Around Easter time there is a fiesta in honour to the Virgin de la Rabida in Sanlucar de Guadiana. They have a service and then a procession around the town with male dancers lead by a drummer who also plays a pipe. Looking down from the church spire with the river and Alcoutim in the background.
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My lunch at the Alcoutim Sardine Festival which takes place every year.
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Robert Black and the Journeymen at the Riverside a good night. All local musicians that write their own material - good stuff.
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Andrew and I organised a race for the young crew of Losadama Audrey & Damien. Starting on the Portuguese side they had to race across the river to Spain and back again twice under power and rowing. According to the race marshal Arne after penalties it was a draw - great fun.
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On the way back from Pomarao - just having fun and saving on fuel.
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Alex looking after things while I buzz around taking photos in the dingy.
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On Friday Arne, Alex, Lee and I headed up river from Pomarao for Mertola. We went up as fare as we could by yacht and then the remainder by dingy. As a we came round one of the bends we were surprised to come across this imposing and pretty little riverside town. It has long history as a trading port and a strong Islamic feel to it. There is an "Islamic Festival" that takes place every two years in May and recreates the Islamic period of the town with music, exhibitions, and a street market. This is one of the years so hope to go back.
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Looking down the river where we had come.
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On the Sunday to recover from over indulgence we headed for a walk into the countryside.
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Enjoying a fish super with Lee during the Festival do Peixe do Rio at Pomarao up river from Alcoutim.
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Under sail off Faro
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Rafted up again at Vila Real with Ayamonte in the background.
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I went from Faro to Culatra and meet-up with Arne & Alex who showed me round the island. We then sailed on to Olhao where we spent the night. I intend to come back much to explore.
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Heading down the Gudiana the easy way.
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What a ship!
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Arne and Alex have a very high tech monster catamaran 50 feet x 30 feet. I have been round for some meals with them and her father what a fantastic bunch and what a yacht. We had some fun rafting down the river together. It's almost like having a mother ship looking after you.
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Since Ben and the kids left It's been very mixed weather with some torrential rain at times. I have spent some time with friends in Bruce's ward and helped Paul on Noble Warrior sand off the boats bottom and just hiding from the rain as much as possible.
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It's a red letter day - back into shorts and tea shirt and I had to put the fridge on - yippee. A BBQ to celebrate with friends Arne & Alex.
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Ben Christopher and Samantha arrived as planned. We had a wonderful time and the weather was gorgeous, they spent a great deal of time on the Island and sandy beach. Ben did some beach combing and built a camp with some umbrellas and other bites and pieces that he found. Samantha adopted a sea slug that she found dyeing on the beach, revived it and released it to the sea. The children took to boat life very well considering that they are young and have all this energy. Ben and I were a little unsure if they would take to the aft cabin and sleep there all night on their own no problems. We had a BBQ on Warrior on the second day which was great fun. We all had a stroll around the town and had a meal at a local restaurant. Ben and the kids flew back to the UK and onward to the US a day or two later. It was just fantastic having them visit.
The weather since them leaving has been very mixed and I am writing this at anchor with a 30+ knots wind blowing and torrential rain, think I sore some lightning as well. I'm in for this for the next couple of days before it gets better again. Just batten down, read sleep and eat until then. The only problem is that I forgot to get some milk so its black tea for the next few days, can't go ashore in this.
Up-date: A break in the weather quick dash, got my milk!
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Ben is master at building beach camps
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Ben and the kids
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It was just part of a wreck ...
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Sam with adopted friend
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Well folks did my first 6-hour passage from Villa Real in the mouth of the Guadian to Faro. The reason for this is that Ben my eldest is coming from the US to see me and bringing two of my three grandchildren, yippee. The youngest is saying with her Mum. I left Alcoutim on the 26th of Jan sailed down the river over two days and anchored in my usual spot just off the Fish Dock at Villa Real which is convenient for shops. Over the next few days got my gas, fuel and food and left after watching the tide and weather on the 30th. Lovely calm day could have done with some favourable wind but no complaints just motored. Took my time, as I needed to catch the flood up into the estuary at Faro, as it was I got there three hours early so just anchored and waited. Entered at dusk and it was dark by the time I was heading up river. It's well buoyed and I have my chart plotter. Anchored suitably and left in the morning for the Lagoon where I arrived at 10ish on the 30th. Just waiting for them to arrive on the 6th I can see the aircraft at the airport from the boat and the town is 15-minute dingy ride, beautiful anchorage.
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Arrived at the moorings in Alvor.
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I gave a friend a hand to take his yacht down the coast to Alvor and it also gave me an opportunity of see what I had to come. We had a great three days sailing, lovely weather and good easterly winds to blow us along. This is us coming in to Vilamoura Marina where we spent a couple of nights, luxury.
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Tony and Barbra sold their yacht a few months ago after sailing half way round the world and have bought some land on the Spanish side of the river. Some of us volunteered to give them a hand over a couple of days to clear some of the brambles and lay a path.
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We all needed a tea break, Tony on the right
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Any excuse for a barbeque - well we need to celebrate our achievements!!
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I got back to Warrior on the 6th and all is well. I gather that it has been very wet and strong winds so the temporary mooring I laid before leaving for the UK stood up to the test. There is a lot of water in the river and the ebb tide is fairly ripping out. It's a great deal warmer here and when I was lifting the mooring I was actually in shorts and a tee shirt yippee could do with some more sun though. I had a great Christmas at Gail's, she had all her family there including her Mother on Christmas day and Boxing Day apart from her eldest daughter, a great bunch.
Ozzy fell in love with a doll that Gail made for her grand daughter
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