8th May

The forecast was for light easterly winds. Not ideal for passing through the Straits but westerlies are not predicted until Sunday or Monday. We set off early into flat calm and almost no wind. About 10 miles out of Tarifa the wind suddenly increase and rapidly grew to more than 20 knts. Unsurprisingly the waves also increased. To continue meant motoring into the wind and waves and they were likely to increase until past Tarifa and into the Straits proper. So we turned back, Lucinda practiced her David overboard drill, and we returned to Barbate to wait for a change in wind direction.