Mir, Mandy & Me

  We left Douro marina and had another trip up the river before anchoring for the night to show number 1 a unique view of Porto. Cook and number 1 rock, paper, scissored to be  helmsman for leaving the marina. Cook won. First time I have let someone else drive my boat, I was a bit twitchy. This is me when first asked if they could drive the boat. In the end the conditions were very calm and all went well. We anchored for the night, had a lovely fish supper, with Jenny's ratatouille, all to another beautiful sunset. The anchor held in 3 knots of tide and 0.8 metres of water. The water flowing past the boat disturbed the cook's sleep in the front cabin. Couldn't hear a thing in the back. We've have learned to lift the ladder at night to stop the tap, tap, tapping. The cook and number 1 wanted to go ashore for a last look at Porto. I didn't want to leave the boat in a 3 knot tidal stream so I took them ashore and then stayed on board. It was a bit hairy trying to get a...

We had a pretty rough ride the 12 miles from Póvoa de Varzim to Leixoes as there was no wind and 2.8 metre waves so we rolled our way to our anchorage in the Porto Leixoes. All the reports said it was ugly and industrial but we found it really interesting. Massive Cruise, cargo and Container ships coming and going. Fishing vessels, pilot boats, customs boats. It was all happening and we had a great view tucked up in the corner of the ports in our sheltered anchorage. The only problem was the next day someone dumped a pile of rotten fish in the harbour and we woke up to a really horrible smell of rotting fish all of which surrounded the boat. We then went into the marina for one night as we were meeting my mate Burkey who came to visit for a few days. We then had a lovely sail to an anchorage in the Doura river by Porto, 4 miles away. We nearly missed the entrance as we were enjoying the ride and chatting too much. Dropped the anchor at low water with 0.8m below the keel and went as...

  We left Mandy at the fuel dock in Punta Lagoa to begin her first solo international travel ordeal since she was 14. Taxi, coach, plane then sister taxi to home. All went swimmingly and she now has her level one solo international travel certificate. The cook and I sailed down the Ria to Baiona, a nice protected anchorage and good jumping off point for our 50 mile journey the next day to Póvoa de Varzim, a large town just north of Porto. On the way we passed Octopus , Paul Allen of Microsoft's megayacht, parked in the bay outside Vigo.  Another world. I wonder if that needs rebooting every day. So it seems lots of other people had the same idea about Baiona because at sunrise the next morning about 6 other boats left the anchorage with us. At one point I could see 12 sailing boats all heading down the coast to Portugal.  It was a lovely journey. The sun rose over the cliffs and burned away the clouds and it turned out to be a lovely sunny day. So we decided to do some pr...

  What a place the Rias of Galicia are. It is as beautiful and varied as I was told. You could spend years exploring this place. I might settle down here - if we ever rejoin the European gang. Left Muros after picking up some bread and spent the next week gently sailing around the the 3 Rias, Ria de Muros y Noya, Ria de Vigo and Ria de Arousa. Beautiful sailing, just like the Med. We dropped the anchor in so many different places, an old Spanish harbour, a 70's like resort, a small city and had our last night in Vigo, a large bustling, vibrant city. As well as the Ria's there are islands at entrance that you need get a navigational permit and anchor permit for, Illa de Cies and Illa de Ons, which I wanted to visit. So I went online and got the permits. On arrival to Ons the fog came in and we couldn't see a thing. So we gave up and went onto Cies which on arrival was blowing a hooley so we had to abandon that one as well.  70's Benidorm like resort for Spanish people. S...