Me coming in to land at Alcoutim.

It is amazing how quickly the days slip by and Salara stayed at anchor at Culatra in the Ria Formosa for almost a week, basically I was just being idle and lazing in the sunshine. After all my hard work in the boatyard I felt entitled to a short holiday. I buzzed about the anchorage testing my new outboard motor and talked to other yachties who were anchored nearby some of whom I knew from previous sailing seasons. One of the topics of conversation was the fact that the authorities have been clearing out a lot of the old yachts from the long term anchorage in the lagoon where some people have lived aboard for many years. They have also removed lots of allegedly illegally erected summer homes in the Ria Formosa, the object being to return the area to nature. How long will yachts be free to anchor here I wonder?
When the tides were favourable I left the Culatra anchorage and headed east along the coast to the Spanish town of Ayamonte and the Rio Guadiana. It was an uneventful trip and Salara motored all the way against a slight headwind. It was two hours before high water as she entered the marina at Ayamonte with just enough depth of water to reach a visitor´s berth as the marina is silting up badly.
I have always enjoyed visiting Ayamonte but my main reason for booking into the marina was to break my stay in Portugal to avoid falling foul of the Portuguese Cruising Tax. I now have proof that Salara has been berthed in Spain. I spent three nights in Ayamonte and while I was there I purchased an additional 75watt solar panel in an attempt to keep pace with power comsumption on board and so limit the amount of hours that I have to use the engine to charge the batteries. The plan was then to go further up the Rio Guadiana to Sanlucar, instal the new solar panel while at anchor and maybe have a beer or three with a friend who lives locally.
When Salara left the marina she was accompanied by the Biscay 36 Bonny with Geraldine and Gavin aboard whom I had met in the marina and who were on a mission to ride the zip wire across the Rio Guadiana from Sanlucar, Spain, to Alcoutim, Portugal. I was also of a mind to do the same so we joined forces. Four hours later both yachts were safely at anchor and we were making plans.
We booked for the zipwire at their office near the quay at Sanlucar at a cost of 17 euros and at the arranged time a party of us were taken by Landrover to the departure point on a steep hillside high above the river. We were all kitted out in climbing harnesses and safety helmets, given a briefing and launched along the 720 metre long zip wire to zoom across the valley and hit the buffers at Alcoutim having not only crossed the border between countries but also a time zone which put us one hour back. All very exciting for an old age pensioner like me.
Next day I had to knuckle down to work and instal the new solar panel, it took a little time but the results have been very encouraging despite the fact that most of the days since the installation have been fairly cloudy with occasional rain, which is the law according to Professor Sodde.
I had not intended to stay long at anchor on this stretch of river but I find it so pleasant that I am always reluctant to leave. This is not to say that it is without it`s problems. There are a lot of debris floating up and down on the tide, rafts of large bamboo type reeds, tree branches and waterlogged tree trunks, so it is a constant task clearing this stuff from anchor cables. In the short time that Salara was at anchor there were three instances of other yachts anchors being tripped by waterlogged debris. One yacht fetched up on the mudbank off Alcoutim and partially flooded, it had to be pumped out before it could be refloated.
Due to these risks I do not leave Salara unattended for very long and I always like to be on board at the turn of the tide which causes the yachts to yaw about alarmingly.
I left at dawn one morning on the start of the ebb tide and motored gently down the river while enjoying the bankside scenery as the sun peeped over the hills to the east and the hamlets on the Portuguese bank awoke. Salara passed under the modern suspension bridge just upstream of Ayamonte, I understand that there is twenty metres clearance at high water, plenty of room for Salara. I then anchored her on the Spanish bank just below Ayamonte and treated myself to a late breakfast.
I had to await the flood tide before there was enough depth of water to enable me to enter the marina so I tidied up on board and rigged mooring lines and fenders in readiness. I steered Salara into the marina during the afternoon and booked her in over the weekend while I made a couple of trips to the supermarket and topped up the freshwater tank.
I left Ayamonte and the Rio Guadiana on the Monday and headed westwards along the coast having decided to return to Portugal and spend some days anchored again at Culatra in the Ria Formosa. Salara motorsailed most of the way but later the wind became more favourable and as time and tide were on our side I sailed her for the last ten miles to the Faro/Olhau entrance. This time I managed to sail Salara right in and up to the anchorage which pleased me as the last time I had tried I had failed miserably. Salara was now safely at anchor and I could relax and enjoy a few days in one of my favourite places.