Portuguese Coast

Leixoes

It was only a short 3 hour hop from Povoa De Varzim to Leixoes and we had wind, but we could’nt get the pin our of old Harry so had to hand steer Rapau. The weather was very poor and cold and we anchored in the harbour which is very industrial, so just an overnighter and leave early next day was in order. Having fixed the problem with Old Harry (a bent pin), we were Ok for the 8 hour sail from Leixoes to Aveiro, only there was no wind so we had to motor all the way!

Aveiro

Rapau in Sae Jacinto Bay

The harbour of Sao Jacinto in the Aveiro estuary was very peaceful. The estuary is made up of salt marshes and sand spits so careful navigation was needed. We had to be at the entrance shortly before high water or it would be dangerous to enter as the tide can run at up to 8 knots through there and according to the pilot book a yacht was lost there in 1999 trying to enter in a 3m swell. Sao Jacinto itself had a military base and not much else, there was a small grocery shop with mostly empty shelves but Keith did find one with beer as stocks were low on the boat! We took a ferry and bus to the town of Aveiro which was very ‘Venice-esk’. There were trippeer boats that looked like gondolas going up and down the river.

The ferry from Sao Jacinto to Aveiro

Aveiro river looking very Venice-like.

Figueira da Foz

Another 8hour on the engine as no wind again (thought this was a sailing trip!) to Figueira da Foz were we were forced to go into the most expensive marina we have come across as no anchoring permitted in the harbour. It was also the most tatty marina and facilities with no help from the staff, no wi-fi , they would take only cash as the card machine was not working and the last weather forecast posted up was 2 September (this was 20 September!)

Nazare

7 hours down the coast was the seaside town of Nazare, there we were met by Captain Michael Hadley an old Captain Birds Eye look–alike who was standing on the pontoon (only marina berthing again) with a pipe in his mouth and waving madly at us with some kind of signals that we did not understand. This eccentric Welshman and his wife came into Nazare to shelter from a storm 10 years ago on their way back from the Mediterranean and have never left. He gave us instructions about everything and during our 2 day stay we watched him see people in, walk around and tell people off and generally own the marina. He was very helpful and obliging however, as Keith did an oil change and needed to get hold of oil and filters and he gave us lots of information. We also went up the furnicular railway while we there and looked at the magnificent view from the top of the cliffs.

We were tied up right next to the fishing quay in Nazaire

View of Nazaire harbour from top of the cliff

View of people from the top of the cliff!

Sao Martinho do Porto and Peniche

Next stop was in the wave excavated bay of Sao Martinho do Porto. We just stayed the night where we rolled around at anchor. The entrance is very narrow and the pilot book warned about the dangers of trying to leave in a swell so we got out asap (remember here the swell has the whole of the Atlantic to build up the fetch!) Peniche was the next stop, again just for a night at anchor.

The narrow entrance to Sao Martinho do Porto that can be dodgy to leave

Lisbon

We passed Cabo de Roca which is the most westerly point of mainland Europe before we finally reached the entrance to the Rio Tejo on which Lisbon sits on 26 September. There is a lovely big anchorage were we anchored at Cascais, a town in the approaches to the river. The weather is definitely hotter and more settled, roll on getting even further south!!

Cabo de Roca, the most westerly point of mainland Europe

The anchorage at Cascaise

PORTUGAL

16 September 2009

Poava de Varzim

It is blowing a hoolie today. We moved the boat into the marina yesterday evening after she had dragged her anchor and we felt safer as it is such a small harbour.


PORTO

Yesterday we took the metro into Porto which took around 50 minutes. Grapes are grown to produce the port some way up the river Douro and have been grown there since pre-Roman times. They would have the tourist believe that after the wine is produced (the finest vintage being tread by foot) it is transported 100 miles down the river on the boats pictured to cool lodges at Oporto where it is put in casks to age. We did find out that it is actually transported by lorry these days, a 2½ hr journey. Although they said the finest vintage was still tread by foot.

The boats that carry the casks containing the Port down the river. They have a Viking appearance as the Vikings were in Porto long ago.

View across the river to the distilleries



Steep hills to walk up to get there so thirsty work

We walked up some very steep hills to go get to Taylors est. 1692 (Taylors, Yeatman and Fladgate these days as recommended in the pilot book) and learned all about the different types of Port, Chip dry, LBV, Tawny and Vintage and got to taste a couple of ample sized samples. On top of that the tour was free! So we bought a glass of 10 yr old and 20 yr old to try after the tour and I would like to say I could really tell the difference.....but I might be lying! Keith thinks he could detect some difference, so we just bought a couple of bottles of reserve (cheap one).

Taylors aging premises




They had 3 million litres in these barrels in this one room!

Keith continuing 'the education'

We then thought we would try Crofts (just for market research of course), so we had to walk further up the hill to try their tour and free tasting (glasses nothing like as full as Taylors if you ever go there!) Apparently the higher up the hill they are the longer established they are as the prime spots are high up the hill. For you Port buffs Taylors was the 4th, above them were Croft, then Sandeman,s then can’t remember the highest, never walked that far! (I told you we only went for the education).

