Lagos/Cadiz/Lagos

Glenis and myself returned to Lagos in early April.  Our yacht, Quarante, had spent the winter there, on the hard in Sopromar Boatyard.  We worked all week doing the necessary things to prepare our boat for launching.  We usually employ a mechanic to service the engine, but this time I felt that, having read so many magazines on the subject and been on a diesel engine course, I would 'give it a go'.

Friday 8 April – Day of Launch

All went well and we sailed off from the boatyard to the marina just 5 minutes further up the channel.  We stopped off at the reception pontoon for our berth and discovered that the engine impeller was leaking quite badly!  I did know that there should have been a thin gasket supplied with the impeller but there was none in the box that it came in.  I quickly applied some heavy grease to the cover and screwed it back on.  We carried on into the marina and it seemed to have cured the problem for the moment.  The next few days were spent cleaning and putting the sails back on and generally making things ship-shape.  Some friends from England, Nigel and Sue on 'Bodic' are also here making their boat ready for the season, so we spent some time with them in the evenings, talking boats of course.

Wednesday 13 April

We went out for a quick sail to-day to check all the other equipment and all seemed to be okay.  It was also useful to get back into the swing of sailing, not having sailed for the last six months.  Its surprising how rusty you get!

Thursday 14th April

Yesterday's sailing went so well we thought we would do the same to-day, this time for enjoyment.  We had just cleared the harbour and started to unfurl the main sail, when it jammed in the mast.  After several tries to free it, we realised the only option was to scandalize it.  So we wrapped a rope around the sail, tying it firmly down and headed back to the marina under engine.  Back in our berth, it only took a few moments for me to go up the mast to sort the problem.  When we had furled the mainsail yesterday, I think we did not do it smoothly and one of the vertical batons had gone into the mast at an awkward angle.  We must be more careful when furling the main.

Friday 15 April – Lagos to Portimao – 7.5M

We left Lagos for Portimao at 10.45.  As the weather was so nice and we had plenty of time we decided to anchor at the entrance to Alvor bay for lunch.  We thought it a good idea to try out our new Rocna anchor in calm  conditions.  It was a good decision as we were well protected from the prevailing wind with only two other yachts in the immediate area.  We had some difficulty in getting the anchor laid, mainly due my forgetfulness on how the windless worked!  The weather forecast for the next few days is not good and  the wind started to strengthen  as we approached Portimao.  The reception pontoon has some fixed fenders on the side at various intervals, which had the effect of flipping our fenders in the air.  This resulted in us touching the pontoon with no protection.  There are some large bolts sticking out on which we gouged our side quite badly and now needs urgent repair!

Saturday 16th April - Portimao

The wind increased in strength today, as predicted, so I thought it a good idea to try and find the fresh water leak that troubled us all last summer.        I unscrewed all the floor boards, mopped up the water in the bilge and then waited to see the water dripping.   We waited a few hours, but there was no water leakage.  Twelve hours later and still dry!  I can only think that the Good Lord was so fed up with me using His name, that he may have had a hand in fixing the problem!  I will report whether the fix is permanent later in the log.
I then checked the engine impeller seal and, disaster, it was leaking badly. The heat of the engine had melted the grease and dissolved the seal it had created.  I needed to get to a chandlery to try to obtain a gasket.  The nearest one is quite a long way off, so we decided to go on our folding bikes.  We had left them chained to the gantry connecting the pontoon to the land, only to find that due to a very high tide, it had somehow squashed  one of our bikes and it was very difficult to extract it from its grip.  It now has a very odd look about it, but is still rideable – just!

I think that we must we getting all our problems out of the way at the start of our sailing season.  We have only gone seven miles but we've had enough aggravation for a full season!

Sunday 17th April - Tuesday 19th April – Portimao

The rough weather arrived with strong onshore winds of F6/7 with rain and the occasional thunderstorm.  But we were quite snugly tucked up in a sheltered part of the marina.  On Monday we cycled to Ferragudo on the other side of the Rio Arade to Portimao.  It is a small town with cobbled streets and the lovely church perched high on a hill over looking the harbour, with the Forte de Sao Joao further along the cliff.  On the way we passed a chandlery where we were able to buy a gasket for the engine impeller.

Wednesday 20th April – Portimao to Albufeira 20.7M

The weather calmed down overnight and the forecast was for northerly winds backing south/south west max F5.  We decided it was time to leave Portimao and carry on our journey along the coast towards Cadiz.  However after a couple of hours the wind dropped and it began to rain, so after our lunch we decided to call it a day and fired up the engine.  We arrived in Albufeira at 13.45 and the sun came out! 

Thursday 21st April -Friday 22nd April – Albufeira

Strong winds and rough seas with big swell forecast again for the next couple of days, so we decided to stay put.  It is a very well protected marina, and is surrounded by some very colourful buildings.  The main town is only a short walk away, but on the way back we were caught in a terrific thunderstorm.  Looks like the weather might be picking up next week.

