Guest guest Posted February 11, 2003 Share Posted February 11, 2003 Well, I'm back now from a 10 day trip to Spain and I do not know where to begin. It's impossible to tell all the stories, but among other things, we paddled up from Tarifa - the southernmost point of Spain (and the town whose name gave us the word 'tariff' after pirates of centuries ago excised a tax on those who wished to pass) - crossed Algeciras Bay to Gibraltar, circumnavigated Europa Point, and finally crossed the Straits of Gibraltar to Africa. The 13nm crossing should have taken ~4 hours, but at slightly less than the half-way mark, we hit a 3-4kt tidal current with Force 6 winds that pushed us eastward with more sustained energy than anyone anticipated. Our group of 12 split into 2 with 2 members in tow, and even momentary stopping was not an option for a period of several hours. We finally landed on a rocky coast and regrouped before continuing for another ~half-hour slog into the port of Ceuta. Total trip time was ~9 hours. I am still processing all the information that I took in on this trip - and that input was considerable on many levels - but somehow I feel like it was a bit of a life-changing event. I don't know that I've ever done anything that difficult. I don't know that I will look at the water the same way again. I had a couple of extra days on the back end to kick back, and I found myself up in Nerja, a beautiful little coastal community that I could easily get used to... On a side note, I don't think I'll ever enjoy an 'American' cup of coffee again. Steve Feldman ------- Steve F. Blue/blue/yellow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eneumeier Posted February 13, 2003 Share Posted February 13, 2003 Steve, You just made a lot of people very, very jealous. Liz N. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 13, 2003 Share Posted February 13, 2003 >You just made a lot of people very, very jealous. Hi Liz, Hmmm. I guess that explains the underwhelming response. I did get a private e-mail from one friend. Maybe you two were the only ones who read the post. Things might not appear so 'glamorous' if folks saw the average 8-10 open blisters on the hands of each group member. It was a great week, but during the crossing, we came very close to emergency conditions. Steve ------- Steve F. Blue over blue w/yellow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eneumeier Posted February 13, 2003 Share Posted February 13, 2003 I trust you all took a boat back. What was the water temperature? Liz N. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 13, 2003 Share Posted February 13, 2003 I saw the post and appreciated it. I figured I'd get more firsthand impressions from you next time we're paddling together. sing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 Hi Steve, Spain, sounds like you had a good time, a meaty experience. I like a line I read once "you develop good judgment by the experience gained when you exercised poor judgment", although you had guides etc, they can't paddle the boat for you. So my hats off to you, on your trip and I look forward to hearing more details, more about the guides, their attitudes, skills, etc. Ken Cooper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 >I trust you all took a boat back. Yes, we took one of the high speed ferries from Ceuta to Algeciras and that didn't hurt my feelings one bit. >What was the water temperature? Water in both the Atlantic and the Mediterranean was ~58°F. I wore paddling shorts and a dry-top on the shorter days, and a farmer john/dry top combination during the crossing. Downright pleasant! The Med was noticably more saline than the Atlantic. Steve ------- Steve F. bbyell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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