Moving nearer to Lisbon

The BBQ, with various nationalities, was our first social evening with other yachties. Some people keep their boats in Povoa de Varzim, finding it cheaper than the south coast of the UK, thanks to Ryanair and more affordable marina charges. Some use their boats as caravans and hardly ever leave the marina. Others were like us, having an extended holiday to cruise further afield, and others were permanent liveaboards, having sold up back home and sailing where the wind took them! Anyway, we had an enjoyable time in good company.

The next day, Friday August 22nd, we were off again at 8.00am with the wind a little stronger than we would have liked, but in the right direction and it was sunny. We had to avoid 15 trawlers with small fishing boats working alongside them but soon we were flying along goose winged. This time we had the genoa poled out on one side and we used our removable inner forestay to hank on a number 2 genoa which we poled out on the other side. By the afternoon, as the wind rose, we had just the genoa and no pole until we were close to the entrance to Aveiro. Once we were out of the swell and breaking waves at the entrance we appeared to be in a wide canal where we enjoyed a short motor to the anchorage at Sao Jacinto.

We are now in Nazare, after a 66 mile leg, in calmer winds but with an uncomfortable swell. We had to motor all the way, except for two hours. We did pole out the genoa, mainly to stop it flogging. We arrived just before dark and decided to check in the next day when the marina office opened. For this oversight, Jeremy was in danger of being arrested. The police woke the marina manager at 6.00am and he knocked on our hull soon after 7.00 and told us off. Another visit from the marina manager meant Jeremy taking all the papers to the office before breakfast and smoothing over the problems we had inadvertently caused. Prison was avoided and Mike and his wife, Sally, were very helpful in the advice they gave us for the rest of our journey. Incidentally, particularly for the IOM relations, Sally Hadley used to nurse in the intensive care unit at the old Nobles Hospital and she and Mike lived in Ramsey for a while. They have been here 10 years but she seemed to recognise the name Denham.

We’re having two nights here. Our next leg is 70 miles, which takes us to Cascais, where we can anchor and from there we can visit Lisbon and prepare for our next 5 day journey to Madeira.

By the way, Jeremy found out that the wifi had accidentally been switched off and after much reading and searching of help messages (don’t laugh, Simon) he’s switched it back on again and we can connect to the Internet if we put the laptop on top of the spray hood. Should we buy a Hawking aerial?

Adeus.