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.

 

 

 

From Cartagena to Gibralta

Back in Cartagena

 16^th July We have spent the last four days in Yacht Port Cartagena marina, a place that holds fond memories for us as it’s where we spent our first winter on Sandpiper in 2012. We had only planned on staying for one night here, but strong winds from the wrong direction have prevented us from leaving.

Cliff changing the nationality of the gas bottle

Cliff has made the most of our enforced stay by catching up with some boat jobs. One job was to paint the gas bottles. Each time our gas runs out we have to take the empty bottle to a supplier and swap it for a full one. But we have found that different countries have different coloured canisters: in Greece they are green and in Spain they are blue. When we came to exchange our green Greek bottle the local Spanish supplier refused to accept it. So, out came the blue paint, and now we have a bottle the right (Spanish) colour!



The beach at Garrucha

17^th July Our departure from Cartagena this morning presented some challenges when the gearbox decided we could only move one way - in reverse! After doing some impressive reverse tactics to avoid other yachts and a very large cruise liner, we decided to return to the marina. Turning the engine on and off seemed to clear the problem, but we would be happier if we knew the cause. Our second departure was uneventful and we had a good sail down to Garrucha on the Costa Almeria.



View of the Rock from our boat

21st July We are now moored in the marina at La Linea, the Spanish town right next to Gibraltar. We have been given a prime spot tucked well inside the marina and we have a splendid view of the rock from our cockpit. Gibralta is only 8 miles from the African mainland and the narrow straits between the two countries have a predictable weather pattern. For the next five days the Poniente wind is due to blow from the west, making the passage through the narrow Straits difficult and possibly dangerous. Then the winds will change and the Levanter will blow from the East, offering us a fast, if slightly wild sail down the Strait. So we have five days to relax and enjoy Gibraltar.

Our DJ neighbour

23rd July Today we had a few drinks with our neighbour Paul Breen-Turner, an interesting character who lives on his boat in Spain and divides his time between working as a TV sports presenter and recording daily shows for English Speaking radio stations in Spain.  He actually records the programmes below deck, then emails them to his producer in London. Sounds like a good life to us!

 

Dinghy troubles in Majorca

Porto Colom in Majorca

27^th June After a very pleasant three weeks in the UK we flew back to Cagliari in Sardinia where we had left Sandpiper while we went home for our son Chris’s wedding. We now have an extra crew member as our good friend Derek has joined us for two weeks. We always enjoy his company, and it will be great having an extra person to share the night watches.

29^th June We left Cagliari at sunrise this morning and by 4pm we were tied up in the marina at Carlo Forte, a pretty town on the island of San Pietro, just off the south west corner of Sardinia. Today is the festival of San Pietro and tonight we had a grandstand view of the spectacular firework display around  the walls of the harbour.

We had hoped to have more time to explore this little island, but the weather forecast shows that the wind direction is perfect for our two day crossing to Majorca, so we will be heading out to sea again tomorrow.

Cliff and Derek at Porto Colom

2^nd July We had an uneventful crossing, once again the winds were lighter than predicted, so after a few good hours sailing we were back on the motor. We are now tied up to a buoy in Porto Colom on the south east coast of Majorca, it’s a lovely, sheltered bay that’s bordered by sandy beaches and pine trees.

After lunch and a celebratory beer we decided to go ashore to explore. Our dinghy has been rolled up under a cover on the foredeck and this was the first time we have used it this year.  As we inflated it one of the rowlocks (the attachments that hold the oars) literally peeled off, and when we pulled the other rowlock it peeled away too. Then we saw that some of the retainers for the grab ropes were starting to fall off. Not good news. But the dinghy itself appeared seaworthy, so we fitted the outboard engine and jumped in to go ashore.  The outboard refused to start, but, not one to be defeated, Cliff told Derek to grab an oar and together they paddled the boat ashore.
 

The rowlocks peeled off....



...and then the seams started to come apart

By the time we returned to the town jetty the dinghy had begun to deflate and it was a real struggle to paddle it back to the boat. We hauled it on deck and a closer inspection revealed that the seams of the dinghy were now beginning to come apart. The adhesive used to glue the dinghy together is clearly no match for the Mediterranean sun,  so it looks as though we will have to manage without a dinghy for the rest of our trip.

