Our 3 week shakedown has allowed us to find out which of our ideas and purchases work – and which dont. Top of the tree is undoubtedly “Cruising Galicia ‘ by Carlos Rojas and Robert Bailey – quite simply the best pilot book we have ever used . It was much more than just a pilot , […]
Well , both actually! Last weekend was spent sailing from Bayonna to Lisbon . We set off in 20 knots and as evening fell it gradually increased until we had a solid 28 knots for most of the first night. Both wind and swell were from the quarter and we ended up with two […]
We have now spent a week pottering in the Rias Baixas – delightful sheltered waters and scenery reminiscant of a Scottish Loch, or perhaps Firth – but what is most remarkable about the area is the sheer intensity of fishing and shellfish farming. Each little town has a huge fish market bursting at the seams […]
Festina is undergoing a metamorphosis from racer to cruiser – albeit with a few hiccoughs of the one step forward, two steps back kind . We have installed solar panels , but and every time I connected them up the in line fuse blew! Eventually I traced one of the connectors (the one that involved […]
After two days tucked up at anchor in the Ria Muros with 25 knots of Northerly whistling over our heads , the Azores high has sent a cousin to sit directly above us so that there is zero wind and 32 degree temperatures .We have yet to see a cloud since we arrived in Spain and the […]
Update from Festina by text – “Rounded Cape Finisterre, anchored in one of the southern Rias – Muros. Fantastic passage, all very well :)”
Unlike the song there was no gale and our stormy timbers are not rent – yet! In fact we had a delightful crossing of the Bay and scarcely touched a sheet for the first 24 hours. The plan formulated last saturday worked to perfection – a NW to get across the Channel – a Southerly […]
1200 BST 6/8/09 Lat 46 22.0N Long 5 51.5 W Greetings from the Bay of Biscay ! The wind is Northerly and has been gradually building from 8 knots and now up to 15 . Despite the light winds we havnt dared to use a kite yet as there is a really big confused swell […]
5/8/09 0900 – We are passing through the Chenal du Four in no wind . Yesterday was spent anchored off Carentec (of Oppie course fame) in the Bay of Morlaix, having wriggled in there at midnight though trillions of rocks. Jaap and Fre and the boys were holidaying in the area so we had a day […]
Saturday dawned like any other . You perhaps dont know the drill – but for the last few weeks it has been glance at the weather , look at yesterdays list of things to do, cross off a few, add a load more and get to work . Hang on though, Saturdays weather was different . We still […]