The Journey Home

We had a plan. It went something like this  .. "we will sail north across the Bay of Biscay in a direction dictated by the wind. We have (effectively) no motor, so we wont motor much. The weather is settled, so it wil be safe and easy (even if the wind is settled in the North).  If the wind heads us we will simply bear away a little .. none of that "tacking on wind shifts" nonsense".

And so we did.

1400 Tuesday 23rd August

At first every thing went swimmingly.
The northerly wind came from the East and we sailed happily northwards.
Night fell.
The wind dropped and went North.
We did two things: we bore away a little (well, about 50 degrees)  and slowed down to about 2 knots.

As usual we had a shift system. 2 hours on and 4 hours off.

The first night seemed to go on along time. During my 2 hour shift we sailed almost  3 and a half miles. Given that it was about 300 miles north (bearing  000 degrees) to the french coast and our heading was 050 degrees, at this rate we should expect to make landfall  sometime in October 2019.

However it was a beautiful starry night, peaceful and still, with just dolphins for company.

Wednesday 24th August. 

Daylight brought a slight breeze. We plodded on.
Later that afternoon I was woken from my third sleep of the day to the sound of thunder and action on deck.  My valient crew, threatened by a major electrical storm did three things:
1.  Reefed
2.  Put the VHF and Martin's iPad in the oven  (please google "Faraday Cage")
3.  Tried to sail away from the storm.
As a result:
1. The sails were reefed
2.  Next day Martin couldn't find his iPad
3. We sailed very quickly in entirely the wrong direction

It was quite windy and exciting.  As there was a lot of lightning, I briefly tried not to hold onto anything metalic on the basis that:
1. I thought this to be a  good idea
and
2. There was no room for me in the oven.

We survived (obviously).

During the storm, Jean cooked a very nice "Chicken Pasta Splod".   I very much enjoyed the small amount of this that passed my lips. Unfortunately most of it was blown off my spoon before I could eat it.  It is amazing where Girandole now turns up.

Thursday 25th August was fairly uneventful until I decided that we needed to conserve electricity. Martin, enthusiastic as ever to follow my instructions, therefore turned off the plotter and the autohelm. Our boat, sensing freedom, therefore turned 180 degrees and set off southwards for Spain.  Jean who was helming, very reasonably, interpreted our change of course to be a sudden 180 degree wind shift and some panic followed. All was soon well again.

Sometime that day, we were going so well (in slightly the wrong direction) that someone suggested that we could miss out on Southern Brittany entirely and sail around the outside of Ushant (sort of into the Altantic) and thence stop for a rest in L'Aberwrac'h.
I had a number of concerns about this plan:
1.  We were knackered
2.  We would be arriving in the dark off a rock-strune coast with a malfunctioning plotter
3.  Our poorly engine was now low on fuel
4.  The Bay of Biscay was bad enough without any suggestion of a detour into the Atlantic Ocean
5.  It was a silly idea.

Friday 26th August. We arrived in Benodet and went to sleep.

Saturday 27th August
To Audierne or maybe Camaret or perhaps L'Aberwrac'h.

Sunday 28th August
We arrived in Plymouth.
I wont bore you with the weather, the shipping lanes, the rope around the prop (in the shipping lanes), or any of the other inconveniences associated with wind-powered-sea-travel.........

 

Mid channel.  Doris helming.

..... But we arrived in Plymouth anyway and were happy.

The Third Cruise 2016

10 August 2016
The usual trip: Gatters to Compostella to Coruna.
We like Coruna Marina and La Coruna generally.

The tall ships were visiting. We had a look around and had ice creams.

T

Tall ships (sorry about the motor boat)

13 August
To Viveiro.
It all started very pleasantly apart from the absence of wind.

 Towards Viveiro

 

Around 1400 it suddenly got foggy and we almost hit a fishing boat while I was explaining to Jean exactly why we didnt need to turn the radar on yet.
 
Is it possible to get a radar reflection off a gannet? I suppose it depends on what it's eaten?

Suddenly, just as the fog was thinning, our trusty engine almost stopped.  There was no bang or suggestion of an impact on the prop, so we assumed it to be a fuel blockage rather than "a sterngear entanglement". Anyway, the engine didn't quite stop and appeared to half recover.  It would still go but lacked much of its former umpphh.

We found our way iunto Viveiro anchorage.
We like Viveiro.
Beer can be good for itchy wasps stings but should not be mixed with Stugeron.

Beer

I slept for 13 hours.

