Sailing Spain to Gibraltar
7 January 2026 · 31 min · 255 views · Motril, Spain
Sailboat near Gibraltar with cargo ship in bay
What this video covers
A catamaran sailing from the Spanish coast to Gibraltar makes a multi-day coastal passage in mid-September, covering roughly 43–48 miles per day at an average 6–6.5 knots, mostly motoring on one engine due to light winds. Before departure from marina El Miramar, the crew repairs a mainsail chafed against unprotected diamond shrouds — the inner shrouds lacked the plastic tubing or cat-towel chafe protection fitted to the outer shrouds — reinstalls the mainsail on its track, fixes the jib, and resolves an AIS fault.▶ 1:49 The first overnight anchorage is south of Motril in 8 metres over sand, roughly 35 miles from Malaga; the crew notes a warning against anchoring in the far-right corner of the bay due to metal objects on the seabed.▶ 8:45 The second stop is La Cala de Mies, anchored in 5.5 metres well off a shallow beach.▶ 13:22 The final leg to Gibraltar takes approximately seven hours, navigating past fuel tankers and cargo ships in the approach channel.▶ 19:00 On arrival, the crew walks to the local police station to get passports stamped out — the marina provides paperwork that accompanies the passports for the exit procedure.▶ 30:36 Chafe on unprotected diamond shrouds is a specific risk worth addressing before a coastal passage.
More from sailing vessel reality
From sailing vessel reality — see the channel’s boat, crew, and every analysed video.