This crewing business is hard work

11^th July We made good progress sailing from Majorca to the Spanish mainland and then spent a couple of days in Denia on the Costa Blanca while some strong winds passed through. Yesterday we sailed down to Santa Pola, a small port and holiday resort that’s handy for the airport. We will stay here until tomorrow when Derek leaves us to fly back from Alicante to the UK.

Sicily and the Messina Straits

Riposto with Mount Etna behind

 

29^th May We left Argostoli at midday on the 27^th May and arrived at Riposto in Sicily at 10.30 this morning.  We had a mixed voyage, with big, lumpy seas, strong wind on the nose, then light winds on the beam and finally no wind at all. We now have a splendid view of Mount Etna from our mooring here in the marina.

Taormina old town

30^th May Today we took the train to Taormina, a picture postcard town perched on a rocky promontory high above the sea. It’s a lovely place, with carefully restored medieval buildings and former palaces that are now upmarket hotels. But it was also very hot and packed with tourists, so we were quite glad to return to the peace of Riposto.

Restored palace in Taormina

31^st May Our next challenge was to sail through the Messina Straits, a narrow, 1 ½ mile gap between Sicily and Italy where the Ionion and Tyrrhenian seas meet. Our pilot book warned that a combination of strong tidal streams, whirlpools and sudden gusts of wind can make this a tricky place to sail. We had heard of boats literally sailing backwards in the current, so it was essential that we got our timing right and travelled through with the tide behind us.

We crept out of the marina at first light at 6.15am, it would take five hours to reach the Straits and the plan was to hug the Sicilian coast for as long as we could. After a pleasant hour’s sail the waves began to increase and the wind veered so that it was almost on the nose. The boat soon became uncomfortable and we decided to change course and head across to the Italian coast. At first the motion improved, but then the sea state deteriorated until the waves were so steep that Sandpiper’s  nose was being buried deep in the waves while her stern was raised so high that the propeller was barely touching the water. At the same time waves crashed over cockpit and we crouched under the sprayhood trying to avoid getting drenched.

These were some of the worst sea conditions we had faced, and we briefly discussed whether we should turn back, but we decided to keep going in the hope it would improve. Three hours later, as we neared the Italian coast the wind finally began to ease and the waves reduced. By the time we entered the Strait itself, the sea was almost flat and there was only a whisper of wind. 



Rather blurry photo of a sword fishing boat

As we headed towards the little Italian port of Bagnara, our destination for the night , we passed several traditional sword fishing boats. They have surprisingly tall masts with men on a lookout platform at the top, and a very long bow sprit with another man precariously balanced on the end, ready to harpoon the unsuspecting  swordfish. The hull of the boat is quite narrow and you wonder how on earth they manage to keep the whole thing upright. Oh, and talking of keeping upright, I almost fell over the side of our boat trying to take this picture!


The beach at Cefalu

The lovely old town of Cefalu

3^rd June We are now in the pretty resort town of Cefalu on the north coast of Sicily. We were glad we arrived early yesterday as there is a big regatta this weekend and by 6pm the marina was full.  We’ve had a pleasant day exploring the old town, relaxing on the beach and watching the boats race offshore. Tomorrow we hope to leave for Sardinia.

6^th June We left Cefalu before sunrise with a promise of light winds on the quarter. The wind soon died and we were forced to motorsail for the whole of the two day trip across to Sardinia. On the morning of the second day the engine suddenly stopped and we discovered oil in the bilges. After an hour with his head in the engine bay Cliff eventually found the source of the problem – a leak in the oil pump gasket. He was unable to fix it so we decided to top up with oil every few hours. There was no wind and we were getting through oil at an alarming rate, so it was touch and go whether we would make it to port without the engine stopping.  I found this particularly worrying as our approach to land was littered with dangerous rocks! Luckily we just managed to limp into Villasimius and got a birth overnight.  Then this morning we bought more oil before sailing on down to Cagliari where we will leave the boat for three weeks while we go back to the UK for our son’s wedding.
 
 

Argostoli and frisky turtles

 

The lake at Argostoli


10^th May We are now moored in the harbour of Argostoli on the island of Cephalonia. We had an easy, four day sail down through the Gulfs of Corinth and Patras, but with little wind we had to resort to the motor at times.  We were entertained by pods of dolphins who came to play in our bow wave and we spotted several turtles feeding on the plentiful supply of jellyfish. Just as well it’s still too cool to swim!