14 August
Got to fix the engine.
      Drained fuel-water separator. OK.
      Disconnected fuel pipe to primary filter and blew through it. OK.
      Checked gear box oil. OK.
      Checked back of engine, prop shaft, no leaks, engine oil, coolant. OK.

We flubbered ashore and went for a walk.  Later we had a swim around the boat.

15 August
We motored to Ribadeo.
No wind. Some fog. Half an engine.  Some white exhaust steam at 2100 rpm, but otherwise the engine seemed happy if feable.

16 August
By now I was so obsessed with the engine that I failed to notice that Ribadeo is in fact a very pretty and interesting seaside town and ria.  Instead I went for an unpleasant swim to examine the prop.  It was covered in barnacles but, in the absence of my spectacles, rather out of focus.   I had a look at YBW's opinion(s) on the matter .. the consensus was that I had a blocked primary filter  ...  having not realised that this was something that needed replacement and having had the same one in place for 7 years I thought  that we may have struck gold. It was dirty, I replaced it.

17 August
We had a second day in Ribadeo.  Jean went for a run.  We went for a walk.  A very fast-looking 50-footer ran aground in the marina entrance.

18 August 
Time to go.  We ran aground in the marina entrance.
The engine was no better.

The distances between harbours and sheltered bays along this bit of Northern Spain are quite large, especially in the absence of wind and ... you guessed it  ... a decent motor.
We had a wide assortment of passage plans, none of which provided us with a Nearby Easy Warm Friendly Sheltered Anchorage off a Beautiful Sandy Beach Inhabited only by by Scantilly-dressed Sea Nymphs. So we went to Cudillero instead.

 Cudillero

Mooring in Cudillero is different.
We had checked The Almanac, The Cruising Guide, The Cruising Association, The Web ... etc.
Basically, Cudillero is a very pretty fishing harbour (with a slightly concerning entrance) that provides a number of yellow marks for visitors. The idea is to attach a rope from a yellow mark to your bow and a rope from a yellow mark to your stern.
The yacht next to the only remaining gap in the row had 3 yellow marks on its forward deck and another on its stern.  A smashed-up rowing boat  next to this contained 2 yellow marks as well as various items of rubbish.  There was a yellow mark floating between the yacht and the rowing boat.
We picked up this mark and then reversed to the rowing boat and grabbed one from it.  This may sound easy  but wasn't.  We ended up parked uncomfortably and diagonally between the aforementioned vessels. 
A dutch (probably) gentleman rowed out to us.  
I explained that we had a problem. 
He realised that the problem was simply that I hadn't any idea what I was trying to do.
Eventually we picked up one yellow mark, and followed the two lines attached to it, one to our  bow and the other to our stern.

We slept well.

Cudillero is probably very pretty.

19 August
We needed an easy port with an English Speaking Yanmar Engineer.
Gihon  .....  here we come.

Gihon is a large friendly prosperous hot sunny place with a huge easy marina and a Major Yanmar Agent Who Speaks English.

The visitors are segregated into their own area of the marina, which is pleasant sunny and secure. Most days the Customs Officers visit in their RIB.  The Customs Officers were deeply concerned to hear about our ailing engine and visited every day in order:
1.  To find out how we were
2. To find out how our engine was
3. To make additional suggestions about what might be wrong with it.

Occasionally, another Official visited to check that the Customs Officers had visited.

 Gihon (near the marina)

The marina office is staffed by very nice ladies who speak english.
One such lady arranged for an engineer to visit "at 3.30" (pm).
Around 1800 two men turned up.  They didn't know what was wrong with the engine.
They would send The Boss.  "This evening or definitely tomorrow".
He didn't appear.  We phoned.  "Will be there at 3.30".
Two days later he still hadn't appeared.

I did some more research.  "Might it be a blocked Exhaust Mixing Elbow ?" I wondered.
I dismantled the elbow and broke a crucial bolt.

We visited The Main Yanmar Agent who did speak English and was very helpful. He would order me the replacement bolt.  "Either Monday or Tuesday, if not in a week or so, and I will call you back on Monday anyway"
No bolts arrived.

 

Gihon bottle sculpture

21 August
Martin arrived (Gatters to Bilboa plus overnight bus, and drama, eventually to Gihon).
Having been kept abreast of developments, he arrived with much of the engineering equipment available at B&Q and (my favortite chandler) Screwfix.  I used this equipment to damage the engine a little more.

