By the 28th June, the boat Leandros will have arrived in Villagarcía de Arosa, having completed its sea leg of the Jacobean Route, another name for what is the sea journey for the Road to Santiago. Thereupon, the crew will only have to walk about 50 kilometres to the city of Santiago de Compostela, a popular destination for pilgrims from around the world.
The ‘Leandros ‘is a 30 year old Formosa 51, a wooden sailboat with two masts, which is 16 meters long and weighs 24 tons. It left the port of Torrevieja Alicante on the morning of June 15th. That same evening it sailed into the Cartagena marina, making us the first port of call on its sea journey.
The captain, José Luis Brotons Daggers, was responsible for an international crew, consisting of native Argentinean, Chilean, Uruguayan, Polish and Spanish sailors. One of these sailors / pilgrims, Polish Lucas Nowak, explained that he saw the project on the Internet, and thereafter, he contacted the organization. A 25 year old electronic engineer and graduate in business management, he looked happy, as did the rest of the crew. They kindly showed us the boat inside and out, and before we parted ways, they commented on the excellent reception they had received from staff at the Cartagena marina, the wonderful setting and the convenience of the port.
We parted wishing these pilgrims a safe journey and a safe return back to the Marina.