43:13.3 N, 009:00.0 W

 

Set off from La Coruña as soon as the office opened (which was around 9 am Spanish time) and sailed or motored gently W about 40 miles to what we hoped would be a calm anchorage at Laxe in the 'Ria de Laxe y Corme', arriving around 5pm. Big swells on the way and rather frustrating time trying to sail in gentle winds which came and went and changed direction every 10 mins but finally we had a good last couple of hours and sailed into the N facing bay of Laxe.

The coast round here is encumbered with elaborate but dangerous fishing buoys with training ropes and floats and pick-up buoys so we don't much fancy a night time passage this close inshore, hence deciding to stop overnight.

 

We're presently at anchor in 9m off the mole but it's surprisingly calm and peaceful in front of the small town with rather ugly new apartments, some incomplete. There is what looks like a fishing contest on the beach, and we counted 39 anglers side-by-side on the pier as well.

 

We'd filled with diesel and with water yesterday, and the forecast looks good for a passage towards the Canaries from Monday onwards so tomorrow we'll set off again for the W and S and hope to round Cape Finisterre in daylight for the view, and then just slog south until the wind goes round to our favour later in the day.

 

Excitements today were rather limited but we were surrounded by a pod of 20 or more pilot whales for a while.

 

Torre de Hurcules, a UNESCO world heritage site. Yesterday we ran to it from the marina.

 

Pilot whales masquerading as dolphins

 

Stbd side of the entrance to the Ria de Laxe  y Corme, with only a 1.5m swell!

 

Fishermen well spread out on the beach.