Saturday 23rd April – Albufeira to Vilamoura 12M (St. George's Day)

We left Albufeira this morning as the forecast is for westerly winds of F3/4 at first becoming F5/6 occasionally F7 later, and the sea state is increasing to moderate or rough later.  We left in 9 knots of wind with a slight sea and swell and no rain.  We managed a steady 5 knots on a broad reach for most of the way.  At noon we gybed to head into Vilamoura and saw the threat of a squall in the distance, so we reefed the genoa and donned light oilskins in anticipation.  The rain came and went by the time we reached the reception pontoon, but once we had completed the formalities and were back on board heading for our berth, the heavens opened yet again and boy did the rain come down.  We hastily tied up in the berth and got so wet that we had to have a complete change of clothes.

Sunday 24th April - Vilamoura

We remained in Vilamoura for a second night as F7 winds were forecast with a rough to very rough sea.  Vilamoura marina is huge and surrounded by shops and restaurants.  It is a great attraction for people to come and look at the boats, parade up and down, eat and people watch – not our favourite place.  On this occasion it  was mobbed with people for a boat show and the fact it was the weekend  made it even busier.  To escape, we got our bikes out and cycled to Quarteira, a fishing harbour not too far away.  When we returned we practised  poling out our Genoa as we have never used the pole when sailing. That evening we had thunder and lightning with heavy rain so it was dinner on board and an early night.

Monday 25th April – Vilamoura to Ayamonte – 42.5M

We got up early and checked the tides for Ayamonte, which is on the Spanish side of the Rio Guadiana  We needed to enter the mouth of the river on the flood with a minimum of half tide only,  which mean't we should'nt leave before 9am or we would arrive too early.  We should have checked this the night before and then we could have stayed in bed longer.

Once we cleared the Vilmoura breakwaters, the wind was light and directly behind us although our wind instrument showed it on our bows!  Another job to add to my list.  We hoisted the mainsail and  motorsailed all morning.  After lunch the wind picked up a little and we unfurled the genoa and decided to try out our new skill of poling out the genoa.  We were surprised how easy it was to rig and were even more surprised with the results.  We reached speeds of up to 5 knots in winds of only five to six knots.  We made better progress than anticipated and now needed to reduce our speed or we would  reach the river too early.  We de-rigged the pole, furled the genoa and sailed under main alone to reduce speed.  We calculated that we would not arrive in Ayamonte until about 19.00 and  so we decided to radio ahead to the marina to secure a berth for the evening. Lucky we did, as we took the last berth available!  As we were motoring up the river, we thought it an appropriate time to take down the Portuguese courtesy flat and raise the Spanish one.  The entrance to the marina is very shallow and our depth was at zero for a few moments which was a bit scary.  We were met by a marinero who spoke no English and, as we don't speak Spanish either, there was some confusion on checking in with our papers.  But he was a jolly person and with the help of sign language and a lot of smiles we managed.

Tuesday 26th April - Ayamonte

It was only when we  spoke to the office girls during the morning that we remembered that Spain is an hour ahead of Portugal.  We visited Ayamar chandlery, which is run by a very helpful couple who appear to speak many languages.  They had rescued a two week old pup which they found in a waste bin a few days earlier, and it was causing chaos in the shop.  We both really like  Ayamonte and thought we would like to stay for a few days.  Little did we know that we would have to stay  here for nearly a week, due to bad weather.  I could think of far worse places for this to happen.  Our friends on 'Bodic' arrived unexpectedly at the marina during the evening – nice to see them again.  We went out hunting for a cafe with a wi-fi connection to try and get a weather update.  There is a very good one called the Cafe Fuente and, for the price of two coffees, we had an excellent connection to the internet.

Wednesday 27th April - Ayamonte

We took the ferry across to the Portugal side of the river, to Vila Real de Santo Antonio and spent all morning exploring the town.  A great place if you are looking to buy towels, as nearly every shop displays them in great quantity and variety.  Back in Ayamonte, we found a good food market and bread shop – what more do you need?  The afternoon was spent exploring the back streets of Ayamonte.  It is looked after very well, with trees and red rose bushes lining many streets.  We had drinks on board 'Bodic' with Nigel and Sue and then to dinner to celebrate Sue's birthday.  It seems that all restaurants close on Wednesday evenings!  We were able to find only one open in the main square called Meson Juan Macias.  We went back to 'Bodic' for coffee and a nightcap and a look below decks.  She is a Southerly 135 and is very roomy down below.  Made us very envious, as 'Quarante' is a slim boat with little storage space, in comparison.   

Thursday 28th April - Ayamonte

We like it so much here that we decided to stay another day.  No laundry facilities here, but the very nice lady in the chandlery will do a load for 4.50 euros.  Glenis took the bed-linen to be washed ( maybe it was just an excuse to see the adorable puppy again ), and while she was there noticed on the shop floor a lifting arm for outboard engines.  We have been looking for one of these for over two years, as no-one seems to make them anymore.  She made a quick return to our yacht to tell me then we both returned to the shop, took the measurements and returned back to the boat to check that it would work.  Then it was back to the shop again and, success, a perfect match I think.
We were hoping to leave on Friday to go further up the Rio Guadiana but Nigel and Sue came over to tell us that they had seen, on t.v., a forecast for the week-end of heavy rain and thunderstorms.

Friday 29th April – Ayamonte – Royal Wedding Day

We decided to remain here today as we are in no hurry to move on, and would really like to go further up the river in good weather to see it at it's best.  The barometer beeped during the night warning of gales and the pressure dropped from 1001 to 996.  So I decided to install the new lifting arm on the pushpit with a violent thunder storm occurring as I put the final bolts in place. 
I decided to check if my fresh water leak had finally disappeared and, to my surprise, the bilge was totally dry!  Success at last!  It has taken eighteen months to fix but I still don't know how I did it.  In a funny kind of a way I felt a little sad, as I have lost the daily challenge of trying to find the leak.

