Well, that’s it for now. Pandora has been hauled in Almerimar where she will be until we return next spring to begin cruising the western Mediterranean.

Somehow, after a week of getting things ready, it was still a scramble to get Pandora over to the lift dock for her 08:00 appointment.

I won’t try to itemize all the things that go into putting a complicated boat like Pandora into storage but I can say that it took days to accomplish all of it.

The good news is that while it is very hot in Almarimar right now, by September and throughout the winter it will become a lot cooler so perhaps she will fair well.

I have hired a mechanic, “boat sitter” who will keep an eye on her and arrange for repairs and routine maintenance that needs to be done as well as arrange to have her launched in advance of our arrival in April.

He seems knowledgeable and was recommended by the manager of the leading chandlery in town so I am fairly confident that she is in good hands. He met us on the dock and assisted with handling Pandora into the slip to be hauled.

Brenda took a few photos of her being hauled. She was happy to be far away from the action.

Her sad rudder. At first glance it doesn’t look like a big issue to repair but they may have to pull the rudder, post and all, which is a big deal. To pull the rudder involves a good amount of internal disassembly. And she has to be positioned over a deep pit so that they can lower the rudder and shaft down enough for the shaft to come out.

Also, the vane steering shaft is bent and that will require disassembly, not counting new parts.

Well, at least labor rates in Spain are less than the US. Actually, rates just about everywhere is less than the US with the possible exception of those in Bermuda.

After Pandora was safely on the hard we left for the six hour drive to Madrid where we are now enjoying nearly a week of sightseeing. Our hotel is in the heart of the historic district and central to great dinning and more museums than we have time to see.

Along the way to Madrid the terrain changed from near desert, where nothing will grow, to semi/mostly arid with olive farms that went on for as far as the eye could see.

The terrain was remarkably rugged with tunnel after tunnel cut through the cliffs.

With our little Fiat 500, I had to constantly downshift to keep moving as the grades were pretty steep and in spite of my best efforts, wasn’t able to keep to the 100 KPH speed limit except when the road was flat or, better yet, downhill. I am fine with little cars but did feel quite exposed on the highway when surrounded by the tandem trucks that were constantly around us.

The location of our hotel is lovely, festooned with flags over the entire street. The view from our window on the second floor. The hotel is the Posada del Dragon, a very charming place.

We have enjoyed spending time in small street cafes and with the 100 degree temperatures, it’s more fun to sit and watch the world go by during the heat of the. Somehow a glass of sangria makes everything seem ok.

It’s fun to wander down side streets looking at menus and picking a place to eat. This scene, where we ate one evening, looks more like a still life painting than I realized when Brenda took the photo.

As we strolled back from dinner one evening the light was magical from inside this 100 year old gourmet market.

All the vendors lining the aisles.

Lovely little side streets.

Dining really doesn’t get going until after 9pm, way past our normal bedtime.

And speaking of nighttime. Brenda got tickets to a Flaminco dancing show last evening and it was just terrific. There were 4 dancers, two singers and a guitar player. We had amazing seats, literally three feet from the dance floor. To watch these dancers up close while drinking a sangria was very special. This photo, of one of the dancers captures the drama of the moment pretty well. How she tossed her long skirt as she twirled made me wonder how often she ended up landing on the floor during practice. Check out this very short video of her finale.

Each day we have toured historic buildings, including the royal palace and I have to say that the over the top Rocco gold gilt everywhere in these buildings made me a bit sad as it reminds me of what has become of the Oval Office in recent months.

Each room, if the word “room” is sufficient to describe such a space, is over the top.

Perhaps some design ideas for the new ballroom for the Whitehouse.

On that subject, when I was returning the rental car to the airport the other day, I was struggling with the metro to get back to the hotel and was helped by a lovely young couple from Spain. We got to talking and they told me that they and others, when meeting an American nowadays, immediately see us very negatively.

