014 - Sawasdeekat’s Summer of Chaos: Passports, Parties, and (Accidental) Nudist Beaches

If 2022 were a movie, ours would be titled *"How to Almost Sail a Boat While Life Throws Bananas at Your Head." Between MasterChef madness, impromptu street parties, and a passport that seemed determined to live its own adventure, our summer was less "smooth sailing" and more "hold on tight, it’s going to be bumpy."  Before we tell you about our journey north I just wanted to say:-

A Fond Farewell to Cartagena: Our Floating Home Away From Home 

As we untied Sawasdeekat’s lines and pointed her bow toward new horizons, I couldn’t help but feel a lump in my throat. Cartagena wasn’t just a marina - it was our anchor, our launchpad, and the setting for some of the most chaotic, beautiful, and downright bizarre moments of our sailing journey.

Why Cartagena Stole Our Hearts (and Occasionally Our Sanity)

For over a year, this sun-drenched Spanish port was Sawasdeekat’s home. It’s where we: 

- Learned the difference between a "sheet" and a "halyard" (usually after yelling the wrong one). 

- Became honorary Cartishananighans, thanks to the motley crew of liveaboards who adopted us (and fixed our disasters). 

- Witnessed street parties that materialized like magic, complete with flamenco dancers who definitely performed just for us (right?). 

But Cartagena wasn’t just about the boat. It was about the people, the quirks, and the little moments that turned a foreign port into our port: 

- The fish market at dawn, where fishermen haggled like Shakespearean actors and hauls were sometimes amazing. 

- The boat yard workers who gave us inside clues as to where the best places to eat were. 

- The way the sunset painted the Castillo de la Concepción gold, like a daily farewell gift. 

A Photo Diary: Cartagena Through Our Lens

The Bittersweet Goodbye

Leaving Cartagena felt like saying goodbye to a quirky, slightly dysfunctional family. We’d arrived as clueless newbies; we left as… slightly less clueless newbies with better tans. 

But the sea calls, and so does the next adventure. As we motored out of the harbour, I gave the city a silent toast:  "Thanks for the memories, the repairs, and the street parties. We’ll be back—probably when something else breaks." 

The Parents’ Visit (and the Case of the Missing Passport)

My parents - lovely people, like us, terrible sailors - decided to visit Sawasdeekat before we embarked on our grand voyage. Smart move, really. Better to see the boat while it’s still in the marina and not, say, halfway up a wave in a storm. 

We had a fantastic week - sunshine, laughter, and Cartagena’s uncanny ability to throw a street party just as we walked by. (Coincidence? I think not. The flamenco dancers were clearly there for us.) 

The only hiccup? My passport went AWOL. Now, losing your passport in a foreign country is like realizing you’ve left the oven on… from another continent. Panic levels: extreme. After turning our boat upside down (and accepting that my passport had probably fled to a better life), it miraculously reappeared, having been found by no less than a Policeman who worked for the Mayor!!. Lesson learned: Passports are like cats—they hide when they want attention. 

Our First Solo Voyage (Spoiler: It Went Exactly as Expected)

September 3rd, 2022. The day Sawasdeekat finally left the marina without a team of experienced sailors holding our hands. (Read: The day we officially became those people who yell "Which rope is the mainsheet again?!") 

Our plan? Sail to Tabarca, a cute little island. Reality? We didn’t make it. 

Why? Because: 

1. The weather decided to throw a tantrum (rain + big swell = no thank you). 

And

2. Our water leak alarm went off like a dramatic opera singer. Turns out, a 15mm hose pipe had escaped its duties. (Hoses: the original fair-weather friends.) 

So, despite the strong winds didn’t hit anything as we limped into Miramar Marina, Santa Pola, and, that’s where I stood staring at the hose like it was a Rubik’s Cube. Enter Steve, our hero and resident Cartishananighan (a legendary group of liveaboards from Cartagena). He told us to sail the next day to Altea near to where he lives. And once there, he fixed it in five minutes, proving that boat problems are only impossible until someone who knows what they’re doing shows up. 

