visiting family. Big Sky is now "on the hard" about to have its annual maintenance.

A few days ago, we crossed the 000 00.000 meridian (longitude). It was a cool moment for us.


The zero longitude is well known as the Greenwich, England location, but because the Earth is sphere-like, it wow's out and reaches to a location near where Big Sky is now located. For a moment, part of Big Sky was in the eastern hemisphere of the Earth and the other in the western hemisphere. You can see on the GPS reading the details we follow when navigating, our course, the ETA for arrival, average speed, maximum speed, numbers of hours underway, etc.

April 13 -- Just a quick story about yesterday. The four of us were sitting in the cafe on the esplanade enjoying the sunshine and watching kids and locals walking along. Then the Gypsy women arrived in a pack, each dressed pretty funky in their long skirts, nice shoes and expensive looking purses, each with an obedient toddler on their hips. They made their way through the tables with their hands out begging for money, which resulted in no givers. At our table, one shouted "GIVE ME MONEY FOR BABY!" Watching, they made their way to a Gypsy man (the leader) and held a quick meeting. They switched up the children, and spread out to sit on the sidewalks to beg. First, however, they stopped for ice cream. Spain has plenty of jobs, but "Gypsying" is obviously a serious profession for them as transient beggars, thieves, intimidators, and con artists living tax free in public parks in their caravans.
April 12 -- A fabulous day on the water today, as we headed up the Spanish coast to Denia, just south of Valencia. The past two days we explored Alicante, mooring Big Sky in the Alicante marina -- what an expensive marina! Our fees were four times what we paid in Caleta de Velez. Alicante has a magnificent palm-lines mosaic esplanade directly in front of the marina which leads you right into the old city. We walked a bit further into the old city to the Bull Fighting Area. This start in June to Mark's disappointment.


Mark, Shirlee, Barb and Con on the top of the Castell de Santa Barbara. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea on one side, the old city on the other, and the panoramic view of the Spanish mountains in another direction. From the old city, looking up at the Castell it's breathtaking.


Con posing on the castle top, with Alicante circling around the Mediterranean behind him. I'm in the view further to the right.

A few days ago, we were in Cartagena, where our book suggested that the marina is subjected to swells at times. Big Sky was docked along the peer (left) and bashed against it all night.

We had all our fenders on that side to protect her. Today, the wind churned the sea violently, and we saw that part of the beautiful stainless steel rail (above right) has been bent as a result of the fender getting caught under the dock. We immediately relocating to another spot, but it was no better. The dock locked the fenders under the rubber teeth and pulled the rubber trim away from the side of Big Sky. A very bad few hours in the Cartegana marina for Big Sky.

Worse yet, was the reaction of the marina staff. I raced to the Marine Office and the Harbour Master approved a spot that was refused to us earlier that morning. While Con and I negotiating the wild cross winds and the angry marine lines people shouting to us that we MUST LEAVE "SALIR AHORA!" All the while, I was telling them (in Spanish) that they must "hablas con el Harbour Master, dice aqui!" We finally docked, with Big Sky's port side hitting the concrete wall causing even more damage to the fibre glass finish. The marina staff helped tie on extra fenders to the dock and when it was all over, they shook Con's hand and acknowledged his "thank you," however, when I put my hand out with a "gracias" the man totally refused to look at me or acknowledge my hand and walked forward mumbling something along the lines of "flaca." I understand that to mean "bitch."
Shirlee & Mark enjoying ice cream down main street in Cartegana during siesta.
Earlier that day, we walked through the town of Cartagena that has been built around a treasure of Roman ruins. The city is doing major construction and archeology to restore parts of it to its original state.

Yesterday, the auto pilot on Big Sky was too fickle with the strong winds coming from the stern to keep us on our course making it necessary to hand steer for portion of our 17-hour journey.
Mark at the helm and Shirlee on look out.

Mark and Shirlee exhausted from their roles.

