<![CDATA[The adventures of Chili III - News Feed]]> /chili3/index.rss Thu, 01 Sep 2022 15:03:42 UTC The end! /chili3/posts/2022/9/1/72-the-end-
42:34.0N 08:52.1W

We spend our final night at Vilagarcia Marina, a convenient place to do final jobs before lift out. The biggest job was to drop our sails ..... we discovered that our wonderful new 135% genoa which is made from a far better (stiffer) material than our old one and has a padded luff, is really difficult to fold on the deck. After several exhausting attempts we finally managed it and by some miracle squeezed it into the bag. 

Wednesday 31st August - we filled up with diesel at Xufre and arrived at the lift out dock at 5pm as planned. Nito was on the dock waiting for us and Alejandro quickly arrived, fired up the 180 tonne crane to lift us out. Although it was a sad moment, it is reassuring being somewhere we know and with rain and gales forecast, it seems time to go home. 

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]]> Thu, 01 Sep 2022 15:03:42 UTC /chili3/posts/2022/9/1/72-the-end- (@author) Ria de Arousa anchorages /chili3/posts/2022/9/1/71-ria-de-arousa-anchorages
42:34.2N 08:53.2W

After Isla Cortegada we headed for new anchorage for us - Cabo Cruz, only about 5NM away. It turned out to be delightful - well protected, and quite attractive surrounded by a small fishing village with colourfully painted houses (photo below). The only downside was the smell from the fish processing plant. A brief dip in the water confirmed it was freezing! 

We had booked into the marina at Pobra for the next 2 nights as it was forecast to be windy - which it was. However, we were put on an outside pontoon (as previously) which was not very comfortable as some swell works into the harbour. But its quite a lively town and we found an excellent tapas restaurant, made full use of water to wash the boat,  do laundry etc, in preparation for tucking her up for the winter. 

We had a few more nights before we were booked to be lifted out at Xufre, the dry marina. With light winds forecast we were spoilt for choice about where to go and although tiny pool at Toxa was tempting, we decided we should try some new spots. Our first was off the long beach of Escabote at the end of the Ria where we met John & Gilly about their concrete boat 'Riverdancer'. The main feature there was a spectacular firework display that started 0030 hours....! 

Our next spot was off the beach on the west side of the Isla de Arousa. That was lovely and well protected (see photo below) We had a walk ashore all around the headland and to the town and realised the town is much bigger than we had realised. It will be home for Chili III for the winter. 

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]]> Thu, 01 Sep 2022 15:01:20 UTC /chili3/posts/2022/9/1/71-ria-de-arousa-anchorages (@author) Ria Arousa - Isla Cortegada /chili3/posts/2022/9/1/70-ria-arousa-isla-cortegada
42:36.7N 08:46.9W

After an overnight stop at Ensenada de Barra, ready for an early start the next morning before the daily northerly breeze picked up, we set sail north for Ria Arousa. There was no wind and the seas were calm so we motored most of the 30NM to the anchorage at the north end of the Ria south of the protected island of Cortegada and the fishing village of Carril. There are plenty of tempting restaurants in the village but a stiff breeze had picked up and we didn't fancy a long dingy ride late at night. Instead in the late afternoon we went to explore Cortegada which turned out to be well worth it. It is one of the islands within the National Park but it is freely accessible including a guide in English. Permission is required to anchor north of the island, but not on the south side where we were. 
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]]> Thu, 01 Sep 2022 09:33:59 UTC /chili3/posts/2022/9/1/70-ria-arousa-isla-cortegada (@author) Ria de Vigo /chili3/posts/2022/8/28/67-ria-de-vigo
42:15.0N 08:51.0W

Marina Davila was friendly and useful for getting the laundry done (still has to be done...) but it's a long way out of Vigo in the middle of an industrial scale fishing port. The main reason to be there was that we had to check-in to Spain again, as we had been checked-out of the Azores and only Vigo and A Coruna are ports of entry. Although Peter had been in the Schengen area for more than 90 days and we had two immigration officers scrutinising our passports, they stamped us in without raising any questions. We hope it's as easy when we fly out...

As soon as we had done all our jobs and re-provisioned, we made our way to the lagoon of San Simon at the head of the Ria. We have been before and know it's a great place to chill out. We had hoped to have dinner at the little marina there but the the wind was a N5 and the pontoon untenable. Never mind - we anchored off the island in the middle of the lagoon which provided decent shelter. There was one other yacht there and a couple of small motor boats but as usual they all disappeared in the evening so we had the place to ourselves. Peter googled the island and discovered it has a fascinating but rather grim history having been used as a leopar colony and prison. It seems to be used as a youth centre today, but is not accessible to the public. Instead we went ashore to the small village of Cesantes, which is a big kite-surfing centre, for a walk along the beach and a lazy coffee which turned into lunch. We really were chilling out! 

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After a couple of days we sailed down to the entrance of the Ria to anchor off beach of Ensenada de Barra. It is stunning - some say the most beautiful beach on the Iberian peninsular. It is very long and backed by sand dunes and pine forests. It has been adopted by naturists and almost everyone on the beach is naked, which, perhaps surprisingly, in all our years of sailing is the only time we have come cross this. It is a very popular anchorage, but it is huge and there is plenty of room for everyone. As well as the beach, there is lovely walk to the headland and the (non-nudist) beach on the other side. We did this walk on the one day that was cloudy (see photo) but most of the time it was sunny, so a lot of Factor 50 was used.