11^th May The wind got up today and the flotilla boat next to us began to drag on its anchor and drifted onto us.  There was no-one on the boat, but we finally persuaded another crew from the flotilla to go on board and haul in the anchor before Sandpiper was damaged. When one of the boats on the other side of us also started dragging we decided it was time to move, so we’ve motored across to the abandoned marina on the far side of the harbour which offers much better protection from the wind.



Sandpiper in the marina at Argostoli

12^th May The marina is very peaceful. It’s on the opposite side of the bay to the town and is backed by green hills. It was built some years back with grants from the EU, but was abandoned when it was time to pay back the loans! There’s no water or electricity, but the concrete pontoons are sturdy and stop most of the surge when the wind whips down through the bay. It's home to several ‘ghost’ boats that have been impounded by the police for drug smuggling then simply left to rot. There are also a few cruisers here who, like us, are making the most of a free mooring.  Beyond the marina the space left for offices and a car park has now been reclaimed by nature and provides a grazing ground for the local sheep.

Sheep grazing by the marina

13^th May Our walk into town today took us across the long bridge that separates an inland lake from the sea.  We knew this was a popular spot for turtles and as we scanned the water we spotted what looked like a big, oddly shaped turtle thrashing about in the water. After a moment we realised there were actually two turtles and they were mating! We’ve been told these loggerhead turtles come to the quiet waters of lake each year to mate. Later the females will go to the beaches beyond the town to lay their eggs.


The turtles in action

Our plan is to sail from here straight to Sicily. It's a two day sail heading due west, but guess where the wind is coming from for the next few days? The west. So it looks as though we will be spending a bit more time in Argostoli.



Donna catching up with the washing

15^th May We are still in Argostoli waiting for the weather to improve. Waiting can be tedious, but we are lucky to have a lovely couple in the boat next door who have kept up sane.  Donna and Ricky arrived after a pretty gruelling sail down from Sicily, so they are taking some time out before heading up through the islands.

19^th May We hired a car today to drive around the island. The weather was mixed, with heavy clouds threatening rain, but the island is just as beautiful as we remembered.


The pretty port of Assos

23rd May This morning we noticed a new boat moored in the bay and a quick check with the binoculars confirmed it is Sulaire, home to Charlie and Alison who spent the winter with us in Cartagena three years ago. Needless to say, this called for a few drinks in the bar to catch up with all the news. They too are planning to cross to Sicily once the wind has moved round.




It was great to see Charlie an Alison again

26^th May The wind has finally turned, so we will be heading towards Sicily tomorrow. We can’t wait to be out at sea again!

 

NIght time intruders at Korfos

Korfos

3^nd May 2016 We have sailed to Korfos, which is just round the headland from our next destination:  the Corinth Canal. But after a night in the port we hear that gale force winds are forecast for the canal area over the next two days, so we decide to head back to Epidaurus and explore inland.  As we turn the corner out of the bay the wind is on the nose and the horizon disappears into a wall of white.  Then the wind speed suddenly accelerates from 10 to 40 knots, the rain pelts down and the sea begins to crash over the bows.  We don’t fancy the idea of this for another two hours, so we turn back again and tie up on the pontoon Korfos.

The 'pirate' fishing boats

 

4^th May I am woken at 2am by the sound of footsteps on the deck. I climb up the companionway steps and find two Greek men busy undoing our lines! I shout at them to stop, but all they can say is ‘fish’! I then notice that the small motor launch that was moored behind us has been tied alongside our boat. My shouts of ‘No!’ wake Cliff who joins me in trying to evict the men. Eventually Eric, a Norwegian from another boat on the pontoon, arrives along with Takis, the Greek owner of the motor launch. Much shouting ensues in Greek, and Eric explains that the intruders are fishermen from the island of Salamis near Athens, who want to rearrange the boats on the pontoon to make room for their two large fishing boats so they can offload their catch. Eventually we reluctantly agree to move. We later hear that these fishermen are not welcome in Korfos as the pontoon was built for leisure sailors who provide essential income for the many restaurants.

Liz at Palamidi Fort

Liz would like to visit Nafplion, so in the morning we take a cab across to this lovely old town, first stopping at Palamidi Fort that sits high above Nafplion and offers stunning views of the town and the Argolic Gulf.  Then we drive down to the port and wander through the narrow streets admiring the Venetian architecture which has survived from the 14^th Century.

