11 April and at last we left our winter marina for our second sail of 2016.
We´ve been waiting for days for a break in the weather. Every time it looked like we could get away in days to come, but the weather had other plans and we ended up weather watching again. Closely watching the weather fronts moving over the Med we worked out Monday was The Day. On Friday and Saturday winds were howling outside, force 6 and 7 and waves were climbing over the harbour walls, but still we had hope that come Monday all would be well. We prepared Isabelle, on Sunday the wind was still whistling away blowing a 6.
We had a get together of friends on an Dutch friends´ cat for good bye drinks of us that planned to leave.
Some were talkking of postponing to Tuesday as on Monday there might still be a large swell running.
After so many months sitting around in a Marina, doubt tends to set in and the first sail is always hard so I can understand why some were keen to leave, but in the end everyone has to make his own decision. My own feelings where that come morning the swell wouldn't be more than a metre , which isn't any big deal for us and as the wind was forecast to go to the south later in the day, early morning start was the only way forward.
Back on Isabelle , the alarm clock was set for 05.00.
On Monday morning, It was still dark when the alarm went off , but come 0600 day break appeared. The sea could be heard hitting the marina wall but nowhere as loud as it had been the last few days . Quietly we left out berth for the last time after a visit first from Gilly, then John, and headed out. Just before the entrance we met Mayagi Moon, also heading for Malta. Slowly we both made our way out to sea, to be greeted to a 0.5 metre swell and a nice NW breeze. In no time we set our sail, pointed Isabelle on a course of 176, turned the engine off, music on and watched the log hit 5 kts .Compared with our other sails to Malta, this time it took a bit longer - ten hours in all - but we managed to sail all the way.
Arriving in our favorite spot off Manuel Island we found a mooring in between Capt. Morgan buoys. A bit tricky to pick up as there were ropes floating about everywhere and we can't afford to get one around our propeller, so we reversed back until Christine managed to pick up a stern line and then it was just a matter of going forward to pick up the bow line. Text book stuff, all went very smoothly and in no time at all we were safely moored. Just in front Mayagi Moon also found an unused mooring and moored to it. Now only time will tell how long we’ll be able to stay here before Capt Morgan will want his buoys back.
We´ve been waiting for days for a break in the weather. Every time it looked like we could get away in days to come, but the weather had other plans and we ended up weather watching again. Closely watching the weather fronts moving over the Med we worked out Monday was The Day. On Friday and Saturday winds were howling outside, force 6 and 7 and waves were climbing over the harbour walls, but still we had hope that come Monday all would be well. We prepared Isabelle, on Sunday the wind was still whistling away blowing a 6.
We had a get together of friends on an Dutch friends´ cat for good bye drinks of us that planned to leave.
Some were talkking of postponing to Tuesday as on Monday there might still be a large swell running.
After so many months sitting around in a Marina, doubt tends to set in and the first sail is always hard so I can understand why some were keen to leave, but in the end everyone has to make his own decision. My own feelings where that come morning the swell wouldn't be more than a metre , which isn't any big deal for us and as the wind was forecast to go to the south later in the day, early morning start was the only way forward.
Back on Isabelle , the alarm clock was set for 05.00.
On Monday morning, It was still dark when the alarm went off , but come 0600 day break appeared. The sea could be heard hitting the marina wall but nowhere as loud as it had been the last few days . Quietly we left out berth for the last time after a visit first from Gilly, then John, and headed out. Just before the entrance we met Mayagi Moon, also heading for Malta. Slowly we both made our way out to sea, to be greeted to a 0.5 metre swell and a nice NW breeze. In no time we set our sail, pointed Isabelle on a course of 176, turned the engine off, music on and watched the log hit 5 kts .Compared with our other sails to Malta, this time it took a bit longer - ten hours in all - but we managed to sail all the way.
Arriving in our favorite spot off Manuel Island we found a mooring in between Capt. Morgan buoys. A bit tricky to pick up as there were ropes floating about everywhere and we can't afford to get one around our propeller, so we reversed back until Christine managed to pick up a stern line and then it was just a matter of going forward to pick up the bow line. Text book stuff, all went very smoothly and in no time at all we were safely moored. Just in front Mayagi Moon also found an unused mooring and moored to it. Now only time will tell how long we’ll be able to stay here before Capt Morgan will want his buoys back.