This year in particular, we have run into this time and time again and have even been advised to be clear from the start, when meeting someone local, to make it clear that “we are not like that”. Sadly, the phrase “ugly American” has taken on a new meaning as we were never seen in a particularly positive light to begin with.

Anyway, we will see how it all turns out but I am not optimistic. One can only hope…

After months of moving Pandora north from Trinidad and into the Med, I am very glad that she is now on the hard until spring as I can use a break from the constant moving, dealing with the repairs that is life on a cruising boat and crew changes along the way.

I enjoy time aboard and am looking forward to exploring new waters next year with Brenda but not quite yet…

No need to think about all that now as Pandora is put to bed.

In a few days Pandora will be hauled for the season and Brenda and I will head to Madrid for about a week to see the sights before we head home to the US for the winter. We won’t return to Pandora until next spring, likely April.

We have enjoyed being aboard Pandora here in the marina and doing some touring of local landmarks. Well, local has been up to two hours away so we have been doing a lot of driving.

The marina is quite nice, reasonably priced and loaded with places to dine out. It seems that a lot of the boats are being stored and many of those have likely been here for years, with no use.

The big driver of visitors to this area are the beaches which go on for miles.

When we were looking at flights from Almerimar we discovered that while this place is a great spot to haul with plenty of services and reasonable rates, we found that flights to the US, while available, were a lot more expensive than from more popular tourist destinations.

Also, as we are smack in the middle of “high season” the pickings for affordable fares were quite limited.

So, what to do?

We hunted around quite a bit to see what we could do to find reasonable fares and settled on departing from Madrid, a 4.5 hour drive from Almerimar where we could get a direct flight to Boston and avoid stopovers, sometimes two and more than 24 hours to make the trip from here.

We figured, that we could afford to stay in Madrid for about a week and the hotel cost could be about the same as the savings on the flight by being flexible.

What we did not anticipate is the crushing heatwave that has settled over much of Europe and especially Spain and we will be treated to 100 degree temperatures for our entire visit to Madrid. That is such a bummer so I guess we will have to focus on indoor activities or do our outside stuff in the early morning or evening.

The landscape here along the coast is very barren as this area has the only true desert in Europe and it shows with mile after mile of barren landscape devoid of any real plant life.

Just about every spot that is near the coast and mostly flat is covered with greenhouses. We have driven 90 minutes in each direction from the marina and there are greenhouses everywhere.

We visited a number of local towns and enjoyed seeing the sites. As it was very hot, we weren’t able to do as much walking as we had hoped. In Nijar, not far from here, we enjoyed time touring the windy roads on foot and also by car. Even with our tiny Fiat 500, we ended up on one street where we had to fold the side mirrors as we could not fit through the buildings.

On one particularly narrow street we happened upon a very nice woman who was proud to share her little corner of the world with us. Her English was only slightly better than our Spanish, which is to say not good at all as we don’t know any Spanish, but we muddled through and enjoyed our brief time together.

She motioned us to head up the staircase to see a restored Arab watchtower from the 14th century. There are ruins of many of these towers in the area as they served as early warning from attacks.

It was a pretty steep climb even though the path was well paved.

Steep or not, the view from the tower was amazing. Again, with greenhouses in the distance.

In town a maze of narrow streets.

Whitewashed buildings set off by a blaze of color from the bougainvillea.

In various areas in the town there were communal fountains where locals come to fill up jugs of drinking water.

Rain is scarce here with less than a foot falling each year. However, when it comes, it sometimes comes in a rush so there are wide drainage culverts running thru the towns to handle the surge of water.

On this building a lovely decorative spout from the roof to handle the occasional downpour.

We enjoyed a glass of wine nearby but had to beg to be served as he was closing up for the afternoon. However, after asking again, very nicely and agreeing not to steal the glasses, he relented. The setting was very peaceful.

Closed or not, a charming spot.

And behind us, a treelined courtyard. We sat to the right…

Interestingly, this area is known for pottery. We so wished that we could have purchased some to bring home. Alas, too heavy. We visited a shop that was a riot of merchandise.