I am unable to remember the exact moment when Jean said "Why don't we go home" but I do remember thinking "Yes!"

Gihon (Spain) to England is a long way but we had Martin with us. 
Martin knows about sailing, doesn't require sleep, never gets cold or cross and is  generally a very nice chap.

We needed a passage plan.
We would set off north and see where we ended up.
The weather was settled and apart from the forecast wind direction (north) and wind speed (F1-3) and the absence of a reliable engine (not to mention poorly navigation lights and a flickering  plotter) everything looked perfect.

We botched together the exhaust and agreed that no one would sleep below when the engine was running (for fear of dangerous fumes). 

And off we went.

Back North again

11-13 July.

Time to head north again.
Back to Barra Beach for a couple of days.

Next to Vigo. Punta Lagoa Marina.
Helpful staff but we never did find the loos.

Al arrived.  This was good.
We had lunch in town.

14 July.

Up at 0600 (still dark).  Set sail (started motor) at 0655.
You have to start early to beat the Nortada. (a wind that blows against you whichever way you want to go from about 1100 till nightfall).

We arrived in Ribeira (Ria de Arousa) for lunch.
Siesta.
Beer and crockets ashore.
Lubricated the winches.
Dinner aboard.
(not neccessarily in that order).

15 July.

To Camarinas in the Ria de Camarinas (unsurprisingly).

Up at 0600 etc.
We were aiming to stop at Corcubion just south of Finisterre but the sailing (Yes, sailing) was going so well that that we decided to go on the extra 13 miles past Finisterre to Camarinas or Muxia.   This was a mistake and resulted in a near-epic-voyage.  There is something about passage planning when Jean, Al and I get together.  Anyway, the Nortada did its best to prevent us reaching our destination, the engine overheated (possibly) but we survived to enhance and fabricate the tale.

The Feast Day in Camarinas lasted 2 days.  Fishing boats decorated with flowers, balloons and bits of trees motored around the ria, horns hooting and sirens wailing.

A decorated boat (photo by Jean)

Several decorated boats (photo by Jean)

 As night tried to fall, three bands competed for our attention just outside the marina. There was a mssive fireworks display.  etc.

17 July

Off to Corme, a small town and a quiet anchorage 16 miles northwards.

 Heading for Corme

Peaceful Corme

In Corme, Al (Professor Emeritus of Marine Biology) kindly applied his extensive knowledge of Tropical Coral Reef Ecosystems to our Albatross' overheating engine.  In short, armed only with a wire brush he swam under the boat and cleaned the engine water intake strainer.  Whether this has made any difference is open the question, but it was fun watching him.

18 July.

Up early again.  The Nortada etc.

We motored to Coruna.

Jean at the helm.

Approaching Coruna and the Tower of Hercules

Coruna also known as La Coruna and A Coruna, is of course not only the resting place of Sir John Moore but also the port from which this year's sailing saga began ... earlier this year (obviously).

It was time to do the washing (Jean did this on this occasion)

England Expects That Every Man Will Do His Washing  

(Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson 1805)

Then we went home.

Onward and southward (to Baiona)

The Spanish Rias are rather too pleasant for daily blogging, so the next part of this account is mercifully brief.

4 July

We said "Goodbye" to Angela in Combarro Marina (Ria de Ponteventra) and returned to the very nice anchorage nearby which was now almost deserted but for the occasional fishing boat. We flubbered ashore, had swims and stayed the night.

 The occasional fishing boat.

6 July

To Sanxenxo.  Sanxenxo (pronounced "Aylesbury") was hot.  The helpful team in marina control spoke no English so Jean used her Spanish on Channel 9. We berthed on a long, modern but squeaky pontoon (which I treated with a good squirt of WD40).  In the office, we (I) conversed in French.  We found a large washing machine concealed in a concrete bunker and Jean bribed it into washing our clothes.

Washing in Sanxenxo.

The disco at Sanxenxo finished at 0500 which was nice.

7 July

We motored to the next Ria.   This was founded very long ago by the Romans who named it "Vigo". (Those wth a grasp of Latin will remember that Vigo declines as a 1st declension active verb as follows "Vigo, vigas, vigat, vigamus, vigatis, vigant" and translates to " I go, you go, we go .. etc.) Obviously.

Vigo does have the Best Beach in Spain (and possibly, according to the Sunday Telegraph Magazine, the Best Beach in The World).  "Ensada de Barra"  (known locally as "bare arse beach").

Ensada de Barra

 

The anchorage.

