Our YachtBalvenie blog has been going a few years now. It captures our experiences around the world as we explore by sea in our 47ft sloop "Balvenie" (draft is nearly 2.5m). This blog is the summary of our Cruising Info for all the places we have visited since we started the blog (so it does not have the beginning of our adventure). I have collated the cruising info here together for those that just wish to print it off, without having all the photos and stories that accompany it. For our entire story and all the great photos see http://yachtbalvenie.blogspot.com/

As always please remember these were our experiences which may be entirely different to others. All care has been taken with this information, and as with any navigational aids should be treated as a guideline. If you are following in our wake, have fun out there and stay off the hard stuff!!

Monday, August 1, 2011

Gibraltar ..... July 2011

Ocean Village part of Marina Bay Marina:  36 08.99N  05 21.95W 

Entrance to the marina is the south side of the airport runway.  Follow the runway along, the office is straight ahead - white two storey building.  Entrance into Marina Bay is on the left (keep following runway), Ocean Village berths are either straight ahead or slightly to the right.  The fuel docks are on the right wall.  There is ample room in here for dropping sails in sheltered waters (for a few yachts)   
VHF 71, phone 00350 20073300, email pieroffice@marinabay.gi   Summer rates are £22.50 a day 12-15m.  Power is 15p KWH and water 1p per litre.  Others on our dock have been charged excessively for what they should have been for water,  the water metres are not on the dock so you can’t check on arrival but it may be an idea to ask the office to have them both recorded.  We wrote down our power reading so we shall wait and see and report later.  We are on floating docks with one finger, (but with med moor bow/stern lines) the fingers are very flimsy and do not have cleats on them.  Difficult to keep the boat close for boarding, and very low for getting off at the bow!  Think we were put here because of our draft but most yachts are in Marina Bay (slightly cheaper), it is all med mooring with very high concrete piers. 
Free wifi but basically it hardly ever works, they have been upgrading it since we arrived and if anything it is now worse.  There are several bars/cafes along the marina front with free wifi.  Charlies and The Ship have unlocked signals, they seem to be where the yachties hang out and have non stop sport/news with English commentary on. 
Sheppards and Marine Maintenance are the two chandlers and are just in behind the row of cafes.  Both also perform most boat jobs.  We used M.H.Yacht Preserve, Marcus was excellent and can help with most things.  He arranged several covers to be made for Ariki Tai and they were very happy.  He has a Spanish number 0034 645131988 or Gib 00350 54009394.  He also arranges haul outs at the marina in Smir, Morocco.  He is English but speaks fluent Spanish also.  He is normally found somewhere in the marina.
Phones In the marina we are picking up Spanish signal but if I take the phone onto Main street or to Morrisons it goes onto Gibraltar signal.which is non EU.  So on Vodafone if it changes to Gibtel you go onto roaming for making calls and are also charged for incoming calls at over €1.50 a minute.  To top up you need to walk to La Linea Vodafone shop.  On Gymsim Gibraltar is on a higher rate than the rest of Europe and you are charged for incoming, best make sure you are on a Spanish signal!  
Fuel There is a very long fuel dock on the right as you come down the “runway” to the marina. It has lots of very clean white fenders. Plenty of turning room, even room to drop sails.  Diesel is 97p Petrol £1.07  Shopping  Main Street is full of Duty Free Alcohol stores, Electronics (computers with English keyboards at good prices), souvenir stores and most UK High Street Fashion retailers. 
Food ShoppingMarks and Spencers (on Main Street right along the other end) has a small food outlet, I spotted Canadian Maple Syrup.  And then there is Morrisons come out of southern end of Marina to the road, turn right cross at 2nd pedestrian lights then take first on the left past church and school.  Keep walking, its a one way  residential street through low rise blocks and looks like a dead end but carry on and you will eventually see McDonalds and Morrisons.  Less than 10 minutes. Leave Skipper at home and find all those goodies you haven’t seen for years if you have come through the med.  I didn’t find it any more expensive than Spain (except for wine and beer) and variety, well the lockers are overflowing! 
Laundry On the lane behind all the cafes self service is £5 a load, also do service washes.
Money  Remember prices here are in Gibraltar Pounds, and that there is no VAT in Gibraltar.  Note that if you have a UK Bank Account and take money from an ATM machine it is not charged £ for £, it was processed at around 96.5p.  The NatWest ATM gives out Gib Pounds but the Barclays gives British Pounds (but still charges lower rate).  You can not get out euros.  Gib Pounds are not valid anywhere outside Gib we are told! 
Sightseeing  Local Buses (except No 5 to the airport which is easy to walk) are free and leave from just across from the Marina.  Bus to Europa Point worth the trip for a look but not much there, they go every 15 minutes, think it was No 2