Algarve & Spanish cruising.

Where the common theme seemed to be poor weather forecasts. 
One day, having clearly heard, "Southerly F3 to 4, showers, good occasionally moderate ", we were quite surprised that the actual winds  were Force 10 for a time.

Portimao (500 miles from Madeira)

Arriving before the marina staff meant 2 hours on the fuel pontoon before we were allocated a berth, the only one as it happened. Then is was off to the Lidl supermacado to restock the cupboards. It was almost 2 months since the Brompton's had seen daylight but they seemed to remember what was needed of them, they were transport and packhorses.

On the pontoons, with it still being peak season, it was bedlam. Maybe I'm so used to the peace we had on Madeira but here the Spanish were communicating with friends 10 boats away. Megaphones would have been no louder.

Albufeira

We like this marina and especially the pastel coloured marina housing. Not sure we could live with it though!  Arriving mid afternoon, following a lesurly sail, we strolled into town and had an early dinner. Janet bought a few presents for Christmas.

Isla Culatra

We dropped anchor less than 20m from when we last anchored here. Predictable eh?. We didn't go ashore this time as we planned on an early start the following day.

Guardiana River

It was about 1000 and mid-ebb as we exited Faro's harbour, straight into a horrible wind over tide situation. We were dong 8 knots and directly ahead was a real maelstrom of a sea. We blasted up waves, launched into space at the top and crashed into the troughs. We dropped the revs to tick-over but with 3 knots of tide under us we still took a hammering before we final found deep water off-shore. It was then easy peasy all the way to the Guardiana river where we anchored for the night just below the bridge.

Ayamonte

The following morning, bright and early, we took a berth in Ayamonte marina. The overnight at anchor had saved us €35. In town we found an internet cafe and investigated flight prices so we could nip home and see our new grandson Oliver. They were not cheap so we decided Janet would travel alone the following week.

Mazagon

We anchored here after a gentle sail in SW winds from Ayamonte.

Chipiona

It was 30 miles to Chipiona and we felt it would be an easy sail. The wind was light, ideal for Ruby, so we travelled at about 4 knots.  Then, mid morning, Huelva coast guard broadcast a gale warning, an imminent one. We decided they knew better than us so on went the engine and we speedily travelled to Chipiona. Strangely, it was a further 12 hrs before the wind rose and by which time we were well tied up on the visitors pontoon as there were no vacancies within the marina itself.

Chipiona is a lovely old town where real people live, not simply the tourists. We stayed two nights but as Janet's flights were not too far away we left for the Bay of Cadiz where connections to the airport seemed better.

Puerto Sherry

Not our first choice but as Rota had said no, and in-depth conversations with Puerto San Marie had yielded a further refusal, we headed for Puerto Sherry.

This marina is reasonably new but its oh so sad. The main builders aimed ever so high but went bust at about 35% distance, and sadly the surrounding houses, built by a private firm, fell foul of new national building regulations, i.e. they met none of them. All in all it ground to a halt and 3 subsequent efforts to complete the program all failed.

In the next berth to us was Claudio, he was a young guy with connections to a local building firm.  As was the Spanish way, he arrived at 2100 and commenced fishing in the marina, not planning to be home before 0200. After a couple of days Janet flew to the UK and I began conversations with Claudio.  His boat had engine troubles which I wished I'd enquired about because, 2 days later a technician arrived and changed the oil in both V8 engines. That was it, problem solved, but for the fact that two days later the boat commenced sinking! Luckily, straight after the oil change, Claudio had been to sea for 4 hours and returned with 10 Dorades, 10 Mackerel and 2 Tuna. Better still he offered us a large Dorade which naturally I accepted. Janet, from the UK, said she would soon be home and I should save the Dorade for her return. IF YOU ARE READING THIS CLAUDIO, THE DORADE WAS FANTASTIC.  WE COOKED IT ON OUR STERN BBQ AND ENJOYED EVERY MINUTE OF THE WHOLE EXPERIENCE. 

Jerez (by train)

One week later Janet's sister and husband (Margaret and Nigel) arrived for a 10 holiday with us. We met them in Jerez where they had booked us a hotel room to help celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary. We spent 3 days in Jerez and what a wonderful town it is. Naturally we toured the Tio Pepe bodega and had lunch which included an iced bottle of Tio Pepe, but perhaps best of all was a visit to the Andalusian horse centre.