Crofts tasters

One or two barrels of Crofts (can't get one of them in your handbag!)

PORTUGAL

PORTUGAL

We stayed in Baiona a couple of days longer than we planned. First we found an electrician to have a look at the Solar panel and do a temporary repair on it (still in our quest to find ways to put power into the batteries especially as with no fridge we have warm beer/wine and the long life milk goes off after a day or two). Then the day we got up to leave there was thick fog which didn’t clear until after lunch so it was a little late to leave by then so we had to postpone till the following day. The fog was thick the following morning also but we managed to get away at 12 noon.

The boat next to us in the fog! We delayed leaving!


12 September 09
Viana Do Castelo

We motored all the way down the coast as the wind (what there was of it) was on the nose, this is an expensive business so we hope the wind will come back from the North as it is supposed to do round here! It took 8 hours to motor down to Viana do Castelo in Portugal and we raised the Portuguese flat on crossing the border, and celebrated our crossing with a beer.

Raising the Portuguese Flag

The problem with these Portuguese places is most places don’t allow you to anchor. We have gotten used to the 3 D’s, Destination arrival, Drop anchor, Drink beer, so having to mess around with fenders and warps and tie up, then take official papers to the marina office, wait around, then possibly get a beer and the worse thing of all ........they then make you pay! Hence we just stayed overnight so didn’t get to see much of the place but it looked like a nice town and we are told it is lovely if you like looking at churches. So we took a walk around the town that evening and looked at a few bars and very nice they were to (we did see some churches also looking nice in the dark).

Viana de Castelo (you can just make out 3 churches just in this picture).

An old hospital ship on display (Gil Eannes) which would have been interesting to look around if we had stayed.

The wind was very light again the next morning, so more motoring. Although we have seen very little traffic along this route, the bain of our life is the pot buoys. They litter the whole coast and we have to keep a fairly sharp look out to make sure we don’t run into one and get caught up in it. Even when we were in 40m of water fairly well off the coast they were still turning up

Pot buoys everywhere!

Povoa de Varzim

Next stop Povoa de Varzim, a little harbour about 6 hours down the coast were we found a spot to anchor, the marina lads were madly waving at us as we were anchorning and so we pretended we did'nt see them as they clearly did'nt want us to anchor were we did. Anyway they eventually gave up and went away. The town is listed in the pilot book as being a seaside town but apart from the sea front it has a lovely old part and an interesting fishing history. We also can get a metro straight into Porto from here to see the Port distilleries, only for education you understand.

Rapau anchored in Povoa Varzim harbour

The pretty streets of Povoa de Varzim

A wall which depicts the history of the fishing town

Ria de Vigo

After waiting all day on the visitors waiting pontoon in Baiona for the electrician to come and check out the wind vane we finally went out on the anchor after it was obvious he wasn’t turning up at 8pm. The next day we went up to Vigo and waiting 5 hours on the waiting pontoon to then be told that the electrician was not coming and couldn’t come till Mon (it was Thursday!) Keith finally worked out the problem with phone calls to the people who make it in UK and we ordered a replacement regulator to be delivered to us at Baiona.

Moana

Moana sea front

We left for Moana that evening as there is no anchoring in Vigo and we have become adverse to paying for marinas. In Moana the outboard decided to break down. We found a man who fixes everything from motorbikes to lawnmowers and he mended it. The nice thing about this part of Spain is that next to nobody speaks English, so it is usually fun trying to get what is needed with our ‘phrase book’ Spanish! Keith is really upset that we will soon be leaving for Portugal just as ‘he is getting to grips with Spanish’ (as he put it), don’t think the Spaniards would agree with that though!

Rapau at anchor in Moana

San Adrian

At anchor in San Adrian

Next stop was the top of the Ria. We sailed under the Rande suspension bridge, which carries the Atlantic highway, into an almost lake type-setting and anchored of San Adrian. It was beautifully quiet and ashore was just a sailing club hut, and slightly posher type sailing club (guess which one we frequented). I went for a walk to the shop (over an hour away) while Keith played with his nuts, and bolts. A Dutch guy called Bart came over to the boat for a chat telling us he has lived on his 74 year old wooden boat at this village for the last 4 years, he told us about the place, his life, everybody else’s life, but there was method in his m

adness as he accosted us in the sailing hut that evening and managed to relieve us of a few beers!

They keep their cement mixers in funny places here!

View from up the hill in San Adrian

Baiona

View to breakwater in Baiona

At the castle in Baiona

We motored the 3 ½ hours down the Ria to Baiona which was going to be our final destination in Spain, and where we were to pick up the regulator for the wind vane. Baiona is a beautiful place at the entrance to Ria Vigo. It is a tourist town very clean and well kept with lovely beaches. We went for a walk to the castle which used to be one of the Spanish Royal Family’s summer residences apparently. Seaya was also at anchor in Baiona so we took this opportunity for Keith and Bob to get me up the mast to put the flag up the backstay as it keeps getting tangled withthe Old Harry in its present position.

From the top of the mast in Baiona