⛵ Ibiza (Balearics) 🇪🇸 to Cadiz 🇪🇸

Posted on April 01, 2025

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I was approaching my deadline to pass the Strait of Gibraltar before the tuna migration brought the Orcas to the area. Light westerlies off the Spanish mainland helped me get south, then I was fortunate to find tailwinds pushing me west.

Gibraltar felt more challenging than Messina due to the heavy traffic, tidal races, and Orca concerns. The AIS screen was crowded with cargo vessels, making it difficult to distinguish moving traffic from anchored ships.

The strait requires VHF registration, so I called Gibraltar first. They redirected me to Tarifa Traffic, where the operator couldn’t read my AIS but took my details and cleared me to proceed. I stayed close to the right side of the channel as before.

Just before Gibraltar, the following swell became steep and started breaking. A large wave hit the generator and shut it down - the air filter was soaked and it wouldn’t restart. In the strait, the constant eastward current meets winds and tides, creating tidal races that can become challenging quickly.

The wind accelerated through the strait due to the venturi effect, reaching 40 knots at Tarifa. The boat popped into the Atlantic like a champagne cork.

Once in the Atlantic, I followed the coast north in about 20 meters depth. The tidal influence was strong - sometimes pushing me along, other times creating steep waves against the wind. Near Bajo Aceitera, the waves suddenly built and started breaking in the shallows. I had to hand-steer and push with the engine to maintain control, fearing to capsize.

I reached Cadiz in the middle of the night and anchored in a corner of the “Dique Mar de Leva” breakwater near the industrial harbor entrance. After some rest, I moved to the marina around the corner.