Andrew arrived early at 21:00 last Friday, 3 September .  We had warned him whilst in the taxi that he might be concerned that he was being kidnapped as the Punta Lagoa marina whilst excellent and having the best location from a sailing point of view is situated a long way from the town and through a deal of small winding streets and alleys.

We spent a day tidying up in the marina and then moved off under the impressive Rande Suspension Bridge to anchor in the Ensenada de San Simon off Pta Pereiro.  The weather turned somewhat grey and windy and a night was spent on board – no one fancied a wet dinghy ride to shore.

Sunday we motored to Aldan with little or no wind.  Towards the end of the trip the wind came up from the south west and we were able to try the mizzen staysail;  for the first time in its new snuffer.  The snuffer for those not familiar with such things is a long lightweight sail fabric tube that is pulled down over the sail.  Thus allows the sail to be hoisted and then “let out”.  Lowering, if you get all of the various lines sorted out, is achieved by pulling the snuffer down over the sail, therefore making it a controllable tube rather than acres of flapping sail.  Well – it worked and we have transformed a very useful sail from being difficult for two to handle into something that can be used easily. 

We arrived in Aldan in time for lunch ashore, 16:00 Spanish style, in a rustic taverna overlooking the anchorage.  Somewhere in the background a trio was playing the Galician Bagpipes and drum.  We could not see from where the music came, but it was very atmospheric.

Monday we sailed via a lunch stop of a virtually deserted Isla Cies beach, the holiday season has definitely finished, and then onwards and back to the marina at the Monte Real Club de Yates Bayona.  Following a walk around the citadel walls dinner was had in the privileged surroundings of the club.

The intention was to shop, perform an oil and fuel filter change on the main engine and then move to an anchorage ready to depart on Wednesday morning for the south.  Two things conspired to foil that plan.  The weather, the wind blew happily all day from the south ignoring the forecast, and I managed to strip the thread on the diesel bleed screw.  We therefore stayed on the marina until Wednesday when a replacement bleed screw arrived, at no cost – thank you, and the weather improved.