Author: Admin

A long time ago, when building the boat, I was convinced that installing a bow thruster was going to pay dividends, primarily in tight docking situations in marinas. Looking back nearly 25 years, I realize now that the choices I made were dictated by circumstances and current technology. At the time, it was popular to install a 24V bow thruster, which practically forces you to also install a 24V windlass. At the time, I felt that I did not want a mixed 12V/24V electrical system in the boat, and also considered using hydraulic driven off the engine. However, this has drawbacks because the hydraulic power is noticeably less when the engine is just idling. Also, to get a 24V battery, you need to have a space in the bow to fit two big 8D size batteries, each weighing nearly 140 pounds.

So, as a compromise, I went with a single big 12V battery to drive both the windlass and the bow thruster. The bow thruster is a Wesmar T8E, with a 6HP 12V motor. This draws about 450A at 12V. The cables are heavy, and short. The windlass in an Ideal 12V V4C, which draws only about 120A. We actually bought our fifth bow battery a few months ago, at a cost of about 800 euros, and that prompted me to consider “can I make it better”. I realize now that the very high current demand of the bow thruster is probably responsible for shortening the life of that bow battery, which is currently specified at 1200CCA, 240Ah. It seems that we get 4-5 years at best out of a bow battery. With the single AGM battery, operating the bow thruster can pull the voltage down to 10.5V, with 460A, and that is bad for both battery health and the electric motor. So – what can I do at this point in order to make the bow thruster more effective, and make the battery last longer? Obviously, a simple answer (increase the system voltage to 24V and double the batteries) is difficult to achieve and expensive. I already have a 700Ah LiFePO4 battery in the house bank, and have been using LiFePO4 batteries since 2011. However, in my opinion, LiFePO4 batteries are not the best choice for this application because of the extremely high discharge current (450A) and the resultant expensive BMS and switching equipment. I considered “super capacitors” but these are better suited to applications of high current that only last for 1 or 2 seconds, not 15-30 seconds.

I instead chose to build and fit a Lithium Titanate Oxide (LTO) battery to power the 6HP bow thruster with charging from the existing 12V AGM battery via a Victron Orion XS 50A DC-DC charger. In my opinion, this is a highly effective solution due to the unique advantages of LTO technology tailored to the demands of a high-current, short-duration application like a bow thruster. LTO batteries excel in delivering exceptional power density and safety, capable of handling high discharge rates (up to 10-20C or higher, equating to 400A+ for this 40Ah LTO battery) without thermal runaway risks, making them ideal for the 450A draw of the thruster during brief, intense bursts (e.g., 10–30 seconds per maneuver). Their robust cycle life (20,000+ cycles) ensures long-term reliability, far surpassing AGM batteries, which degrade faster under high-current loads. Additionally, LTO batteries operate effectively across a wide temperature range (-35°C to +70°C), perfect for marine environments, and their low self-discharge rate (<2% per month) means the battery retains its ~13.8V storage voltage (~40%–50% SoC) after 6 months, ready for immediate use without significant capacity loss. This setup minimizes maintenance and ensures consistent performance for docking maneuvers.

I laid out my design using this simplified diagram, and set out to buy everything I needed while still in Cartagena Spain, and had easy access to online shopping.

After arriving at Tangiers Morocco, I started on the project by completely separating the windlass and bow thruster operations. The 8D AGM battery is now completely dedicated to driving the windlass. I laid out my LITOKALA 2.3V 40Ah cells in parallel, and started to charge them up to full capacity.

This took several days, and I had to charge some cells individually.

Then, I organized the cells into a cube, using preprinted black plastic end fittings and threaded rods.

There is no BMS, but I am using a HelTec 6S active cell balancer like this one, to keep the cells at the same voltage.

Charging the LTO battery from the existing 12V AGM battery leverages the current electrical infrastructure, avoiding costly upgrades while enhancing system efficiency. The Orion XS 50A charger, is now configured by bluetooth on my phone with a 15.0V absorption voltage, 14.4V float, and 13.8V storage. It efficiently tops up the LTO battery between thruster uses, restoring ~32–36Ah in ~30–40 minutes without overtaxing the 220Ah AGM battery (protected by a 12.3V lock-out and 50A input limit).

This integration maintains the AGM’s role as a stable power source, charged by the boat’s alternator and solar while the LTO battery handles the high-current demands, reducing strain on the AGM and extending its lifespan. The compact size and lightweight nature of LTO batteries compared to equivalent lead-acid options also save valuable space and weight at the bow. This combination delivers a reliable, safe, and long-lasting power solution for the bow thruster, optimized for both performance and compatibility with the existing system.

The installation required me to lay on the floor for some much enjoyed “boat yoga” while working in the hole.

I finished the installation a few days ago, and have done some testing. The existing AGM battery, now dedicated to running the windlass and “topping up” the LTO battery essentially stays at 13.2V while the LTO battery offers the muscle when operating the bow thruster. With a burst of 3 seconds, the LTO battery voltage drops from 14.6V to 12.6V, but then recovers to 14.6V in just as many seconds. With a burst of 5 seconds, the LTO battery drops from 14.6V to 12.0V, but then 5 seconds later has fully recovered again to 14.6V. In the meantime, the Victron DC-DC charger kicks in and takes current from the AGM to replenish the LTO. The AGM in turn is replenished by either the Volvo primary alternator, or solar spill-off from the house bank.

This is what the installation looks like, “inside the hole”.

