5/17/05
Hi from Tapestry,
It is Tuesday and we are still in Velez. Velez is a little
fishing village
in the Costa del Sol. We are tied to a dock in the marina here, one of five
Nauticats. We arrived on Saturday afternoon. On Saturday night, when we first
arrived, Dick, on Triumph, the Nauticat 43 sailing with us, admitted to not
feeling well. His stomach was upset. On Saturday, Julie complained of an upset
stomach; Dick had a fever. By Sunday they were both pretty sick. (I didn't know
Montezuma lived in Morocco, but it looks as if he's moved there) Anyway, by
Monday, Dick was feeling better. The marina had only said we could stay one
night, were we wearing out our welcome? Apparently not. Sunday night we got
word that a gale was headed our way. Monday morning was blue and still. We
asked for another day and, "no problema, senior," said the attendant.
By noon the wind was screaming force 7, about 30 knots, in the marina. Tapestry
rolled and surged on her "lazy line."
As I mentioned before, we were in the slip nearest to shore. We had to make
a downwind landing into a cement pier where we attached our painter. We then
picked up a "lazy line" that lead aft from the pier to something dark
and heavy deep in the water behind us. We carried that line to a winch and drew
the boat away from the pier so that we could step onto the pier, but the boat
would never touch it. That was easy in the gentle winds of Saturday, but on
Monday the 5/8 inch line had stretched, and we had to attach two additional
lines to it and, using the winches, draw the boat further from the dock. As
the boat rolled and pulled against the line, the strain was huge. The gentleman
next to us aboard "Honor," a lovely Dutch boat, allowed us to tie
a
line to him as a precaution. If other boats broke free, they would have the
boats inside of them to help absorb the shock. If we broke free, being next
to
shore, we would be on the rocks! The wind howled and, fortunately, the line
held. Finally, last night the wind died down a bit. This morning, both Julie
and Dick were feeling better and we thought about leaving. Then the wind piped
up again. Juan, in the boat next door, insisted that we not leave in these
winds. "You have not turning room," he said, "you will be pushed
to the rocks." Of course, he was right. On Tuesday afternoon, the wind
is
still wild at times, but it is clearly easing. We signed up for another night.
Today the four of us strolled through the pleasant little town. There are
many summer apartments here, but most are still vacant. Velez has a very
impressive fishing fleet and a large boat building facility here. Fishermen's
houses line the coast, and their wives tend lovely flower gardens behind the
beach. It is really a beautiful place. We had lunch, gezpacho,(the spell check
doesn't know) and curried chicken with rice, at a little restaurant, and
everyone felt fine afterward, which is a good sign. Hopefully, tomorrow we will
again be off to the east toward the prime meridian, and in a few days, the
orient.
Hank and Julie