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27/01/13 - Tenacious
Dated: 27/01/2013
26/1/13
We had another night of lumpy seas so lee cloths were
again much in evidence
but we are now at anchor off Malta and will go into
Valletta tomorrow
morning.
Although we have had rough seas cold winds and
not much good weather we have
been sailing most of the way.
Fwd
port
27/01/13
Sunshine! White washed,flat roofed houses glowing in the
dawn light,
overlooked by a red domed stone church. A gentle NW breeze and a
swell free
sea. In fact, pretty much what people have in mind when they
think
"Mediterranean sailing". It's a fine, if unrepresentative, end to
a
magnificent voyage, where the weather has varied from sunburn hot
to
lightning, driving rain, high seas and strong winds. Just to show that
the
weather gods have not entirely forgotten us, yesterday evening produced
a
farewell hail shower - thankfully arriving just minutes after we had
come
down from a leg and back muscle stretching hour and a half on the
yards,
furling the main and lower topsails. Wind was beautifully calm during
the
night, rising to force 4 NW in the early morning. At 10.15am we raised
the
anchor and spent a final couple of hours cruising in brilliant
sunshine
towards Valetta. A fish farm blocked our way, necessitating a
devious detour
to port. Our entry into Valetta harbour was quite an
experience, like
sailing back in time 500 years. The old town is an
astonishing sight - an
almost unimaginably complex jumble of ancient stone
houses, shops,
fortifications, churches and towers, reaching down to the
water on all
sides. Our berth is right next to an enormous, gleaming white
mega yacht,
and appeared extremely tight. Our trusty captain made it look as
easy as
parking a Renault Clio. After our final lunch aborad Tenacious
everyone
split up to tour this mini-Venice. A number of long inlets come off
the main
channel at 90 degrees, and we are moored in San Angelo wharf, on one
of the
southerly inlets. The centre of Valetta is on the north side of the
main
channel, necessitating a long, tiring hike or - as some of us managed
to
work out - catching a water taxi across the bay. Tonight most of us
will
head out to see if we can find a restaurant that opens on Sunday
evening. If
our cunning plan fails, there will be a mass midnight raid on the
galley
fridges.....
AP