April 9 -- As I type this entry, we're currently under sail on a smooth sea, at times reaching 9 knots. We've been heading up the Spanish coast for a few days now. Yesterday, we set sail from Caleta de Velez, anticipating an overnight sail, but nearing the early evening, the winds dropped off. The Wind Guru promised more wind the next morning, so we made the decision to overnight in Almerimar. Having received an email from Bob and Di (our English friends living aboard "Sheer Fantasy") we were more than happy to take a slight diversion. At 3 a.m., the next morning, however, the four of us, as planned, untied Big Sky and set off under moderate winds and seas for Cartagena. Our anticipated arrival is around 8 p.m. Shortly after setting out, Shirlee and Mark went back to bed, then I slipped into our bed for a wonderful sleep. At 8 a.m, I relieved Con for his much needed sleep. While the men were sound asleep, Shirlee and I sat on the bow visiting with more dolphins that made a slight detour to ride Big Sky's bow. Near Almerimar, the land in every direction is either empty condos or huge green houses sprawling along the brown hillsides. We left Costa del Sol (Coast of the Sun) today, and entered Costa Blanca (White Coast). Parts of the tall hills are white washed from the sun. The day is rather blissfully simple despite the rough sea for the last few hours. About 30 minutes out of Cartegana, we spotted a submarine.
April 5 -- Thursday, we rented a Ford in Ceuta and the four of us packed a bag for our three days in Morocco. We drove through the patchworks of rolling farmlands, with hillsides cut with small streams making their way through the Rif and Middle Atlas mountains. It was again, like entering another world. We passed houses where a donkey was milling olive oil by walking in circles tied to a mill stone as it crushed the olives. Berber women walked along the highway carrying bundles of mint and such, hunched nearly completely over. This one let the donkey do the work.

Donkey's carried various loads like wheat, barley, citrus, cotton, propane cans. We saw trucks filled two and three times the height of the truck, loaded with brush or things. Almost everything is made by hand and sold locally. The Berber people are so gentle and social with each other and very friendly with strangers. Traditional dress is worn everywhere, from the Berber red and white stripped cloth (on the Berber woman in the photo) to the kaftans and jalabas (the pointed hooded house-coat like this one Mark is wearing).


Women wear full burkas or sari-type clothing with their heads wrapped in different coloured tight-to-the head scarves. The Muslims are called to prayer five times a day through loud speakers.

We arrived in Volubilis first, which experienced its height in the second and third century. Its main commerce was oil and catered to the Roman's taste of wild animals like tigers, elephants, leopards as prestigious pets and in contests in Roman gladiatorial contests. Nearing the end of the day, we entered Fez, the spiritual and cultural centre of Morocco. Fez, a medieval city has the world's oldest, intact, continuously inhabited medinas, which has taken on a few minor changes. Basic electricity and rudimentary plumbing has been added, but not much else. In Fez, tourists are harassed by locals trying to make a living as tour guides and often trying to take you to carpet shops. We were hot and tired and had hoped to stay in a Riad. These are traditional town houses converted into up-market bed and breakfasts. We stopped a young man and asked if he would take us to a Riad within the medina. The Riad was stunning, colourful with traditional Moroccan antiques and finishinings, built in 1344.

The owners smiled a lot, didn't speak any English except "welcome" and "thank you."

The man in the centre owns the Riad standing beside Con and Shirlee, with Mark and the man's daughter (she's expecting any day.) An Arabic Stop sign.

The medina has 9,000 alleys and lanes that winds and wriggle through the medina with overlapping souks (kiosk markets).

We didn't venture too far from our Riad for fear of getting lost. The next afternoon, we drove to Chefchaouen again to share the remarkable town with Shirlee and Mark. Stopping along the roadside, we enjoyed a picnic lunch.

We stayed in the medina in a colourful hotel (Riad styled) and had dinner in traditional Moroccan style.

Early the next morning, (5 a.m.) we motored out of Ceuta and left Africa behind us for a rough motor sail to Costas del Sol. We'll stay in Caleta del Velez for a few days which will allow Mark and Shirlee to visit the Alhambra. Con and I visited the exquisite Moorish palace in 2003 and opted to stay behind and catch up on emails and explore Caleta del Valez by bike.
April 1, 2008 -- Shirlee and Mark arrived healthy and happy from Victoria, B.C. after 24 hours in transit. We explored Fuengirola, Spain, bought a few groceries at the market and enjoyed a day and a half in the sunshine before our crossing to Africa.



Con announced before departure (April Fools Day) that the dolphins were scheduled for the morning and the whales that afternoon around 3:30. Wouldn't you know, the dolphins came in the morning (and throughout the day) and the whales arrived at 3:10 p.m. "Damn whales," Con said, "I told them 3:30!" It was beautiful. They were smaller than the one and only other time we spotted whales and that was crossing the Bay of Biscay with Geert last Fall.

Our 13-hour sail was about as smooth as it could get. We sailed most of the way, averaging only about 4 knots as the wind was slight. Shirlee sat mesmerized by the water and all the visitors, and Mark immediately took the position behind the helm adjusting the sail this way a bit and that way so they were perfect. Mark has sailed before and was thrilled to be back on the water learning about our navigation, the equipment and how Big Sky handles.

We arrived back in Ceuta, Spain on the African continent about 9 p.m. and set out for tapas that night. We'll rent a car and depart for Chefchaouen and Fez Morocco and return to Big Sky by Friday.

January and February Diaries
March 2008 Diaries