Bayona

Fort Monte Real at Bayona

Saturday 21st July We had gentle winds and calm seas for the eight hour sail from Portosin to Bayona in the Ria de Vigo. Dolphins swam alongside the boat at three different points during the journey and were larger than the ones we had seen in Biscay.

Mooring at Bayona wasn’t as straightforward as we had hoped. We had booked a berth at the rather swish (and pricey) Monte Real Yacht Club, but when we arrived they told us as they were full and we would have to moor on the outer hammerhead right next to where the boats enter the main harbour. After five minutes bouncing around in the wash from other boats we decided to go to the second marina, Puerto Deportivo.

We called  Puerto Deportivo to check they had space and my enquiry as to whether they spoke English was met with a brisk ‘No’ and they they hung up before I could continue in my faltering Spanish! We could see spaces on their main pontoon so decided to moor there anyway and then book in. All was fine, and as we ate dinner in the cockpit we congratulated ourselves on our cut price mooring with a splendid view.

What we didn’t know was that the end of our pontoon was used by boats doing private trips, and that there was a trip to due leave at 5am the next morning! At 4am we were woken by the rumble of trolleys transporting the food and drink to the boat, and at 4.30am we were woken again by the 60 guests, who had obviously being partying all night and were chatting loudly as they passed.

The marinas from the fort

Looking out towards the islands off Bayona

Sunday 22nd July Despite the faltering start, we love Bayona. Today we walked out round the 16^th century Monte Real fort on the headland. Later we lunched on mussels and octopus in the old town next to a 17th century convent  and then looked at the memorials to Christopher Columbus’ trip to the Americas, which ended at Bayona.

Monument to the meeting of two worlds, by Magin Picallo

Tuesday 24th July. Yesterday we left the marina and anchored off the beach for a day of swimming and sunbathing. We had planned to leave this morning, but when we woke we were surrounded by fog which didn’t clear until midday  - we will try again tomorrow.

Beach life at Portosin

Arriving at Portosin

Thursday 19^th July. The next leg of our journey was to sail around Cape Finisterre – known for its strong winds and rough seas. We left early and decided to round the Cape well out to sea, sailing 8 miles offshore. Our sail began with mild winds and gentle swell but as we rounded the Cape both wind and waves increased, giving us a thrilling downwind sail. We put a first reef in the sail at 16 knots and when the wind rose to 24 knots we thought it was time to put a second reef in. The waves were 2-3 metres by now, but reefing went smoothly until we tried to unfurl the genoa, which jammed. So the next 4 hours of our journey was made using mainsail only, but we managed to balance the boat and had a good sail.

The beach at Portosin

Our destination was Portosin which is tucked in one corner of the Ria de Muros. Its main attraction is its stunning white, soft sand beaches. The weather has been getting hotter as we head south and we decided to take a day off from sailing to dig our toes in the sand. So today we swam, dozed on the beach and then barbecued fresh sardines for supper. Perfect!

Farewell to Richard and Rowena

From now on our journey will be solo, as our good friends Richard and Rowena on ‘Galene’ plan to spend more time in the rias and left today for Muros town, while we will be heading south ahead of them to Bayona. It was sad to say goodbye as they have been great sailing companions, but if we can find the funds me may visit them in the Canaries at Christmas (travelling by plane, not boat!).

Fiesta in Camarinas

Boats decorated for the fiesta at Camarinas

Tuesday 17^th July. We ended up motor sailing for most of the nine hour passage down the coast to Camarinas as there was very little wind. Set in a ria of the same name, Camarinas is a small fishing harbour surrounded by pine clad hills, rocky outcrops and unspoilt countryside. A bit like a Scottish loch, but warmer!

We were welcomed by a series of loud explosions and soon discovered the town was four days into a five day fiesta. The boats in the harbour had all been decorated with flags and greenery and there was a fair, street stalls selling clothes, food and gifts and two massive stages that wouldn’t look out of place at a rock concert.

Our friends Richard and Rowena had arrived earlier, and we all decided to go out in the evening and enjoy the festivities. We were soon tucking into succulent pork ribs that had been barbecued on a big open fire, with local bread and red wine to wash them down. After dinner we wandered back to the stages but at 11pm they were deserted, so we assumed that there wouldn’t be a show that night. We were wrong! The music, which was a mixture of pop and rock, started at midnight (when we were tucked up in bed), and carried on until 6am the next morning. The Galicians certainly know how to party.

City life

The marina tower

Thursday 12^th July. Galicia is famous for its beautiful river inlets known as ‘rias’. The city of La Coruna is set on a peninsular at the mouth of a ria with its harbour on one side and long sandy beaches on the other. Although La Coruna is a big city with a commercial port, the view from our mooring is of blue sea, wooded hillsides and sandy bays.

The marina is easy to spot thanks to a big modern tower decorated with shiny tiles. I thought it slighty ugly until I saw it from shoreside, and realised that the mirrored tile front had been cleverly designed to reflect the trees and old buildings opposite.

We’ve been exploring the local area - a gentle ten minute stroll from the Marina along the seafront took us to the old town with its narrow paved streets and medieval buildings.  We’ve discovered a huge indoor market with a wonderful selection of meat, fish, vegetables and local bread and pastries. 

Friday 13^th July. The date certainly lived up to its reputation. We walked 3 kilometres across the city to a Raymarine dealer to try and buy a card converter for our plotter after being sold the wrong type of chart software, but they didn’t have them. On the way back I stopped at a cash machine to top up with euros – it took my card, then announced it wasn’t working, and wouldn’t return my card!  The bank was closed, so I will have to wait until Monday to get it back.

