Tuesday 030712

 

39:35.652N 09:04.90W

 

Porto to Nazaré, Portugal ( Passage Five )

 

Crew: Frank Newton; Jackie Fehle

 

Conditions: Wind: NW 2 - 3 Sea state:slight Visibility: Good

 

Fuel 600 litres. Water 850 litres. Gas 1.5 Bottles

 

06:10 41:08.58N 08:39W Marina Douro, Afurada, Rio Douro, Porto. Slipped our mooring and headed out from the marina into the river and the open sea.

 

No wind and only residual NW swell. Soon fog comes up and reduces the visibility around us to a few metres. Frank eyes on water to avoid fishing buoys and Jackie on radar to avoid the “bigger objects”.

 

10:30 40-40.168N 08-52.801 W This time, the sun appears to have had enough strength to lift the fog. Jackie goes down to rest but we were soon re-enveloped.

 

10:45 – back in thick fog, Jackie up again.

 

Noon Position 40:30.10N 08:55W

 

As the sun gets stronger, we are able to get rid of all the protective layers and end up with sun, heat and glasses, taking a savoury Niçoise salad in the cockpit as if on a Med cruise.

 

 

The wind picks up and now that there is no longer any fog we are glad to see the horizon and fishing vessels not only just on the radar and AIS display. We have to avoid several fishing buoys during what proves an unspectacular day at sea.

 

After the celebrations of the last days and the strain of maintaining a close watch whilst navigating through the fog for most of the day we find that we are both very tired and look forward to a night in a harbour rather than a night at sea and on watch so decide to head for Porto Nazare.

 

20:00 39:35.652N 09:04.90W passed Pontal de Nazare and enter small fishing harbour of Nazare. The port contains a small marina adjacent to the fishing boat berths.

 

I am nicely manouvering into a free pontoon bay when an aged man appeared shouting at us to abort and enter the fishing boat bay to raft up alongside a Norwegian boat. He was adamant.

 

20:45 39:35N 09:04W F.W.E. After some issues involving the stern line we were finally able to go alongside the Nowegian yacht.

 

The old man turned out to be the Portuguese Harbour Master, Michael Hackett who, with his wife Sally, came here from Ramsey in the Isle of Man where they are well known amongst the local sailing community. They have been out here for the past eighteen years. We soon crash exhausted.

 

 

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