On Wed 25 August, I returned to Vigo with Air Europe via Madrid.
Tobin Bronze was in good condition as the marina staff had tended lines and obviously had looked after the boat. Yolande from the office said the boat was "tranquil." As good an adjective as any! The weather was warm to hot with the wind picking up as usual for Galicia in the afternoons.
The next day was overcast but warm with variable winds. Motored to Real Club Nautico, Vigo. Stern to mooring was a bit nerve wracking in 15kts of wind and I was very relieved when it went quite smoothly. No damage to Peter's pride or other boats! Woody arrived on train from Madrid at 21:30hrs. He had used up some of his air-miles to fly over from New Zealand to come sailing.
Sat 29/8. Visited Isla Cies for lunch. Hot and sunny. Moved on to Baiona where we encountered the only arrogant, rude Marinero to cross our path in all of Spain and Portugal. Even though I had phoned ahead and was told that there was a berth available for us in the Monte Real Club, the officious Marinero told us that we could not have make a reservation and that the marina was full, Which was a blatant lie as there were plenty of empty berths overnight. Anyway, 200 metres away, we were greeted with the usual friendly efficient welcome at Baiona Sports Marina and enjoyed a pleasant night there. The town was full of people and we had to wander around for a while to get into a restaurant.
Sun 30/8. After replentishing supplies, we took off for Lisbon about 215 nautical miles south. No hurry as we were scheduled to met John Quinlan on the Monday a week later.
Winds were prodominately westerly to northerly and generally pretty light. We spent most of the time motoring but squeezed in a couple of good sails when the wind was right. Very rarely was the wind forward of the beam which is sailing as it should be.
Sunset in the Minho River between Spain and Portugal
Look in the Photo Album 'Vigo to Faro, Sept 2010' for an enlarged image.
We spent one night at anchor in the Minho River where we lowered the Spanish courtesy flag and raised the Portuguese flag. The entrance to this river gave us an introduction to the hazards of swell along the Atlantic coast. Going in was not too bad - at half tide on the flood there were 1.5 to 2.0 metre waves even though it looked absolutely beneign from offshore. Coming out on the ebb was a different story although it was also half tide and wind conditions much the same. The 1 to 2 knot ebb current against the swell created waves that were twice as bad. Even though we knew there was enough water, it was still a white knuckle ride. Next time, do it a high water and slack current. Still it was worth it as it is a wonderful anchorage.
Monday and Tuesday nights were in the marina at Leixeos, the port for Oporto.
Wednesday night we found an excellent restaurant in Figueiro do Foz. As we wandered around the town, we noticed people hurrying into the Cacarola Restaurant near the Casino. In spite of it being very busy we got a table inside. Excellent meal, including wine, for 40 Euros. Woody gave it his "Top Spot" award.
Thursday night in Nazare. Small marina at bottom of fishing port, a long way from the town.
On Friday we had a good sail to Ilha Berlenga but did not stop as the anchorage is very open and there was a considerable swell running. We sailed on to Perniche where we anchored in the main harbour as the visitors' berths in the marina were closed due to work being carried out in the marina. We didn't bother going ashore as we arrived late afternoon and it was a long way across to the slipway.
We carried on down the coast around Cabo Raso and then east into the Tagus River to Lisbon. It was a beautiful Saturday evening as we crawled up the river against the ebb current and into Doca do Alcantara Marine which is just in behind the main passenger liner terminal. Lisbon is a lovely city and we enjoyed being tourists on Sunday and Monday.
River Tagus leading to Lisboa.
Look in the Photo Album 'Vigo to Faro, Sept 2010' for an enlarged image.
John arrived at 22:15hrs on Monday evening. Our excuse for the rather noisy welcome on his arrival at the marina was that he was late and we had been drinking on empty stomachs!
The Imperial Guard parading outside the Maretime Museum and Cathedral.
Look in the Photo Album 'Vigo to Faro, Sept 2010' for an enlarged image.
On Tuesday morning we sent John around Lisbon on the tourist bus, which Woody and I went on a couple of days earlier, while we went to the Maretime Museum. Portugal does have an amazing naval history and the museum is fascinating. We left the marina at 14:00hrs and had a good sail down to the small fishing port of Siesembra where we were allocated the last free berth in the marina. There were no other transit yachts there. It is a very smart, club run marina and was pretty expensive when compared with other marinas.
