5th June, 2013. Pat, Richard and Ciara all got away safely and on time for their flights yesterday and shortly after 5pm John Watson and Sam Atkinson arrived to take their places.
After three days on Povoa I was keen to start south and take advantage of the light winds predicted for the next few days as there is the potential for stronger winds from the south later in the week. We went to bed early so as to be ready for a 7:30am departure but I was somewhat put out to be awoken at around 4:30 by what sounded like an air-raid siren!! John had told us that he had experienced sirens during a previous trip to Portugal which were to announce the arrival of the Sardine Fleet. Well I am glad they have got in safely, but would someone please turn off this wailing din!!
The sound continued on as I tried to get back to sleep. Finally I arose just before 7:00am to find we were surrounded by fog and the wailing was actually the local fog-horn going off. I was still happy to get going as AIS and radar would let us know if there was anything to worry about and the waters are clear of any obstacles along our chosen course. We set off therefore at 7:30 and breakfasted on the way.
By mid-morning the visibility had improved a little – around two miles, Sam had the fishing line out and the only thing to do was look out for fishing buoys. After all the action of the previous leg the trip from Povoa to Figueira de Foz was a bit of an anti-climax – but, if anything, that was a relief!! We arrived just after 8pm and went through the formalities before moving to the berth we were allocated and then setting off to town to find something to eat. We settled on an attractive fish-restaurant and I ordered their equivalent of Cod & Chips. Well, it was a bit different to what we get in the UK. Absolutely superb and more than I could eat. First time I have ever been defeated by fish and chips!!
Next day, the 6th, we planned to sail from Figueira to Cascais, including a night sail. We left after a brief shopping trip and to begin with all was well. We set off under a sunny blue sky with light breezes at just the right angle to enable us to make a good course for the passage. John decided to cook a chicken supper and spent some time down below happily preparing things for a 7pm meal, however, by 6pm we could see the weather was deteriorating and he decided to bring the meal forward half an hour to let us eat before we had to take action.
The meal was superb but by the time we finished eating the wind had increased and started to head us and we were getting wet from heavy drizzle. Time to top up! We now had to motor to make progress and I was less than happy at the thought of motoring in the darkness in poor visibility with lobster pots coming at us thick and fast. We decided to put in to Nazare for the night and take stock in the morning.
The pilot book describes the approach to Nazare as being very easy and safe. Clearly the author hasn’t been out there as dusk is falling and visibility has been partially obscured by drizzle. All I can say is, thank God for GPS!! We could see lights from several miles out but none of us could see the navigation lights denoting the entrance. In fact we were less than a mile and a half from the entrance by the time we saw the red and green lights flashing on each of the harbour entrance walls. Fortunately it was quiet when we entered the harbour itself and we had no difficulty finding a suitable berth to snug down in.
On Friday morning I went up to the marina office to complete the formalities. I have to say my experience with all the Portuguese marina staff so far has been excellent. They have all been very helpful – even when telling us the facilities don’t work!! We managed to get limited WiFi access, enough to see we weren’t going anywhere on the water that day!
We set off for the walk to Nazare town centre with the specific goal of getting fresh food for that evening meal. Nazare has a superb Fish, Fruit and Veg market and John spent a happy half hour selecting three beautifully fresh Sea-bream and complimentary veg. By the time we walked back to the boat the rain was starting to fall and the wind, as forecast, was blowing strongly from the southwest. In the evening, however, exactly as predicted, the wind dropped and the sun tried valiantly to put in an appearance. Time to get the Cobb out and set about the evening meal. John excelled himself and we had a real feast that evening complete with fresh strawberries and chilled Vinho Verde.
Saturday 8th June
The winds were forecast to be much better for us today so we were up early for a 7am departure. However, whilst the winds were certainly ok, the weather was certainly VERY disappointing. There was 100% cloud cover, it was cold (probably around 14 degrees) and we experienced a succession of rain showers throughout the passage. The leg to the Peniche headland was hard work as the wind was fine on the starboard bow and varied from a light 8kts to around 15. On a couple of occasions the engine went on to assist us on our way. We had hardly seen another yacht on the water since we left the Solent but now, as we approached Peniche, here was a cluster of about a half a dozen all heading our way. We had the pleasure of calling “STARBOARD!!!!” on a fully crewed up Farr 40 bearing down on us at the head of this small fleet. Well, that was the excitement over, now back to our own sail.
Once we rounded Peniche the wind angle opened and we were really able to get moving. The wind varied between 12 and 15 kts and the boat absolutely flew. Apart from then rain, these were perfect sailing conditions and our log consistently showed 7 – 8kts boat speed. That ate up the miles and by early evening we were safely tied up in Cascais Marina. More about that next time.