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The wind was due to pick up from the south which meant the anchorage would not be sheltered, so we had one night in the small but pleasant marina at Cangas, just up the Ria. Being on a marina is always a good opportunity to eat out, but being a Monday night, many restaurants are closed. However, we got lucky by being early (8.30pm) and got a table at a rather upmarket and very good restaurant 'Dos Chatos'. We had scallops to start, a sea bass for two, and pudding. It was DELICIOUS (and was less than Eu70 inc a bottle of wine). It happened to be the Cangas jazz festival and after dinner, we headed round the corner to the sloping square where seats had been set up to enjoy the show. It was free, well attended and really good. A great night out all round! 

]]> Sun, 28 Aug 2022 10:37:39 UTC /chili3/posts/2022/8/28/67-ria-de-vigo (@author) Fast passage from Azores to Galicia /chili3/posts/2022/8/28/65-fast-passage-from-azores-to-galicia
42:13.9N 08:44.5W

After a week we sadly had to say goodbye to the Azores to find somewhere safe to leave Chili III for the winter. We had hoped to sail back to Scotland (or somewhere in the UK) but the weather did not look good. However we did have a reasonable weather forecast for a passage to Galicia and having left the boat there before for the winter we decided this would be a good option. We had one more hurdle to overcome - Orcas had moved north along the Galician coast and were now 'interacting' with yachts especially around Finistere and A Coruna and both areas had red traffic light warnings. However the risk was lower further south, so we decided to head for Vigo, (which is a port of entry). After our recent rudder problems the last thing we needed was an Orca interaction which would have probably required another lift out.

We slipped Ponta Delgada on Thursday morning and had an engine on/engine off few hours due to the flakey winds south of the island. But it was calm and we twice sailed/motored through what can only be called a 'dolphin feast'. There were scores of dolphin charging about and jumping as they caught fish. They were obviously enjoying themselves and took time to come and play with the boat in between mouthfuls. Birds joined the feast, so it was quite a spectacle. 

Once we had cleared the island the wind became a steady N4-5 and we set out course for Vigo (next WP 792NM!) with a couple of reefs in both sails. The waves were generally about 2m so we bore away a bit for dinner and at night to make life a little more comfortable and adjusted sails as the wind speed changed. But other than that it was pretty steady for about 48hours and we made good progress averaging 6.6kn. During Saturday the wind decreased and we enjoyed some wonderful gentle sailing in sunshine with all our canvass up. However, at 10pm we had to give up and start the engine as we were down to a N2-3. 

Sunday saw no wind and mirror-like seas. We were about 400NM from land and no sign of any ships on the AIS anywhere - so we were probably the only humans for hundreds of miles. It was so peaceful that we decided to turn off the engine for a while we had lunch and listened to the silence. But we got a shock when it was time time to get going again - the engine wouldn't start...! Luckily it started using the spare battery, but it give us a bit a bit of a fright! 

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The wind started to build steadily through Monday not making up its mind which direction to blow. At one point we sailed a course to keep both sails full, then poled out the genoa to sail dead downwind, then gybed until eventually we settled down with both sails deeply reefed on a port tack with the wind a strong NW5-6 and big seas. We were now approaching the coast just south of the shipping lanes in quite poor visibility so we were also busy keeping watch for the many tankers and cargo ships making their way up and down the coast. Amongst all this Peter had a big win, spotting an albatross - a first! 

By Tuesday morning things had quietened down considerably and we were relieved that the visibility had improved as we still did not have a functioning radar.  We spotted the familiar outline of the peak of Islas Cies at midday and by mid afternoon had moored up in the Marina Davila on the outskirts of Vigo. 

We had covered 858NM in 5 days and 4 hours - an average speed of 6.9kn which is a record for a long passage for us. But it included 45 hours of motoring. 
]]> Sun, 28 Aug 2022 09:35:05 UTC /chili3/posts/2022/8/28/65-fast-passage-from-azores-to-galicia (@author) Touring the Island: an explosion of life /chili3/posts/2022/8/23/68-touring-the-island-an-explosion-of-life

With a Renault Clio hired from the airport we had two glorious days exploring Sao Miguel. The overwhelming impression is of an island bursting with life: lush green fields, hillsides, and woodland. After the arid shoreline of Spain and Portugal it was a very pleasant shock to the senses. Abundant water and shade giving trees create a landscape coloured with every shade of green interspersed with blue hydrangeas. We had a superb 3 hour walk around the rim of the volcanos that formed the beautiful lakes at Sete Cidades: Laga Verde and Laga Azul. The views (more atmospheric through breaks in the cloud) were glorious. It seemed so strange to be walking around bogs and marshes listening to croaking frogs - we have seen so little fresh water for so long. After a packed lunch at the lake shore by the Green Love Cafe we went for a swim in the Ponta Feraira natural pool at the coast where hot water flows into a surging huge rock pool - great fun! 