Saturday 30th April- Ayamonte

We awoke to the heavy rain and it continued on and off all day, so more boat cleaning and maintenance.  We are now getting desperate to move on but Sunday is not looking much better, so we have decided rain or no rain we will go on Monday and wear our oilskins if necessary.  The forecast from Tuesday onwards is  looking good.  We had dinner on board 'Bodic'.

Monday 2nd May - Ayamonte to Alcoutim 20M

Monday arrived and, as it was not looking too bad, we made the decision to leave.  The entrance to the marina is very shallow, and we could not leave until after the half flood.  We calculated there would be enough water for us at 1300 hours.  Enough time to visit the supermarket to stock up on food etc as we were told that there is not a great deal available in the various villages on the river. Surprise surprise, we forgot that it was a Bank Holiday and there were no shops open.  Fortunately we had some tinned food for such an occasion so, at 1315 hours we exited the marina with a meter of water under our keel.  A suspension bridge loomed up in front of us and, though we knew the height of the mast, and the amount of clearance is clearly printed in the pilot book, we still got the jitters as we approached the bridge.  We motored up and, ever so slowly, inched forward and, yes we made it, but I am sure by the smallest of margins.  The scenery on the river, while pleasing to the eye, was more or less the same for the twenty miles we travelled.  There were quite a few derelict buildings where people had once lived, near the river bank.  It gave us quite a sad feeling and we couldn't help wondering what had happened to those people.  There were also some boats, which had seen better days, tied to the river bank.  One in particular reminded us of the 'African Queen' and we half expected to see Humphrey Bogart appear from the engine compartment with an oily rag in his hand!

We arrived in Alcoutim, on the Portuguese side of the river, at just after 5 o'clock and managed to secure a place on the pontoon which only has three places.  We made a cup of tea after we had tied up and then the heavens opened and really heavy rain was with us for the rest of the evening.  The tide turned to the ebb and, by 19.30, the debris in the river of branches and logs became more and more substantial.  We saw some yachts acquire huge amounts of debris caught in their anchor chain which I guess could have interfered with  their anchor holding.  Later we saw a catamaran up and leave as they were being inundated with the flotsam and obviously were not happy with the situation.  The rain continued until about 2200 hours, but the debris continued to increase and, during the night, I could hear the debris hitting and scraping the side of our yacht.

Tuesday 3rd May - Alcoutim

No rain and beautiful sunshine!  We learnt later in the morning that the sluice gates further up the river had been opened last night due to the amount of rain.  This is what caused most of the debris that we experienced.  We visited the stone castle, which gave great views of the river and the Spanish village of  Sanlucar on the other side of the river.  After an early lunch we took the ferry across the river to the Spanish side to visit Sanlucar.  We walked up the steep hill to see the other castle but we could find no entrance.  I don't think that we would have been very good at storming castles if we had lived in the middle ages as we were told that evening that there was definitely an entrance!!  Again there were fantastic views of the river and of Alcoutim.  Sanlucar, although very charming and pretty, appears to have only a pharmacy and one restaurant.

Wednesday 4th May - Alcoutim

We enjoyed the area so much, we decided to stay another day.  I think we said something similar somewhere before.  We chatted to our son in New Zealand this morning, using Skype.  Then I made bread and Ronnie replaced more caps on the teak decking.  We're having a very relaxed attitude to this sailing holiday.  It's nice!  The river was still very muddy, with great bundles of flotsam whizzing by.  Our friends on 'Bodic' arrived just after midday and managed to berth on the same pontoon.  After lunch we took a walk to the much advertised river beach.  It is called Pego Fundo Beach and is situated on the bank of the Ribeira de Cadaviais, about half a kilometre from Alcoutim village centre.  It is a lovely spot, perfectly safe for children to play and swim, and enjoyed by tourists and local community alike.  We joined Nigel and Sue for dinner in the evening at one of the restaurants overlooking the waterfront.  The food was very mediocre, not a great choice.

Thursday 5th May – Alcoutim to Mazagon 48M

We got up at 0600 to be sure of casting off at slack water, which we estimated to be at between 0630 and 0700.  The pilot book said the time of HW this far up the river is about 2 hours different than at Vila Real de Santo Antonio.  We got away on the dot of 0700 and the ebb tide started within ten minutes.  From Alcoutim to the mouth of the river is 23 miles and it took us three hours exactly.  The ebb was very strong and, at times, we were doing 10 knots over the ground.  Our plans were originally to stop off in Ayamonte for provisions, and to stay one night, but discussions on our way down river led us to decide to make straight for Mazagon.  As we were on the ebb tide, we were a little concerned whether we would make it in time to cross the bar at the entrance to the Rio Guadiana with water under our keel, but Ronnie felt we should go for it.  Thankfully we made it, but by a very small margin!  Then, with 11knots of wind on the beam, we hoisted the sails and set a course for Mazagon.  Unfortunately the wind didn't last and we had to motor-sail for most of the journey.  There were many pot-buoys on the way, and it was full time work dodging them.  We arrived at Mazagon at 1600, after rounding Juan Carlos 1 breakwater - the longest breakwater that I have ever seen!  Apparently one of the longest in Europe. 

