Skipper's Log 25 June 1997 - Spain

    1997 CRUISE TO SPAIN AND THE AZORES

Spain

15 June	0200	Returned to the boat  and saw the night watchman lurking in the shadows. It didn’t feel so late as the bars were still full of activity and were still serving food and drink when we left. Slept late today!  Later, we walked with Dave E to the coach station at the far end of town. The idea was to take a bus to the airport at Santiago for a flight home to the UK. On the way back, Dave M and I walked around the peninsula of Torres de Hercules, along a newly developed promenade which is several miles long. As we passed the lighthouse of Torres de Hercules, we saw some poor soul looking out through the bars of his cell in the prison opposite the lighthouse. I was glad when we arrived back to the boat because my left foot was getting really painful – an old injury playing up.
	2000	Received a mobile call from home to say that Dave E was on his way back to the boat! He had rung his mother to say there was no flight out that day, and was coming back for the night, he had been unable to contact us. He arrived around 2100, having caught a minibus direct from the airport to the Hotel Atlantico in La Coruna.
	2230	Went up to the town again and ate at a tapas bar, which had lots of hams hanging up. There is a very good atmosphere in the bars, we sampled the local Albarino wine again. Being Sunday, the bars were not as full as the previous night, and seemed to be getting ready to close when we left. We arrived back at the boat at around 0100.
16 June		Dave E left us around 1030 and headed back for the airport at Santiago. His flight was at 1500, so he had plenty of time. The minibus (free) was to leave the Hotel Atlantico at 1200 so he was going to look around a bit and write a few postcards. We took a last look at the town, which has some lovely gardens and returned to the marina.
	1210	Left La Coruna, having filled up with fuel and water. The water tank is still giving some concern as it is still leaking. The wind was on the nose and with nasty steep waves, so we motorsailed as far as Islas Sisargas.
	1930	Rounded Islas Sisargas and set course for a point off Cabo Villano. We saw many fishing boats off Corme and the area of Cabo Villano. Off Cabo Villano the wind died to about 5kn, and became variableso the sail kept luffing ant the windpilot couldn’t cope. So we motored the rest of the way to Camarinas.
17 June		We picked our way in to Camarinas bay very carefully, using the sectored lights and Radar. Moored up at the Club Nautico de Camarinas at 0210. We both hit tha sack and slept until 0800. There are several other British boats here , in fact most of them are. One, “ Blue Nymph” has been here since November. We later found out that he had lost his crew overboard just before arriving in Spain. It made us think very carefully about using our lifelines in future. Two more boats arrived during the morning, “Steelaway”, crewed by a couple from the Hamble, and “Bristol Sable” – a singlehander. The yacht club is very hospitable and reasonably priced, we’ve decided to stay an extra night here.
	1630	We’ve had our siesta, changed gas canisters and now going for a shower. The wind has picked up to F4-5, so glad we moored head to wind. “Bristol Sabre” and “Penultimate” moved on today. The Swedish boat “ Sea Tramp”, an Allegro 27 arrived, and Jørgen joined for an evening meal – He is single handed. I sent a few postcards to my family and bought a couple of 30ltr water containers as the tank is still leaking. Had great fun trying to explain to the lady in the ironmonger’s shop what we wanted. Dave spotted a tortilla pan, so we bought that too. It’s like a double frying pan so you can turn the whole thing over and continue cooking on the other side, ingenious! Steelaway is moving on tomorrow, we’ll probably meet them again in Muros.
18 June	0557	Departed Camarinas in rain, the wind soon picked up to NW F4. We shut down the engine after clearing the approach.
	0820	Made contact with G4FRN on the UK Ham radio net.
	1020	We’re off Cape Finisterre and the wind has dropped to 8kn, but we’re still doing over 4kn under full sail. Took the inside channel “ Canal de Meixidos” on the approach to Ria de Muros
	1630	Moored up alongside “Steelaway” in Muros harbour, it’s very full here. We went for a walk through the back streets of Muros. It’s a place full of character, with several squares and many alleyways to explore. Had our evening meal at a tapas bar, Godfrey and Angela from Steelaway were there too.
