SV Accomplice Blog week 4 28/8/19 to 3/9/19
Accomplice
Wed 4 Sep 2019 06:34
Our passage making this week has had to be put on a temporary hold due to the strength of the wind. For example today’s forecast is again warning of gales in Finisterre and Porto, the two sea areas that we need to proceed through with sea state rough to very rough. If we were at sea and these conditions were met then you would just have to deal with it the best you can......to knowingly put your body in a washing machine for 48 hours and risk breakages to it and the boat is an unnecessary risk.
Finisterre is the top left hand corner of Spain that we need to go around and then proceed dead south along the Spanish and Portuguese Atlantic coast line. The corner is notorious and needs a weather window to get around. Unfortunately we are experiencing a period of a strong high pressure ridge extending into France which is squeezing a lower pressure over Spain causing extremely strong winds in Finisterre particularly.
It is a frustrating time and one spent making the most of our stay in A Coruna. It’s a blessing that the sun shines and it is pleasantly warm and on any other occasion it would be like a two week holiday in sunny Spain, happy days. It isn’t because there’s that underlining nag that we need to keep moving and make Gran Canaria as soon as so that home commitments can be fulfilled before setting off again out of Gran Canaria in November.
We welcomed Matthew back on board late Friday, having spent a few days back home for a family wedding.
We are not to be remotely pitied as we spend our time walking, sleeping, eating good food, drinking good Galician beer, eating Galician ice cream and soaking up the sun. We have had some interesting meals on board, not ones perhaps that you would recognise, but have been tasty all the same and there have been no after effects which is always welcome.
Our marina is relatively new, the last time we were here there were mooring buoys now a matrix of walk ashore pontoons, probably 30% full. It is a bit open so Accomplice permanently rocks from side to side either gently or with a sudden jolt. At least it feels like we are at sea!
One day we were gifted two fish, by an English character with a dinghy and rod that Janet had acquainted us with, still flapping in plastic bags. It’s always nice to know what you intend to eat and these fish were not familiar and looked a bit tropical. Anyway we finally got there, they were Grey Trigger fish and tasted very nice too they did. Apparently, with the seas warming, they have come out of the Med and have actually made their way up this coast and also into English waters. Not sure that Trigger and Chips will catch on though!
Matthew has now equipped himself with fancy lures, hooks, line and reel to land us daily tuna! We have all the sushi ingredients, kindly supplied by Andrew Y, and look forward to such culinary delights.......(Joe and Kim....we have been here before though haven’t we 😂).
Well not a lot else to report on really....we keep a close eye on the forecasts and wait for that window of opportunity. Looking ahead one cannot yet be
seen.......
Andrew, Janet and Matthew
4.9.19 A Coruna, Spain