Sal Darago’s Ionian Odyssey Part 1

We spent two months at home in Suffolk. In August, we joined the Westerly Owners East Coast Group rally along the River Orwell. This was to celebrate the 60^th Anniversary of the Westerly Owners Association. We borrowed Emily and Ben’s yacht, Searose, for this. We enjoyed catching up with old and new friends as we ate and drank together at various locations along the river. Thanks to all the hardworking committee members who made it all possible.

Searose in Ipswich, Suffolk

 Two days before we flew back to Greece, we drove up to York for our great niece, Alice’s, 21^st party. Emily, Ben, Ellie and Sophie were there along with most of the Spencer clan and Alice’s friends. Everyone had a great time being amazed by a magician, eating a lovely buffet in a marquee in the garden, dancing and singing along to a karaoke band and taking part in a silent disco.

Ellie, Anna, Sylvie, Sophie and Alice on stage at Alice's party

 We had booked return flights from Stansted Airport to Preveza in Greece back in July, after doing our best to understand the 90 days in a “rolling” period of 180 days. We believed that if we left the Schengen area for two months, we could return for up to two months. As we researched further at home, it began to look like we could not do this. We had already spent 83 consecutive days in the Schengen area. It seemed that we might only be able to stay in Greece for a week.

“Don’t panic,” we told ourselves. “Check with Immigration at Preveza Airport and do what they say.” We were relieved when the officer said we could stay for three months. We only wanted a month. He checked with someone and came back and told us that was OK. Phew! The Ionian Odyssey could begin.

Launch day at Margarona Boatyard

 Jeremy and I both had bad colds when we arrived on Wednesday 30^th September. I felt particularly poorly. We hired a car for two days from Preveza Airport and Jeremy drove us to Margarona Boatyard. Sal Darago looked good apart from dirty decks. We drove to Lidl and stocked up with fresh provisions. Jeremy fitted the new gasket to the diesel tank. We unpacked and we slept.

Thursday was spent going back and forth to Customs. They would not release our papers until we applied online and paid our tax and transit charge to cruise in Greece for one month. This cost 33 euros and was exactly the same information as we had provided in July. I had a rest in the afternoon while Jeremy patched up SD’s antifoul paint, filled the water tanks and bottles and replaced the diesel in the tank. So far, no leaks. He replaced the outboard petrol tank outside in the dark. I wrote in my diary, “Just the fenders, horseshoe lifebelts and other stuff to do tomorrow.”

Preveza Anchorage

 Sal Darago was launched just before midday on Friday 2^nd October. I felt a little better after a good night’s sleep. The engine started first time and we motored to the anchorage off Preveza, where we stayed for two nights. The only leak was from the toilet!

The closed swing bridge, Lefkas Canal

 On Saturday, we were ready to start course planning. Simon’s old laptop with MaxSea on it, which had worked perfectly before, failed to start up. Fortunately, Jeremy had installed Open CPN on my laptop to use as back up. Normally, he would have brought his own laptop but that had crashed out never to work again while we were at home. We plotted a course to Nidri on Lefkas Island.

Santa Maura Fort and the entrance to the Lefkas Canal

 We left the anchorage the next day, stopping to take on diesel at the fuel berth in Preveza Marina. Soon we had the engine on and the genoa flying, making 6 knots towards the Lefkas Canal, where the road bridge opened every hour. We cut corners to arrive in time for the 1100 opening, only to find they were now operating their winter timetable, so it wouldn’t open until midday. We tied to a charter catamaran at the quay, chatted to the crew and waited. Once through the bridge the direction of buoyage changed and we had to remember to keep the red buoys to starboard. We anchored in a bay south of the canal. We stayed for two nights. During this time we went ashore to Ligia fishing harbour in the dinghy and caught a bus to a different Lidl supermarket. More provisions were purchased. We returned to Ligia by taxi.

Tranquil Bay

 Did I mention in a previous blog post that Jeremy had been in contact with Nick, a rowing friend and fellow World Youth Finalist, from his school days. Nick keeps his boat in Nidri. He had been very helpful to us on our journey to Greece. We had arranged to meet up with him and his friend, Bob, on Thursday afternoon. Nick recommended a quiet bay nearby, which he called Farm Bay, because of all the animals on the beach. We spent Tuesday night there and had a peaceful night.

