The third 12 days
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The third 12 days!
38:40.547N 009:19.063W Oeiras
Somehow we seem to be writing these blogs in 12 day units, the last being on 18 June!
We spent a full week in Nazaré. A pleasant little marina and a useful point from which to tour around. Also a strong wifi signal allowing us to Skype friends and family. Finally we left on 19 June heading south with a reef and a roll in a brisk NNW breeze and quite a swell.
Our aim was the Ihla Berlenga – a small steep rocky island rising out of a deep Atlantic trench 6 miles offshore. At the beach above, where tripper boats moor briefly to the quay, there were no boats at anchor and a couple of empty yachts on moorings were rocking and rolling wildly.
The possible little anchorage on the south was not sheltered from the wind, and the swell was working its way in. Sadly not a spot to spend the night in these conditions, so it was on to Peniche.
Peniche is quite a sizeable commercial harbour dominated by fishing boats. The marina is small with the only visitors’ berths on the outside of the outer pontoon – so subject to wash from every passing fishing boat. Luckily, arriving on a Sunday evening, the fishing fleet was not moving, so the first of our two nights there was not too bumpy! Peniche is a useful stop over, quietly attractive but of no outstanding merit. However it served its purpose for re-provisioning.
Tuesday 21st gave us a fabulous sail to Cascais. Initially under chute with a school of dolphins playing around us, then with a reef and a roll as the wind built rounding Cabo Razo only to drop again as we neared Cascais.
Cascais marina is massive, the check in process bureaucratic and the prices horrendous. However it is generally convenient with frequent trains to Lisbon, good shops, wifi, etc. Also an interesting museum given over to the striking paintings by Paula Rego. We ended up spending (the right word!) three nights in the marina: one day n local museums, shops etc and one day visiting Lisbon.
Lisbon was hot and much shoe leather was worn! However we did manage to check out the Alcantara marina, take an old fashioned tram, wander the old Moorish quarter that survived the 1755 earthquake, explore the Baixa district, and visit Belem as well as getting superb views over the Tagus as above.
We had not found any anchorages on our way south, so it was time to get out of marinas. Quite simply we moved out of the marina to the anchor off Cascais beach (above). Water warm enough for swimming – even AMB, although complaining of the temperature!
Sunday 26th was windless, so it was a motor up the Tagus past Lisbon to Seixal, a little town on an inlet on the south bank. The entrance is narrow, past a packed beach, and then up a rather dirty creek with old tide mills on the north bank. There was just swinging room for us in deep water above a line of moorings. The water temperature on the ebb rose to 34°, having been warmed in the shallow lagoon above us, however the colour was so filthy that swimming did not seem attractive.
We had been having trouble with the wind instruments for the last 10 days, now not working at all, so we made arrangements with the Raytheon agent in Lisbon to visit us. We stayed only one night in Seixal before moving to Alcantara marina in Lisbon just above the huge road / rail bridge.
A convenient spot – a good supermarket less than 15 mins away, much cheaper than Cascais – but noisy from planes and from the traffic on the bridge and not hugely attractive. The first visit from the Raytheon agent was on Tuesday. Tried a new instrument in the panel – no joy; remade the connections at the mast – no joy; up the mast to try a new wind vane – no joy. Conclusion being that there is a break or short in the cable from the masthead!
The next day NautiRadar were back again – more tests up and down mast – conclusion that the connector joint at the masthead had failed. Tried to run new cable – but apparently jammed, so new connection made at the top of the mast to a new junction box. All now seems to be working OK – but at a cost.
The job was finished shortly after mid-day, giving us time to go into the centre of Lisbon.
We wandered around Avenida Liberdade, took the funicular to the Barrio Alto with wonderful views over Lisbon towards the castle, then explored the Baixa.
Today, Thursday 30 June, we left Alcantara at noon to motor down the Tagus in windless conditions and hot sun.
We passed the Tower and Monument in Belem before reaching the marina in Oeiras on the north bank where we are now based before the next move south towards the Algarve.
Best wishes to all Tony & Sarah Ione – Oeiras – 30 June 2011
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