Hallelujah!

New engine finally arrives

Shiny new Volvo D1-30 engine

Finally, after nearly three months, we received the email from Volvo Spain we'd been patiently waiting for: "If you wanna go organizing space in the boat it is a good time. According hear, in the distance, engine installation is imminent." My mum, rather conveniently for me, was in need of some help so the Captain was left alone to deal with the chaos that ensued. He took them at their word and got to work. Both back cabins had to be completely cleared and soon the saloon had disappeared into a sea of bags, cushions, bedding, clutter etc. An hour later the lads arrived to start the job of dismantling the existing engine. The following morning the boat was towed to the superyacht harbour and moored alongside the quay ready to take delivery of our shiny new Volvo D1-30 engine. The old engine was lifted out by crane and the new one squeezed into place. We were towed back to our berth in the afternoon and the next few days the boys either turned up to continue with the installation or frustratingly didn't as is the  case  with  tradesmen  the  world  over.

Old engine waiting to be taken away

Of course the three day job turned into a two week marathon but at long last we were ready to leave Valencia. I returned just in time to pick up diesel and fill up with water before setting sail for Aguadulce, just west of Almeria, which was to be our winter destination on the Costa del Sol.

Ride of a Lifetime patiently waiting next to the crane for the engine to arrive

...and the new engine is lowered in

The old engine is lifted out...

Red sky at night...

Approaching Aguadulce by the light of the supermoon...

We had originally hoped to cruise slowly down the Spanish coast but it was now mid November and the weather was not on our side. The nights were becoming chilly and the winter gales were starting to show themselves rather too frequently for our liking. We needed to head south as quickly as possible. No time for a leisurely hop down the coast but instead we decided to break the 250 mile journey in two. A small weather window appeared with favourable winds to help us on the 150 mile overnight passage to Cartagena. As soon as we arrived the winds changed direction and we had to wait a couple of days before embarking on our last passage of the season to Aguadulce. Another gale was brewing but we just had time for the final 100 mile journey. We had fair winds, following seas, and the night was lit the entire way by the spectacular November supermoon, the biggest since 1948.

Ride of a Lifetime finally in her winter base, Aguadulce