Lara at Vlikho

 On Wednesday 8^th October we motored further south and anchored in Tranquil Bay, which was anything but tranquil, opposite Nidri. We took the dinghy ashore the next day, used the laundrette and post office, bought petrol and cooking gas and returned to SD for lunch. In the afternoon, we motored the short distance to Vlikho and anchored just beyond Nick’s yacht, Lara. We joined him and Bob on board Lara. It had been 46 years since we had last seen Nick. It was lovely to meet up at last. Later, we all went ashore to Elena’s Taverna for dinner. There was a thunderstorm at 0300. We were both safely anchored in Vlikho Bay.

Vathi Harbour, Meganisi

 We spent the next three days with Nick and Bob. We motored in company to Vathi on Meganisi. We learned a lot watching Nick and Bob anchor off and reverse to the fishermen’s quay, which had only just been vacated. Then it was our turn. I dropped the anchor and Jeremy reversed. Sal Darago always kicks to port in reverse. With a lot of help from Nick and Bob, we were soon secured with two stern lines ashore. The weather was very unsettled. Fortunately, it had been calm for our first attempt at berthing stern to. In the afternoon another thunderstorm arrived with NW winds up to 40 knots. We were in a good place being blown off our quay, but held securely by our stern lines. Opposite us, the boats had to beware of being blown into their quay if their anchors dragged.

Nick, Jeremy and Bob

 An inflatable dinghy came floating past with one oar and nobody in it. Jeremy managed to catch it with our boathook and tie it up alongside. He called a general message on VHF 16 for anyone who had lost a dinghy. Later, Rachel and Graham came along and identified their dinghy from their charter boat. The next day they gave us a bottle of wine to share as a thank you.

Jeremy, Kathy and Nick with our boats behind us

 During our three days and nights at Vathi, Nick, Bob, Jeremy and I ate out at Stravos and Pistrina Tavernas. I made a spaghetti Bolognese one evening and we all sat round the table on Sal Darago, eating, drinking and chatting. Nick and Jeremy reminisced about their school days. We also had sundowners on each other’s boats. Bob and Nick suggested anchorages and harbours we might visit during the next three weeks. Thank you Bob and Nick for your company and advice.

Jeremy, Nick and Kathy saying goodbye at Vathi

 On Monday 12^th October, we said goodbye to Nick and Bob. We watched them motor out of the harbour. From now on we were on our own.

Mahon, Menorca to Preveza, Greece.

 Our trip would take us to marinas and anchorages in Northern Sardinia, Northern Sicily and southern Italy and Western Greece.

Mahon Harbour

We left Isla del Rei, Menorca on Friday 26^th June, after Jeremy had been up the mast and replaced our wind instrument with the new one we’d had on board since buying it in Chichester Harbour. It was hot work in the calm of the morning. We didn’t feel we had to rush to start our journey as we were going to be at sea for two nights. We motored out of Mahon Harbour and anchored for lunch at nearby Cala S’Arenal Gran. Consequently, it was 1530 when we weighed anchor in light winds and began our journey.

We motored. Soon the wind headed us. The moon rose early and was visible before the sun sank in the west at 2100. There were very annoying noises coming from the starboard side of the cockpit. The rattle made sleeping in the stern cabin difficult. Neither of us could identify where the noise came from. It was possible to motorsail for a few hours with the mainsail and genoa flying.

 

Marina Castelsardo

At our change of watch at midnight, we were fascinated by the full moon making sparkling patterns on the sea like bright fairy lights switching on and off. Neither of us had seen this phenomenon before. It lasted for about an hour.

 

The anchorage at Baia Reporata

At first light Jeremy steered us through the Fornelli Passage on the west coast of Sardinia, where the least depths were 3 metres between rocky islets. Then I was on my own to cross the fairly quiet Torres Bay. There were a few ships going into Porta Torres, all a fair distance away – nothing to worry about, I thought. I was wrong. One of the ships was a ferry called Sara D moving at 13.2 knots and on a collision course with my port side. I had a sail flying. I was a sailing vessel. Surely, the ferry would go round my stern. I called Sara D on VHF 16 to tell them I was off their starboard bow and very close. My AIS (Automatic Identification System) gave two minutes to collision. I didn’t have time to call Jeremy up from his bed. Although, Sara D did not respond to my call, she steered hard to starboard and cleared my stern. It was a terrifying moment knowing we had only two minutes before being wiped out!

 

The beach at Baia Reporata

Two hours later we tied to the fuel berth at Marina Castelsardo and filled up with diesel. We were allocated a berth and tied up bows to a pontoon. A member of staff helped us in. The marina was great. It had everything on site e.g. showers, laundry, supermarket. We checked in and stayed two nights. Prices were reasonable at 35euros per night.