Overall, I am very pleased with the results, effectively installing a purpose built dedicated battery for the bow thruster in the same physical space available – and one that is actually cheaper than an AGM option. Looking at the water churned up when the bow thruster is operating, our combined observation is that this improvement has made a noticeable difference. There are, of course, a few more switches and meters required to operate and observe this system, but I fitted those in a way that I think is very simple and easy to understand.

As planned, we left Cartagena Spain on 20 May.

It was not “exactly” as planned because we did book an appointment at ASCAR (the local shipyard) to haul our JOANA on 24 April: to pull the shaft, replace the shaft seal – and replace an oil seal in the transmission. Unfortunately, despite making that booking 9 months ago, ASCAR could not honour it. They could not supply the mechanic and could not afford the yard space. We waited 3 weeks, and nothing happened, much to our disappointment. Seriously!

One of the “improvements” I made before leaving was to install this heavy duty KONG anchor swivel. Unfortunately, after trying it out in action at several anchorages – I found it too difficult to hoist over the bow roller. For the moment, I have removed it and reverted back to the previous system. More testing required.

Therefore, we set off from Cartagena with a leaking shaft seal (sea water), and a leaking transmission. Most of the “anchorages” along this coastline are what I would call “open roadstead”, or just lousy, rolly anchorages. This makes it tough to sleep at night.

Our second stop was at at Almerimar Marina, a dated, well used municipal marina at only 80 euros for 4 nights including water and electricity. This is a very popular place for cruisers to stop and stay a while. They have a 100T travel lift, bars and lots restaurants – but not much else. It is an artificial “tourist town” devoid of tourists in the off season. We enjoyed our 4 nights of very restful sleep while we waited for extremely calm conditions to continue moving west.

Along this leg of the passage, in addition to the other two leaks I already mentioned – I discovered a pretty serious engine oil leak. This has never happened before with our engine. Over a 15 hour motoring session, the engine leaked (slow drip) about 2.5L (of a capacity of 9L) of engine oil. At the time of writing this blog, I still don’t know what is the reason for the leak. It does not leak at all when the engine is not running, only when it is running. I am suspecting the oil cooler gasket but that will be refined in the coming weeks as I dive deeper into the problem.

We were pretty intrigued by the Spanish coastline, highlighting hundreds of greenhouses, and of course, the majestic snow covered mountains.

We were also treated to many visits by dolphins/porpoises and we were told these were likely porpoises.

When we set off from our last anchorage at Fuengirola Spain, we had planned to stop at the popular anchorage just outside of Gibraltor called La Linea. There, we expected to stop and wait for the right conditions to transit the Strait of Gibraltor. This passage requires careful consideration of wind, current and tides. For example, the current ALWAYS flows from west to east, sailing the Atlantic Ocean into the Mediterranean Sea – due to the marked increase in salinity. There are normally two high tides per day (range about 3.5 feet) and this introduces an additional tidal flow, from the east or the west. You should not set out with a west wind (wind coming from the west) and against the tidal flow – because this sets up “standing waves” and creates very tough conditions for small boats.

Here, we see Gibraltor in the distance as we are approaching the Strait.

Just before reaching Gibraltor, we realized that we had ideal conditions to continue pushing on directly to Tangiers (making for a long motor day, 0615 to 2115) but avoiding a potentially long wait (1 week at anchor) for the next ideal conditions. So, we pushed on. Crossing the Strait itself – was peanuts. People talk about the high volume of shipping trade, as expressed in this photo of our chart and AIS targets – but for us, the traffic here was much less than what we saw in the Singapore Straits nearly a decade ago.

After crossing, and moving west along the coastline of Morocco (after a 1 hour time zone change), we discovered that we had to get much closer to shore (150 foot depth) in order to get out of the extremely high east setting tidal flow. Changing the boat direction from strictly west to south meant increasing the boat speed from only 1 knot to 6 knots! Once we were close to shore, we continued west, and arrived at Marina Tanja Bay at 2015 local time.

Our view of the Moroccan coastline was very enticing.

On 27 May, we arrived at our destination of Marina Tanja Bay, in Tangier Morocco. We are now “in a new country”, changing our “countries visited” from 79 to 80. We sat on the visitors pontoon for several days waiting for the very strong winds to abate and moved to our final berth, at M01, a substantial floating dock. We have been to a Carrefour grocery store just once, and were quite impressed with the quality and variety of food available.

I would be remiss if I did not mention something about the persistent threat of Orca attacks. Since May 2020, a subpopulation of orcas (killer whales) in the Strait of Gibraltar and nearby waters off the Iberian Peninsula (including Portugal, Spain, and Morocco) has been involved in hundreds of interactions with boats, primarily targeting sailboats. These interactions have led to significant damage, including the sinking of at least five vessels. We have met many people who have had their boat damaged by Orcas. Here is a photo of a damaged catamaran rudder that I took in the chandlery at Tangiers.

I won’t say that our steel boat, with a steel rudder, skeg, and keel is immune from Orca attacks, but it does seem obvious that the end result would be different.

I should finally say that the many improvements we made to our anchoring systems at dock in Cartagena worked very well. The chain counter, accurately displaying how much chain has been laid – provides an important bit of information for Diane at the helm. Also, the aluminum racks we made on the boom, to help capture the mainsail – work extremely well. Finally, after nearly 20 years of pulling in anchor chain, and needing someone to correct the pile (in the fore cabin) – this has now been solved. The chain piles very well.