I was lusting after the amphora.

Truly a family business as the workshop and kiln were in the back room.

Another day we visited the Alcazaba castle/fort in Malaga, actively used from the 11th to 14th century. In the foreground a Roman Amphitheater from the 1st century. There are also ruins from the Phoenicians hundreds of years BC in the area. That’s a long time ago.

It is remarkable that the history of this area here goes back so far when we measure our history in hundreds (barely) of years and even that is looking shaky. I guess that it’s safe to say that every civilization is fragile and will begin, prosper and end.

I have to wonder where the US is on that continuum. Getting GREAT? I guess it is a question of perspective…

We had a lovely lunch, perhaps the best so far in Spain, overlooking the fortifications. We saw a family and offered to take their picture. They reciprocated…

It’s interesting to see how Alcazaba was built into the hillside instead of leveling the hill the way we do nowadays. Of course, for security, they wanted to be on a hill. Harder to lay siege against them. Besides, they built all of this with just brute backbreaking labor and minimum machinery beyond ropes and levers so they had to build it in a way that took advantage of what was there.

This pyramid in the square looks down into the Roman ruins but we were not able to see if first hand as it was closed that day. The fort was built on the hill above the roman ruins. I wonder if they cared about the history of the area the way that we do now. Probably not. Out with the old and in with the new.

As we toured the fort, it was astounding to see how extensive it was.

With contemplative gardens… And, of course, plenty of tourists “contemplating.”

The complexity of the brickwork was a sight to behold. I guess you can lavish a remarkable attention to detail when you have three centuries to get it right.

And views of the city with old but not as old as the fort and modern apartments. That’s what happens when a place is home to generations over thousands of years. Here “urban renewal” means something different…

Not sure what to say about this tower except that it’s lovely.

Another day we went to Almeria, yet another historic city, and after three days of running around in the heat we decided to do less than in previous days. It was hot…

Did I say that it has been hot? Thought so…

We decided to limit our touring to a single place, the Cathedral of Almeria. It is catholic but is not what we generally associate with Catholic churches. Like other structures from this time period, the 16th century, it was a place of worship and yet had defenses to keep out invaders.

“Hey, Juan, please shoot those guys trying to siege us, I am in the middle of giving communion.” “Wait, if they are willing to convert, invite them in.”

Inside a massive courtyard.

And, of course, the cathedral itself, amazing. No surprise that it took 40 years to build the basic structure, and centuries to complete as it stands today. The last part was completed in 1804. That’s a long time. I guess that for hundreds of years, the administration’s priorities didn’t change much.

An impressive altar to be sure. But wait, there’s more…

Hard to believe that there was enough money and skilled labor, to do all this. Perhaps it was a fear of going to Hell.

After all that religion, we had to find a place for tapas and this one was well reviewed and packed…

A Lovely location and it must be good because it was standing room only. Sadly, some of the dishes were a bit too unfamiliar to our western pallets be fully enjoyed. Exactly what was that dish anyway?

Over several days we drove hours to and from the marina but I will admit that it is already blurring a bit and it’s hard to keep track of what we saw were.

So, with two days more before Pandora is hauled, we are thinking hard about what clothing to bring home and what to leave on board. As you can imagine, after years of tropical cruising a lot has accumulated and now we have to decide what should stay and what should go.

While it is very hot here now, our cruising for the next few years will be during the “hip seasons” spring and fall which are not as hot as we are experiencing in August. Yes, temperatures are above normal, or perhaps in line with the “new normal” but being in the 90s to 100s now is a lot hotter than spring and fall when it’s more like 10 to 15 degrees cooler, which is certainly more temperate.

During our first two months aboard next spring, we will move north toward Barcelona with stops in the Beleric islands and they too are cooler than here, in the 60s to 70s during the day and in the 50s at night so the sorts of clothing will be very much different than what we need now.

Lots to think about along with all the work to be done to Pandora while she is on the hard.