We looked for anchorages for our next stops as we knew prices for marinas would rise in July. Cala Spinosa on the north west corner of Sardinia looked sheltered from the north east winds, so we headed there on 30^th June. We set off in 6 knots of N-NE wind and a very gentle swell. Two hours later the swell was up to 1 metre and it was very rolly on board Sal Darago. There were lots of fishing pots to avoid. By 1400, we had 20-24 knots of NE wind and a rough sea with breaking waves. Cala Spinosa was not tenable. We rounded the headland and made our way to Baia Reporata. The swell decreased and the wind eased as we entered a bay with a beach ahead of us. Families were enjoying the sheltered beach, totally oblivious to the horrible conditions round the corner. We anchored as close as possible to the buoyed swimming area. Later, we were joined by two other yachts.

 

Calm weather just before the thunderstorm

The next day we left at 0710 for the inner passage of the Maddalena Archipelago. Part of this beautiful area is a national park where anchoring is not allowed. We would have to choose carefully. We had a strong wind behind us and made good progress under genoa only for most of the day. Around 10am many tourist boats, ferries, private motor yachts, sailing yachts and catamarans raced for the beaches. Some didn’t mind coming close at speed and knocking us sideways. Small speedboats zipped along. By midday it was quieter and the passage opened up giving us all more space. As we passed an island the wind shifted 180 degrees and dropped from 16 to 7knots! We furled the genoa, put the engine on and motored to Isola dei Porri, where we anchored for the night.

 

The Tower near Marina Caletta

We left at 0720 on Thursday 2^nd July and headed to Marina Caletta 26 miles away. We had emailed ahead to book a berth as many marinas and harbours can soon fill up in the summer months. We crossed a TSS (Traffic Separation Scheme) avoiding three inbound ships. During the morning the sky darkened, lightning flashed and thunder roared. Very heavy rain pounded down driven by variable winds from 3-28knots. We were both wet through and very glad we had no sails flying. It was still raining but not windy as we entered Marina Caletta and tied alongside the breakwater in front of a large catamaran. The charge for one night was 90 euros! We provisioned for two nights at sea, filled up with water, had showers and ate out at a nearby restaurant called Nouva Torres.

 

The Cathedral, Cefalu

We had 20knots of wind when we left La Caletta at 1120 the next day. The waves were short giving us a bouncy ride. With one reef in the mainsail and half the genoa flying we sailed for six and a half hours with the Hydrovane steering. In the evening the wind died down as forecast and we motored the rest of the way to Marina Cefalu. The starter motor developed am intermittent fault. Sometimes it would not start the engine. This was a worry. Fortunately, all went well. The nights were calm with the moon shining brightly. The days were hot, sunny and sweaty. We left Sardinia behind. On the second night we passed the island of Ustica and we could see the lights of Sicily ahead. We were able to sail for the last four hours of the passage giving the engine a rest. Would it start when we needed it?

 

Traditional, narrow streets in Cefalu

We called Marina Cefalu on the VHF radio as we approached. As before, we had previously emailed and booked a berth for two nights. It was very rolly and bouncy in the marina, which was exposed to easterly winds. The winds were light but the swell was big. The pontoon we were to tie to bows in was lifting and tilting. The member of staff was having difficulty standing. He managed to tie our bow lines on and Jeremy pulled up the rear mooring as we pitched and rolled. I could not get off the boat at all and Jeremy nearly injured himself in doing so. There were no toilets or showers. A free shuttle bus into town was included in the price of 85 euros per night. Fortunately, the next day was calmer. We caught the shuttle bus to a laundry in town, bought provisions, admired the traditional narrow streets, visited the ornate cathedral and ate out at a restaurant near the marina.

 

Leaving Isola di Vulcano

Our next anchorage was at Isola di Vulcano off a hamlet called Gelso. It was calm and peaceful. Just what we needed. It was hot with daytime temperatures reaching 35C. We left the next day, Wednesday 8^th July and headed for the Messina Straits, a narrow passage between Sicily and mainland Italy, steeped in legends of wicked spirits of the sea and monsters of the mountains, causing whirlpools and downdrafts that would sink ships and pluck sailors from their boats. Fortunately, it was calm and quiet for us, apart from the tankers, bulk carries and container ships that we had to avoid. There was a TSS to cross in order to be on the mainland side and three huge ships bearing down on the entrance to the northern TSS.