The "What Broke Next?" Tour

With Steve’s hose fix, we set off again and, to our surprise actually started to be able to sail AND amazingly catch fish that Pookie promptly turned into lovely meals

This was followed by Denea, Valencia, Oropesa del Mar - a scenic route if you ignore the fact that: 

- Our Raymarine sat nav quit its job ("Speed? Direction? Never heard of it."). 

- Our winch decided retirement sounded nice (cue me hauling sails up by hand like a medieval peasant). 

- The wind ghosted us ("You had one job, Mother Nature."). 

By the time we reached Cambrils, I was convinced Sawasdeekat was part of a hidden-camera show. Cambrils had changed quite a bit since my childhood (RIP, Camping Masia Blanca, replaced as it was by apartments and loud bars), but the sea was just as beautiful.

Our proudest moment? Hitting 8.1 knots for 30 seconds near Sitges. (We celebrated like we’d won the America’s Cup.) 

Sitges, Suncream, and Surprise Naturists 

Sitges was a dream - golden beaches, Stunning Tapas down little alleyways, buzzing nightlife, and my brother, Lloyd and his wife Sue, rolling up in their motorhome for a visit. We took them out on Sawasdeekat, because nothing says "family bonding" like watching your relatives turn varying shades of green in a swell.  But they were fine and (I think) loved every minute of it.

Then, we anchored in a lovely bay for a swim.  Key discovery: It was a naturist beach. 

Correction: A very lively, mostly male naturist beach. Let’s just say there was a lot of "suncream application" happening in nearby caves. (We pretended not to notice. Very British of us.) 

Pookie’s Celebrity Life vs. My Human Towers 

Lloyd and Sue stayed for a few days and then continued their holiday down the coast. At the same time Pookie once again was called away. So while I was playing "single dad on a boat," Pookie was: 

Schmoozing at food festivals,

Accepting Invitations to Gok Wan’s Golden Chopsticks Awards, and 

Invited to judge next year’s MasterChef contestants (because her palate is that good – no it REALLY is).

So meanwhile, in Sitges, I stumbled into the Festa Major de Santa Tecla. The Festa Major is held in honour of the shared patrons of Sitges: Sant Bartomeu and Santa Tecla, their saint days being the 24th of August and the 23rd of September respectively. Year after year, you can see children dancing with big-heads and dragons - made by themselves, with exhibitions and the firework displays. The children are the main protagonists of this festival in honour of Santa Tecla. Not only did I see this but also witnessed human towers (castells) being built and practiced ready for the next month. (Catalans: "Let’s climb on each other’s shoulders for fun!" Me: "I can’t even parallel park.") 

The Race to Winter Moorings 

By October, incoming winter weather and Pookie’s deadlines to get back once again to the UK to meet with the Thai Embassy meant we had to hustle to El Masnou (our winter home just outside Barcelona) as soon as she returned. Thanks to Lloyd’s friend Tim who lived in a stunning chateau he has rebuilt in nearby Alella, (because of course he did), we had a soft landing and a great guide to all things fun in "Barca".

Tim made our visit to Barcelona very memorable, but you'll have to read the next blog to find out how.

So, El Masnou would be our winter home for the next 5-6 months and so I will once again bid you farewell and tell you next time about the wonderful city that is Barcelona.

Final thoughts?

- Sailing is 10% glamour, 90% fixing things that break. 

- Naturist beaches should come with warning signs pointing out to sea. 

- Pookie’s fame means I’ll forever be "the guy holding the camera while eating leftovers." 

TL;DR: We sailed, we broke things, we saw a lot* of naked strangers. Pookie became a MasterChef judge, and I learned human towers are a thing. Life on Sawasdeekat? Never boring. 

Follow the madness at [www.sawasdeekat.com] (http://www.sawasdeekat.com)! Or watch out YouTube videos https://www.youtube.com/@Sawasdeekat  ⛵✨