Tarifa to La Linea

Hi everyone,

This morning we motored the 18nm from Tarifa to La Linea.  La Linea is a Spanish town immediately north of the border with Gibraltar.  We're currently anchored off La Linea's Alcaidesa marina.

And yes, that means we're in the Med!  We've logged 1192nm in the 58 days since we departed Gosport and we're roughly halfway through our 90 Schengen days.

Gibraltar in this afternoon's sun

This morning we departed Tarifa at 0900 under an overcast sky.  Visibility was a few miles and we could only just make out the mountainous Africa coast across the Strait.  There was next to no wind so we motored all the way.

Track

Anchored off La Linea

Tarifa proved to be an excellent anchorage.  It provides shelter from easterly seas but not from the wind.  It really is a great place to stop if the Strait isn't being kind.

Tarifa this morning

Gibraltar emerging from the murk

There were a host of small motorboats around the edges of Gibraltar Bay (Bahia de Algeciras).  And then there were the cargo ships and ferries running in and out of the Bay.

Dodging Traffic in the Bay

Passing Gibraltar

The cruising guide shows two anchorages outside La Linea marina.  Only the northern anchorage appears to be in use.  We anchored in 5m over sand.  The water is clear enough to pick out a sand patch.

This morning

After arriving we cleaned up the boat.  She had a good coating of salt following yesterday's beat to Tarifa.  Then we relaxed, enjoying the steadily improving weather.  Gibraltar's runway is between La Linea and the Rock, so we get a good view of jets coming in and out.

This afternoon

Here's an image of our 2021 track so far...

Gosport to Gibraltar Tracks

We expect to relax in the Gibraltar area for a week or so.  Then we'll be heading east along the Spanish coast and ultimately towards Tunisia.