 

Mount Etna at sunset

Having survived that challenge, we enjoyed motoring south until the afternoon winds started to blow at 20 knots, aided by katabatic gusts from the mountains. We needed to fill up with diesel, so we pulled into the harbour at Reggio di Calabria. It’s a ferry port and a ferry was coming out, but once it had passed, we made our way to the yacht harbour and tied to the fuel berth. This was not easy as it was situated in the right angle of a stone harbour with walls on two sides and moored boats close to what should have been an exit. After filling up and paying the bill, the staff member disappeared. We were pinned to the fuel berth with gusty winds blowing and tried to work out how we could get out. Sal Darago’s anchor hit the wall when we went forward and the gear stuck in reverse when we went backwards. Crunch! We hit the wall with the corner of the stern.

 

The castle at La Castella

Once we were out of that dreadful place, we checked the damage. One bent anchor pin and quite a lot of wood shaved off the rubbing strake on the rear corner. Considering that we have a Hydrovane mounted on the rear and boarding ladders, we were relieved that they were untouched. Down below, there was no ingress of water. Phew! We continued our journey around the toe of Italy. It was a mix of strong winds and light winds with 22 knots off cliffs and headlands becoming 7 knots on the other side. At sunset Mount Etna looked stunning in the distance behind us. Ahead, there were many fishing pots to avoid. Take note, UK fishermen, these were lit at night with flashing, red, green and blue lights!

 

Natural beach, La Castella

We anchored the following afternoon off an undeveloped (i.e. no beach umbrellas or banana boats) beach about a mile from La Castella in southern Italy. We stayed for two nights and visited the castle and the town for sightseeng and provisions. We were caught out by the siesta and reached the supermarket just after it had closed for the afternoon. By chance, good fortune, or prayer the last afternoon bus arrived and it was going close to Lidl, which was open but maybe 10 or 15 miles away. Not only was the bus free, a young woman on board spoke good English and translated our plight to the bus driver. He phoned his friend, who was a taxi driver, and we had a taxi waiting to take us back to La Castella after we had done our shopping. The kindness of local people never ceases to amaze us on our travels.

 

Preveza Anchorage, Greece

On Saturday 11^th July, we left La Castella at 0715 and started our overnight passage to Preveza in Greece. Apart from the engine not starting at first and the bow navigation lights also not working at sunset, the passage was a mix of motorsailing and slow sailing. It took Jeremy an hour and a half to fix the bow light. An Algerian warship gave us cause for concern. It passed ahead of us, then circled quietly behind us and came within 200 metres! Then it went on its way and so did we, relieved that it left us alone. In the afternoon, we anchored off Preveza. We put our clocks forward an our to Greek Summer Time. We were here. We’d made it to Greece.

Gibraltar to Menorca

Passing Point Europa, south Gibraltar

 We left Gibraltar on Thursday 11^th June. Strong adverse winds were forecast for the next few days, so we decided to leave before they arrived. We would have liked an early start but Queensway Quay Marina has an oil boom across its entrance which did not open until 0830. We were at the boom as it opened and into the big ship dock which leads to Gibraltar Bay. A sudden, strong downdraft from the Rock hit the side of Sal Darago, causing her to heel steeply. Jeremy stopped taking in fenders and lines and returned to the cockpit.

The bay was much quieter and we were able to stow our fenders and lines and hoist the mainsail with one reef in it. We motorsailed around the southern point of Gibraltar to find 17knots of wind dead on the nose. Surprisingly, there was little swell, although progress was jerky. We were very happy to tie up to the fuel berth in Puero de Banalmodena Marina (not far from Malaga and much cheaper). After taking on fuel, we moved to a berth. Later we enjoyed hot showers and a good night’s sleep.

 

Jeremy steering us away from Ensenada de la Herradura

The next day the winds were much quieter as we motorsailed along the Spanish Mediterranean coast. We were able to anchor for the night in Ensenada de la Herradura. I snorkelled for the first time this trip.

 

Leaving Ibiza behind

Our strategy was to keep inshore as much as possible to keep out of the west going current. We continued motoring in light winds to Adra. As we approached, a steep swell met us with breaking waves near the harbour entrance. Once inside we had to make a 90 degree turn into the marina and all was quiet and calm. Very quiet. The office was closed, but we tried telephoning and using VHF09. A man answered in Spanish. Jeremy used English with a few Spanish words and we found out we had to moor on Pier 5. No-one was coming to help. Eventually, we tied up stern to and picked up a mooring for the bow. We paid our marina fees and went to a shop called Consum. Amongst our provisions, we bought Crunchy Nut Cornflakes, the first time we’d seen them since leaving the UK.