I guess that’s about it for now. Time to begin thinking about weightier issues like where we will go for dinner and what we will order. Exactly what is in that dish?

I have become very accustomed to sangria so that’s progress.

Well, this is it. Pandora will be hauled for the season next Friday and my months of passage making from Trinidad to Spain is over. As much as I enjoy being aboard, I am ready to depart and head back to being a land-lubber for a while.

The last few days have been a whirlwind since we arrived on Monday after an overnight motorsail from Gibraltar. It seems that the wind blows from the east like crazy and then dies. Not a lot of west winds in these parts. Bummer but we made it.

For the first quarter of the trip, we hugged the coastline on the off chance that there was a lone orca that might want yet one more piece of Pandora.

Alas, the run, with little or no wind, as expected, was uneventful and we arrived at the marina in good shape. What better way to end the many nights at sea than with a beautiful sunrise.

Steve and Peter left Pandora to do a bit more exploration on Tuesday and that marked the beginning of getting Pandora ready for her time on the hard.

The list of items that need attention is long and I was lucky to find a guy that does a number of jobs on boats, including fixing “orca adjusted” rudders.

This marina is huge, with slips for more than 1,100 boats. I have never been in a marina this big and within the property, and it’s confusing on how to get around, there are dozens of restaurants. As with much of the Spanish coastline, the only shelter is in the marinas as the coastline doesn’t have any natural harbors. Fortunately, they are not all that expensive except in some of the more upscale regions popular with the .01% crowd.

Here is Pandora tied up, Med Moor style as is typical in Europe.

Personally, I prefer this verses fitting in-between finger piers as there are less things to scratch the boat on. When you pull up to the dock you tie the stern to the cement dock and then an attendant hands you a light “lazy line” that runs from the dock along the bottom to a mooring out in front of the dock. That line connects to a thicker line that you cleat onto the bow and pull in tight to hold you off of the wall.

Pandora’s dink is trussed up on deck and all sails are off to minimize sun damage for the winter as it is really sunny here. Soon I will remove the cockpit enclosure to minimize the sun issues with the canvas in advance of hauling her next Friday for the season. I have someone who will keep an eye on her and act as a GC to help coordinate everything that needs to be done to Pandora while she is in storage.

The boom is up on a weird angle because I had to remove a fitting from the mast for work and it will be returned early next week.

Beyond this huge marina and nearby beaches and resorts, the area is known as an agricultural powerhouse, growing half of all fruits and vegetables consumed in Europe. As the landscape is arid, with less than 12″ of rain per year, the growing is done in greenhouses. And, there are so many greenhouses here that they cover 100 square miles and this area has the greatest concentration of greenhouses anywhere in the world.

The landscape from the water shows as a vast sea of white in the foothills of the mountains. So much area is white that they can actually measure a drop in temperature in that area due to the reflective nature of all that white.

This short CBS piece gives some interesting background of what is the largest concentration of greenhouses on the planet and likely a look into the future of intensive farming with a low carbon footprint. 

Almerimar is also a great spot to be if you want to explore some of the most historic parts of Spain. The southern region, also known as the Andalucia district and is home to some of the oldest cities in Europe and given the number of times that different cultures were in charge over the centuries there is a wonderful mix of architecture.

Forgive me but yet another short video that gives a feel for what this area has to offer. Our plan is to begin exploring this area next week and after Pandora is hauled next Friday, move up to Madrid for about a week before flying home on the 14th.

So, tomorrow evening I pick Brenda up at the airport and will get a car for exploring. Between the final details of getting Pandora ready for 7 months on the hard and all the projects that need addressing, along with our planned day outings to explore the area, we will certainly be busy.

I now also realize just how much effort it took to bring Pandora from Trinidad all the way to Spain and now that I am here, it makes me realize the scale of the accomplishment and effort of working hard to support a constant change of crew along the way.

So, there you have it. Journey done or is it just beginning?

