Mediterranean 2008 Gibraltar to Sardinia "Counter Girl"

We flew to Gibraltar on April 22 and returned to "Counter Girl" in Ceuta. There had been a very bad storm on December 21 and CG had ripped fairleads and broken stanchions which we had to cobble together before we could leave.

We crossed the Straits to Marina Bay marina because we had pre-booked "Lazyjacks" and "Metal Micky" to make us a bimini. They completed this in 3 days! We coast-hopped in changeable weather to Almerimar where we were lifted out to be anti-fouled. The anodes were just about non-existent. The fairleads and stanchions were mended. We experienced F10 winds sitting on triangular props here.

We hate deadlines but had agreed to meet son David & girlfriend in Ibiza on May 20 so we dashed along the Costa's. In Cartagena we berthed alongside in the new marina built for super-yachts. We crossed from Altea to San Antonio on Ibiza and met them on time. Puerto Andraitx in Mallorca was the first stop there.  Anchored in Cala Portals in Palma Bay we had a severe thunderstorm and the static blew our B&G processor and the wind instrument at the mast head. We berthed in Real Club Nautico de Palma and they found an electrician to mend the damage.

We had a week before friends were due to visit in Palma so we made our way to Sa Rapido where the CA Representative lives. Captain Jeff Kempton was most helpful and we made arrangements to have CG lifted out there for July & August. We returned to Palma having a look at Magaluf and Palma Nova on the way. Our friends had hired a car which we could park on the RCNP marina for a deposit of 30 euros for a card. The weather was not good so we took the train to have a look at Soller and visited Deia by car. When they left we sailed along the south coast and up to Porto Pollenca and Alcudia. Cala Mitjana was our favourite anchorage .We came home July 2nd.

August 27 saw us back on CG and on August 28 we had a survey done by a local surveyor for Pantaenius.The fibreglass readings were excellent of course!. We had 3 days in Porto Cristo on the town quay before crossing to Mahon in Menorca. We stayed on a yellow visitor's buoy opposite the town for 18 euros a night. Another friend joined us and we left on 11 September for the 198 mile crossing to Sardinia. On Friday 12 September as we were approaching Alghero harbour we were caught in an extreme thunderstorm. We had torrential driving rain that really hurt. Visibility was severely reduced and the spindrift was amazing. It lasted 3/4 hour. Ashore they recorded 70 to 90 knots. We spent 4 days on the town quay and loved Alghero.

We had a very good sail through the Fornelli Straits to Stintino. We called in at Castelsada, Isola Rossa and then Palau. We had a look in Porto Cervo and anchored in Cala di Volpe which was beautiful. We found Olbia a very busy city and the Moby ferries were a delight with Disney characters painted on the sides. We went to Rotondo marina where we met an Oyster 62. We had a week in La Caletta marina. Then we left CG afloat in Ottiolu marina just below Olbia for the winter.