20 June	0630	Left Muros, and were soon tacking down the ria in a SW F3. Off the entrance, the swell was a good 3metres high and the small fishing boats were disappearing in it. One large fishing boat forced us to tack out, there must have been little boats or nets near the banks. It was a bit un nerving at the time.  By the time we were off Cabo Corrubedo, the wind had picked up to F6, and the swell was pushing us inshore, so we had to tack out again.
	1400	Entered Ria de Arosa and passing Isla Lua at 1510. Another yacht came up from Bayona and led us in to Caraminal, It was “Balletto”, with Adrian and Penny Hopkins on board.  There is a good mooring pontoon at Caraminal, but no facilities. The town is very picturesque, there are gardens along the ria frontage and a monastic building in the upper part of the town. Saw some of the old stone walled grain stores, standing up on mushroom-like legs to stop mice and rats getting in. It  poured with rain in the evening, so we didn’t go ashore. On the way up this ria we saw many mussel rafts or viveros, rather solid objects. Some are marked on the chart, but there many others unmarked.
21 June		Adrian (G0PQT) showed me his setup for receiving metfax reports with a laptop computer and ham receiver – very impressive. We don’t have a computer on board. Had a walk around the town in the morning and bought vegetables in the covered market. We had a superb meal in the evening at a small restaurant. The seafood paella beat us, there was just too much! It tasted fantastic though. We’re staying another night and plan to leave for Bayona tomorrow.
22 June	0837	Departed Caraminal, Adrian had left an hour earlier and was heading north. We heard him calling his local ham net after leaving the ria. We had a look at Cabo Cruz harbour before settingsail down the Ria. We caught a large mackerel between Isia Ous and the mainland as we set course for Islas Cies. Caught another two before we anchored off Isla Faro. What a superb setting, looks like a paradise island. We watched the sun go down over the causeway joining the two islands. We anchored in 7m depth but by 2300 it had reduced to 3.9m. The anchor alarms on the depth sounder work! Called in on the ham net again this evening, they say the Azores high pressure system is building up again. The setting in this anchorage is so idyllic, had to stay the night. We ate the mackerel for our evening meal. By 10pm all the Spanish boats had cleared out (it’s Monday tomorrow). The wind dropped to a flat calm.  I phoned home this evening, my wife has had a new cooker installed – I can’t complain!
23 June		We rowed ashore in the inflatable dinghy and had had coffee and a chat at the cafe by the ferry quay. Then we went for a super walk over to the lighthouse on Mt Faro. We climbed up to the light – superb cliff scenery on the west side of the island. This is really a paradise island, we walked back along the shore, ours was the only yacht in the anchorage. After we came back aboard, around 1230, another yacht came in – “Susie of Sark” – a Jersey registered Westerly Falcon. She anchored pretty close. Dave made a tortilla for lunch, he was dying to try out his new tortilla pan. The part baked long life rolls we had bought in the UK had to be thrown out as they were mouldy. The wind increase to NW F4 during the afternoon.
	1515	Weighed anchor under sail and made for Bayona. The wind increased to 20kn and we’re almost on a dead run.
	1630	We are already in Bayona, that was a fast sail! In the evening we went out for tapas and more Albarino wine. The pinchos murinos were delicious.
24 June		Made preparations for tomorrow’s voyage to the Azores. We changed the engine and gearbox oil, also filters. We checked all the rigging, had to replace a couple of split rings. Tightened up the guardrails and lower shrouds. We did some shopping in the supermarket. We went aboard a British converted fishing boat with a white ensign (RYS) named “Jesmond”. The owner was having faxes sent to him from Gibraltar and he promised to show me the one he gets tomorrow. Bought 40ltrs of diesel to fill the jerry cans. In the evening we went out for a meal and found a fish / seafood restaurant. I had a sea bass (griddled), which was very good. Dave went for the giant prawns – they looked like small lobsters. He got the shock of his life when the bill came, and thought there had been a mistake. The chef came out and showed him the receipt for the prawns as bought at market – very expensive!
25 June		“Jesmond” produced the met fax, and I traced it on board before handing it back. The weather looks reasonable but winds a bit light. Did a last shop and bought some print film but could not get slide film. Filled up the water tank, but it’s leaking again. We have plenty of water in containers for the next leg though.
	1400	Departed Bayona, bound for The Azores.