The Unpronounceable has turned out to be a gem despite the fact that we were fired upon on entering the harbour. At thirteen Euro per night it is the cheapest berth we have had  so far. The Marina and The Yacht Club are two separate entities, however when we showed our Clifden Boat Club cards to the concierge we were welcomed into what could have been a modern four and a half star hotel complete with spa, gym, sauna, indoor and outdoor pool. Somebody around here has a lot of cash.

The club house was built in 2005 which coincides with the 05/06 Volvo Ocean Race visit. One would have to deduct that it was built for this event. Galway has a lot to live up to.

Overlooking the bay, views are spectacular on all sides through the glass walls. The bar and lounge on the fourth floor are serviced by extremely friendly and helpful staff and we were able to keep an eye on Cerys below us while surfing the net.

Surrounding the club house is, what you would have to call, a marine village with up market chandlers bars and restaurants. The town, village and beach were very quiet as the tourist season seems to come to a halt on September 15^th.

Because of the noisy nightclub on the marina, Peter has knocked Sanxenxo off his list but that is precisely why it went top of Dancing Queen’s. In the end we never made it onto the dance floor, we seem to be very tired each night. We did not really notice this noise had better. Shoals of fishermen gathered at sunset on the pontoon behind our Cerys and Spent. When I say fishermen they were really fisher families and they stayed there till about 5am. We have noticed this everywhere, everybody fishes. Hand lines, scouring the shore at low tide with baskets or fancy rods and holders each individual has their own technique, the relevant equipment to go with it, patience and perseverance. One guy seems to be on the pontoon all day long with about 4M of nylon and one scantily clad hook. If fishing is their answer to the pub then he’s the one that holds up the counter from opening time and then drives home. I have noted a new technique today called ‘prodding’, at least that’s what I have decided to call it. Early in the morning, after a full moon,  two families wade into the water at low tide up to nipple height. The children are therefore closer to the beach than the adults. They then prod away for about four hours and rewarded with a small handful of dark shells return home.

Since Camarinas I have had a tooth ache and on Sunday morning awoke with a second head growing out of my lower jaw. We found a very helpful dentist. As I had suspected one of my wisdom teeth is coming up. It’s nice to know that I have something in common with Jake and that there is still more wisdom to come yet hard to believe that parts of me, designed when the sixties were on their last legs, are only going into production now.

Barra (Maine) has arrived in the marina. Stuart, Rob and Eric, whom we had met in La Coruna and Camarinas, have just graduated. Barra raced to Bermuda then headed for Ireland, rounded it and is now heading south with us to the Canaries. They will return across the Atlantic alongside the Arc.

Pics: Crews of Spent and Barra aboard Cerys; Sculptures with Yacht Club in Background; Barra Leaves for Bayona (Baiona); The backs line up on the Gull Beach rugby team

Ruaidhri Prendergast