Friday 6th May - Mazagon

Washing and the supermarket hunt were our first priorities of the day.  Mazagon town is quite small and, we decided, quite unremarkable.  Nevertheless we were able to find all we needed, and had a bike ride along the coast.  The marina is very large, and appears to be increasing in size, judging by  all the earth moving that is going on at the back.  Nigel and Sue arrived later.  We are all leaving tomorrow for Chipiona at the mouth of the Rio Guadalquiver.  It may be wet – rain is forecast.

Saturday 7th May – Mazagon to Chipiona  30M

The rain came during the night and cleared by 10.00.  After clearing the breakwater, we had a great day's sail with a SW wind helping us attain a speed of 6-7 knots over the ground.  On arrival at Chipiona, we were told the only berths available were two 20 metre ones, so we took one and our friends, who arrived shortly after us, took the other.  We were to learn, later, that if we had called ahead we would have been allocated a berth more appropriate to our size at a lesser charge!  Lesson learnt!

Sunday 8th May – Chipiona  Glenis's Birthday!

Very hot today.  Nigel and Sue gave a rendering of 'Happy Birthday' to me on the pontoon and presented me with a gift of a locally made pestle and mortar.  I wonder if it's a hint!  We went for a bike ride to find a restaurant for dinner but, as it is Sunday, we found only two that said they would be open.  We returned for afternoon tea and birthday cake on board 'Bodic'.  The restaurant we chose was called Pa Oleta in the hotel Espa Ola, and is to be recommended.  We had an excellent meal of tiger prawns, washed down with white wine and followed by a very unusual cheese course.  We each had a different variety of cheese on a bed of shredded pineapple.

Monday 9th May – Chipiona to Cadiz 16M 
 
To-day we said our 'good-byes' to Nigel and Sue, as this is where our plans differ.  They are collecting crew from Seville to continue their journey to Gibraltar and then on into the Mediterranean.  It has been great to have their company for the last few weeks, though this does give us time to 'dry out' for a bit!  The stock of wine is quite depleted.
The forecast was for an Easterly wind of F4-6 increasing to F6-7, so we left as early as possible to try and make Cadiz before the wind increased.  We set off with a clear blue sky and a NE wind of 6-7 knots.  It was an easy relaxed sail until mid-day, when the wind suddenly veered and increased rapidly.  At the same time the sea became rough and we experienced some 30 knot winds.  We were expecting strong winds, but not until later.  Our position at that time was about 10 miles west of the   harbour.  We knew the weather was going to worsen, so decided to furl the genoa, roll away the main and head straight for the marina under engine.  This was easier said than done, as we were now heading straight into the wind, waves and tide.  We called ahead to the Marina Puerto America to ensure there would be a berth for us.  We did not arrive until 15.45.  We struggled to tie up in the increasing wind, and then brewed a welcome cup of tea.  Ronnie noticed the marineros on the quayside looking in our direction rather a lot, and thought something was up.  Sure enough they came over and enquired whether we had checked in to the office for the berth.  We assured them we had, and had been given this berth by a member of the office staff.  They accepted this but seemed disgruntled.  Ten minutes later they were back asking us if we would move as a bigger yacht had come in, which usually berthed in the space we were in.  We didn't really have a choice, so we asked them to help us, as the conditions were so atrocious.  They were very apologetic and all three of them helped.  We finally tied up for the second time by 17.45, and put out extra warps as the wind increased.  We rocked and rolled all night. 

Tuesday 10th/Wednesday 11th May – Cadiz

The winds did not ease, and we were warned that this could go on for 4 or 5 days.  The forecast was for E F6 or F7 for Cadiz area and E F7 to Gale Force 8 for the Straits.  As the marina is quite far from the city we got out our bikes and got to know Cadiz quite well.  We liked what we saw very much.  It's a wonderful old city, and we felt we could spend much longer there.  We left our bikes locked up in the Plaza de Espana and took a city bus tour with a running commentary, which we think is by far the best way to see a city initially.  We were then able to go back to the bits we wanted to know more about.

The Plaza de Espana is fascinating with its huge 1812 monument.  It was built to honour Spain's first constitution in that year, with all the names of the people who swore allegiance to it. 
Many watchtowers were built in the city in the 18th century and were leased to traders in order for them to be able to see when their supplies were arriving by ship. There are two impressive buildings in the old city, side by side, one with 5 watchtowers and the other with 4 watchtowers.  We climbed to the top of another called the Tavira Tower, which was the most important one.  It has a level where there is a 'Camera Obscura' which allows you to have a live panoramic view of the city using mirrors and a white concave dish onto which the live view is projected. 
The city's cathedral is quite magnificent, and was built between the 13th and 19th centuries.  Because it took so long to build, it was designed by three different architects which gives it three very different styles.

After studying various weather forecasts we decided that Thursday will be okay to leave Cadiz and begin our journey back to Lagos.  The forecast was E F5-6 decreasing, with a slight to moderate sea.