On day two we headed East towards Furnas, known for its hot springs. Here we stumbled on the Grena waterfalls, acquired by a Community Trust 10 years ago, restored and opened to the public.  We walked through rain forest briming with a huge variety of ferns, trees and plants to a stunning waterfall with deep pool at the base: another example of the sheer natural beauty and abundance of the Island. Later we walked through the gardens of the glorious Terra Nostra Park in Furnas town and swam in the bright orange huge thermal pool. A very good day and a very big appetite to see much more of these Islands. 




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]]> Tue, 23 Aug 2022 10:50:00 UTC /chili3/posts/2022/8/23/68-touring-the-island-an-explosion-of-life (@author) Azores: Nowhere to stay for the winter /chili3/posts/2022/8/11/69-azores-nowhere-to-stay-for-the-winter

It was the middle of August and every pilot book and sailing commentator tells you not to leave the Azores any later than this given the risk of the weather going against you. We had decided we wanted to leave Chili III in the Azores for the winter if we could and come back in 2023 to explore further. However, arranging this at the last minute proved impossible. All marinas suffer from significant surge, especially Ponta Delgada (which we witnessed despite smooth seas) and so leaving her in the water seemed unwise and risked damage. And yet the 3 yards where we could be lifted out onto the hard were all most definitely full (Vila do Porto at Santa Maria and Angra do Heroismo and Praia da Victoria in Terceira). We knew that our stay might be a brief stopover and so it was to be. 

UK or Spain - where next? 

Back to long range weather forecasting to plan where next. Routing back to the UK was not looking good with headwinds all the way for as far forward as we could see. We only had fuel for 4 days max. Our weather routing tool (Predictwind) had a route without the use of engine taking 22 days and going half-way to Newfoundland. Or we would need to carry more fuel, or wait. The route to Galicia, however looked pretty good and we knew we had a good yard to leave her in there. So, Galica was to be the next stop, leaving just a week after our arrival in the Azores. 

Departing all too soon but we'll definitely be back. 


]]> Thu, 11 Aug 2022 10:55:00 UTC /chili3/posts/2022/8/11/69-azores-nowhere-to-stay-for-the-winter (@author) Sao Miguel Azores: White Ocean Festival /chili3/posts/2022/8/4/66-sao-miguel-azores-white-ocean-festival-
First impressions 

As we sailed along the south coast of Sao Miguel on arrival in the Azores we were struck but the green pastoral hillsides, copses of trees and thick cloud shrouding the high volcanic rims at each end of the Island. After so long in the med. and southern Iberian Peninsula this emerald-green landscape was a dramatic and refreshing change. Soon whale watching boats were speeding out from the shore, bouncing over the waves with their passengers hanging on to the boat, each other, and their cameras in their fluorescent orange life jackets. We were soon tied up in the Marina at Ponta Delgada and very pleased to have completed our longest passage so far - hugs and congrats all round with big thanks to Richard. 

Ponta Delgada and the White Ocean Festival

Once moored in Ponta Delgada Marina we went ashore to take in our surroundings. The architecture is distinctive. Yes, there are some indifferent blocks of apartments and hotels around the bay but the old part of town is very attractive indeed. The streets are beautifully paved in pattens of black and white marble cobbles and many Portuguese colonial buildings painted in white stucco with volcanic black stone trim. The small squares and gardens are full of colour and the whole composition is distinctively different and delightful. 

We were puzzled by white carpets laid out down some streets, music stages and street decorations of delicate blue and white jellyfish hanging from the street lamps and massive, inflated jellyfish and whales. We returned to the boat to find out from our Aussi neighbours that tonight was the White Ocean Festival, the biggest festival of the year in Ponta Delgada with 20 stages for local and visiting bands and an expected 60,000 people. We couldn't believe our luck.

It was a night we'll never forget. We found a table in the narrow street outside the National Restaurant and before long, as we tucked into our fish, the whole street filled with people all dressed in white and clearly out to party. A very good female singer attracted a crowd just down the street, all joining in with what were clearly famous Azorean folk songs. We wandered the packed streets for hours, listening to music admiring the mermaids, enjoying a beer from the many bars and so enjoying seeing Azoreans of all ages from babies to grannies all in white celebrating their Island. It was a spectacular evening. Image.jpeg
]]> Thu, 04 Aug 2022 10:34:00 UTC /chili3/posts/2022/8/4/66-sao-miguel-azores-white-ocean-festival- (@author) Lagos to Azores: second attempt /chili3/posts/2022/8/1/64-lagos-to-azores-second-attempt
37:44.2N 25:39.4W

After 3 weeks ashore in Sopromar Boatyard we were pleased to be back on the water. We spent the first day on a test sail - no leaks thank goodness - and took the opportunity to anchor off ‘our’ beach for a swim before heading into the marina to prepare for the passage to the Azores. For this trip we had arranged for our friend Richard to join us which makes watch-keeping much easier than with just two us us. 