8 July.

After a brif holiday at Barra Beach we departed for Cangas. The marina was full. We eventually berthed in Moana Marina and had eggs for supper.  Next day, we had a day off in Moana and had drinks with a very nice couple from Carrick Fergus whose son is in the Olympic Sailing Team.

Moana Marina towards Vigo at dusk. Note Cruising Association Flag.

10 July

To Baiona. We motored. We moored "Stern-to". This was a first for our Albatross.

Stern-to in Baiona 

Apparently Baiona is famous for Chrisopher Cumulus a weatherman who discovered America whilst sailing on the Pinta.  Biona has a posh yacht club, a castle, nice old streets and a mock up of the Pinta. Jean went for a run. I didn't.

The Pinta

Jean outside the castle

Peter steering the Pinta

Jean helps the crew

A street in Baiona

We dined aboard on Bolognaise and potatoes.

We like Baiona  but I prefer Jean's cooking.  

July in the Rias

1 July 2016

Quite where we next went has been much disputed. However, according to the ship's log (which may or may not be accurate and which might or might not have been written retrospectively), we sailed from our nice anchorage in the Ria de Arousa to Villagarcia Marina also in Ria de Arousa where we managed to buy a new gas bottle.

2 July

To Ria de Pontevedra and a very nice anchorage.

This particular "very nice anchorage" was indeed very nice till it becamd filled with large motor boats full of increasingly drunken youths. However, eventually almost everyone left and we had the bay outside Playa Arena de Adria almost to ourselves.

Another Very Nice Anchorage. A popular place for Traditional Spanish Drinking Parties.

3 July.

We left after a quick swim around the boat.
Water temperature 15° C..

Getting in.

Getting out.

The Rias of Galicia

27 June 2016

Time to go sailing again.

Eventually the strong Galician winds moderated and we were able to leave Muxia and set sail for Portosin in the Ria de Muros. This 25 mile journey is actually 36 miles long. The tides are calculated from Lisbon which is in Portugal which uses British Summer Times unlike Spain which uses French Summer Time or possibly Western Euopean Time.... who knows?

The Ria de Muros is on the other side of Finisterre. So we had to sail around Finisterre.

 

Approaching Finisterre.

Finisterre is, we understand the the most westerley place in the Known World.  Hence the name.

Eventually we arrived in Portosin.

Portosin Marina in the Ria of Muros

 Portosin has a very good marina with very good staff who speak very good English.

At Portosin, Cruising Association members get 25% off without even asking as well as a free map, a free pen and a free coffee mug.

We like Portosin and the very nice marina staff.

Angela arrived. This was good.

Jean cooked a very nice Spanish omelette. We slept well.

28 June.

We sailed (motored) to a nice anchorage in the Ria de Muros.

 

Angela, beer, nice anchorage.

29 June.

We sailed south west and out of Ria de Muros, around the end of the peninsula towards Ria Arousa.

All our charts showed a well marked channel between the rocks on the way into the ria.

Unfortunately one of the crucial marks was missing. Anyway, we arrived safely.

Thence to Pobra de Carimal. A nice marina staffed mainly by Father Christmas whose English was no better than Bonzo's.  But then Bonzo is still in UK, so he was unable to help.

It was nice and hot. Jean bought some postage stamps and a picture postcard which the nice shop assistant wrapped for her.

Jean and Angela return to Pobra after successful shopping expedition

We decided to stay one night in Pobra and then set off for the Perfect Anchorage.

30 June.

The Perfect Anchorage just across from Rianxo would be good if it was deep enough to anchor. It was far too shallow even at neaps, so we set off to find an even better one.  Having almost gone aground in the process we eventually dropped our hook in a bay somewhere near Puerto de Cruz.
We had a pleasant night and dined on fish pie cooked by Angela.

Brexit .... a dog's breakfast

24 June 2016

Back to Spain.

Up at 0330. The taxi was early.

In the car, "How's the Referendim going?"  I asked

" Leave are ahead".

"Oh God".

"How did you vote?"  I asked.

"Remain, of course" he said. "I am an imigrant".

His voice  had a very slight Mediterranean twang.

"I came here from Italy 17 years ago. I have had 3 children here".

" I am very sorry" I replied "We voted Remain as well".



Gatwick was pretty much the same as usual, perhaps a little busy for 0400.

The anti - terrorism technology had been updated and seemed as pointless as ever.

A guard flipped through my passport presumably looking for a concealed weapon. A razor blade perhaps.

