Emerald with her downwind rig

Sunday 6th October
During the night another boat had come into the anchorage right in front of us and we were pretty sure they were over our anchor. As we pulled in the chain with the windless Emerald moved closer and closer to their stern. A couple of meters off we reversed to stop us being pulled into them, tried shouting them up, but no response. If we got closer they would get our boat hook banging on the hull to wake them. As it was, perhaps with the combination of reversing and poorer holding we were able to drag our anchor from under them and then up. And what a surprise, there was loads of anchoring room for them to have given us plenty of clearance, particularly as they'd come in at night. What do these people think?

With a F4 gusting F5 off the port stern we tried motor sailing for a while to get a bit of ground covered and then switched the engine off, sailing with just the genny. Then a squeaking noise started up from the stern. Looking back we could see the hydrovane at a funny angle and wobbling from side to side. We had put a full water can in the dinghy and the weight of it had pushed the dinghy against the Hydrovane and popped it off it's lower bracket. We needed to get the rudder off to prevent damage to the vane; everything we could think of that could fall off was tied on to the stern rail and Colin played at 'hook the pin' with the boat hook. He won and the rudder came free and lifted out easily. So that's a job for tomorrow to fix the vane.

We were doing ok sailing but the wind speed was up and down and our boat speed average was too low to get us in before dark. We got the staysail out and managed to keep it on the opposite side to the genny for a bit more speed but the genny kept collapsing in the swell. Time for the pole!

The only time we have tried the pole was anchored in St. Mawes without the genny attached. Now we had to try it on a rolly boat with the genny and with slightly fuzzy memories of how we last did it. We were slow and a bit faffy as we tried to work out which line had to where without tangling, but we got it sorted with the pole bridle lines now marked ready for where to tie them off next time.


Approaching Cape St Vincent

We had a great sail for a few hours, the wind picking up to F5 gusting 6 and Emerald doing 7 knots. Then the wind died right back to a F3 and our speed with it. We wanted some daylight spare in case of any problems so motored the last few miles to the Cape.


Cape St Vincent and it's interesting shaped rock!

With the winds still light and the seas fairly calm we decided to go close in to the cliffs of Cape St. Vincent to enjoy the scenery. As we rounded Colin saluted with the ensign, we had a couple of beers to celebrate, pouring Nepture some as a thank you for safe passage. The Cape did have a small sting; as we fully rounded the wind howled off the cliffs with a F6, still strong until we were tucked up under them at the anchorage in Ensenada de Belixe. We 'd not expected to be able to sail today but managed 35 miles and we got to try out the pole.


View from the anchorage

We visited a friends boat for Cape rounding celebrations as the lighthouse on the cape swung it's beam over the top of the cliffs. A dramatic place to anchor, just with a slight swell rolling in.

Emerald is in the Algarve! We will try to stay out for October, anchored as much as we can to offset some of the marina costs in September. The forecast looks good for the next two weeks with warm sunshine, so fingers crossed we keep it for the whole month.