All I know is that after months on the move, I am happy to be winding down here in Almarimar.

And having Brenda back with me is the best of all.

After four nights in Gibraltar we are headed to our next, and final port, the PUERTO DEPORTIVO ALMERIMAR marina near Almeria, Spain where Pandora will have her rudder fixed and a number of other repairs managed. She will be on the hard for the winter until Brenda and I return in the spring for some cruising. The marina is in a more industrial area than the one located in the heart of the Almeria historic district, some 30 miles farther up the coastline. Not as quaint but they have the facilities to address what Pandora needs and a yard to put her on the hard, something that is in short supply in Spain.

The marina we stayed in while visiting Gibraltar, Queen’s Quay, is a really nice place, reasonably well priced, well protected and central to the sights with Gibraltar rock in the background.

The marina is Med Moore, with easy to pick up lazy lines to tie to the bow. You back into the slip, tie up to the dock and pull up on the lazylines, that are tied to the bow, to secure you in place. It’s a nice system and way better than having to pull in between pilings as is the case in the US.

My Gibraltar courtesy flag.

The marina is central to the historic area with buildings that span hundreds of years. Especially from the early days when England used this port to establish dominance in the Western Med as any ships heading into our out of the Med had to pass very close to Gibraltar.

Everywhere you go, beautifully preserved buildings and forts.

Passageways opening up into courtyards.

Beautiful historic streets all to yourself on the off hours.

And yet jammed with tourists during the day.

Charming narrow streets everywhere. Not really room for cars to pass on many streets and others, just a series of steps.

With all of the narrow streets, scooters are very popular and everywhere you look hundreds are lined up. Parking is an issue but less so if you are on two wheels.

Outdoor cafes on every street corner.

Endless choices of places to sit and pass the time people watching.

No need to worry about the angle of the sun in at cafes except perhaps at noon when the sun is high.

To see the shops intermingled with beautiful military stone work is fascinating.

There is no missing that Gibraltar has a long history with the Royal Navy as witnessed by many statues including at least one of Lord Nelson.

And charming homes beautifully preserved.

No end to the interesting architecture.

And everything in the shadow of forts built over hundreds of years by the various groups that controlled the island.

Yesterday I took the tram up to the top of Gibraltar and toured the sites.

Of course, what the rock is best known for is the monkeys and there are plenty. This one, a mother with her baby. As cute as they are, they look like they have plenty of fleas and other issues. Not particularly cuddly.

The big males look pretty sure of themselves.

The rock has been an important strategic point for the military for centuries and many battles have been fought over who was going to control it.

During WW11 there was a tremendous gun emplacement overlooking the strait. The specifics on this gun are impressive. Of course, compared to today’s arms, this was remarkably crude.

The gun sat up high on the end of the rock. The barrel is no longer on the emplacement but the housing and base are impressive.

The mechanics for pointing the gun below. Imagine the shockwave that hit this when such a massive gun was fired.

The allies dug many tunnels through solid granite to move supplies.

There was a good deal of equipment behind the scenes to power the gun, pivot the base or move ammunition including this massive generator.

Out side near the gun were these laughably tiny fire buckets filled with sand. Hard to imagine that they would do anything in the event of a major fire.

The scale of the rock and how vertical it is made me wonder how they got the materials and equipment up the rough roads in the age before engines. Answer, they must have lugged it up with block and teackels as along the roads were massive iron rings cemented into the rocks. I suspect that they used ropes and block and tackle to slowly pull the heavy guns up the hill.

You really get a feel for the scale of the place when looking out over the harbor.

And a view of the marina where Pandora was moored.

There were many sites to see and each one meant a walk up and down hill, sometimes a lot of steps, hundreds. This view is just a very small part of the steps that I traversed, both ways.

There was a sign at the top of the stairs warning visitors that the apes in that area were particularly aggressive. They hang out on steps that are only about 18″ wide so it is very hard to avoid them.