Inshore fishing boat returnibg to Siesembra Harbour.
Look in the Photo Album 'Vigo to Faro, Sept 2010' for an enlarged image.
Next day we had a great spinnaker run down to Sines which is another newish marina with excellent facilities and a friendly atmosphere. We were greeted by a helpful Welsh yachtsman who has been there for three years. On his recommendation we dined cheaply at a restaurant near the fort in the town. We also chatted to John and Wendy off the Kiwi sloop "Beyond". They are on their way back to NZ after wintering at St Katherine's Dock in London.
We had now logged 365Nm from Vigo.
One of the few times when the wind was a bit cool!
Look in the Photo Album 'Vigo to Faro, Sept 2010' for an enlarged image.
We decided to sail on Thursday evening for the next leg which was approximately 85Nm around Cape St Vincent, the most SW point of Europe. Basking in the reflected glory of his "Basque Fish Stew", which he had made earlier in the summer, John prepared a stew before we left. If he had a recipe to work from, he must have thrown it away as there seemed to be a lot of improvisation involved.
There was a fresh northerly wind blowing at 15kts as we left at 17:00hrs on a southerly course. With one reef in the main and six wraps in the genoa we had some fast sailing in a lumpy sea and 2.5 metre swell. With a bit of help from the current we had hourly log readings of 7.0kts, 7.1kts, 6.6kts, 6.6kts, 6.6kts and then 5.8kts as the wind veered and died on us.
At 22:30hrs we picked up the Cape St Vincent from over 20 miles away but by 23:00hrs the wind had died and it was back on with the motor. Without the wind in the sails to steady the motion of the boat, we rolled considerably for the next 3 hours until we were around the Cape.
A few comments from the log: "Venus very bright. Clear sky. The Plough constellation getting closer to the horizon in the north. Steering towards where the Milky Way met the ocean to the south. Orion and Siries rising from the SE. Sirius reflecting on a calm sea after Cape St Vincent.."
It really was a spectacular sail.
As were had made such good time we had to dawdle along the western Algarve coast to arrive at Lagos at sunrise. We tied up at the waiting pontoon outside the marina at 07:00hrs. Sunrise was at 07:12hrs. We now had 448 nautical miles on the log.
Canal leading up to the lifting bridge at Lagos Marina.
Look in the Photo Album 'Vigo to Faro, Sept 2010' for an enlarged image.
We met Gail and Stephen from Darwin on their catamaran "Gone Troppo". They have recorded theirr adventures on www.gonetroppo.org
Sat 11 Sept saw us motoring in hot sunshine to Culatara Island in the approaches to Faro. We anchored for the night in the protected anchorage north of the Island. We enjoyed lunch ashore after exploring the island in the morning. That evening we moved up the channel in the lagoon to Olhao. Visitors are not allowed into the marina but we squeezed into the tiny anchorage outside the fish market. John Q. departed on Monday morning and Judy arrived Monday evening.
John Q. inspecting the beach on the south of Culatara Island.
Look in the Photo Album 'Vigo to Faro, Sept 2010' for an enlarged image.
Over the next week we sailed down the coast and 20 miles up the Guadiana River to Alcoutim where we stayed a couple of days. At Alcoutim, we met up with John and Wendy on "Beyond" and also with Andy and Pam on "Felice". We first met Andy last year at the propellor replacing party in Caraminas. Pam remembered it very clearly as Andy had fallen in the water on the way back to "Felice" after the party.
Kiwi boat 'Beyond'. Enjoying Spain before heading off across the Atlantic on their way back to NZ.
Look in the Photo Album 'Vigo to Faro, Sept 2010' for an enlarged image.
We returned to Faro and dispatched Judy back to Bristol while Woody and I cleaned up TB prior to lift-out in Bruce's Boatyard in Faro. The yard can only be reached at high tide as the channel dries out at low water.
In Faro for laying TB up for the winter.
Look in the Photo Album 'Vigo to Faro, Sept 2010' for enlarged images.
The voyage from Vigo had taken 628 nautical miles and we had run the engine for nearly 100 hours.
Sunset in Faro.
Look in the Photo Album 'Vigo to Faro, Sept 2010' for an enlarged image.