 

Late evening with Mallorca in the distance

Now, we had a choice to make. We could continue along the Spanish coast or we could leave Adra and sail directly to Ibiza. We checked the weather forecast and decided on Ibiza. This would mean two nights at sea. There was enough wind to sail with twin headsails for a while, but this died down overnight and we motored. Jeremy called me up out of bed at 0400 as something had gone round the prop and nearly stopped the engine. He needed to go overboard to check. Whatever it was, had dropped off by itself.

Puerto Soller, Mallorca

As the calm weather was continuing, we agreed after some discussion, to continue on to Mallorca and not stop in Ibiza. We motorsailed past Ibiza mid-morning on Tuesday 16^th June just as the fast tourist catamarans and motor boats were leaving the island to take hoards of people to various beaches. Then all was quiet again as we crossed the Canal de Mallorca. I did not want to spend a third night at sea, so we headed for Puerto Soller on Mallorca’s west coast. Moorings and marina berths can cost over 100 euros per night in high season. Anchoring is free. Puerto Soller is a large bay. Part of it contains a marina and there are many moorings but there should still be some space to anchor. The only downside was that it would be three o’clock in the morning when we arrived and we would have to anchor in the dark.

 

Sunset in Puerto Soller, Mallorca

I was on the bow with a spotlight while Jeremy gilled around trying to decide which of the many yachts and catamarans were on anchor or moorings. It took a while to find a spot and even after anchoring, we decided to put an angel (heavy weight) on the chain, to keep us away from the nearest boat. We slept well. Sal Darago turned with all the other boats and we were not disturbed.

 

The dramatic NW cliffs, Mallorca

We had been in contact with our friends, Andy and Moira, since leaving the UK. They were flying out to their apartment in Menorca and we wanted to meet up with them if possible. Consequently, we tried to book moorings in Menorca, through IB Ports, said to be the cheapest operators of moorings. We spent most of the next morning on their website, only to be told they had no available moorings in Menorca for the next 4 days. We turned to our cruising guide and looked for anchorages. It was likely we would find a space in Cala del Amorrado on Menorca’s west coast. We emailed Andy and asked if he could find us affordable moorings in Mahon.

 

Cala del Amorrado, Menorca

We weighed anchor at 0730 on Thursday 18^th June and left Soller. It was 56 miles to Cala del Amorrado in Menorca and there was little wind until we reached the NW corner of Mallorca with it’s dramatic cliffs. The wind strengthened dead on the nose and the sea was lumpy until the late afternoon. At last low-lying Menorca came into view and we anchored safely in a lovely bay with sea caves to explore. Andy and Moira had arrived at their apartment and we thought we would meet them in Mahon in a day or two.

 

Andy and Moira in Cala Galdana

As it turned out, they weren’t in Mahon. They were in Cala Galdana on the south coast. We’d meet them there. We’d been heading north when we got a call from Andy. We turned around, sailed nicely on the west coast, then hit the full force of the easterly wind as we turned along the south coast. We anchored in the entrance to Cala Galdana at 1515. It had been a rough passage. Andy met us half an hour later at the dinghy slipway. We walked up a steep hill to the apartment and down lots of steps. Moira joined us and soon we were sitting on their terrace drinking beer and exchanging our news.

 

Kathy in Cala Galdana 

Andy and Moira were very kind to us, giving us the run of their apartment including using their washing machine (we had three loads) their swimming pool and their shower. Thanks guys! We all went out for dinner together the next two nights and then we were off to Mahon.

 

The Naval Hospital on Isla del Rei

Andy arranged a mooring for us with the same company he uses for his own sailing boat. The prices were reasonable and we had a choice of two marinas. We chose Marina del Rei, a floating island of pontoons near Isla del Rei. Moira had lots to do in Carla Galdana, once she and Andy had replaced the tyre that blew out on their car. Andy had a day with us on Sal Darago. We had a leisurely motor to Cala Es Grau, where we had lunch, followed by a slow sail under genoa back to Mahon.

 

Jeremy relaxing on Isla del Rei

The week passed quickly. Andy and Moira flew back to the UK. Jeremy went up the mast using our canvas mast steps and replaced our wind instrument. It was hot work, but would be good to know the speed and direction of the wind once more. The next day, Friday 26^th June, we set sail for Castelsardo in northern Sardinia.

