On to Portugal

Today is Thursday 21 August. Since we went to Santiago De Compostela, on Saturday, we have had no luck with the laptop connecting to WiFi, despite being in marinas with WiFI working. This I put down to Simon who clearly has not correctly installed the connection algorisms ;-) However it is immensely frustrating as we know we have unread emails.

On Sunday we went to the supermarket in Portosin; it was closed. We tried to use a washing machine; it was broken. We tried to use the internet which had worked the previous evening; it would not connect. We had a lovely lunch in the cockpit. They must bake bread even on a Sunday.

Early, well 10 am on Monday, we were off to the super mercado for supplies. By eleven we had left Portosin (Port of Sin?), off south towards our goal from Cork – Bayona. The seas were again big and tired Kathy and I. I looked for a possible anchorage en route and came up with a spot off a beach on the Isla Salvora. Kathy noticed that it was a favourite destination for naturists, but to be honest, I hadn’t noticed. As we approached the north end of Isla Salvora, the huge Atlantic swell was crashing its potent fury on the rocks and stacks which it had already separated from the main body of the island. Hardly surprisingly, the beach anchorage was untenable and I had to look elsewhere – for an anchorage. Just East of Portonovo, there was a massive tourist beach with an anchor so we sailed the ten miles or so and anchored there for the night. The swell did not abate and we rocked and rolled all night.

Bleary eyed we set off for Bayona and by 1250 we were tied up on a pontoon to Porto Deportivo Baiona, having filled up with diesel. That afternoon we went shopping, discovered that postage stamps are sold by Tobacconists and that there is only one post box in Bayona and it is not close to the marina. This is weird (I mean do they not write letters? – Is DoDo part Spanish?). Kathy insisted that as the winds were forecast from the North that we should leave the next morning.

We left the next morning, in very light winds and had a smashing day. Eventually we had the main fully out with a preventer and the genoa poled out goosewinged and were cracking along at 5 to 6 knots when we stopped. I tried to turn the helm, but nothing happened. Gradually the wind backed the main and we were in a pickle. Eventually the genoa was furled and the main went through the wind. There was no lobster pot or any other reason for our sudden stoppage and we continued without fuss to Povoa De Varzim. Another marina but at only €15, we decided to stay two nights.

We have been away from home now for 4 weeks. Kathy would have started her new term and we have sailed 1044 nautical miles on the log. The major frustration of the trip has been this computer’s inability to log on to the WIFI when it is available as we feel we should be more in touch with everyone. So if this gets “published” sorry for not keeping in touch.

Today was standard stuff. Look around the port. Find a super market – but the Mercado Municipal looked far more interesting with amazing fish stalls and such bright and inviting fruit and vegetable stalls that it was hard to resist. But really I cannot mime quarter of a pound of lamb stew please. And how much is 250 kilos of ham (or should that be grams?) – I seem to remember a similar problem with Parmesan Cheese, Ritchie. Showers, a frustrating connection to the internet which this computer disconnected and started to use our home dial up – it was worse than that because I asked Kathy to come off the other Marina office machine as “we were connected” and someone was waiting – and finally a barbecue with a large number of the sailors here at this friendly marina. And now we prepare our route for tomorrow; possibly to an anchorage about 45 NM away or maybe another marina after 15 hours of sailing. So far we have met kindness and cooperation. As one lady put it – “We are all Europeans”. I miss the quiet of the Scottish anchorages, but not the midges.

Adeus