37 41.9 N 000 68.1 W Mar MenorTuesday 22nd June 2010Birthday. Thank you for all my cards, messages and gifts! We have no wifi connection here, so will have to catch up with others later.We came yesterday to Mar Menor, an inland sea about 12km long by 4km wide, separated from the Med by a sand dune covered in high rise buildings. There is a narrow gap in the dunes that you squeeze through, then pass a bridge that opens on the even hour for you to enter this ...

37 33.8 N 001 15.4 W CartagenaMonday 21st June 2010After cooking the crab, we set off for Cartagena. First however, we went round the headland and dropped anchor for lunch in a stunning bay surrounded by cliffs. Clear clear blue water, you could see our anchor clearly 10 metres down in clean sand. Had crab (naturally), swim and siesta. We were joined by 2 enormous yachts racing, beautiful gleaming things with four spreaders, about 20 crew - each must have been ...

37 24.3 N 001 34.1 W AguilasThursday 17th June 2010Great excitement on two fronts. We have had our first decent anchorage in weeks, clear warm water, swimming off the back of the boat and Richard caught a fish. And they say the Med is fished out!Yesterday, we were aiming for a place called Garrucha 50 nm away (not spectacular but a useful stop). However, the wind was light and we were going slowly. So after rounding the mighty Cabo de Gata, we ended up afte...

36 49.8 N 002 27.7 W AlmeriaMonday 14th June 2010We have been making our way along the south Spanish Coast. Left Ceuta and nipped back to Gibraltar for some cheap diesel and then finally headed east and into the Med properly. We left in turbulent water, playing dodgems with the big ships. We have had several days of fast downwind sailing (F7 behind us at the back end of a 54 mile stint day before yesterday), big swell, and surfing conditions. Par example, stat...

35 53.8 N 005 18.8 W CeutaMonday 7th June 2010-06-07Spent far too long in Gibraltar, not by choice. Once the surface is scratched, there is not a lot! Except traffic and noise and dust and roadworks and demolition, building and cranes! But result, we have depth! A workable temp solution is squidging the transducer onto the bilge and letting is work through the hull. Means we can keep the boat log as well until the next lift out. Boat owners will understand! Ha...