Saturday 14^th July.  Jean is leaving tomorrow and I’d seen a ‘typical Galician’ restaurant recommended on Trip Advisor so we booked for dinner. The place was well off the tourist track, tucked away in a residential side street. It was full of Spanish locals and the food was outstanding. We had six courses of local delicacies, including sea food, fish, meat and chocolate pudding

The Torre de Hercules

Peninsular at the mouth of the ria

Sunday 15^th July. Jean had arranged to call a local taxi at 4.30am to confirm collection at 5am. When he called the number it wouldn’t connect. We tried another number and that wouldn’t connect! So 5am saw Jean and Cliff wandering the streets on La Coruna in search of a cab – luckily they managed to flag one down. We both agree that Jean has been excellent company – we will definitely keep in touch.

After catching up on sleep we got the folding bikes out and rode out to the Torre de Hercules, a lighthouse that has existed since Roman times and overlooks the dramatic rocky headland beyond the city. We then spotted what looked like standing stones just below the lighthouse, but further exploration revealed  a sculpture park with a stunning range of work by different artists

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The modern 'standing stones'

Spectacular setting for sculpture

Monday 16^th July. Arrived at the bank and was told they couldn’t give me my card and it would have to be returned to Barclays in the UK. So now I will have to wait for them to send a replacement. Plan to leave for Ria Camarinas tomorrow, a nine hour sail south.

I have just worked out how to upload video to this blog, so have added a short video of the dolphins playing on the bow of the boat (see La Coruna at last).

La Coruna - at last!

Celebrating our arrival

  

We finally made it to La Coruna on 11^th July. The crossing was better than we expected, but it  did have its moments…

Monday 9^th July. We left Audierne, as planned, at 7.15am.  The sky was overcast and we had a 14-20 knot south westerly wind but were able to sail close to our course. At first the waves were between 0.5 and 1 metre, but by the evening the swell had increased to around 2 metres and the motion had become more uncomfortable. Jean was sick twice and carried on with his watch regardless.  I took the helm at 10pm feeling queasy, although watching dolphins swim alongside the boat provided a pleasant distraction. By midnight my supper was in the bucket and I was ready to collapse on my bunk as Cliff took over the helm. The wind then dropped, so we had a rolly motor sail throughout the night.

Sun, sea and Bach

Tuesday 10^th July. My attempt at an early morning watch lasted minutes before the bucket came out   againand I went below to sleep. By midday the engine was off and we were sailing again. The wind had increased but waves had eased and I began to feel much better.  Early evening saw me on the helm again, the boat sailing beautifully at 6.5 knots in a gentle, 10 knot westerly wind, the sun glinting low on the sea and Jean’s CD of Bach’s Goldberg Variations playing in the background – perfect.

Jean discovers Marmite

 

 

 

Dolphins playing on the bow

 

 

 

Wednesday 11^th July.  I took the early morning watch and as the sun rose I could see the outline of the Spanish mainland – almost there!   A school of dolphins appeared to help me celebrate and I let the autohelm do the work while I watched them play in the bow wave. The morning bought calm seas with a gentle swell and no wind, so we continued to motorsail. Both Jean and I felt well enough to eat breakfast and Cliff introduced Jean to Marmite, which he loved! We finally reached Coruna Marina at 3.15pm and were soon joined by Richard and Rowena, who helped us celebrate our arrival with a nicely chilled bottle of champagne.

Nearly there

Biscay blues

We left Audierne at midday on Saturday 30^th June to start our Biscay crossing.  Although the storms had passed, the waves were still high, and as we headed out the wind strengthened and the sea state moved from being ‘moderate’ to ‘rough’. After 4 hours we had two reefs in the sail and waves were reaching 4 metres. Cliff was fine and enjoying the roller coaster ride, but Derek had been sick and I was feeling very unwell. After a quick conference we decided it would be sensible to turn back and wait for the sea state to reduce, so we headed back to Audierne.  That evening we checked the forecast and realised our weather window had closed – high winds were due in two days and the forecast for the rest of the week didn’t look good.



Back to Audierne....

By this time Derek had been with us for over 3 weeks. The timing of our trip hadn’t been great as Derek was in the middle of selling his house and making an offer on another one. He was keen to honour our long-term plans for the Biscay crossing, and we were grateful that his wife, Melanie, had been so supportive, but now both the sale and offer weren’t going according to plan and sadly it was time for Derek to return home.

Tuesday 3^rd July. Derek left today and we sat down to discuss our options.  Going across alone would invalidate our insurance, and if I became very sick Cliff couldn’t be expected to helm for three days.  Finding crew from the UK is an option, but is likely to take some time.  Finding crew locally is another option, but where to start?

Wednesday 4^th July. Our friends Richard and Rowena on Galene (who are now in Spain) have offered to contact their sailing club to try and find someone who would like to join us. Meanwhile we have also asked Alain, the harbour master in Audierne, whether he knows of a local sailor who might be free to sail with us.



Thursday 5^th July.  Alain told us that Rene, who runs a local charter business, may know of someone who could join us. Rene put us in contact with Jean, who is a qualified skipper, but spends most of his time renovating his house near Audierne, so could be free to leave as soon as the weather changes for the better. We are meeting him tonight.

Friday 6^th July. It’s all agreed. We took to Jean as soon as we met him. He’s charming, polite, speaks good English and is a very experienced sailor. He’s planning to take a year out to sail around the Med with his wife and three children next year, so we already have something in common.  We’re hoping to leave on Monday.