Thursday 12th May – Cadiz to Mazagon 46M

There was a brief return of the strong wind during the night, but by morning it had subsided.  We left Cadiz at 07.45.  It was a sunny day with an easterly wind of 3-4 knots and a slight sea.  Such a difference!  We set off on a broad reach across the Bay of Cadiz, goose-winging for a while and doing 6-7 knots over the ground.  Lots of  reasonable sizes fishing boats were returning to port with their catch, and all were towing smaller fishing boats. We have never seen that before.  By 10.45 the wind had dropped and we were only making 2-4 knots over the ground, so reluctantly we had to motor-sail the rest of the journey to Mazagon.  It was very hot and the sea very smooth.  We returned to Mazagon because on the longer range forecast we saw that stormy weather is returning on Sunday night, continuing into Monday and Tuesday.  We thought the best place for us to ride it out would be back in Ayamonte, so we wanted to get bulk of the journey done sooner rather than later.

Friday 13th May – Mazagon to Isla Canela 28M

We were able to Skype our youngest son, Peter, this morning.  He is travelling around Australia, and on Sunday he is going deep into the outback to work on a ranch.  We're not sure what the communications will be like.  It was good to hear from him.
We left at 08.00, and yet again the wind was sadly lacking and we had to do the whole journey under engine.  It was very hot and sunny, and we seemed to be inundated with small flies and mosquitoes. 
When making the approach to Isla Canela and Isla Cristina there appears to be an impressive lighthouse to help you navigate around the shallow waters, but in fact, it is a complete fake.  It is really a block of apartments built to look like a lighthouse!  We arrived at the Marina Isla Canela at 13.00.  It is of the marina village style, with several restaurants and bars and two very small supermarkets.  On the seaward side there are many huge apartment blocks stretching far along the coast towards the Rio Guadiana.  On the north side of the harbour is the Punta del Moral, which is the old fisherman's quarter and much more interesting.  The area is surrounded by salt marsh and is a nature reserve within a National Park.  We have decided to stay until Sunday and then move on to Ayamonte.

Saturday 14th May – Isla Canela

We took the ferry across to Isla Cristina, but found it wasn't really our cup of tea. It is much bigger and more commercialised than Isla Canela.  On our way there, a jet ski almost hit the ferry.  It was so close, sending a great wall of water onto the boat with me getting quite wet.  It was still extremely hot, so I dried off quite quickly.  We decided to eat out for dinner, and chose an Italian restaurant near the marina, called 'Bella Napoli'.  It was a beautiful evening and had cooled just enough to be extremely pleasant sitting outside.  We had a lovely view and enjoyed a plate of huge tiger prawns with salad each and a good bottle of white wine.  We chatted to mine host and hostess, who have done a lot of foreign cruising.  Then coffee and complimentary liqueurs rounded off the evening nicely!

Sunday 15th May – Isla Canela to Ayamonte 9M

Another hot and sunny day.  We left at 11.30, hoisted the main and genoa sails and had quite a lively  sail to the mouth of the Rio Guadiana, close reaching at first, then on a beam reach until the fairway.  Unfortunately, we were unable to stay out to enjoy the good sailing for any longer as we needed to enter the river on the half flood to have enough water under the keel.  Ronnie telephoned the marina at Ayamonte before we left to ensure there would be a berth for us on arrival.  We reversed into the berth to ensure that the strong Easterlies forecast would not be blowing over our stern.

Monday 16th – Thursday 19th May - Ayamonte

Well Monday turned out fine and so gave me a chance to get much needed washing done and dry.  The strong Easterlies are now forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday, but Thursday is looking promising.  The navtex told us that Lagos, Alvor and Albufeira harbours have been closed – I think due to a high swell from the south east and poor visibility.  Time to get on with maintenance!  We have a problem with the alternator, in that it doesn't appear to be charging the batteries.  Ronnie had a new one shipped out before we left home, so decided to have a go at fitting it.  Well, he managed to fit it, but when we started the engine there was lots of smoke and burning rubber!  The fan belt did not quite fit the new alternator properly.  There was no option, but for Ronnie to re-fit the old alternator.  Let's just say it wasn't easy, took a long time and I heard a few choice phrases, but he got there in the end.  We bought the  new one over the internet and, though it is not an official Yanmar part, we were assured it was entirely compatible.  It was considerably cheaper.  Hmm.  Need I say more!  A telephone call to the company confirmed that we can return it for a complete refund.  I think we have to 'bite the bullet' and fork out the extortionate cost for the official Yanmar part when we get home.

We had coffee at the café Fuente to use the excellent wi-fi there for a forecast.  There is a low over Agadir moving north to Sao Vicente region and deepening.  Thunderstorms are on the way.

Wednesday brought rain all morning, with rumbles of thunder, which culminated in an almighty thunderstorm with fork lightning and high winds.  It cleared later in the day, but more rain is forecast for tonight and tomorrow.  We had a consolation dinner on board of langoustines cooked in garlic, with salad and home made bread and the last of our stock of \really nice Portuguese white wine called 'Planalto'.  We decided to set our alarm to leave on the morning tide, but if it's raining we will stay another day.

It rained heavy all Thursday morning.  More boat maintenance – re-grouting the heads this time.  Another visit to café Fuente with the lap-top for a forecast.  Fine weather on the way for the week-end.