We had a favourable forecast for the day after Richard arrived, so we did not delay. For the first couple of days we had some lovely sailing with a F4 just forward of beam. The sun shone and the waves were no more than about 1m. We had more wind and slightly bigger waves on the second night but we reefed down and bore away a little to make ourselves as comfortable as possible. Even so we were heeled over quite a bit so it was flannel washes and an easy dinner. As expected the wind gradually eased through day 3 giving us some lovely gentle sailing and by the evening of day 4 we resorted to motoring. The next day we were still motoring in calm seas so it was time to se5 up the fishing rod. We have never caught anything off this boat so we were not v hopeful - but it didn’t stop us discussing what marinade would be best. Any guess what…..we caught a bonito (like a small tuna) enough for dinner plus leftovers. We had it with ratatouille and new potatoes - absolutely delicious! The only thing missing was a cold glass of white wine. 

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We spotted the glow of lights from the island of Sao Miguel at about 0300 hours on Saturday (day 6) but did not see land for another 3 hours. The town of Ponta Delgada is towards the west of the island so we got a good view of the island as we sailed along the coast. It is vey green and very mountainous so it is quite cloudy. We saw lots of dolphins and sea birds which was in stark contrast to the empty open ocean. 

As we approached the reception pontoon of the marina we were waved away from a nearby pontoon where there was a catamaran. We thought nothing of it at first until we realised the catamaran was being relieved of its very sizeable cargo of drugs and two men were on the dock in handcuffs, looking very forlorn. 

We had arrived safely! The total trip was 837NM and had taken us 5.5 days. Having Richard on board meant that we arrived relatively refreshed and ready to enjoy the island…
]]> Mon, 01 Aug 2022 14:19:00 UTC /chili3/posts/2022/8/1/64-lagos-to-azores-second-attempt (@author) Getting to know Lagos /chili3/posts/2022/7/21/63-getting-to-know-lagos
37:05.9N 08:39.7WImage.jpeg

Our time in Lagos had its ups and downs. 

Having to be lifted out for repairs was not a good start. But we got lifted out quickly and arranged for a surveyor to do an inspection within two days - so far, so good. The low point came when we saw the quote for carrying out repairs which included being ashore for two months. Two months!! At that point we went into overdrive to get things moving. We had some initial delays coordinating the insurance company, the surveyor and the boatyard, but once that was sorted, the boatyard started work in earnest and did an outstanding job on all fronts. It is probably the most extensive and professional boatyard we have ever encountered and it was a pleasure working with them. The boatyard manager, Pedro, even managed to get a part delivered from Lisbon within 24 hours by asking a friend who was driving down from Lisbon in the morning to pick it up and deliver it - what a star! After just three weeks we were back in the water, water-tight, antifouled and ready to go. 

Living on the boat in the boatyard 20 ft above ground took some getting used to. We admit that at first we thought about checking into a hotel, but it would have been a very expensive option in peak season and we needed to be on site to oversee repairs. As it was, we soon got used to climbing up and down ladders, and even emptying the pee bucket each morning. 

We quickly discovered that if you are going to be stuck in a boatyard, Lagos is a pretty good place to be. The boatyard is only 5 minutes walk from a stunning 4km beach and we got into a routine of going there for a swim and walk late in the afternoon. The town itself is on the other side of the river, accessed by a pedestrian bridge (which is lifted on request for yachts). It was about 15 minutes walk,  but we had our fabulous Bromptons and wizzed around on them most of the time. It made popping into town for an ice cream dangerously easy. But we also went on a couple of longer bike rides and discovered it is quite hilly inland…..Our other discovery was the leisure centre with a fantastic ‘competition’ pool. We generally went before breakfast so we could be back at the boatyard before the workmen started. It was a great way to get some exercise - perhaps something to continue back home. As we had no expenses while we were in the boatyard, we decided to allow ourselves the luxury of eating out every other night. We discovered two excellent fish restaurants near the boatyard (which was next to the fish docks) where the choice was various types of fresh fish with potatoes and veg for about Eu10. Why eat anywhere else…?

Although our stay in Lagos was forced upon us, we became quite fond on the place and would recommend it to anyone sailing in that part of the world. 
]]> Thu, 21 Jul 2022 19:22:00 UTC /chili3/posts/2022/7/21/63-getting-to-know-lagos (@author) In the Yard /chili3/posts/2022/7/7/62-in-the-yard

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Sailing Yacht Chili III

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]]> Thu, 07 Jul 2022 10:01:00 UTC /chili3/posts/2022/7/7/62-in-the-yard (@author) To the Azores…and then back to Lagos /chili3/posts/2022/7/7/60-to-the-azores-and-then-back-to-lagos

Thursday 7 July

37 06.0N 16 10.6W

37 06N 08 40.0W

On Saturday 2th July we set off at 0930 with 820NM to go to Ponta Delgarda on Sao Miguel Island. Light winds to begin with so we used the engine. Having avoided orcas (again) and crossed the 22 mile-wide traffic separation scheme (shipping lane) round Cabo Sao Vicente we set full main and genoa and sailed at a good 7.5KN with a N4 just ahead of the beam. Shipping fell away and we settled into the ocean sailing we had been so looking forward to. By 0000 the wind had strengthened and backed to a NW4 giving us apparent wind of 15-20kn and reasonably close hauled. This was a bit bouncy so we reefed down and slowed from 8.5kn plus to 7.5kn which made it a bit more comfortable. We stayed on a more northerly track than due west to avoid Banco Gorange – an extraordinary ridge which has only 20m depth over it at one point and which we felt was likely to through up a bigger, shorter swell. Best avoided. If this sea bed was on land it would be as dramatic as the alps with mountains rising 4000m over quite short distances.

