FRIDAY 28th MARCH.

During the night of 27/28 March there were lightning flashes, strong winds and Force 9 waves. All crew were very careful in such conditions… our course was NNW.

For the rest of the morning the sky was overcast and the winds eased. The sea was force 2 or 3. Our position was 37 degrees 26.5 N 24.0W.

We were heading for Almeria, a ferry port town on the on the coast of Andalucía.. There were glimpses of mainland mountains through the horizon haze. Because Tenacious was making such fast progress towards Almeria the captain gave orders to slow the ship down.

We set the mainmast sails at an angle to the mizzen mast sails so that they formed a v shape. One kept us moving forward slowly while the other slowed us.

This helped the voyage crew on mess duty who took an early dinner while much of the rest of the voyage crew excitedly photographed pilot whales and their young swimming and diving alongside the ship.

SATURDAY 29th MARCH.

In the early morning a pilot joined the ship and took us into Almeria docks. Many of the voyage crew went ashore for the afternoon and evening. Almeria town centre is clean and pleasant with avenues lined with carefully groomed trees . It has many statues, bars, restaurants and fine shops. Many crew members wined and dined on excellent food and returned to Tenacious in the early morning. The Almeria weather was cold –NO HACE CALOR EN ALMERIA!

SUNDAY 30TH. MARCH.

This was a much warmer day with a cloudless blue Mediterranean sky. Yachts were taking part in a race on a sparkling blue sea. Laser dinghy sailors were running and tacking on Force 4 waves. We left Almeria and sailed southward. On the distant horizon there were blue/grey peaks. Even at sea the weather was warm. Voyage crew not on watch lounged in the warm sunshine as Force 4 waves sped by.

IAN AP