Nafplion town

5^th May At 6am we are woken by footsteps on deck again! The fishermen are busy tying Takis’ boat alongside ours and insist that we should move back. We are planning to leave this morning and so we stand firm – we will move forward so that they can berth behind us, but we cannot have the motorboat tied alongside us. At 10am Takis appears with the police. The fishermen took his boat off the pontoon and anchored it out in the bay - he is furious! The police interview Cliff to confirm what happened and then talk sternly to the fishermen. They are still shouting at each other as we head out of the port towards the Corinth Canal.

Liz helming Sandpiper through the Corinth Canal

Our transit through the canal goes smoothly and Liz gets a chance to take the helm. We are soon tied up on the port at Corinth where we are going for a farewell meal with Liz before she leaves to take her flight to the UK tomorrow.

6^th May 2016 We were up early this morning to wave goodbye to Liz as she took a taxi to the Metro station to go to Athens.  Later we discovered that Liz arrived at the station to find the Metro is on strike! Luckily her taxi hadn’t left, so she jumped back in and headed for the bus station, where she finally found a seat on a bus to Athens. 


 

A guest and Greek Easter

Sandpiper is launched for the new season

19th April We are finally back in Kilada, Greece where our boat is out of the water in the yard. She’s been on the hard for 11 months but, apart from needing a good clean and polish, she’s looking good. Our plan this year is to bring Sandpiper back to the UK, which will mean sailing her down through the Corinth Canal to the Ionian islands, then across to Sicily and onto to Sardinia, the Balearics, Spain, Gibraltar and up the Atlantic coast of Portugal before crossing the Bay of Biscay to the UK. The plan is slightly complicated by the fact we also need to fly back in the UK for our son Chris’s wedding at the end of June.

20^th April There’s always something that needs fixing. Today we found that the anchor windlass (the device that raises and drops the anchor) has stopped working. We had some problems with it last year and did a temporary fix, but now it needs a permanent solution. We call Andreas the electrician and he helps us re-route the wiring and install a deck fitting for the control unit.

25^th April Sandpiper is finally launched. We sail round to Porto Heli as my friend Liz is arriving tomorrow from Canada to spend 10 days sailing with us.

Cleaning out the bilges

26^th April Liz has arrived but we can’t leave the port as our automatic bilge pump has stopped working. We call Andreas who tells us the problem has been caused by oily water in the bilges. He can replace the pump and sensor but first we need to clean out the bilges.   So I spend the day on my hands and knees scraping gunk out of the bilges and scrubbing them clean. Liz appears to find this very amusing and takes lots of pictures.

Liz at Ermioni

Is this what happens to naughty children in Greece?

28^th April While Andreas and Cliff sort out the fitting of a new pump, Liz and I take the bus to Ermioni, a lovely little town just along the coast. We walk around the pine-clad peninsular just beyond the town where you can still see the remains of the ancient city. Then we stop at a waterfront  taverna and tuck into a delicious lunch with wonderful views across to the island of Dhokos.

Great lunchtime view

29^th April We are now in the port of Epidaurus where we will be staying for the weekend to see the celebrations for Greek Easter. Easter is almost as important as Christmas for the Greeks and everywhere we go there are decorations,  from  special street lights to wooden cut outs of rabbits decorating the verges.

Easter bunnies and (in video below) the midnight celebrations

On Good Friday evening we follow the candle lit parade up to the church above the town where we can hear the sombre sound of priests chanting. Then at midnight on Saturday the mood changes as we join the crowd down by the harbour.  Candles are lit again, but this time Church bells ring, boats sound their horns, fireworks are set off and Chinese lanterns are released high into the sky.

Liz emerges from the Sunken City

During the day Liz and I walk through orange and lemon groves to the small Roman amphitheatre  and then on down to the beach where Liz swims out and snorkels over the ruins of the sunken city. It’s chilly, and as I’ve already seen them I opt to stay on the beach. Later, as we walk back we see people walking down from the hill above the amphitheatre. A German tells us the remains of the temple to Apollo is at the top of the hill so we climb up and are rewarded with stunning views across the Gulf.

Liz at the Temple to Apollo 

1st May On Greek Easter Sunday all is quiet as families stay at home to feast on roast lamb. Andreas told us that the lamb’s entrails are considered a special treat! We spend the day doing boat chores while Liz goes on a long hike round the coast. On the way back she stops at a beachside shack for a glass of retsina and the owners refuse to let her pay for it. Our Greek Easter meal is a delicious vegetarian chilli cooked on board by Liz.