Good fast sailing through the night and during Sunday with the wind a consistent N / NW4 or 5 as predicted; it felt good to be clocking away the miles with no need for the engine, quite a change from the Med. I’d decided to use this passage for an ocean yacht master submission which meant no use of GPS or electronic navigation which we are so used to. Delving into the depths of my memory for index errors, dip adjustments,  azimuths and Greenwich hour angles together with taking sun sights on a very bouncy sea kept me occupied for a good part of the day. Cloudy skies didn’t help. Still the results were more or less sensible.

Into the second night and after dinner we reefed down (to reduce the risk of having to wake each other overnight) and pumped the bilge. We gave ourselves a huge shock when, having noticed more water than usual, we switched on the pump to find water flooding into the bilges from the aft end of the boat. We quickly discovered the outlet pipe had come off the pump in the engine room so we we creating a garden pond waterfall effect pumping water from the bilge into the engine room which then, like a bubbling brook tumbled back down into the bilge again. The pipe was soon fixed, but where had the water come from in the first place? We persuaded ourselves it might have been from the shower (which shares the same pump) but decided to monitor every 3 hours.

At 0000 and 0300  the bilge was filling up again at a rate of around 10 litres an hour. This was bad news and after checking every possible source of leak we tracked it down to the rudder tube. A (designed) hole in a GRP molding just forward of the tube was leaking steadily. Monitoring continued but we also:

·        Called Falmouth coastguard and agreed a 3 hourly “welfare call”

·        Emailed and spoke to Dan Hills at Malo yachts and also got advice from James Hollingsworth at Berthon Boat Yard and our friends at Ardfern who know the boat well

·        Fixed the rudder in position and relied entirely on the hydrovane self-steering

·        Reefed to slow down and take the pressure of the rudder

At 1400 we hoved-to to consider our options. Carry on to Punta Delgada (475NM), run before the wind down to Madeira (250NM) or turn round and head back to Lagos (360 NM)? We look time to go through the options, got updated weather routing from the Predictwind offshore app. (invaluable) and decided that, as there was a risk of some structural damage that could become serious, the latter was the best option. So about turn, set a course of 95 degrees and off we headed off back to Lagos. There were mixed feelings at this point to say the least, huge disappointment combined with a conviction that we were doing the right thing.

The return trip became more relaxing the longer the water ingress remained constant at 10 L per hour. At 10:00 Thursday, after 5 days at sea, 785NM and a good deal of bilge pumping we were back at Lagos being lifted out of the water and parked in the Sopromar Yard.

Geoff Skinner, the marine surveyor very kindly gave up his Saturday to carry out an inspection. The most likely explanation was damage caused by the grounding we’d had in Acciaroli a few weeks earlier which only created a leak once the boat was hard pressed in a big sea but more investigation needed. On reflection we were satisfied that we did the right thing as it will not be an easy repair and Sopromar are experts. But we’re both very frustrated to suffer this setback. Still, we keep positive at all times. The beach is fantastic, Portuguese food excellent and the people are just wonderful.


]]> Thu, 07 Jul 2022 09:43:00 UTC /chili3/posts/2022/7/7/60-to-the-azores-and-then-back-to-lagos (@author) Busy in Lagos /chili3/posts/2022/7/1/59-busy-in-lagos

 37 06.0N 08 40.0W

1st July

30th June / 1st July - A couple of days in Lagos getting the boat ready for the Azores trip, exploring the town and cooling off in the Atlantic (17 degrees and v refreshing). we had a long list of jobs to be done the day before we left such as deflating and stowing the dinghy, putting our “sailgen” water generator on the stern, repairing a broken nav. light, provisioning, re-fueling, weather routing and passage planning, etc, etc. By 2100 on Friday having worked non-stop we were exhausted but ready to go.


]]> Fri, 01 Jul 2022 09:30:00 UTC /chili3/posts/2022/7/1/59-busy-in-lagos (@author) Slogging West 3. Through the Straits to Lagos (Portugal) /chili3/posts/2022/6/29/58-slogging-west-3-through-the-straits-to-lagos-portugal- 37 06.0N 08 40.0W

29th June

We left La Linea at 0530 to catch a favourable tide through the Straits. There is a constant 1-2KN current flowing east from the Atlantic into the Med (water in the Med evaporating faster than it is replenished) but the tide counters this for 6 hours to some degree. It helped a bit but despite staying close inshore down to Tarifa we had around one knot against us (the net effect). We had researched the Orca threat of attacks to sailing boats in detail. In June they congregate in the Straits and just outside as the tuna migrate west and boat attacks have become common just in the last 2 years. There seems to be no reliable strategy to avoid these attacks. We were also conscious that this is their environment, no ours, and we should be doing what we can to avoid any stress to them. We followed the edge of the shipping lane heading due west for 30 miles before striking off NW towards Lagos and Cabo Sao Vicente hoping big ships might deter Orca’s and also keeping us well away from Barbate where most attacks had occurred.