Cartagena, Spain, is a city steeped in history, where ancient ruins meet vibrant cultural traditions. Among its most captivating events is Semana Santa, or Holy Week, a cornerstone of Spain’s Catholic heritage that culminates in the Easter Sunday procession. As visitors to Cartagena during this sacred time, we found ourselves immersed in a spectacle of faith, art, and tradition, marked by the striking conical hoods of the nazarenos (more on that later).

Spain’s deep connection to Catholicism stretches back to the Roman Empire, when Christianity began to take root in the Iberian Peninsula. By the 4th century, the Visigoths, who ruled much of Spain, embraced Catholicism, solidifying its presence. However, it was during the Reconquista (8th–15th centuries), a centuries-long effort to reclaim the peninsula from Muslim rule, that Catholicism became intertwined with Spanish identity. The Catholic Monarchs, Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile, unified Spain under a single faith, establishing the Spanish Inquisition in 1478 to enforce Catholic orthodoxy.

The Inquisition’s influence lingers in Spain’s religious traditions, particularly in Semana Santa. This period of intense devotion, observed during the last week of Lent, reflects the Counter-Reformation’s emphasis on public displays of faith, with brotherhoods (cofradías) organizing processions since the Middle Ages. In Cartagena, this legacy is palpable, as the city’s Holy Week celebrations, declared an International Tourist Interest Festival in 2005, showcase a unique blend of military precision, floral artistry, and spiritual fervour.

Holy Week in Cartagena is unlike anywhere else in Spain. While cities like Seville and Málaga are known for their grandeur, Cartagena’s processions are defined by their order, silence, and historical significance. The city’s military past infuses the events with disciplined movements, and the processions, held mostly at night, create an atmosphere of solemn reverence. Two main brotherhoods, the Marrajos (purple robes) and the Californios (red robes), dating back to the 17th and 18th centuries respectively, lead the charge, their friendly rivalry adding vibrancy to the celebrations.

The processions feature pasos—elaborate floats adorned with polychrome statues of Jesus, the Virgin Mary, or scenes from the Passion. These are carried by costaleros (bearers) through Cartagena’s narrow streets, illuminated by cartelas during the night, special lamps that cast a warm glow. The floral decorations, a hallmark of Cartagena’s Semana Santa, transform the pasos into moving works of art, drawing gasps from locals and tourists alike.

Easter Sunday, the climax of Semana Santa, marks the resurrection of Jesus Christ, shifting the tone from penance to joy. In Cartagena, the Cofradía del Resucitado (Brotherhood of the Risen Lord) leads the only procession held in the morning, a stark contrast to the nighttime marches of the preceding days. The procession begins at the Iglesia de Santa María de Gracia, winding through streets like Calle Mayor, where spectators line up to witness the meticulous maneuvers of the costaleros. Unlike the somber processions of Good Friday, Easter Sunday is filled with a sense of triumph, accompanied by uplifting music from local bands. The nazarenos, many of them children with uncovered faces, distribute sweets and mementos, creating a festive atmosphere that bridges the sacred and the communal.

This is one of the cards handed out.

One of the most striking elements of Cartagena’s processions is the capirote, the conical hood worn by the nazarenos. At first glance, these pointed hats, draped with fabric to cover the face except for the eyes, may evoke discomfort for some, particularly those familiar with the Ku Klux Klan’s attire. However, the capirote’s origins are centuries older and rooted in Catholic tradition, with no connection to the KKK.

Historically, the capirote traces back to the Spanish Inquisition, when penitents wore conical hats as a sign of public humiliation. Over time, Catholic brotherhoods transformed this symbol of shame into one of voluntary penance, with the pointed shape believed to draw the wearer closer to heaven. The hood, or antifaz, ensures anonymity, allowing penitents to focus on repentance without drawing attention to themselves. In Cartagena, the capirotes vary by brotherhood—purple for the Marrajos, red for the Californios—each embroidered with insignia that reflect their unique heritage.

As we watched the nazarenos march in perfect unison, their capirotes swaying rhythmically, we were struck by the weight of this tradition. Far from sinister, these hoods represent a humble act of faith, a reminder of the personal sacrifices made during Holy Week.

One of the most moving moments of Cartagena’s Semana Santa occurs at the end of many processions, particularly when the Virgin Mary’s paso returns to the Iglesia de Santa María de Gracia. We were told that thousands gather to sing the Salve Popular Cartagenera, a heartfelt hymn that echoes through the night.

Experiencing Semana Santa in Cartagena is like stepping into a living museum of faith and culture. The processions offer a window into Spain’s Catholic heritage, where history, art, and spirituality intertwine. There were no drones, no motorized vehicles, no electronic music, no sirens or noise. Whether you’re a devout Catholic or a curious traveler, Semana Santa in Cartagena is an unforgettable journey into the heart of Spain’s soul.

We went to the symphony! Our friend Rob was feeling ill, so he gifted us their tickets to a full symphony orchestra playing at the El Batel less than 100m from where we are berthed at Yacht Port Cartagena. What could be better?

Anchor Shank Lockdown Project

Manuel finished welding the last pieces I needed for the bow and anchors. In the past, I used two SS locking pins to secure the anchors while underway, but on the ocean – that was never enough. With big waves, the anchors might move a little, and bang as they did so. This is what he made for me, based on my plans.

In place, I can tighten down on each of the butterfly nuts and separately secure the shank of each anchor. I have only tried it in the marina, but it seems strong enough. I put some rubber hose on the SS, so it’s not a metal-on-metal contact.