The center has royal patronage, is state sponsored and is housed in a palatial quinta whose grounds were originally a huge and splendid garden. Our entrance ticket allowed us to join a tour, indeed we were supposed to join one but, ignorant of the requirement, we casually strolled around. The aim of the tour was to keep us on the approved route and not, for example, inside the vet's physio' area where we were apprehended and made to join a tour. The problem with the tour was that photo's were forbidden whereas strolling around gave no such restriction; we soon slipped the reins.

One of the amazing feats the horses learn is apparently an old war time manoeuvre, the horse rears up, fore legs in the air, it then jumps and kicks out with its hind legs, I'm sure it would down another horse.

CAMERA OBSCURER,  GENERAL AMBIENCE.

Chipiona

As we left Puerto Sherry the Marineros had just arrived as Claudio's boat was seriously down in the water. We hope it was a simple problem to sort out.

We had no wind for the passage so motored the 15 miles to Chipiona where, this time, we were allocated a huge berth and only charged for a 12m one. From here we went to Seville for 2 days. It was just as fantastic as our previous trip which you can read by clicking Sixty in Seville.

One day we tried sailing to Rota in the forecasted F3 winds, but by the time the wind had reached F7 and the sea had become quite ugly we turned round and blasted the 10 miles back to Chipiona where we were relocated in our old berth. Phew.

Ayamonte

On our own again we left bound for Mazagon. Once on route  it soon became clear that we could avoid the following days head-winds by going direct to Ayamonte and having a few days rest their. Trouble was it was 51m away and we had 7 hrs before the tide turned, and that would mean an ebb tide into a F6 wind, not a desirable situation.  We decided to go for it as 7 knots would be easy to average. At half distance we had averaged nearly 8 knots but ahead were some very black clouds, trouble was brewing. Luckily the clouds were travelling across our path so whenever one seemed to be on a constant bearing we changed course 20-30 degrees to avoid it. It worked a treat and even though the distance was slightly increased we arrived early with the flood still running.

Arriving at about 1900 the staff were still on duty so we were allocated a 13m berth, and charged for its size. Drat! The following morning as we were eating breakfast we were told to leave, the berth holder was returning and we should never have been offered the berth in the first place. Great.

Villa Real St Antonio

Villa Real is only half a mile away so we were soon at the entrance but at half ebb-tide entering is quite tricky. We had a practice at ferry gliding (travelling exactly sideways) out in the river before we tried to enter the marina. Easy-Peasy so in we went. We must have looked like real pro's, Janet stepped off as we held station alongside the pontoon even though we were still doing over 1 knot forwards, Villa Real pro's.

Albufeira

With forecasted winds being southerly F3-4 we felt it ideal to head for, at least Faro, but probably Albufiera. We were soon at sea with Seaman Redgrave (the Hydrovane) steering nicely towards the Faro headland where a large black cloud seemed to be lurking, so, using the previous days technique, we headed off 30 degrees to pass south of it. As it headed over the land we could see big flashes of lightening beneath it followed by very loud bangs of thunder.  We counted the seconds, 5 to the mile, so 15 meant it was 3 miles away. We dodged 2 more thunder clouds in this manner and neither came within 2 miles of us. But then . . . . . . . . another large cloud materialised dead ahead and a second could be seen further off shore and this one meant we could not use the already proven "turn-south-dodge". To the North was the shore  so we decided to hold our course and head for the least dark part of the blackness.  We continued to count the time between flashes and bangs, we calculated 3 miles, 2 miles, 1 mile. And then, at the next flash, just as I was saying one, my ears seemed to implode as the bang took away all senses. Then the boat fell over, the wind not so much rising but instantly changing from F4 to F10. Our instrument repeater in the play pen shows wind in Beaufort forces but it also showed that we were dong 8.5 knots whilst on our side.  Time for a reef then.

The genoa winch was almost in the water so not a nice winch to play with, so "lets reef the main" we said. I let go of Janet as it was clear than although neither of us was clipped on we were unlikely to now fall overboard. With 2 reefs in the main, and then 3 in the genoa and also with a 60 degree tweak to Redgrave, we settled on the opposite tack safely away from the shore. The wind was still F7 but seemed really quiet in comparison to the bedlam of 10 minutes earlier.  10 more minutes passed before the wind died altogether and the most torrential of rain storms began.

Lagos