At 1400 Belinda spotted an Orca 30 meters off the starboard quarter. After unrepeatable expressions of alarm we followed the recommended protocol: engine off, wheel free, life jackets on, keep out of sight. The wheel did spin (Orca nibbling the rudder?) but no bumps or bangs and soon there she was with large black fin on the port side slowing heading west. We waited 15 mins with the waves slapping the bottom of the boat in a sloppy sea and then carried on. A Circa research vessel called Elsa had been watching us through the binos. Over the radio we reported to them what we’d seen and they followed us for a while no doubt hoping for a spectacular Orca attack. Thankfully we disappointed them… no more sightings. Quite a relief.

After 30 hours of motoring into light headwinds we arrived in a very windy Lagos on the SW tip of Portugal and made our way through the narrow lifting bridge onto our berth. First impressions of Lagos…a very nice town, spectacular beach, and a lively and vibrant place. Much nicer than Almerimar and, definitely, Gibraltar.


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]]> Wed, 29 Jun 2022 09:26:00 UTC /chili3/posts/2022/6/29/58-slogging-west-3-through-the-straits-to-lagos-portugal- (@author) La Linea / Gibraltar - back to the 1970’s /chili3/posts/2022/6/26/57-la-linea-gibraltar-back-to-the-1970-s 26th June

 

36 09.5N 005 21.4W

 

La Linea is a surprisingly nice town just the other side of the famous Gibraltar runway and border. It will be remembered by us both as the place where, over a simple pasta lunch, we decided where we’d like to live on our return and so the “La Linea plan” will, we hope, come to pass. I will say no more as we may change our minds!

Belinda ventured across the runway to Gibraltar (weird in itself) but I did not. Time spent traveling in the Schenghen area  with my wonderful Cypriot wife does not count towards the post Brexit 90 day limit. But not every border guard understands this so, rather than try to explain and produce evidence of our 30 years of married life together, I decided to stay north of the runway. Gibraltar is a very odd place. We listened to a podcast of “Mark Steel’s in Town” on Gibraltar. He captures it brilliantly. In summary, a place stuck in a 1970’s time warp and whose residents wouldn’t now recognise Britain if they went to visit – the pub food far to good, red phone boxes all gone, streets are clean and a dearth of fish and chip shops.

More time on radar – don’t get me started. It’s heading overboard…with me attached. I can now wire an RJ45 plug onto the end of an ethernet cable. It’s going on the CV.


]]> Sun, 26 Jun 2022 09:14:00 UTC /chili3/posts/2022/6/26/57-la-linea-gibraltar-back-to-the-1970-s (@author) Slogging West 2 Almerimar to Gibraltar /chili3/posts/2022/6/25/61-slogging-west-2-almerimar-to-gibraltar 25th June

36 09.5N 005 21.4W

 

On return to Chili III we knew the next leg would continue to be against the prevailing winds and so it turned out to be. With strong westerlies blowing through the Straits and across the Alboran sea east of Gibraltar we found ourselves stuck in Almerimar. This was a chance to catch up on maintenance of which there is always plenty to do especially as it’s now over a year since we left Lymington. Belinda complemented me on how good I am at servicing the heads and so no choice about who did that job! We fixed broken door catches, washed salt encrusted running rigging, fixed a leaking wash basin, labelled rope jammers for visitors benefit and…attempted to fix the radar. I won’t go on about this other than to say that the radar is the most exasperating piece of equipment on the boat.

 

Almerimar is a purpose built marina and town west of Almeria. Famous of kite surfing (spectacular in strong winds) it is not the most inspiring place to spend time. There is a live aboard community of yachties, it’s a very secure harbour, everything works and the staff are great but I would find it pretty depressing to spend any length of time here if I’m honest. It looks as if it was built 40 years ago and the build quality is now beginning to show. Peeling paintwork, crumbling tarmac; an estate that no one seems to care for anymore and with a large public realm this really shows (surveyor’s eye).  Villages that have developed organically over many decades or even centuries don’t experience these problems. At the first viable forecast we were off, heading for Gibraltar.

 

Winds had eased to W3-4 but the wave motion still carried the legacy of the last few days’ stronger blows. In short this was a very uncomfortable ride made worse from 2 weeks on land and no stugeron to keep motion sickness at bay, (we didn’t think we’d need it). We left at 0900 and by 2000, as it started to go dark, we passed Marina del Este which we had down as a bail out. We thought about spending a night there but knew, if we did, we’d struggle to make Gibraltar before the next westerly blow set in. So we reefed, bore away 10 degrees to ease the motion (which made a big difference) and bashed on through the night. We can handle all manor of winds but an uncomfortable sea does take the edge off things! Dinner was one of our emergency chicken tika’s – neither of us felt much like cooking. These instant long-life dinners designed for DofE teenagers are surprisingly good!