Top view.

Front and aft views.

Chain Counter Project

When I first built the boat, I installed an IDEAL vertical windlass with only one means of operation: two deck switches, UP and DOWN. Over the years, I wished to have another means of operating the windlass, so when in India in 2019, I installed a wireless controller, and that worked pretty well. However, I have come to envy those few boat owners who can actually control their windlass from the helm, and have a chain counter in place. After some research, I first picked a CruzPro model (made in NZ), but instead opted for a Quick CHC Chain Counter (made in Italy) because it was easier to obtain.

Placing the magnet and sensor was the easy part. I drilled a hole in the gypsy (chain wheel) chain stripper, epoxied the sensor in place and directed a wire pair out front and through the deck. In this photo, the wire is encased inside a rubber hose for protection. The magnet is easy to spot, because I highlighted it with a black sharpie, so it was easy to see during the calibration. I drilled a hole through the gypsy housing, and epoxied the magnet in place. Quick supplied a very small rare earth conducting magnet, but I replaced it with a bigger one that I bought from Lee Valley in Canada over 20 years ago. One turn of the gypsy, or chain wheel, corresponds to 37.5cm of chain travel. The sensor and magnet combination work very well.

During installation, a few weeks ago, I ran into a stumbling block. I was getting error messages “opposite commands”. The manufacturer said that it was due to a bad, or misplaced ground, but was unable to narrow this down any further. After reviewing the circuit diagrams and thinking about this for some time, I finally figured out that the reason for the error, and malfunction of the display was that my IDEAL windlass setup uses a double solenoid with a single negative trigger to switch between two positive outputs to the reversing motor—one for up, one for down. All of the switches (foot, helm, and wireless) apply that negative signal to the solenoid to control direction. The Quick CHC Chain Counter, on the other hand, expects a positive voltage signal from any switch to tell it the windlass is running and in which direction, pairing that with the gypsy magnet and sensor to track chain movement. Since my system doesn’t naturally provide a positive signal at the switch level, the chain counter was not getting the directional cue it needs.

Have you started to use AI much? I downloaded Grok 3 on my phone and laptop a month ago, and have used it daily since then. Last week, I engaged in a very detailed conversation with Grok 3 about this very problem, and Grok was instrumental in developing a simple, cost-effective solution for me – within seconds.

The core issue is that the chain counter’s “passive” nature means it’s designed to monitor switch inputs that directly send positive voltage to a windlass or solenoid, not to interpret a negative-triggered solenoid output. My negative-sense system inverts the control logic compared to what the CHC expects – and that is why I was getting the error messages “opposite commands”.

The practical solution is to use two 12V SPDT (single-pole, double-throw) relays to translate the negative signals from my switches into positive signals for the chain counter.

I bought two 12V automotive relays (5-pin SPDT, commonly ~$5 each) rated for 40A. They will only be passing 2-4A, but I’d rather err on the side of caution.

For each relay:

• Pin 30 (common): Connect to +12V from my bus.
• Pin 87 (normally open): Connect to the Chain Counter (CHC) monitor “up” or “down” input wire
• Pin 85 (coil): Connect to the negative wire from my switch (one relay for “up” switch, one for “down”).
• Pin 86 (coil): Connect to +12V.
• Pin 87a (normally closed): Leave unconnected.

How it works:

When you press the “up” foot switch, it grounds the solenoid’s “up” coil and also the relay’s coil (Pin 85). The relay energizes, connecting Pin 30 (+12V) to Pin 87, sending a +12V signal to the CHC’s “up” input. The same deal applies for “down” with the second relay. When no switch is pressed, the relay stays off, and no voltage goes to the CHC. The CHC now sees +12V when the windlass runs, matching its positive-sense logic.

The primary reason that I’ve gone into so much detail here, is that a lot of people come across my blog based on word searches, and my solution is bound to be of help to someone with a similar issue.

Here is a copy of the complete windlass wiring, without these two relays.

Here is a copy of the relay wiring diagram.

It is a simple and cheap fix, and now my Quick CHC chain counter works. The new display at the helm (including new bow thruster rocker switch, new clock and new windlass rocker switch) will display which direction the windlass is turning and how many feet of chain is out.

Chain Wash Solution

Another thing that I have been thinking about for several years is some form of automatic chain washing that doesn’t involve me holding a hose, and pointing it at the chain. When on the deck and bringing up the anchor and chain, I frequently have a lot of things going on. For me, it was desirable to achieve some form of automation. A few years ago, I simply tied in place the wash down pump hose (sea water) to direct spray at the chain as it was coming up over the bow roller. This worked great until the anchor came up, and knocked into the nozzle. Of course, I also needed to direct the spray to clean off the anchor and no longer the chain. To this end, I have finally come up with what I believe is a good solution. I bought a GARDENA plastic fitting that splits the pressurized sea water into two streams, one for direct chain wash, and one for the hand-held hose to wash the anchor.

This is a deck view of the finished installation.

Here is a side view of the installation.

Here is a picture of the 1/8”NPT fitting nozzle that I am using for direct chain wash – in action. It is very well positioned, and easily adjustable.

This should make things simpler and more effective when we are picking up the anchor.

