Preparing for the Cape

Sines marina from the castle

Friday 10^th August. Another windless day, so we motorsailed to Sines. The town is the birthplace of Vasco da Gama, but is now better known as a major commercial port for petro chemical container ships! The approach is very industrial, but the town tucked behind the port is a pleasant surprise, with a castle, old, winding streets and a spotless beach.

Sines town

Sunday 12th August. Sines is the last port on the Atlantic coast before you sail around Cabo de Sao Vicente, the headland on the ‘corner’ before you turn into the Algarve. Cape Vicente has a wicked reputation for high winds and rough seas, especially in the afternoon, when the strong ‘Nortada’ wind sets in.  An Irish lady we met in Portosin delighted in telling me about her nightmare journey around the cape, when the easterly wind was so strong they were almost sailing backwards. Her warning was reinforced by a Portuguese sailor who does boat deliveries to the Algarve, who said he always leaves Sines at midnight to ensure he rounds the cape before the winds get up.

So when to leave? We aren’t keen on sailing in the dark off the coast here as there are so many pots, and getting a rope round the propeller is the last thing we want. We’ve worked out it should be a 14  hour sail from Sines to the Lagos, the next safe port,  so it could just be done in daylight, but we would then be rounding the cape when the winds are at their strongest. After some debate we have decided to  have an early night and leave at 3 o’clock tomorrow morning.

Monday 13^th August. We had hoped for an early night, but had forgotten there was a folk music festival on the beach, right next to the marina, and in true Portuguese style, the entertainment started at 10pm and went on into the early hours. So we were wide awake when the alarm went off at 2 this morning!

We crossed our fingers as we crept out of the harbour through the shallower water, peering into the gloom to try and spot any pots. Once clear of the harbour we headed 5 miles out to sea where pots are less common. Luckily it was an uneventful sail, we saw very little except two large pods of dolphins and rounded the dreaded Cape safely in gentle winds.  We arrived at  Lagos at 5pm, ready for an early night.