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.