Chain Fall Project

Another important issue that we have been struggling with for years – has been chain fall. When the chain is brought in, almost always – the chain does not “fall” neatly into the chain locker and someone needs to be inside the fore cabin and poking the chain, so it doesn’t block up. Many, many cruisers struggle with the same issue, and I believe we have finally solved it. The weight of chain provides the momentum for it to fall and pile. So, the solution always involves dropping the chain into a central spot and raising the drop point as high as practicable. When building the boat back in Kingston during the timeframe 1998-2002, I used some PVC electrical conduit to operate as a “chain slide”. This is what the chain fall looked like just a few months ago.

I had Manuel (my local welder) make up a SS316 pipe with a very specific length and curve, in order to relocate the drop point about 5-6 inches higher than previous. This is what it looks like installed, with no chain in it.

After operating it with chain, we have realized that this is most probably going to be a workable solution. The SS316 metal is more slippery than the PVC was, and particularly when it’s wet. Here is the end result, with the chain piled up to the zero point.

New USB-C outlets.

There are many 12V socket type connections inside our boat, in order to connect to electronic devices. For years, we have been using just USB-A plugs fitted to 12V sockets, but now with the proliferation of USB-C on the market, I decided it was time to upgrade to fixed USB-C and USB-A sockets, and not just 12V sockets. This way, they don’t wiggle around and disconnect on their own. This picture shows the old socket on the left, together with a new socket on the right.

We just came back from a 3 day road trip to Granada, about a 3 hour drive, door to door – with our friends Kevin and Sandy on SV NOCONA MOON. Along the way, we drove higher in elevation with the Sierra Nevada mountain range evident in the background.

In the afternoon, we took a city bus (about 50 cents per person) to the city centre and we hooked up with a tourist bus. We road around for the afternoon (it was rainy weather) and covered most of the city. This, we have found, is always a good way to get “the lay of the land”.

We passed through the streets and saw different parts of the city.

Oranges and lemons were growing on trees in most courtyards.

The next day, our first visit was to the Granada Cathedral. Like many other cathedrals in Andalusia, it was built on top of the city’s main mosque after the reconquest of Granada – in the early 1500’s. This cathedral took 181 years to build, not unusual in those times. This is a photo I took from the heights of the Alhambra, on the next afternoon.

While the Granada Cathedral is not the largest in the world, it is certainly very, very impressive. You cannot help but feel small, standing next to one of these columns.

In the cathedral, there were two organs, facing each other – and during our visit, the technicians were actually tuning them. It was a really special moment to be able to walk around, taking photos and listening to those ancient pipes.

The alter is massive, a photo cannot do it justice.

After leaving the Grenada Cathedral, we came across another treasure: “Five Guys Burgers and Fries”. Yes, it was fast food, and not Spanish, but it was really good, the best burger I’ve had in years!

The main event, of course, was to visit the Alhambra – an ancient palace and fortress complex located in Granada. Making YouTube videos is far too time consuming for me, but I will refer a good one when I think it will help to illustrate our experience. This one is about the Alhambra.

The Alhambra is one of the most famous monuments of Islamic architecture and one of the best-preserved palaces of the historic Islamic world – a very big tourist attraction in Spain. We bought the tickets more than a month ago, for a visit in the winter! There were lots of tourists, but our guide said it was not full. The complex construction was started in 1238 and took over 200 years to complete.

The Generalife Gardens were really something to behold, with the tall hedges, pools and trees. This, we were told, was a typical example of a Christian fountain.

This, on the other hand, was described as a typical Muslim fountain.

After the conclusion of the Christian Reconquista in 1492, the site became the Royal Court of Ferdinand and Isabella (where Christopher Columbus received royal endorsement for his expedition), and the palaces were partially altered.

Water is everywhere in the ornate and lavish Alhambra. It flows in channels that cool the buildings; spurts from fountains in grand rooms and charming courtyards; and sprays in such a way that, from certain angles, it perfectly frames majestic arched doorways. The same intricate system brings colour to the famed gardens of the Generalife gardens, the former summer palace next door. At the time of construction, this was one of the most sophisticated hydraulic networks in the world, able to defy gravity and raise water from the river nearly a kilometre below. The great innovation of the Nasrids was to design water ducting that would carry water 6km from the nearest river, and then uphill to their elaborate complex of courtyards, gardens and bath houses. This YouTube video serves to better explain how important the distribution of water is in the Alhambra.

This is the Palace of Charles V, inside the Alhambra.

This is an interior courtyard.

I took this photo inside the Comares Palace, to show the effect of water reflection, another example of the importance of water in the Alhambra.

These photos depict the Court of Lions.

On reflection, this Alhambra Palace (also known as the Red Fortress or Red Castle) is an impressive collection of buildings and courtyards, constructed over the ages. Initially built on Roman ruins, it was built by Muslim invaders who were subsequently driven out by the Christians. It has not only a well preserved fortress, but also the beautiful villa and gardens of the Generalife. The Alhambra is an essential monument, as it proves Arabs once ruled this territory and its architectural style is a relic of this former civilization.

While Jonathan was still with us, we took him to one more cruiser’s BBQ at the marina. This is the usual “bring a dish to share, and something for the BBQ”.

Diane and I took a few days off to visit Barcelona, about a 628km drive from Cartagena. We chose to do it by rental car for two reasons. First, this allowed us to drop Jonathan off at the airport in Alicante (along the way). Second, we have found that the connections (bus, train and plane) to/from Cartagena are not as good as we had hoped for. If you return by airplane either to nearby Murcia or Alicante, there are simply no buses or trains after 7pm. Also, the buses and trains to take you to either airport are not frequent enough to be convenient. Therefore, it made sense and was actually more cost effective – to simply drive to Barcelona. We are very big advocates for public transit, but it “has to make sense”.