Friday 20th May – Ayamonte to Ria Formosa 25M

We caught the ebb tide at 07.15.  The log impeller was stuck again.  Once out of the fairway, Ronnie cleared it.  Initially we had to motor-sail, but by 11.00 there was enough wind to unfurl the genoa and make way, with a fair tide, on a close haul.  We entered the Ria Formosa and anchored off the Isla Culatra.  It was a beautiful sunny day, so we put up the bimini.  We were relaxing in the cock-pit, reading with a cup of tea when we heard someone calling our names.  We looked up and who should appear alongside in a motor cruiser but Martin, smiling cheerfully.  We had a quick glance  around to make sure we were looking ship-shape and then wished him luck with the move to his new house next week.  It is unlikely we will see him again before we go home, but you never know when he is going to pop up next!

Saturday 21st May – Rio Formosa

We inflated the tender and went over to the Isla Culatra to take a stroll around this little bit of paradise.  It is a strong fishing community and there are no roads so no cars, just tractors and many many small fishing boats  Lots of cafés and restaurants down alleyways, and a good little supermarket called 'Rita’s'.  We took the ferry to Olhao on the mainland.  It fair bustles with restaurants, and is very touristy.  We found that it has a great food market.  We were able to buy a  melon and some figs, of which we have developed a taste for this holiday.  On returning to Quarante, we decided to leave the tender inflated with the intention of going back to one of the little cafés on Culatra after dinner for coffee and a nightcap, but the wind increased and the water became too choppy for our little tender to be safe and dry, so we had coffee and nightcaps on board.

Sunday 22nd May – Rio Formosa to Lagos 41M

The final leg of our trip.  The forecast was for a northerly wind of F4-5, with a slight to moderate sea.  Sounded just right, and we looked forward to a good sail back to Lagos in a good time.  We raised the anchor at 09.20 to leave on the ebb tide.  It took some time as it was well dug into the mud bottom.  The chain was buried too.  We passed through the choppy harbour entrance at 10.00 and headed out to deeper water, then hoisted the main sail and struck a course for Lagos.  Where was the wind?  We saw only 1-2 knots of wind for almost the whole way.  It was very hot and sunny, but no wind.  We unfurled the genoa a few times in an effort to sail, but could only manage 3 knots at most, and with 40M to go, we knew we had to motor-sail to arrive before the marina office closed.  We arrived at Lagos marina at 17.40, hot and tired and disappointed  that we had to motor-sail so much after such a great forecast.  We booked our lift out with Sopromar boat yard for Wednesday morning at 0900, which we were pleased with as it would give us most of the day free to get organised for our flight home.   Alas, best laid plans rarely materialise and, it was midday before we were on solid ground.  We booked our flight home for Friday morning which, thankfully, went to plan with no delays.

We thoroughly enjoyed our time on the Algarve and the sail onto Cadiz even if a large part of our time was spent in marinas waiting for the weather to improve.  I think, regardless of the weather, we may well have done that anyway as we have no regrets on the time we spent on land.  Certainly the two highlights were the Rio Guadiana and the city of Cadiz.  Our Plan is to return to Portugal in late August and set sail for Madeira, then on to the Canaries for the winter.

Sailing Log Quarante 27 August 2011

Arrival back in Lagos

Our plans to sail to Madeira and the Canaries have, unfortunately, had to be put on hold for personal reasons, but we hope that come April 2012 we will be able to set off for these islands.

During the summer months that our yacht was laid up we had a lot of work carried out.  The only comment I would make is that I would never get work done again, in a foreign country, unless we were present to supervise as it has caused more problems than it has resolved.

We began this trip with some old and some new problems:

The Generator
I started up the generator and the warning light came on.  I quickly turned it off and upon investigation, found that the impeller had been chewed up.  I did not know what to do so I phoned the main agent in the UK and they very kindly talked me through how to find and clear all the chewed up pieces and hopefully prevent it happening again.  Luckily, I had a spare to re-fit.

The Alternator
We had a new alternator fitted, as the old one had not worked for some time, but the second day out it also stopped working 'Oh the joys of sailing!

The Autopilot
Our autopilot has been giving us trouble for the last three years, by unexpectedly switching from auto to standby mode at the least convenient moment.  We hoped that the boatyard had, in our absence, fixed it but, alas, it was not to be.  They could find no fault, despite having it 'on the bench' for several days.  Our next step was to have the course computer removed and sent back to the manufacturer.  It was returned seven days later, with no fault found.  Next, I had the hydraulic arm removed and sent away.  We hope that will bring an end to this saga as there are no other parts to the system.

After anti-fouling, polishing and general maintenance, we re-launched on Wednesday 31st August and went into Lagos Marina.  It was good to be in the water again.  We had a few more maintenance jobs to do including the dreaded servicing of the toilet!  That done, we could lift our heads out of the heads, so to speak, and have the chance to get to know our neighbouring fellow mariners!  We met Allan, who is preparing to sail the Atlantic with the ARC, on his Rustler 42.  We invited him to dinner, as he was on his own awaiting crew.  Glenis cooked beef in red wine and tomatoes, followed by apple tart and cream.  We drank red wine, and decided to give the Remy Martin an airing with the coffee.  Mmmmm, a most enjoyable evening.

