Full route on travellerspoint:
travellerspoint.com/map/#/trip/1129762
Cadiz Bay
Sailing from Portugal to Cadiz was amazing! Swimming in Cadiz Bay, sailing with stunning views and night with Milkyway! One of my best sailing nights!
Open sea swimming:
Gibraltar
Sailing through the Strait of Gibraltar is not something too difficult if you have enough time. You only need to wait for a good weather window with a good wind and to go with the current. We were lucky to have such a forecast. And easily came to Gibraltar port. Leaving Gibraltar before sunrise seems to be tricky because of a large number of vessels. But in reality, those vessels are mostly anchored. Below there is a photo from my AIS to get the idea.
Bacteria in Diesel Tank
Well, that was not good, but because we were out of time and it was hard to find someone to clean our diesel tank from bacteria we had a constant problem with our fuel system. Changing the fuel filter once a day was a new normal procedure for us during this leg. And I can say it is very nervous to know that your engine probably won’t start next time. Every time on arrival to the next port we were looking for someone to clean the tank, but either it was not possible at all or it required a lot of time to wait for the job to be done.
Safety first I know, but I had an experienced crew from now and I was much more relaxed. However, arriving at Gibraltar we had both our fuel filters almost full of water. This is something you don’t want to repeat 🙁 uuhh..
We have only cleaned our tank in Almerimar. And we have done it ourselves. Another experience better to avoid and foresee. Adding special liquid to your diesel tank can prevent bacteria easily. But before it was not a problem for us in cold climates and we were not aware of it.
See more photos in repair section.
Almerimar
From Gibraltar we made it quite quickly to Almerimar. Now we are in the Mediterranean! The main project goal is accomplished.
Sweden to the Mediterranean route: Sweden – Kiel channel – Wadden Zee, Staande Mast Route (Holland) – English channel – Bay of Biscay – Galicia – Portugal – Gibraltar-Almerimar
Sailboat: Hallberg Rassy Rasmus 35