So, down I went carefully picking my way past the apes. Suddenly I felt a violent tug on my camera bag behind me, and turned to see an ape with his arm jammed in one of the pockets, grasping a bag of nuts. I had forgotten that it was there. He must have smelled it as I walked by. It was pretty funny. Of course, I didn’t want it back.

I hope that he disposed of the bag properly. Based on the amount of trash in that particular area, I wasn’t hopeful and no way was I going to try and retrieve the empty.

One of the highlights of the visit was my visit to St Michael’s Cave. The scale of the cave, which I explored for an hour or more, on well paved walkways fortunately, was amazing.

The vaulted ceiling was lit with colored lights. Very impressive. Note how small the staircase looks.

The scale of everything was breathtaking.

And in one area there was a rock formation that looked a lot like an angel and has been revered for hundreds of years as a sign.

The main cavern was huge, so big that they had hundreds of seats set up to watch a lightshow.

Every few minutes a show accompanied by music. The idea sounds tacky but I really enjoyed the experience. Checkout this short video as it captures the moment well.

I seemed that everywhere I went I was experiencing a bit of vertigo but none more than when I walked across this suspension bridge over a deep ravine. With every step, the bridge swayed… Not my favorite.

Big drop.

The views were dramatic everywhere I looked.

Watching these climbers made me weak in the knees. Nothing below the guy on the right for 1,000 feet down. Perhaps farther than that…

Our destination when we arrive tomorrow about mid morning, is Almeria, Spain is about 130 miles from Gibraltar and because of the continued threat the from orca, and my being terribly skittish about encountering more of them on this leg, we hugged the coastline until we were 20 miles from Gibraltar, the farthest east that any encounter has been recorded since 2020 when the attacks first became an issue. Conventional wisdom is that you stay in water that is under 100′ deep as very few attacks have happened in water that shallow.

As I approached Gibraltar, I relied on attack records from the last few weeks and assumed that because nothing had happened recently, that I was safe. Well, I was wrong. I should have hugged the shoreline as I am doing today.

So now, I am not taking any chances and am staying close to shore until I am farther away from Gibraltar than any attack or sighting has been noted.

We will see as the rules keep changing and it seems that the number of attacks show no evidence that the problem is going to go away and may very well be increasing as more and more orcas learn the trade.

As we departed Gibraltar today, a lovely shot of “the rock” receding into the distance.

And speaking of being hit by orcas, when I was in the cave, after the light show, I heard someone call “Bob, Bob is that you?”. It was almost too dark to see anything but somehow someone recognized me from Salty Dawg, another boat that had done the rally.

Well, it turns out that he was hit too and the damage to his boat was much more severe. His rudder was badly damaged and his autopilot ram was trashed along with the internal components of his wheel steering. After the hit he was unable to steer, only going in circles, and had to install his emergency tiller and steer with that with the part of the rudder that was left.

So, what are the odds of being attacked by an Orca, a question that I have tried to find an answer to? Well, if you are a member of Salty Dawg it would be about one in three as I believe that only about six of the boats that made the run into the Med and two of us were attacked. Those are not great odds.

So, as we made our way northeast we stayed close to the coast until we were about 30 miles from Gibraltar and the coastline turned east, beyond the furthest point where orca have been sighted and now we are heading directly east to our destination. So far, so good but we will see if this strategy proves to be good.

One issue for me is that with only half of a rudder, there isn’t much to steer the boat so if we were to encounter any real wind we’d have a lot of trouble keeping the boat on track and one thing that I have noticed in reviewing the forecasts over the last few months for the western Med is that it either blows hard from the east or there is no wind at all. It seems that there is almost never a decent time when the winds are favorable to sail east.

Another issue with the wind is that when it is calm, the good conditions for motoring only last for a day or two so you have to move when conditions are good. In our case, the wind calmed down as of early Sunday morning and kicks back up from the east on Tuesday morning. This means that we had no choice but to hightail it out of Gibraltar this morning when there was no wind or get stuck for four of five more days.

