From Gibralta to Portugal

The Portuguese town of Sines

 

30th July When we were on our way down to the Med in 2012, it took us almost three weeks to sail from the Atlantic Coast of Portugal to Gibraltar. This time it has taken us just four days to do the trip in reverse. Admittedly that included one night at sea, but it’s surprising how much progress you can make when you’re in ‘passage’ mode with no distractions.

We are now in the small port of Sines, which is about 55 miles south of Lisbon. Last time we were here there was a (very loud) folk music festival next to the marina which meant we had a broken night’s sleep. This time there’s an (even louder) rock festival, but we’re in luck as it finishes tomorrow.

Relaxing after a long sail

31st July After two days at sea, we were very tired last night and managed to sleep through the music. This morning we wandered into town and explored the castle and the narrow cobbled streets. It’s a lovely little town that’s famous for being the birthplace of the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama.

This afternoon I decided to catch up with the washing. I had forgotten how much the Portuguese love their paperwork - before handing over tokens for the washing machine and tumble drier, the marina office insisted on filling out a form listing my name, the boat’s name, our mooring number, when we arrived and when we were leaving. Having printed two copies of this out, one for me and one for the marina, they took my money. Then they filled out a second form noting how many tokens I had bought, what they were for and how much I had paid for them. Two more copies were printed and I was finally given the tokens. What a waste of trees!

Statue of Vasco da Gama in Sines

 

1st August One of the challenges of sailing north up the Atlantic coast is that the winds normally blow from the north or northwest (ie on the nose) and a 2-3 metre swell rolls in from the west. This makes for a rolly ride in mild winds and a very unpleasant sail when the wind rises to force 5 or 6, which it does almost every afternoon. 

I knew that sailing back up the Atlantic coast would mean daily bouts of seasickness for me, so Cliff and I have agreed that I’ll leave the boat and fly home when we get to Lisbon. We’ve arranged for our friends Derek and Richard to come out and help Cliff sail up the rest of the Atlantic coast and then across the Bay of Biscay to the UK.

Oeiras, near Lisbon, is our next (and my last) port of call and we estimate that it will take us around 10 hours to sail there. But we need to arrive before the afternoon wind kicks in, which means we will have a very early start in the morning.

2nd August We left our mooring in Sines at 2.15am.There was very little wind, but as soon as we cleared the harbour we met confused seas with a 3 metre swell and plenty of water over the deck. As we roller-coastered along in the pitch black, Cliff went below to catch up on some sleep while I stayed on the helm and fought down the nausea. After a couple of hours the sea state improved and by the time the sun rose at 6.30am I was beginning to enjoy the ride. We arrived at Oeiras at 1pm and I was glad to be safely in the marina before the afternoon winds began to blow.


The marina at Oeiras

4^th August Oeiras is one of our favourite marinas. The moorings are sheltered, the staff are exceptionally helpful and there’s a good choice of eateries within the marina.  If you fancy a swim, there’s an excellent (free) swimming pool complex just above the marina or a series of fine sandy beaches to the west.

Son et lumiere at the Palace.

7^th August We’ve had a busy few days tidying up the boat ready for the change of crew, but we’ve also fitted in trips to the beach and to the old town of Oeiras. Last night  we walked up to the Palace of the Marques de Pombal where there was an impressive sound and light show. A marked trail took you through the palace grounds and each building had a different scene projected on to it telling the story of the Marques and his family.

8th  August I fly home tomorrow but our friend Derek has now arrived and will be helping Cliff sail Sandpiper back to the UK.