38 35.3 N 000 3.4 W Altea
Saturday 26th June 2010

Almost at the Greenwich meridian and longitude East rather than West. I have told R that I need to cover him in green slime or some such and we can pretend it is the equator. We have been making tracks, sailing as much as possible, most of it now uphill and really lumpy. Not that we have had high winds, often little in the morning, up to F4/5 in pm, but it is surprising how even a glassy sea here can have a big swell, which add a diddy bit of wind to the mix, becomes a fair old chop.

Stops have been Torrevieja (anchored off), Santa Pola (ditto), lunchtime stop for swim at Isla Tabarca then on the Puerto de Compello (mega expensive) and here to Altea (very nice Club Nautico, too lumpy to anchor outside). Altea is nice, but this is Benidorm country and the coast is littered with everything you imagine that to entail. We met up with a British boat that overwintered where we did in Olhao and exchanged views and news. We have made contact with an ex colleague who now lives in Javea, around the next couple of headlands, so will make tracks there, hopefully meet up and weather watch for the wind to change to get us to the first of the Balearic Islands - Ibiza. It's about 55nm, equivalent to a Channel crossing, so we don't want a levanter or any likelihood of dodgy Frenchie winds ruining things. Will keep you posted.

Feel we have been out of touch for a while, so probably a load of these going up in a row. Hope all is well with everyone. xx