Marina del Rei, Mahon

 

Camarinas, Atlantic Spain to Gibraltar

 We left lovely Camarinas on Thursday 28^th May for the 68 mile passage to Baiona. The wind looked perfect on the forecast but there was not enough to sail until 1300hrs. We put two poles up and flew twin headsails all the way to Baiona. We decided to anchor for the night off the beach at Panjon, which is just across the bay from Baiona.

The Pinter in Baiona, Spain

The next day we contacted Baiona Marina to book a berth for one night. They no longer had a fuel berth, so we took on diesel at Monte Real Club de Latas de Baiona nearby. A famous person had been here before us and his ship, The Pinter, was tied up nearby. We returned to Baiona Marina and tied to their long pontoon for the night. We were surprised that there was no security. There were no gates requiring keys or codes for berth holders and the toilets and showers were always open.

 

Torn sacrificial strip

Jeremy had researched bicycle shops, so we walked along to one that happened to be owned by an English speaking Belgian, who was also a sailor. He didn’t usually have parts but he did have a sprocket somewhere. He found it and amazingly, it was the right size for our anchor windlass. Back on Sal Darago, Jeremy took the anchor windlass apart again and fitted the new sprocket. Would it work this time? We wouldn’t know until we anchored. We provisioned and prepared Sal Darago for our next passage, which would be two nights at sea, and would take us to Cascais in Portugal.

I remembered in the morning that we needed to mend the tears in the sacrificial strip on the genoa. For non-sailors, this is a long strip of usually different coloured cloth sewn along the long edge of the genoa. When the sail is furled, this sacrificial strip protects the sail from sunlight and prolongs the life of the genoa. Ours needs replacing soon. In the meantime, Jeremy was able to stick spinnaker tape over the tears. Fortunately, there was little wind, so we were able to do this.

 

Passing Cabo Sao Vicente, Portugal, in rough seas

We left Baiona at 0900hrs. By lunchtime we had two poles up and we were flying twin headsails. The northern Portugese Trade winds were helping us and we had current in our favour. The wind was cold even when it was sunny. The lumpy sea became a noticeable swell and there were a few breaking waves. At night, we had to watch out for fishing vessels as we passed Aveiro in Portugal. Towards the end of the second day the conditions were good. There were no strong wind warnings. We were near enough to mainland Portugal as we passed Berlenga Island to pick up a forecast from Windy on our phones. If we stopped at Cascais, we could be stuck there for a while as strong winds were coming. If we continued, we should be round Cabo Sao Vicente before they arrived. This was confirmed by a local forecast on Navtex, our weather receiver on board, which said “N/NW 5-6. Visibility good to moderate. NW waves 1.5m to ?”We were left guessing how big the waves were going to be.

We decided to continue and spend a third night at sea. It all started well until I had to make a course change at 0200. The small genoa I was flying suddenly backed and our wind pilot, Hydrovane, could not steer us back on course. I hand steered and tried to sail the course. I needed to furl the genoa completely but I couldn’t leave the helm. I called Jeremy up from his bed. This was too much for me to handle in the middle of the night. Later, on his watch, Jeremy took down the No.2 jib and steered by reefed genoa alone.

Alice and Zofia trying new dishes

By 0800 we had 17-24 knots of wind behind and breaking waves. We broached. I furled the genoa more and took Stugeron. The barometer fell 4hps. Sal Darago continued surfing, swinging and rolling in the boisterous sea. Fishing trawlers were out in these awful conditions. The sun shone and the sky was blue, which seemed odd. As we approached Cabo Sao Vicente, the wind eased but the sea continued to be big and lively. We tied our companionway boards in place. I went down below to steer by auotopilot, Neco, as Jeremy had started the engine. Amazingly, there was a motor catamaran coming towards us steering into the wind! We steered to starboard and passed safely.

 

Alice

Cabo Sao Vicente was impressive with its high cliffs and lighthouse. We altered course for Sagres Bay. We had one more point to go round. Henry the Navigator had his “school” on top. We could see the remains. At 2100 Spanish time, we dropped the anchor in Sagres Bay. It was still windy but it was calm and we were safe. The following morning the anchor windlass with it’s new sprocket lifted the anchor. Hurrah!

