ATALAYA - FIRST DIARY ENTRY

ATALAYA
Janice & George
Tue 22 Aug 2006 18:52
THE DIARY OF ATALAYA - 16th July - 22 August 2006
 
 
Pre-departure
 
 
 
             
 
With Christine & Ian in Gosport                                                                    ......... and Lucy
 
 
     
 
Fish & Chips on the beach                                                                            Saturday 16th afternoon tea in Gosport
 
Gosport 18th July 2006
 
 
 
Guernsey 20th July 2006
 
 
 
Lezardrieux 26th July 2006
 
 
Tregastel 27th July 2006
 
    
 
Lucy in Tregastel france                                                                            and Tori preparing for her first swim
 
 
In she goes.... Brrrrrrrr
 
 
Le Mullin Blanc - Brest 28th July 2006
 
 
 
Cameret 31st July 2006
 
 
La Curuna 2 August 2006
 
   
 
Lucy Posing                                                                                        Michellle like wise
 
  
 
The Tall Ships in LaCuruna                                                                        Me and My friend
 
Finisterre 12 August 2006
 
Bayona Islands 13th August 2006
 
Porto 14th August 2006
 
Figueria de Foz 16th August 2006
 
Caicaix - Lisbon 19th August 2006
 
Sines 20th August 2006
 
     
 
Stroll in the old town in Sines                                                                Michelle & Tori on the walls
 
 
  
 
Sines Fort                                                                                                       View from the fort towards the Marina
 
  
 
View from ATALAYA                                                                                 Skippers First haircut....... What do you think!!
 
Brief encounter
 
Most of you willl have heard about most of the following but for those who haven't this is a brief outline. The engine top hose bursting as we
were leaving Guernsey and had a three day wait for the part. In the middle of the Bay of Biscay the engine cut out and the generator played
up  and this all happening during rough seas and bad weather force 6/7. The weather was so bad we diverted to a little harbour north
of La Caruna (Tori named it Crab Step Island because the steps were covered with little black crabs) for shelter and a little rest. Next day
we headed for La Caruna with the generator playing up again. We stayed there for 7 days mostly becausewe had to wait for a part to be delivered.
Sods law we purchased about £900 worth of generator parts but the one that's faulty ..... yes you guessed it thats the one we didn't have.
 
Lucy is now one of a very few dogs to have crossed the bay and she didn't go to the lavatory the whole way over (two days), must say we were a little
concerned and tried and tried to make her go but to no avail. Is this a world record we ask??

The generator is not the only reason we stayed at La Caruna they were holding the 50th anniversary of the tall ships race and it was quite amazing the
number of tall ships there. On the last day we were treated to a fly past and in the evening a fantastic fireworks display which seemed to go on for ever.

Michelle and Tori have been fantastic especially during the bad weather having to find their sealegs in a very short period of time. Tori decribed
the Bay of Biscay as a roller coaster ride. Sunbathing is the order of the day for the last couple of days, the weather here in the marina at Sines is great.

The best two palces we have visited so far are the Islands of Bayona and our present location Sines (we only came in here for an overnight stay and are still here three days later.

We are now debating whether to leave tonight or tomorrow morning heading south down to Lagos and then on to Gibraltar and southern Spain. If we leave tonight we will be in nLagos in the morning which will give us a whole day there.
 
The girls would like to get to Marbella and then on to Alicante. Here's hoping for good weather and fine winds.

We have also met up with four other boats that are going on the ARC 2006 and we had most of them here on ATALAYA for drinks one night in LaCuruna, no doubt we will
be meeting more on the way.