 

We kept on a more northerly route hoping for calmer seas and less headwind inshore and at dawn, with the rock of Gibraltar illuminated in the morning sun things were indeed much more comfortable. We rounded Europa point in a SW6 and threaded our way through the many tankers anchored in Gibraltar Bay to La Linea (just outside Gib) where we tied up and had a much-needed snooze.

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Sailing Yacht Chili III
]]> Sat, 25 Jun 2022 09:47:00 UTC /chili3/posts/2022/6/25/61-slogging-west-2-almerimar-to-gibraltar (@author) Back in the UK /chili3/posts/2022/6/18/56-back-in-the-uk

18th June

36 41.8N 002 47.5W

Between 9th to 18th June we spent a very enjoyable week back in the UK with Ed and Lydia visiting Belinda’s mum Biddy and sister, Boo and then my Dad, Gerry and sister Gwyn in Leeds. We celebrated Biddy’s birthday at the Berkeley Arms in Bosham and enjoyed the wonderful surroundings of Gerry’s magnificent garden. For us, long term cruising is enjoyable only if we have at least quarterly visits home.

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Sailing Yacht Chili III
]]> Sat, 18 Jun 2022 07:31:00 UTC /chili3/posts/2022/6/18/56-back-in-the-uk (@author) Slogging west - Leg 1 to Almerimar /chili3/posts/2022/6/9/55-slogging-west-leg-1-to-almerimar
36:41.7N 02:47.6W

We always knew there would be a price to pay for sailing east as far as Italy, and that is the journey back against the prevailing westerly winds. Our first leg was from the Balearics to Almerimar (near Almeria) where we planned to leave the boat for a week whilst we flew home to visit family. 

After a final swim off the spectacular beach at Formentera we dragged ourselves away mid afternoon and with a SE4 enjoyed some lovely sailing until about midnight.  At that point the wind died so on went the engine. We managed to squeeze a few more hours sailing out of the wind the next night, which was just as well as we became rather low on fuel so we were very relieved when we finally arrived at the fuel berth in Almerinar the following afternoon. The whole passage of 239 NM had taken 47 hours (slow for us) of which 35 were under motor. But we had crossed the Greenwich Meridian so we were now ‘west’. 


]]> Thu, 09 Jun 2022 15:25:00 UTC /chili3/posts/2022/6/9/55-slogging-west-leg-1-to-almerimar (@author) Fwd: The Balleares Islands of Menorca and Mallorca. Calas, swimming and friends aboard /chili3/posts/2022/6/1/54-fwd-the-balleares-islands-of-menorca-and-mallorca-calas-swimming-and-friends-aboard

39:56.5N 003:11.4E

We left Sardinia on 21st May sailing through the shallow (3.5m) Rado dei Fornelli (assisted by excellent transits on the shore) before heading for Menorca: superb 42 hour passage with smooth seas, full sails and perfect weather. We even had the table up in the cockpit for lunch – previously unheard of. We arrived in Fornells at 0700, a large natural harbour and excellent anchorage and enjoyed watching the water sports enthusiasts – wind surfers, dinghy racers, rowers and kayakers. We thought of the Dodge family who spent many summers here on sailing holidays. Fornells is a very pretty old town expanded to cope with tourism but very pleasant and beautifully kept. For us it’s always good to chill for a bit after a couple of overnight passages to catch up on sleep and this was the perfect place to do so. Swimming in clear water of 23 degrees was a delight especially for B who so loves being in the sea – she must have been a dolphin in a former life.

We came to Menorca to welcome on board our great Blackheath friends Geoff and Lisa and Ian and Caroline for a few days cruising. Our golden rule is that no one who comes sailing with us should ever leave vowing never to go sailing again (so far so good). So with strong winds and big seas forecast B put together an ingenious plan combining weather forecasts and attractive sailing destinations that we hoped would work well for all. The starting point was to be Ciutadella, Menorca’s second town on the west side of the Island where we arranged to meet everyone. Sailing round the north coast to get there was the most uncomfortable passage since leaving Scotland – large confused swell and a light wind on the quarter insufficient to hold the boat steady. At one point we rolled from one side to the other with both rails in the water. Glad to get that over with…

Arriving in Ciutadella by contrast was a joy – a narrow, tree-lined harbour, clear blue water, waterside cafes and a short walk up the hill to the very beautiful old town with its huge square and lovely yellow sandstone Cathedral. We have such great memories of being here in 1992 on Foreign Exchange and returning really gave us the sense of re-living our extended honeymoon 30 years on. The town’s main square has a children’s play area right in the centre. I just love the way Spanish towns often do this. It says a lot about the importance of families being together – children never seem to sleep here and love playing together while their parents and their friends enjoy tapas and relaxed chat. While there my Dad, Gerry turned 91 and it was so good to have a long chat with him and Gwyn my sister.

G&L arrived on the quayside on 26th May with admirably small backpacks and made themselves at home in one of our two aft cabins with I&C arriving the following morning. It was so good to see them. This was the first time we’d had 6 people of our generation on board and we did wonder if it would be a bit of a squash. But once acclimatised this really didn’t seem to be a problem – not for us at any rate! The 27th May, our first day all together, was very windy with NE6 and big swells so following our golden rule we had a lovely walk along the Cami de Cavells - Menorca’s coastal path with a picnic en-route and ending up at a very stylish bar at Punta d’Artrutx lighthouse. Dinner later at Aquarium Restauranton the quayside in Ciutadella was black rice seafood paella for 6 - fab.


