The Sea Dragon!

It's another gloriously sunny day at La Casa Seis Hermanas. Vera joins the morning walk, and we pick some wild asparagus that is eaten with a very fulsome late breakfast.

And then it's off to the beach on the lake for a day of sailing. The two Daves set off on a sit-on canoe and return with a sailing boat, The Sea Dragon.

We head off towards the dam under motor power, Dave is expecting the wind to pick up later. The reservoir has a sad history, being built under the Franco regime, the local inhabitants being forcibly removed with no compensation, and having to cut down their olive trees to be sold for firewood.

It has been a dry winter, the water level is far below where it should be and wild flowers are repopulating the banks. But there is still over 30m of water remaining, and a lot of water to sail on

We pass through a narrow and shallower stretch into wider and deeper water. The motor is lifted up, the mainsail raised and we are then powered by the warm wind and cool beer. We are the only boat on the lake, and it is so peaceful, just the breeze and the lapping of water against the side of the boat. We sail upwind towards the dam, but there is a law that forbids boats from entering a 150m exclusion zone of the dam and we turn around and sail downwind

The low water means that islands and hills have emerged from the water. Here is one that has been colonised by shags, their droppings suggest the top has been out of the water for some time. 

We tack towards the ruins of an old house that has emerged as the reservoir has dropped, walls and steps clearly visible

We have two man overboard drills, first when we lose a seat cushion over the side. Vera provides interesting sound effects as she squeals either in delight or fear as the boat leans in the wind, and we then lose the drying cushion cover.

This seems the safest place to dry the cover. 

Each time Dave brings the boat around and the dropped item is retrieved. He has sailed the Atlantic twice, so we feel that we are in safe hands.

It is late in the afternoon when we return to the boat's mooring buoy.

The captain abandons ship

followed by Lindsay

followed by me

Vera thinks about it…..and is in the water

Given the depth I was expecting the water to be cold, but it is surprisingly warm - probably about 23 degrees.

Disembarking is the reverse of setting off. The women and bags are dropped off at the jetty, the two Daves take the Sea Dragon back to it's buoy 

and return in the pink canoe

We all return to La Casa Seis Hermanas 

I swim in the pool. I know we will soon be back in the cold and wet of Manchester and this will be but a warm memory

Dave and Vera chill out with G&Ts

Lindsay cooks paella on the outdoor burner

and we have a very late evening, into the early hours of the morning, with copious quantities of wine. This is the last night that we won't be having tomorrow as we have an airport journey to make on Friday morning 

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