Tuesday 6 September – Lagos to Alvor – 5 miles

We decided we just wanted a short trip so decided to go to Alvor, the entrance to the harbour is about 2 ½ miles away.   We had gone there earlier in the year, but had not ventured up to the town as the channel is very narrow with shallows either side.  However, this time, we decided we would and followed Martin's detailed pilotage notes from his website.  We made sure that we entered on a rising tide.  Soon the depth gauge was reading point two of a metre under the keel and then, yes, we grounded gently.  We  could not get the boat to move.  While we waited for the tide to lift us off we rechecked our bearings and, yes, I had not followed Martin's notes precisely.   I was a couple of degrees out.   About five minutes later we lifted off and made it to the main anchorage without further drama.  It certainly was worth the trouble as it is a beautiful area.  We rowed ashore and wandered around the town, it was so hot we had to stop for some liquid refreshment.  We rowed back to our yacht and decided to return later that night to eat at one of the many restaurants in the town.  We chose to eat in a restaurant called 'The Captains Table' and managed to get a table out on the balcony overlooking the harbour. We had an excellent meal of locally caught fish and, to top it off, the sunset was spectacular.  A perfect end to the evening.

Next morning we located the municipal market for fresh supplies.  Back to our yacht for some lunch and the Southerly wind began to increase.  We noticed that all the yachts in the anchorage seemed to be lying in different directions.  We appeared to be heading straight for a French yacht, and getting unnervingly close.  The Frenchman appeared relaxed, and explained that it was due to the currents flowing in different directions within the anchorage, and that as soon as the wind moved into the Northwest it would all settle down.  Then we noticed that our anchor buoy was now below the surface of the water.  It had managed to get itself wrapped around the anchor chain.  A trip in the dinghy sorted that problem but we were still very close to the French yacht.  We decided to prepare to lift our anchor and move as we were only five meters away and still closing.  Then, fortunately, the wind veered to the Northwest.  All the yachts started to lie the same way, and we drifted away from the French yacht.  That evening we had another spectacular sunset, but the air was uncomfortably warm.  Next morning we weighed anchor at 10.30 am and headed off.  No drama this time in exiting Alvor.  Yes Martin, your pilotage does work!!

Thursday 8 September -  Alvor to Lagos – 5 miles

The alternator is not working so we returned to the marina to have the it re-checked by the boatyard. They took it away, back  'on the bench' to test it.  

Friday 9 September to Monday 12 September – Lagos to  Albufeira – 20 miles                          

The alternator was reinstalled this morning, no problems found!  I am beginning to think that I must be jinxed when it comes to electrical gear on the boat!
At 11.30 we decided to leave for Albufeira.  We managed to sail as far as Portimao, but then the wind dropped and we motored the remaining miles.  We arrived at Albufeira at 15.50.  The marina staff were very helpful and duly allocated a berth for us next to another British yacht who's owners were getting ready to leave their boat and return to the UK.  That evening we joined them for a drink in Sharkey's Bar.  The next day we just went for a walk on the beach and took things easy.  Sunday morning I decided that I could no longer put off the worst job on the boat, changing the pipe from the toilet to the holding tank.  It had become very badly affected with a build up of lime scale.  I surprised myself as it only took about an hour to do the job.  Everything went to plan, must be the first time!  Another lazy afternoon, with a walk on the beach and a wander around the town.  We came across a road named after Sir Cliff Richard.  We understand he has a vineyard nearby.  We also saw his motor cruiser which he rents out when he is not using it.  I suppose he needs the rental money to help pay for its up-keep, poor man!

Alternator seems to be working.  Now only the autopilot to sort out! 

Week beginning 12 September

Albufeira – Vilamoura – 7 miles
Vilamoura - Rio Formosa-Isla da Culatra – 19 miles
Isla da Culatra – Faro – 5 miles
Faro – Portimao – 32 miles
Portimao – Lagos - 7miles

On Monday we sailed to Vilamoura Marina to visit a friend and had a very enjoyable day.  Next day we headed on to the Ria Formosa and anchored a little off the island of Culatra for a couple of nights.  We enjoyed a picnic and a long walk on a near deserted  beach on the far side of the island and then sought a cool refreshing drink before returning to the boat.  During the night, the wind increased to over thirty five knots.  We were a little worried as we only had about twenty metres of chain out due to  a very busy anchorage with other yachts anchored nearby.  I was even more worried to put out extra chain as the yacht was swinging a lot and it was not very safe on deck in the dark.  We had upgraded our anchor to a Rocna, weighing twenty five kilo, earlier in the year and I was very pleased with its performance.  Both Glenis and myself stayed up on anchor watch for a few hours and then, when the wind had eased back down to 20 knots we felt confident enough to go back to bed.

We got up late after the boisterous night, and decided sail around to Faro, on the West side of the Ria Formosa.  We carefully made our way up the channel, which is well buoyed but gets very shallow in places.  We dropped anchor on the port side of the channel, close to the marshes, just past the green buoy No 19.  It was about a mile to Faro by dinghy.  We were glad that we did not try to sail further as the channel becomes very shallow with only a very narrow tricky part deep enough to sail through to reach the main anchorage off Faro.  We nearly grounded the dinghy and had to use the oars at one stage as it was too shallow for our outboard engine!  We moored up to a rickety wooden pontoon outside the Hotel Eva, and set off to visit the old walled city of Faro.  It's quite sad to see all the old buildings left to ruin.  Then onto the church called Igreja do Carmo which was very ornate with gold every where possible.  We stopped at a very nice  restaurant for lunch called Restaurante Centenarie on a square on Rue Vasco da Gama.  We sat outside under the shade of leafy trees, and ate the largest prawns we have ever seen accompanied by a salad and a half bottle of the local wine, beautifully chilled.  This was certainly making up for our frustration on the sailing front.