Our hotel (B&B Hotels) in Barcelona was conveniently located in Viladecans just SW of the city. We took a bus or train (20-30 minutes) in to the city each day and avoided the hassles of driving and parking in the city.

Once in Barcelona, we made prolific use of the “hop on” / “hop off” touristic buses that we often see in big cities. This allowed us to spend nearly two days driving around through the city, passing by the sites and listening to an English dialog suited for each stop. There is no doubt about it, this was the way to see the sites in a short time.

The city of Barcelona hosted the 1992 summer Olympics and I’ve read that this had an enormous impact on the urban culture and outward projection of Barcelona. The Games provided billions of dollars for infrastructure investments, which are considered to have improved the quality of life in the city, and its attraction for investment and tourism.

Barcelona has become one of the most visited cities in Europe after Paris, London, and Rome. New centres were created, and modern sports facilities were built in the Olympic zones of Montjuïc, Diagonal, and Vall d’Hebron; hotels were also refurbished and new ones built. The construction of ring roads around the city helped to reduce traffic density, and El Prat airport was modernized and expanded with the opening of two new terminals.

We visited the Basílica/Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família, otherwise known as Sagrada Família – a church under construction in the Eixample district of Barcelona. It is the largest unfinished Catholic church in the world, and designed by renowned Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926).

Construction of the Sagrada Familia began on 19 March 1882, initially under the architect Francisco de Paula del Villar. In 1883, when Villar resigned, designer Antoni Gaudí took over as the chief architect, transforming the project with his unique architectural and engineering style, combining Gothic and curvilinear Art Nouveau forms. Gaudí devoted the remainder of his life to the project, and he is buried in the church’s crypt. At the time of his death in 1926, less than a quarter of the project was complete.

The Sagrada Familia has been described as “the most extraordinary personal interpretation of Gothic architecture since the Middle Ages”.

This Church has been “under construction” for over 140 years, and although it has had many architects, there is still a strong resolve to remain true to the vision of the original designer Antoni Gaudi. The stone initially used in its construction came from the nearby Montserrat mountain, but it became clear that as quarrying there went deeper, the stone was increasingly fragile and an alternative source had to be found. Since 2018 stone of the type needed to complete the construction has been sourced from the Withnell Quarry in Brinscall, near Chorley, England.

The designer Gaudi conceived the inside of the Basilica as a huge forest, where the columns would be tree trunks branching out from the capitals into the vaults, through which the sunlight would filter in, representing foliage. Computer-aided design technology has allowed stone to be shaped off-site by a CNC milling machine, whereas in the 20th century the stone was carved by hand.

Inside the towers, Gaudi designed a set of tubular bells comprising a carillon covering seven full octaves, which is every note on a piano. The music that can be played with the 84 bells of carillon isn’t only audible inside but floods the interior through the main organ.

This is the symbol of the Sagrada Familia, containing the initials of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. This symbolism can be found at the top of the three columns: the central column, which features Jesus’ complete genealogy from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, finishes at the top with the letters of Jesus, while the columns on the right and left, respectively, features the names of Mary and Joseph. All three names can also be found on the end towers of the façade, under the balconies.

On 7 November 2010, Pope Benedict XVI consecrated the church and proclaimed it a minor basilica. Work continues to this date. The alter is really something special, something I’ve never seen before in a church.

Also inside, I noticed this spiral staircase.

Here is another first – an elevator.

I thought this wrought iron railing was also unique.

Literally across the street from the Sagrada Familia is a McDonalds, Ben and Jerry’s and Five Guys (my personal favourite), although we never went to any of them.

This will be the last post of 2024. During 2024, we moved a little further west, about 1140nm from Monastir Tunisia to Cartagena Spain.

A few weeks ago, Manuel completed the SS bar that is bolted in place to prevent the Bruce anchor chain from skipping out when anchoring. My previous bars were damaged when we had the anchoring “incident” in Palma in August 2024. There is only one element of the bow roller modifications to be finished, and that will come in a month or so.

Christmas season is upon us, and as usual, we decorated JOANA with some solar powered LED lights.

Our last replacement hatch frames (mosquito and night shade) arrived, and we were able to finish replacing the ones in the aft cabin. Now, all are back to “like new” or “new” condition.

Following up on the long outstanding requirement for a boom frame, I had the local yard ASCAR make up some aluminum frames for us to mount to the boom. The function of this frame is to help capture the flaked sail, when it drops. People that have “lazy bags” on their booms already have a good system to capture the sail and reefing lines, but — they have to contend with zipping up, and repairing the very long zipper. I made up some simple wood supports and painted the frames with spray can primer and enamel white paint.

These frames sat on the ground until Jonathan arrived. We have been so fortunate that he was able to come to Cartagena to stay with us for a few weeks. The first order of business was to borrow a small bike, so that he could join us on bike rides.

After loading up on groceries at the local Carrefour, Lidl and Mercadona, we then worked on some boat projects – starting with mounting the boom frames.

We want the frame to “capture” the dropped reefing lines, so came up with an idea of installing some netting. The three of us worked on this for many hours to get it right.

This is what the completed project looks like.

Of course, it’s not all work and no play. One night, we went to the Nutcracker ballet, performed by a Cuban Classical Ballet troupe only 200m from our boat.

We also went to two cruiser’s BBQ pot luck dinners.

We walked extensively around the city of Cartagena, including the ancient amphitheatre.