The officials were universally polite efficient and from the continent.



I watched the TV in the departures lounge

"It's very bad" said a friendly man of about 45 to my left

"Yes"

"They didn't understand what they were voting about."

"No!"



Few else of the travellers seemed bothered. Far more were watching another screen with something entertaining on it



At Santiago de Compostela airport we asked the young man at Information about taxis

"Where are you from?"

"England" I said. "I am ashamed, I am very sorry" slipped from my lips.

The nice man shrugged sympathetically.



We caught a taxi and sat in silence for the long drive to Muxia.



The marina manager was serving petrol. He stopped to greet us. We shook hands

"You are leaving" he said. "And Scotland will then leave you" he shrugged.

"I am ashamed" I replied. "I am sorry, it is crazy. We must be mad"

"The world is a mad place" he reassured me ruefully.

Back to Spain on Europe Day

Even though Boris was able to change his deeply-held views on EU membership over a single weekend, Bonzo has taken a lot longer to make up his mind; mainly, because he thinks that "Brexit" is a new brand of dog biscuit.

Come what may, after voting Bonzo will  go back on guard duty at our home in Essex while Jean and I head back out to Muxia to apologise to the Spanish and hopefully do a little sailing.

Spain

We are very grateful to the Spanish Nation not only for making us welcome in their lovely country and looking after our boat when we are away, but also (amongst a lot of other things) for staffing the NHS and even providing various members of our family with au pairs.

By the way, "I'm in".

Our plans for the trip.

24th June  ("Europe Day"):  back to Europe (Spain actually) via Santiago de Compostela, then bus to Muxia.  Assuming the boat is still floating we look forward to a restful night in the marina.

Eventually (having  re-provisioned and found our courage and sea legs) we will head South. Leaving the Costa da Morte and heading out and around  Cape Finisterre, thence to another peaceful anchorage somewhere.

Angela is joining us on 27th June, perhaps in Muros. Al will be with us  (for another epic adventure) from 13th July.

Coruna to Muxia

Eventually, just before it was time to go home, it stopped raining and the wind dropped.  This meant that we had very little excuse for not going sailing.

We decided to go sailing.

Our aim had always been to "get around the corner" so we decided to head west to the next "easy" Ria.  This was about 48 miles away and is called " Ria de Camarinas".  So we went.

The entrance to Ria de Camarinas from the south.  America would be to the left. We came from the north.

This Ria has two marinas.  

At the last moment (in order to add excitement) we decided to go for Marina Muxia.

From the top of the hill, Marina Muxia left, Atlantic Ocean right.

 Marina Muxia is friendly, easy , pleasant  and in March pretty much empty.  The marina team operate out of the petrol station that overlooks the ramp to the pontoons.  Call on VHF 9.  He took our ropes and spoke english.

There is a nice walk to the top of the hill and a good view.

Muxia is a town of Religious Significance.

Long ago, The Virgin Mary  came to Muxia in a stone boat (presumably via the Straits of Gibralta and the Portuguese Coast) in order to give support to  St James the Apostle who was doing great things in Santiago De Compostella (which is only about 40 miles inland).

This story, the veracity of which is obviously not in doubt (although stone boat manufacture doesn't appear to have stood the test of time), has resulted in a successful tourist trade for Muxia.

The tourist trade is presumably the justification for the massive and beautiful stone monolith that has been erected near to the church that commemorates Mary's visit.

Unfortunately (according to local legend) the "monolith"  was found  during its erection process to have significant structural weaknesses.

Monolith or what?

We like Muxia and have left the boat there while we return home for a couple of months.

Berthed in Muxia Marina.

Rain in Spain

Even in Roman times scholars struggled to explain the Easter climate of Coruna.
Was it the location, the altantic breeze, the unique political allegiances of the region (and its role within the EU), or it just bad luck?   Is it something to do with the meaning of the word "Coruna" in pre-roman Gaelic?

Anyway it rains a lot in Coruna at Easter.

Not perturbed, our dynamic trio  set about out - smarting the conditions by out sleeping  them.  Our daily routine now involves, thinking about getting up, getting up, having breakfast, checking the weather, lunch, siesta, supper and bed.

We have also managed a mighty voyage from Marina Seca to Marina Coruna  (nearly 2 miles) and look forward to a trip out into the Atlantic to Muros at the weekend.

If it stops raining ......


On Easter Day, when it stopped raining, there was a procession:

 

An Easter Day Procession in Coruna