We dinghied back to Quarante just as the tide turned to the ebb.  After dinner we were invaded by hordes of mosquitoes, and had to quickly shut up the boat except for two hatches where we had nets to cover.  We killed about 40 of the little devils, then sprayed ourselves with copious amounts of  anti-mosquito spray before going to bed trussed up in our sheets to leave no skin bare that could be stung by these evil little insects!

We stayed two nights at anchor here and were delighted to observe storks feeding and other birds, which we did not know the names of, never the less we enjoyed watching them.  It's a beautiful spot ( apart from the body munching insects! ).

We weighed anchor at 07.30 – about 1 hour after HW – and cautiously made our way back down the channel to Cabo de Santa Maria.  After clearing the shallows at the mouth of the Ria, we raised the mainsail and struck a course for Portimao, avoiding the artificial reef area and lobster pot buoys.  As usual, there was not enough wind for us to sail.  We did give a lift to a tiny bird, who came to rest on our decks for a while.

Alternator not working properly again.

After 2 nights in Portimao we returned to Lagos to sort out the alternator and, hopefully, the hydraulic arm of the auto helm will be back.

Week beginning Monday 19 September

Lagos / Albufeira / Ria Formosa / Portimao / Albufeira / Lagos – 113 miles

The boatyard came to sort out the alternator again, and discovered that the diode was not doing its job.  A new part is needed, but its not in stock so has to be ordered.  A temporary fix was done in the meantime.  The hydraulic arm was reinstalled, confidence was starting to return as they had found a small fault which may have caused  the problem. 

Now we had to go out and test it and prove our problems were over.  We decided on a return trip to Albufeira.  On arrival we checked in at the reception pontoon, they gave us a berth and told us it was  starboard side-to, but arriving at the finger we found it was port side-to!  A small panic while fenders and warps were re-positioned.  We were now sure that the autopilot problem had been sorted as it had not switched from auto to standby mode during our sail.  Just to make sure, we headed back to the Ria Formosa the next day but, alas, our hopes were dashed a few hours later when it slipped into standby mode again, and then once more before we dropped anchor at Culatra.

Next morning I telephoned Raymarine head office in Portsmouth and spoke to their technical department, who advised me that the cause was probably some other electrical equipment on the boat such as a fridge etc.  So, armed with this information, the next day we sailed back to Portimao with no equipment turned on, only to be disappointed again within a few hours.  Back on the telephone again to Raymarine.  This time I was told it had to be the wiring as this was the only possible cause left.

The one thing that I do not understand is electrics, so we had no option but to return to Lagos and have a direct lead from the batteries to the autopilot fitted.  Surely this must be the final solution to this problem.  Two days later, we set out for Albufeira again with high hopes and, yes, the inevitable happened -  the autopilot switched to standby mode again. 

Week beginning Monday 26th September

So we returned back to Lagos where it was back on the telephone again to Raymarine..    This time I was told to send the computer back to the UK as their Portugal agent does not have as efficient facilities and may have missed something during their tests!   The boatyard mechanic returned, yet again, and fitted the new part to the alternator. 

We now had five days before we were heading back to the UK for the winter, leaving our yacht in the boatyard in Lagos.  We thought one more relaxing day sail would be in order, and we would be able to test the alternator.  We headed west towards Sagres ,with a fresh easterly wind for a change, giving us a good broad reach.  Soon the wind reached twenty six knots and we were conscious that at some stage we would have to turn around for the return journey into the wind.  When we tacked the wind had veered into the Southeast enabling us to have quite an exhilarating close hauled sail back.  The wind increased a further couple of knots, so we put a reef in the genoa, then mainsail.  It seemed to be more difficult than usual – we have in-mast furling.  No sooner had I completed the reef, when the wind dropped down to twelve knots!  We ended up motoring the last few miles.  Just before we reached the entrance to Lagos I tried to furl away the main sail.  This time it was even more difficult to furl, but eventually I managed it.  The next day I got a rigger to look at the furling mechanism, only to be told that the bearings at the top of the mast had seized!

At least the alternator is working now.

We have had our Najad Yacht now for over four years and have had very little trouble on our sailing trips, but on this occasion we have been very unfortunate.  I can only say that we were lucky we did not keep to our original plan of sailing offshore, as we could have been in serious trouble.
On our return to Lagos next April, we hope that Raymarine UK will have fixed the autopilot and I have the rigger booked to fix the mast problem.  Hopefully we can then set off to Madeira and the Canaries and with all our problems behind us!  While cruising can be immensely enjoyable it also can have its down side when things do not go to plan, and while we found this occasion very frustrating we are looking forward to next year's cruising.

Note from Martin on November 13th 2011: Steve Burrows whose cruising logs also feature in my 'Sail Cruising with ex 'students' section of this site as been following this cruising log from Ronnie and Glenis and sent me an email which started as follows: "I´ve just read the latest report from the Kingstons with interest, nostalgia, a little laughter and an overwhelming sympathy for the technical issues which are all too familiar'. To read more of his email click here.