David's Diary: Tuesday, February 26, 2002

Arriving In Alicante, Spain

Through the night we motored across the Gulf of Valencia off the Mediterranean coast of Spain, alternating watches every three hours. With the radar glowing, we kept a close watch out for other ships. While Karalee and Jocelyn were on watch at 05:00, Dragonsinger passed Denia. The fishing fleet stormed past rocking the boat and a freighter leaving before daybreak dodged port and starboard before passing Dragonsinger by only a half-dozen boat lengths.

With heart rates slowed down we passed Capo San Antonio and Capo de la Nao at daybreak. The two capes are one of the most visible features of the East coast of Spain. Look at any large-scale map of Spain and you will see the capes at the end of a long curve midway along the Eastern Spanish Mediterranean coast. After the capes, the hills rise from the ocean and the glow of sunrise glinted off the sedimentary rock formations as we passed close by.

Alicante Harbor

Noon had passed before we finally rounded the breakwater at Alicante. After motoring through the night we were rewarded with a fast beat in twenty knots of wind as we worked our way West to Alicante. We filled the diesel tank and the tired crew of Dragonsinger tied up to the dock. Our longest passage ever, 198 nautical miles in thirty-two hours, was finally complete. The watch keepers lay down for a well-deserved nap (Allen had slept through the night, so he got to play), glad to be in a new port.