 

Kathy, Alice, Zofia and Jeremy at Chipiona

After a good night’s sleep were set off for Portimao at 0800. It was a short trip of only 18 miles and we were there by lunchtime, having sailed with 2 reefs in the mainsail and a small genoa on a beam reach (said to be the fastest point of sail.) As usual, we checked in, found somewhere for lunch, shopped at a supermarket and had showers back at the marina. We couldn’t do our laundry as the facility was closed at 1830.

 

Alice and Zofia

Our next destination along the beautiful Algarve coast was Faro, 34 miles away. The winds were generally light, so we motorsailed. We anchored in a tidal lagoon behind Ilha da Culatra for the night. Faro was about 5 miles away. On checking the engine, Jeremy was shocked to find oil had sprayed all over one side. He cleaned it up but it was a mystery as to where it had come from and why it had happened. This anchorage was our last destination in Portugal.

 

Approaching Gibraltar

At 0605 on Thursday 4^th June, we prepared to leave Faro. We had a long day ahead of us. It was 67 miles to Chipiona in Spain. We had arranged to meet out great niece, Alice, who was studying at the University of Seville, and her friend, Zofia, the following day. The winds were variable in strength so we were sometimes motoring and sometimes sailing. There seemed to be ships everywhere. I passed five drifting or at anchor, another crossed our bow and another passed close to starboard. The swell increased as we approached the harbour making it challenging to take down the mainsail. It was a relief to enter the harbour and tie to the fuel dock behind the Guardia Civilia. They were not looking forward to going out in the rough seas we had just encountered.

 

Passing ships in Gibraltar Bay

The next day we moved to a berth. I had a shower and did our laundry while Jeremy walked to the nearest supermarket for provisions. Alice and Zofia arrived about noon. Alice is now a fluent Spanish speaker, which was very useful at lunchtime interpreting the menu! We had a tapas lunch and tried new dishes such as fish eggs and fried cuttle fish. Afterwards, we walked along the beach and promenade to a lighthouse and on through the town to the bus station. We were sad to say goodbye after we’d had such a lovely time chatting, eating and walking.

Our next destination was Barbate. We were now close to the orca danger area, where most attacks and sightings have been recorded on the www.orcas.pt website. The advice was to keep in water no deeper than 20 metres if it was safe to do so. We followed the advice. Sometimes we came across tuna nets stretching out from the shore for as much as 5 miles. We had no choice but to follow the net round before returning to shallower water. We did not see any orcas although Jeremy was close to having a heart attack when he saw a pod of dolphins! He also heard a Mayday call on the VHF radio. A yacht was under attack by orcas. We later learned that the boat was not damaged and the couple on board were all right. They had been further out to sea and coming from the opposite direction. We spent two nights at Barbate to allow adverse winds to ease down.

Jeremy and Kathy on the Rock

 On Monday 8^th June, we set sail for Gibratar, avoiding tuna nets and the tidal race off Tarifa. We had booked a berth at Queensway Quay Marina 24 hours before our arrival, as advised in our cruising guide. The Rock of Gibraltar is impressive and dominates the landscape. We dared not look for too long as the large bay was busier than the Solent in the UK with all kind of vessels, the scariest being fast passenger catamarans. We managed to avoid moving ships, anchored ships and a massive bunkering barge. We took down our sails in the bouncing wake of a fast ferry. Peace returned as we called Queensway Quay Marina and followed their clear directions to our pre-booked berth, where a friendly member of staff took our shore lines and made sure we were secure. Berthing was stern or bows to a pontoon. We chose to be stern to.

 

Gibraltar from the Rock

We spent 3 nights in Gibraltar, speaking English, paying in GB pounds and feeling very much at home, except for the 28-32C daytime temperature.

Audierne, France to Camarina, Northwest Spain

The damaged anchor on the bow

 Were we able to fix the anchor windlass in Audierne? The short answer is partially. The marina manager and local bike shops were very helpful, but neither had the right size of sprocket (cog) to replace our broken one. The local blacksmith was on holiday and the bike shops did not have a large enough wrench to remove a metal collar from the inner workings of the windlass. We were advised to try Stratimer, a local boatyard after the next day.

Birthday tea on Sal Darago

We were able to celebrate my birthday with lunch at Kantiner. Their specialism was Moules Frites. There were only 5 tables in the intimate restaurant and the food was cooked on arrival. It was lovely to relax for a while between supermarket shopping in the morning and doing the laundry in the afternoon.