And, timing is everything as my crew needs to depart on Wednesday and Brenda flies in on Friday so off we go.

I plan to rent a car to pick up Brenda at the airport in a few days. I’m excited.

So, setting aside the orca “thing” I loved Gibraltar and look forward to checking out Almeria, our next port.

As we approached land after our run from the Azores, I was putting my thoughts down about a very difficult night that we had when the wind was so much stronger than the forecast suggested. I had roughed out the part of the post that follows below and had set it aside to focus on what laid before us our final approach to Gibraltar.

For months I have have been very focused on the orca risk and was terribly disappointed that the acoustic pinger I had ordered from Germany had been delayed and I was forced to depart without it.

Along with any possible mitigation of the risk of attack that the unit promised, I also studied www.orcas.pt to see what track to take to minimize risk. I had decided to go toward Morocco as there had only been a single attack in that area over the last few weeks verses more farther north along the Portuguese coast as the orcas had mostly migrated there, following the tuna that they hunt.

Well, I was wrong and we were hit, in a big way. But, before I get into that, and there is plenty to tell, some highlights from that nasty weather we encountered.

After a week on passage, we sighted land, Morocco off of the starboard bow. Not much to look at…

Land ho!

Seeing land for the first time in a week and after 1,000 miles of ocean sailing was a big deal and we were excited. Only a few more miles to go and I will have completed my transatlantic passage aboard Pandora that began in early April when I left Trinidad.

I mentioned in my last post, on our last night at sea we were anticipating wind in the low 20s with gusts to 30 yesterday afternoon and overnight, as we approached Gibraltar, about 150 miles out.

Forecasted conditions turned out to be a massive underestimate and while the models predicted one thing but we experienced something altogether different. 

Instead of low 20s predicted, we experienced 30kts sustained with gusts to 35kts.  I am not a good judge of waves but these were among the biggest that I have encountered, likely in the 10′ to 15′ range. Sorry, no photos as we were busy…

The only seas larger that I have experienced were surfing down 25’ rollers that I encountered on a passage to the BVI years ago from Beaufort NC but that is a story for another day. 

We knew that strong winds were coming but clearly did not anticipate how bad it would get.  In preparation we had put two reefs in the mainsail and as it got worse we rolled up the jib to half size, only the second time that I have done so but it did take some of the pressure off of the boat.

During the height of the winds, for 8 or more hours, the wind was directly on the beam and waves were slamming against the boat every few minutes.  As the waves rolled by they bashed into our port side  and tossed Pandora around violently.   In spite of this were still moving along at 9+kts with bursts to over 10kts.

There was one particularly big wave that struck us around midnight, breaking completely over the boat from bow to stern.  White water engulfed Pandora, driving her sideways with so much force that the leeward rail was driven under and water piled up into the cockpit.  Fortunately, not a lot of water actually ended up aboard but it was very dramatic.

On the weather side (the side facing the waves) the wave broke with a roar, sending solid water and foam as high as the top of the dodger, breaking over the entire boat and cascading down the other side.  

The front of the dodger took a solid hit and water sprayed right through the zipper and down below.   It was amazing how much water can find it’s way through the teeth of a zipper if it hits hard enough.  It made a bit of a mess in the galley.   

With each hit water came up under the side curtains in the cockpit and even sprayed upwards onto the underside of the hard dodger, and with all that pressure, sprayed up 4’ in the air.

Down below things held up very well and the only real leak was around the deck mast boot which remains the one meaningful leak that I have not been able to solve.

As things began to settle down, I went below and when I woke up for my 03:00 watch, it was still windy but manageable and much calmer.   The speed with which the wind abated was amazing.  In a few hours from 30+ to high teens.   The difference of 10kts may not sound like much but it is.

As I finished up this portion of the post, we were about 15 miles from entering the Strait of Gibraltar, a corridor that is busier than any place I have ever been. And most are upwards of 1,000′ long. Big boys…

Each ship bigger than the last.

