“What? The yacht is not leaving the dock? That’s not what we signed up for. WE WANT TO GO CRUISING! ”

Today was scheduled to be Cruising on the Mediterranean day. But when we got to the dock the captain of our yacht, A young guy from Denmark, informed us that the seas were too rough and we couldn’t leave the protected harbor of Puerto Banus.

Jeff, who arranged this trip, had a prolonged and heated conversation with the boat’s owner, who happened to be on a charter in Morocco. Long story short, the yacht we’d originally been assigned was too small for the forecast sea conditions. The owner offered to Jeff the use of a larger (20 meter) boat that Jeff, logically assumed would better handle the waves. What was really offered, it turned out in the fine print, was a yachting “experience”, which meant that the yacht would remain in port. We could have our catered food, hang out on board, walk along the harbor and visit the myriad of high-end retail stores, etc. 

We came close to canceling the whole deal. It turned out that the bigger ship required a crew of three (we had but one person). The boat did not have a license to leave port. What kind of scam is this, anyway?

Eventually we elected to go with the flow, partake of the catered brunch and snacks (oysters on the half shell, etc.) and make the best of it. So instead of an adventure on the Mediterranean, we had a pleasant morning and afternoon in Puerto Bantus,, enjoying the harbor sights, doing some people and sports car watching, taking a walk or two and experiencing the yachting life without the ups and downs of the 1.5 meter (5 foot) waves. And as you can see from the photos, it was a pleasant experience after all.

We came home around 6:00 and most immediately hit the pool to cool off and prepare for dinner.

Dinner was a catered in affairs as it will be for the next three nights. It’s a great arrangement because we don’t have to transport ourselves to the restaurant and back, order and worry about food allergies, etc. Far more relaxing and convenient.

And what a feast it was. The theme was “barbecue” and you name it, it was barbecued. Steak, lamb, shrimp, sausage and chicken. Fresh baked bread, tomatoes, potatoes, green beens, asparagus,

Before that, we had appetizers that included a great gazpacho, cheese, tomato and mozzarella on a stick.

Mojitos flowed through snack and dinner time.

Finally, desert. Small cups of strawberry and chocolate compotes.

We’ve had two days of leisure now but tomorrow we’re going to make up for it with a travel day to Morocco. We’re on the bus at 6 AM and hope to be back in time for paella at dinner time.