We bought a turkey at a local grocery store, and as usual, cooked up a traditional Christmas dinner with guests Rob and Susan.

We put Jonathan back to work and sent him up the mast for a rigging inspection. As expected, all looks good.

Walking around the city at night gave us a good view of the decorations and lights.

We went on many bike trips, exploring the local sites of Cartagena.

This is “the beach”, about 20 minutes biking (uphill one way, down hill return) from the marina. It was too cold for us, but there were a few people in the water.

Another month has passed by. We are continuing to enjoy Cartagena, and even went to Vienna Austria (to visit with Raoul, Amelia and grandson Thorsten) for a week. We did not partake in any touristic endeavours there, but thoroughly enjoyed passing time with our 4 year old grandson. Here, Thorsten and I are watching educational videos of how they make chocolate Santas.

Thorsten really enjoys chocolate, and his parents have their hands full keeping this manageable (like most parents). Here, Thorsten discovered a really big chocolate Santa at a grocery store. Much too big to take home……

Thorsten, of course, is being raised in a bilingual environment (English and German) and multi-cultural. He introduced us to the Christmas season character – Krampus, which was new for me.

In central European popular legend, Krampus is a half-goat, half-demon monster that punishes misbehaving children at Christmastime. He is the devilish companion of St. Nicholas. Krampus is believed to have originated in Germany, and his name derives from the German word Krampen, which means “claw.” Here, Thorsten is “make-believe” chatting with Krampus – priceless.

While in Austria, we went out to a local restaurant (one of our favourites) for a goose dinner, the specialty of this season. It was decadent.

When returning to Spain, we landed at the Spanish airport of Alicante (about 2 hours drive from Cartagena). Much to our surprise, there was a Tim Hortons in the airport!

Back in Cartagena, we continue to putter away at boat projects. For example, we just replaced 4 flexible 180W solar panels (installed only two years ago in Turkey) with two solid-frame 410W panels. Why? The output of hard panels is always at least double what the flexible panels can deliver, despite what the sales brochure says. We now have a total of 1840W (8 panels and 4 controllers), all solid glass panels.

Old panels…..

New panels ……

I left a narrow walkway on the starboard side, so that I can change the boat flag.

One of the projects that we wanted to do while in Europe is to replace 4 of our hatch roller screen/shades. This is a single frame for each hatch that contains both a fly screen and blackout screen on rollers. I installed them as original equipment, but they don’t last forever. Here is the wood trim frame being glued together on the salon table.

Here is the new hatch screen in place, in the forward cabin. The others are ongoing.

About a month ago, there was a medieval festival in the city centre.

We took the opportunity to walk about with Bill and Kathy (SV JARANA). There were many stalls setup in the streets. This one was for wurst/sausage.

We had lunch together with Bill and Kathy, at the festival.

As part of the original equipment in the boat, I installed a 28” multi-system TV – a long time ago. Well, the screen on that TV basically melted away, due to the heat and humidity.

So, we decided to replace it with a 32” smart TV, with soundbar. Both of these things turn/tilt and foldaway into the same space that the 28” TV was installed. When we are underway, we need to take a minute to put the TV away (and that is not really all that often). Therefore, we are finally back in business with a TV in the main cabin. Both can operate on 220V/110V.

In the grocery stores here, it is not unusual to see half a piglet, neatly sliced in two and shrink wrapped – for sale in the refrigerator.

It is also becoming commonplace to see legs of ham (cured) on display tables. This may be a seasonal thing.

Manuel (my welder) has completed another element of the bow roller assembly repair. This time, he finished a very solid hoop / enclosure for the primary anchor (Rocna) chain. This SS hoop will keep the chain from hopping out, in bad weather anchoring.

Lastly, I’d like to make a comment about the city centre construction (or rather reconstruction) of Cartagena. There are many buildings like this, where there is just one or two walls standing – and they are rebuilding in the same style as before. Cartagena really is a beautiful city, and with one or two cruise ships a day stopping by – gets a lot of tourists.

Time is flying, and we like it here in Cartagena. The marina has 310 berths, comprising national and International customers, both long-term and transient. We have met some of the long-term customers and even some of the transients. At this time of the year, many cruising boats are stopping in, on their way to Gibraltar, the Canaries and west to the Caribbean (typical Atlantic crossing is mid November to mid January).

There is a weekly pot-luck BBQ every Sunday, and a Tapas night (restaurant) on Wednesdays. We regularly go the BBQ, but so far, have skipped the Tapas nights, simply because it’s too late for our digestion.

One big job that I have undertaken (and finished) has been to remove and replace the aft port light frames. I built JOANA with 23 hatches and port lights. All of these were bedded down over an epoxy coated hull or deck (as the case may be) in the summer of 1997. When we were in NZ, in 2016, I removed and re-bedded the 7 hatches in the deck. When I did this, I took care to refinish the deck and properly bed down the hatches in Sikaflex. Now, in Cartagena, it was time to do the same treatment for the 6 aft port lights.

The aluminum frames of these port lights were hiding a bit of rust (a dirty word on a steel boat, but it’s the truth).

So, taking advantage of the empty berth space next to us, so that I could work from our dinghy, I removed the frames, cleaned away the underlying hull area, and put on some primer.

Next, I repainted with many layers of epoxy and polyurethane – and then re-bedded them down with UV resistant Sikaflex. Well, not exactly, It was more cost effective, and much more pleasing to the eye – to have new 316 SS frames made, rather than re-using the old aluminum frames. This is the finished product.

