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| Berlenga |
We left Nazare on 6
th October after filling up
with diesel. It was rocky rolly in the decreasing swell. We headed for the
beautiful Ilha de Berlenga, which was only 10 miles away. We had hoped to
anchor overnight but there was too much swell in the SE anchorage and the other
one was filled with moorings. After motoring as close in as Jeremy dared, he
turned away on a bearing to Peniche, 5 miles inshore.
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| Off Berlenga |
The harbour is sheltered from the northerly wind and swell
as is the long, sandy bay nearby. Our cruising guide said we could anchor off
the beach, so we did. After a couple of hours, Jeremy decided to go for a swim,
so he was wearing only his beach shorts when the Policia Maritima sped towards
us in their fast, black RIB. “Forbidden to anchor here,” they said. We had to
go into the harbour. We moved into the harbour and anchored in the SE corner.
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| Peniche Defences |
We were up at 6.30 am, which was just as well, because a
whole flotilla of fishing boats left Peniche at that time with continuous
engine noise and wake for the next hour. We had a long day ahead of us and
almost no wind and little swell. The sun rose but mist clung to the coast
refusing to be burnt off. We put out two fishing lines and settled into our one
hour watches. A few seabirds looked closely at our lures and ignored them but
one cormorant-type dived on the lure and the hook caught on its beak. We were
sure our line would snap, but it didn’t and by the time we’d hauled the poor
creature into the boat it had drowned. I felt so sad as we gave it a burial at
sea and went right off the idea of doing anymore fishing.
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| Christ overlooking Lisbon |
On we motored towards Cascais where an afternoon sea breeze
sprang up and we could fly our genoa. We zipped along at almost top speed (7
knots) and entered the Rio Tejo passing Fort de Sao Juliao on the north bank.
Ahead were the Torre de Belem and the impressive Pont 25 de Abril suspension
bridge with the city of Lisbon beyond. Just before the bridge there were many
tall masts of large racing yachts. There was not supposed to be any racing
until tomorrow, so we continued up river looking for a way through the pack. A
support RIB came by and gave us safe passage through the “Extreme Sailing
Series” fast catamarans.
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| We left these behind! |
Our GPS lost its signal, as it tends to, as we approached a
large, naval dockyard. Consequently, we lost the chart plotter as well, just at
the point when we were about to turn off the river and go along a channel to
Seixal on the south side. There were many fast ferries plying back and forth as
Lisbon emptied at rush hour, so we spotted some green and red buoys and made
for them. Jeremy revived the GPS and we made it to Seixal in one piece. Much of
the anchorage is taken up with a trot of moorings, some private moorings and a
pontoon. A French yachtie helped us find a place and we dropped the anchor just
before 7.00pm.
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| Beautiful Belem |
Much of the waterfront at Seixal and parallel street behind were
under construction. However, much has been done to welcome cruising yachts.
Sylvia, in the Tourism Office, speaks excellent English. For a small fee, hot
showers are available and a washing machine. Free computer terminals are in a
building behind and a well-stocked mini-mercado is just round the corner. It’s
a 15 minute walk to the ferry terminal and a 15 minute ride to Cais Sodre in
Lisbon.
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| Impressive Lisbon Square |
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