Morocco to starboard.

To Port, Spain.

Our plan was to head into the marina which was fortunately open until 10:00.

I was proud to have sailed all the way across the Atlantic Ocean. My late dad remarked more than a decade ago, “wouldn’t it be nice to see Gibraltar from the deck of Pandora”. Here is that photo. Mission accomplished dad.

As we approached the straits of Gibraltar we were moving along nicely with a powerful inbound current, making better than 10kts over the bottom. All of a sudden, the wheel started spinning violently.

We had no idea what was happening and looking around, saw nothing. But, moments later we spied a huge orca under the stern and realized that he/she wasn’t alone. A pod of perhaps 4-5 of these huge animals had targeted Pandora.

Steve had the presence of mind to get out his camera and take a video. As they say “if an orca attacks a boat and there isn’t anyone to video tape it, did the attack happen? Well, we did record it and it did happen.

Unfortunately, this short video on YouTube can’t be embedded but you can click on this link to get a feel for at least part of what we experienced. It wasn’t fun to be attacked by orcas

It was terrifying and I had fears of the rudder post snapping or the bottom of the boat cracking open as has had on a number of other boats. Pandora’s rudder post is large, made of carbon fiber and it held up well. However, about half of the rudder was ripped off, left hanging by a slab of fiberglass fabric.

It wasn’t until we tied up in the marina and took a look under the boat that we realized the extent of the damage. The next morning I purchased an aggressive hand saw, put on a wetsuit, hooked up my hookah air compressor and spent an hour under the boat sawing through the remainder of the broken rudder.

After my work underwater was done. trying to make the best of a difficult situation.

Here is a shot of the hydrovane rudder. This is one tough piece of equipment and it was no match for a 9,000lb orca. Now bent 90 degrees.

Rudder rubble on the dock.

Fortunately, what is left can be pieced together to make a template for the new/repaired rudder which I will have fabricated in Almeria Spain, where Pandora will be hauled for the season in mid August. The damage is severe but there is enough rudder left to at least steer when the wind is light and we are under power so making the 150 mile run to Almeria should go well.

Today it is a beautiful day in Gibraltar, a spectacular place to visit but I will say that after ten years of anticipating being here, the experience in the wake of my orca encounter has taken some of the fun out of the visit.

Quite a backdrop to Pandora in the marina.

Gibraltar in the distance. Actually, not far at all.

And, of course, the Gibraltar courtesy flag which I will display proudly in my home office. And speaking of castles, I am going to take a cable car to the top of Gibraltar rock tomorrow morning so there will be more to tell about the fascinating history of this place.

It’s a bit tough to go east from here as the winds blow hard from the east much of the time but beginning on Sunday morning they subside so I can likely motor all of the 150 miles to Almeria in calm conditions. Sailing, with my “adjusted” rudder isn’t practical so motoring is a good option.

After we arrive in Almeria my crew will help me take sails off of the boat for service. After they depart, I should have a day or two to get the boats settled for storage so when Brenda arrives we will be free to have some fun and then drive to Madrid for a few days before we board a flight home.

After being aboard since early April, I am very much looking forward to saying good by to Pandora for a while. I am sure that after 7 months I will be more than ready to head back.

And, as far as my “orca encounter” goes, as they say, “experience it once, tell the story forever”. And I WILL for sure!

“Hey kids, remember when Grandpa’s boat was attacked by an orca”? “Tipi? What is an orca? Can we go outside and play ball.” Tipi is what my grandchildren call me. And no, I have no idea what it means but our oldest came up with the name.

Orca or not, Gibraltar is a beautiful place and it seems that orcas like it too.

Overall the passages from Trinidad to Gibraltar were pretty good overall. Well, that’s if you ignore getting my rudder ripped off by a couple of 9,000 lb brutes.

All I can say is “Dad, I made it to Gibraltar if a little bit worse for wear”.

And yes, orcas bite boats and unlucky me, they choose to bite Pandora.