At 0830 on 28th we set off to cruise the south coast of Menorca with the first stop for a swim and leisurely lunch at Cala Son Saura - one of many lovely Cala’s we went on to visit. On down the coast heading east under sail to the tiny and very beautiful Cala Covas (which we just managed to squeeze into) with its extraordinary man made caves carved into to cliffs that enclose pools of shimmering turquoise water. Another welcome swim before heading round the headland to Cala en Porter – a deep inlet with a beach at the head, steep cliffs on both sides and small overlooking village. G&L made us all a delicious chicken casserole eaten as the sun set crowded around our little cockpit table – precious memories. At 0700 next morning I rowed G&L ashore to the beach to catch a taxi to the airport. It was so still as we sat and washed the sand off our feet with just the waves lapping on the beach and a cockerel crowing in the village.

By 1000 we were on our way to Alcudia, Mallorca, a cracking 50 mile sail and a first proper sea crossing for I&C. Our huge “Ukrainian” coloured Code S was put to good use until the wind got a bit much. Caroline impressed with her ability to keep watch, crochet and chat with the rest of us at the same time together with spot-on helming. And Ian with his enthusiasm to learn as much as possible and passion for being on the helm whenever possible. B&I had a day off! After a very stressful Alcudia marina mooring for B in a cross wind complicated by a Sunseeker “driver” who insisted on mooring next to us simultaneously we had a welcome beer on board and then out for dinner.




A good morning walking the walls of Alcudia was followed by a good sail around Cabo de Pinar to Bahia de Pollensa and the stunningly beautiful Cala Engrossaubus. Totally remote with only black goats for company and no other boats (but one late arrival) this was a very special place and could have been a scene from “The Beach” – just heavenly and wonderful swimming. We delivered I&C to the quayside at Pollensa having anchored off the next moring. It had been a very special time for us. It remains to be seen if they will come a second time or “never again” but I have a feeling we’ve kept a clean sheet.



 
]]> Wed, 01 Jun 2022 17:46:00 UTC /chili3/posts/2022/6/1/54-fwd-the-balleares-islands-of-menorca-and-mallorca-calas-swimming-and-friends-aboard (@author) Fwd: Northern Sardinia and the Maddalena Islands /chili3/posts/2022/5/18/51-fwd-northern-sardinia-and-the-maddalena-islands


40:54.9n 008:42.3e
 
 
We left Ponza on 12th May to continue our journey west to Sardinia, beginning to close the loop of our voyage round the Western Mediterranean. The forecast was for little wind but by heading north west initially we managed 5 or 6 hours of good sailing with light NW winds. Otherwise motoring over a smooth sea heading for the Gulfo di Congianus on the NE coast of Sardinia (the Costa Smerelda). A late change of destination (given very settled weather) brought us to Cala Sabina where we anchored. This was a perfect spot - a white beach with a small beach bar, a warm breeze, bright sunshine, beautifully clear aqua-marine water. Wonderful swimming and or the first time, after the initial sharp breaths, warm enough to comfortably stay in for a while. Graham thoroughly enjoyed - a keen sea swimmer in Brighton (which, for him, might never be quite the same again).
 
 
 
 
We spent a day exploring the Gulf before tying up in Marina di Portisco where we had a great dinner together in the Port and picked up some good tips for boat improvements from G). The following daywe waved Graham off after an excellent week on board andsailed to the Maddalena Islands and Isola Caprera where we anchored for the night.
 
16th May was our 30th Wedding Anniversary and it began at 4:30am, wrapped in blankets in the cockpit with binoculars watching the total eclipse turn the moon a dusky orange. We had a wonderful day walking on the Island followed by swimming and snorkelling from another delightful beach surrounded by striking rounded pink granite rock formations. A very happy day.
 
We spent 4 days sailing around these fabulous islands between Sardinia and Corsica and loved every minute. We never expected to find such unspoiled beauty in the Med, especially so close to the famous Costa Smerelda and yet here we were anchoring off Santa Maria, Caprera and Rizzoli with very few other boats and next to no development. The seascape of granite rocks and machair could easily be Scotland (if the temp was 10 degrees lower). Cala Lunga on Rizzoli was particularly special. The Italian Authorities have done a superb job of conservation in this area and should be congratulated.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
On 19th May we sailed down to Castelsardo on the North Coast of Sardinia for a couple of days of boat jobs and provisioning. This is a very pretty town built around a hilltop fortress built in C11th with attractive narrow lanes winding up the hill to the fort and Cathedral. A bride and groom arrived in a white tuc tuc at the park next to the fort and overlooking the sea - just the most incredible backdrop. The walked up the “isle” to a live rendition Lou Reed’s “Perfect Day.” With the sun glinting on a glassy sea and the vast fort behind them it was indeed perfect.
 
 
 
 
]]> Wed, 18 May 2022 11:31:00 UTC /chili3/posts/2022/5/18/51-fwd-northern-sardinia-and-the-maddalena-islands (@author)