While doing this job, of course I had to buy some materials – including this Scotch tape. I thought this was interesting. This tape is clearly “made in Canada”, but I am very certain that I bought it in Spain.

It’s not all work though. We went for walks downtown (only a hundred metres away) and visited the Naval Museum – with our friends Kevin and Sandy.

The downtown pedestrian area is absolutely stunning, beautiful architecture and very clean streets.

At one of the weekly BBQs, we met Mike and Glenda (from the Toronto area) on SV INNISFREE. They will also be here “for the winter”.

Another big job that has garnered a lot of attention is the repairs to the bow, from the anchoring incident at Palma in August. I did the paint repairs to the bow area myself, and used my grinder to cut off the broken bits from the bow roller assembly. I contracted with Manuel (a local welder to do the TIG welding for me).

When this job is finished, I will post more about it. As usual, I am not just repairing the bow roller assembly, but making it stronger and more functional.

One of our neighbours, for a few nights – was this catamaran. It is reported to be the largest aluminium sailing catamaran in the world with a total length of 47m, an exceptional beam of 17.30m and an impressive all-carbon sail plan with a 55m mast.

We arrived at our “winter berth” at Yacht Port Cartagena Spain on 24 August. We finished our summer sailing season with bittersweet memories of the interesting places we visited. I’ll start by talking about the storm that whipped through the Balearic Islands on 14 August. This storm actually started on mainland Spain, dumping record amounts of rain in Madrid (which is historically very dry) and then quickly moving to sea, striking the islands of Ibiza, Mallorca (where we were at the time) and Minorca. This news video gives a very good summary of the strength of the storm, and what it did in some places.

On that same day, we were anchored just East of Palma, at the suburb of Es Fornas – where we had been for the past three weeks. We knew that some windy weather was coming in, but to be frank, we underestimated what was coming – and were not prepared for it. We were well anchored in just 16 feet of sand, with only about 60 feet of chain out – and our very solid, very low (giving a big increase in the scope) snubber. It can be a challenge to anchor in many of these islands, because you have to plant your anchor in sand. If you put the anchor (or chain) on seagrass, not only is it “poor holding”, but you can be fined thousands of euros. To be honest, we needed to be anchored in deeper water, and with more chain out. I made a simple video of the conditions in our anchorage, the day before the storm.

When the storm stuck, our neighbours James Cole and his wife Barbara were anchored close to us (in slightly deeper water, further from shore) on COMPLEXITY. Barbara and Jim were “hunkered down” in the cockpit of their boat – with their engine running to ease the strain on the anchor. Diane and I were also in the cockpit of our boat, observing the clouds moving in. We also started our engine, idling forward, and when the incoming swell reached 1.5m – decided that we should move, as it appeared that we were dragging, and moving dangerously closer towards shore. Normally, picking up the anchor might take 2 or 3 minutes, moving up slowly on the chain, until you are directly over the anchor and then running forward “breaking out the anchor” and picking up the remainder. However, with the incoming swell pushing over 2m at times (in only a depth of 16 feet), Diane could not keep JOANA moving forward in a straight line, but we were zig-zagging over the anchor. There was a lot of strain, a lot of force on the bow of JOANA as the chain tugged from one side to the other. In addition to the cold rain thundering down on me, I had warm ocean water rushing over my feet, at least a foot. We were “hobby-horsing” up and down, as I was desperately trying to get the anchor up, and safely stowed on deck. At some point, three stainless steel bars broke from their welds, and the anchor chain was no longer in the centre, over the roller, but was instead pinned in place against the toe rail on the side. I decided to continue pulling the anchor up, and this is when it was out of the water, and wildly swinging.

We quickly motored away from the beach, dodging other anchored boats and planted the anchor, in deeper water (over 30 feet) where we knew there was sand. I put out 150 feet of chain, and we rode out the rest of the storm in less swell (maybe .7m) and less stressful conditions. Later that day, Barbara and Jim contacted me and offered some unedited video footage – that I later stitched together to illustrate what happened. These are not professional videos, and it is only hastily put together, and it will never accurately depict the conditions we experienced or the stress we felt. Here it is.

Lesson learned – If you can, anchor in deeper water, wherever possible, even 25 feet is much better than 16 feet. There is less developing swell from incoming waves. There are also less bugs and less anchored boats nearby.

A few days after the storm incident, we motor-sailed west to the next island, Ibiza – a well known party and tourist “paradise”. It is very well known for loud and obnoxious tourists who go to discos late into the morning, much to the chagrin of “older” people like us. LOL. We did visit another Lidl (discount supermarket), and loaded up on groceries, but passed on the opportunity to partake in this mini-golf tourist venue. Have a look at this offering: mini-golf for up to 2 hours, bottomless cocktails, beers and soft drink, all you can eat pizza – only 45 euros per person. Nothing there for us. But – check out the “resident” price of only 8 euros per adult. Holy cow!

After a few days, we then sailed even further west and made our first landfall on mainland Spain, Calp. This is what we saw along the coastline.

We are now in our winter berth at Cartagena Spain, and loving it. More posts in the future will cover this phase.

We did enjoy our summer cruising holiday, but we will not miss the lumpy anchorages, nor the inconsiderate power boaters who drive dangerously close to anchored boats blasting by at 18 knots and throwing a 1.5m wave into the peaceful anchorage. No, we do not forgive them, and we will not miss them. We have moved on.