 

Damaged tip of anchor

We walked to Stratimer the day after the public holiday. It was closed. We were quite close to the fishing quay, so went there to ask if any engineers were around. It was very quiet. A man left his car engine running and went up ladders to his boat in the yard opposite. When he came down Jeremy showed him the part and asked for advice. Good things happen sometimes! The man was an engineer. He had a workshop nearby. He could remove the metal collar. He was closed but he would help us anyway. He took us in his car to his workshop, produced a metre long wrench and removed the offending part. He refused payment! We don’t even know his name but we appreciate his kindness to us.

 

Approaching Vieux Port

Later, Jeremy made a temporary repair of the anchor windlass, using and undersized sprocket form the bike shop. The next day, Saturday 16^th May, we left Audierne and sailed overnight to La Rochelle, tying up at Vieux Port in the centre of the town. It was a passage of 168 miles, with light to moderate winds backing from SW to NNW.

 

Botanical garden, La Rochelle

We spent three nights in La Rochelle. Mostly, we did the usual things: shopping, laundry, showers, catching up on sleep. We did spend one day in the rain walking a historical route through the old town. Whilst sheltering under a tree in a botanical garden we met a couple from Newton-le-Willows, a town close to Wrightington in Lancashire, where we used to live. Small world! Our granddaughter, Ellie, became a teenager.

 

Old Town Hall. Henry IV is in the turret

We left La Rochelle in light winds that soon became 14 knots on the nose. Changing course made little difference as the swell was high and the motion uncomfortable. I took a Stugeron and asked Jeremy to cook lunch. Gradually, the wind eased, the sun came out and the motion of the boat improved as we left the continental shelf behind. We were at sea for two nights. The wind was generally light, starting with westerlies, swinging to easterlies and ending with westerlies as we approached Gijon in Northern Spain. One of these swings took place within minutes on my watch, jamming the preventer line and breaking a block. We had travelled 229 miles and crossed the Bay of Biscay.

 

Lantern Tower, La Rochelle

Checking in at the marina in Gijon was straightforward. The usual ship’s papers were required, our passports and a copy of our boat insurance. The visitors’ section of the marina was closed but a berth was available in another part of the marina. We filled up with diesel at the fuel berth. The office, showers and toilets were a 10-15 minute walk away around the harbour. We were not prepared for the heat on arrival. Soon we were wearing shorts and sandals, finding fans to cool Sal Darago and putting up insect nets. It was 36C, a big change from 14C in La Rochelle. The next day it was 10 degrees cooler.

 

The cathedral at La Rochelle

We stayed in Gijon for two nights, Friday and Saturday 22^nd and 23^rd May. Each evening, it seemed that the whole town gathered on the quayside, eating, drinking and chatting. This did not disturb us on the Friday and all was quiet by 10pm. Saturday’s gathering turned into a party, with loud communal singing. This went on until 6am! While we were in Gijon, Jeremy bought a Spanish SIM card. We had pleasant lunch at Meson Santo, bought provisions for our next passage and filled up with water.

 

Guess where?

As we prepared to leave Gijon, we sang Happy Birthday to our sister-in-law, Eileen. We expected a downwind, overnight coastal sail in easterly winds to either La Coruna or Laxe. We fixed our inner forestay in place, lashed the No2 jib to the guard rail and put downhaul lines in place ready for two spinnaker poles. We would sail with twin headsails and Hydrovane would steer. Well, the weather doesn’t always do as predicted. We left Gijon in fog with about half a mile of visibility out at sea and light NNW winds! We moved about a mile out to sea and found light easterlies. Wind speeds were variable from 0-13 knots. The genoa was let out and furled so many times we lost count. Just before midnight, Jeremy took down both poles and tied up the No2 jib. We motored.

 

Sal Darago at Gijon

We decided to continue to Laxe before southerly winds arrived. We needed northerlies for Atlantic Spain. The moderate wind turned SW as we approached Punta del Rocundo. Within minutes Atlantic fog rolled in, the sea changed colour and became choppy, making our last, few miles uncomfortable and cold. We were happy to drop the anchor off the lovely, curved beach in Laxe. A Dutch catamaran called Hermit was anchored nearby.

Passing Cabo Villano

Weighing anchor this morning, 26^th May, Jeremy found the new sprocket in the anchor windlass was not big enough to be effective. 

 

Catamaran and beach at Laxe

He pulled the anchor up by hand and we motored 20 miles to Ria Camarinas and anchored off the harbour. There are three other yachts on anchor. Two of them are British and one is German. We be expect to be here for two nights, before a northerly wind wafts us to Bayona.

Anchored off Camarinas