Tag Archives: Leixoes

Leixoes to Figueira da Foz via Aveiro

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Edwardo processing Eileen's paperwork

I am traveling through a part of Portugal I now know relatively well. Most of the ports I’ve visited once before so I’m very relaxed while passage making. It’s always easier when you know what to expect. Especially when dealing with your paperwork in port.

I’m still sailing without company, but a yacht called ‘Summer Song’ with a young British crew heading for the ARC rally are not far behind. They tailed me from Leixoes and we shared the anchorage by the military base in Aveiro last night.

Nice to see some younger sailors for a change. They apparently quit their jobs to make an Atlantic circuit and are sailing a boat that cost no more than the average new car (they didn’t tell me how much exactly). Perhaps I will see them again tonight in Figueira da Foz and we can share a glass of Port together. For the curious, I’ll try and slip in the how much did it all cost question at some point. 🙂

Summer Song at anchor in Aveiro

The weather is fine but not hot. Sunny days with slight winds for the most part. We do seem to get quite an easterly breeze in the mornings (Force 4), but it dies down after a few hours and I’m left motoring for much of the day. By late afternoon it returns with a vengeance as a northerly Force 4 or greater, but this too is short lived. All local phenomenon and is the Portuguese equivalent of the land-sea breeze I’m used to elsewhere.

Catching birds instead of fish

Well, I’d better get back to my puttering along the coast at 4.5kts just a mile offshore, admiring the beaches and trolling for my next meal. I do wish those seagulls would leave my fishing lure alone…

So, what are you all up to?

PS I did have that glass of port in port, and the answer to my question was about 40,000 pounds! OK so it’s the cost of a more than average car. 😉

More amazing sailors!

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Viana do Castelo

I am blog writing while sailing! A real novelty for me because reading or writing below deck is usually a recipe for instant nausea. But today the sea is calm and I am motoring toward Aveiro at a brisk 5kts. So if you were ever wondering why my posts are delayed by several days, it is either because I need to be on steady ground before I find the incentive to write, or I’m having difficulty finding Internet access (which happens rather frequently).

It has been an interesting couple of days as I travel south from Bayona via Viana do Castelo and on to Leixoes (near Porto). I’ve seen some beautiful boats and some rather scruffy but functional ones all migrating south with Madeira or the Canaries in their sights.

Just to highlight this, what follows are a couple of photos taken on route:

Swiss tall ship in Bayona

I didn’t expect to see the Swiss out and about sailing in this fine vessel.  Pictured here anchored off Bayona, it made quite an impressive sight.

The not so glorious Gloria

Not so fine but certainly impressive, is Gloria, an English registered ferro-concrete yacht (you don’t see many of them these days), that perhaps has seen better days. Never mind, it hasn’t stopped the crew from patching her up and setting sail from the UK for warmer climes. Having paid just 1500 pounds to buy her, it goes to show that even on a boat budget considerably smaller than mine it’s possible to go cruising. I wish them well.

Cavok 5 and her Japanese crew

Even the Japanese have made an appearance in this years southerly yacht migration! I am pleased to say that I have made friends with the crew of Cavok 5, sailing their French built yacht to the Mediterranean, but returning each winter to Japan.. We had a short but enjoyable stay as marina neighbors in Viana do Castelo, conversing over espresso coffee and a glass of fine port. I do hope to see them again in the future… who knows, perhaps it will be in Japan!

The control center of Voya

I finally had a chance to look inside Rowland’s yacht ‘Voya’. Very nice! Though I think he has enough instruments to control the next space shuttle mission. Makes me think of the David Bowie song with the lyrics “Ground control to Major Tom….”

Saying goodbye 🙁

In Viana do Castelo I said goodbye to my “3-week friends”, and set sail alone for Leixoes. Frederic and Vivien on Avel Vat will stay near Porto for a week and the crew of Voya and Cavok 5 have decided to take a short break.

I hope to make the most of a patch of fair weather to reach Lisbon within a week.

Attempted repair of jammer handle

While I’m making good progress since leaving Spain, I have had the occasional hiccup. I now need to source a replacement part for a rope clutch that broke on route, and this is proving difficult. I’ve put the word out with the Yarmouth23 user group and perhaps they will be able to assist me with tracking down and sending me a replacement.

Fingers crossed!

Sailing from Leixoes to Bayona, Spain

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Polluted waters in Spanish Rias

Leixoes turned out to be my last port of call in Portugal. I had originally intended to stop in Viana do Castelo but changed my mind on route as the weather was so enjoyable.

Not so pleasant was the amount of pollution in the water. Large patches of sea along the coast here, can only be described as truly repulsive. I was beginning to wonder whether my cooling system might clog motoring through this soup of effluent discharge!

What is this odd vessel?

I passed the time trimming sails that didn’t need trimming, rigging a boom keeper just for the practice and watching odd ships pass by. The one pictured here wins the prize for “oddest vessel of the day”. Goodness knows what sort of ship it is. If anyone knows, feel free to enlighten me. Fortunately there was little in the way of swell, because it certainly didn’t look very seaworthy.

Arriving in Bayona at dusk, I thought to anchor for the night. Unfortunately the anchorages marked on my charts turned out to be occupied by private moorings. I only discovered the next day that picking up a buoy for the night would have been fine. As it was, I took the advice (shouted by an English crew) that “this marina is cheap”, and took an outer berth at the Monterreal Club de Yates (at the foot of Bayona’s castle) for the night.

View from marina, Bayona Spain

The following morning, as I sat at the marina cafe admiring the view from the fortifications which included the replica of Columbus’ ship the Pinta berthed nearby, I satisfied myself that English dry humour and the 16 Euro a night fee were not so acerbic. 😉

Aveiro to the port of Leixoes

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The northern breakwater at Aveiro, Portugal

Weighing anchor at 8:00, I motored with the ebb past Aveiro’s breakwater with its dangerous (in heavy seas) and turbulent washing machine like entrance, heading for the 20m depth contour in search of calmer conditions.

As I ambled north in peaceful contemplation, a loud buzzing interrupted my daydreaming. I just had time to sit up and look about when a red rigid inflatable whizzed past (withing a few meters) Eileen’s stern, at what can only be described as tremendous speed.

It was the rescue RIB from Aveiro.

I waved to it’s two helmeted crew as they bounced along like rag dolls. They waved back (quite a feat when you think about it), and then sped off to continue their bone jarring ride elsewhere. It all happened so fast, I didn’t even have time to take out my camera for a blog snapshot. 🙁

Metro, Porto

Oh, and despite my best efforts (getting up at 7am for starters), to beat my new 3-day-friend’s boat to the next port (Leixoes), I was overtaken with just five miles to go. Drat! I must be the slowest yacht in Portugal.

The port of Leixoes was a convenient stopover for my whirlwind tour of Porto. I caught the fancy new metro to town, took the compulsory tourist photos of random buildings, bought a bottle of Porto and an amusing souvenir, then raced back to get some sleep.

What more should I have done in Porto?