5 October 2013 – at anchor, Cascais

38:41.7N

09:24.9W

We left Oeiras on 8 October after 10 days in harbour (the bill was big, and will bust the budget this month.)  There were a couple of very wet days when we stayed inside all day – but mostly it was just miserable but it was possible to get out with waterproofs.  The visibility was poor: one afternoon we were walking back along the sea front and a huge container vessel exiting the estuary suddenly loomed out of the mist at a distance of under half a mile.  We hopped on the trains and went to Casacis and to Lisbon a couple of times each – Roger to get a replacement water cooler cap from a firm in Doca do Belem ( a senior gentleman who directed operations from a wheelchair) and me to have a girlie afternoon with Signe in Cascais – a manicure and pedicure for €21!  I had my hair cut by Salome in Oeiras for €20.  So the days passed.  Thank goodness for good wifi.

As the weather lifted, so did the spirits.  It’s now back to the NE trade winds, and the temperature is still very pleasant in the mid 20sC.  But the wind has just a slight edge to it, and of course the nights are drawing in.  Time to go further south!  The marina staff tell us that these depressions bringing SW winds and rain will become more regular as the season progresses.  The probability of northerly winds decreases from 60% in September to 30% in October. The judgement call is whether to use the northerly winds that are predicted to go down to the Canaries now; or to pause in the Algarve.  There is this interrupt between the seasons that has to be filled.  So tomorrow we’ll do the overnight passage round Cape St Vincent into the Algarve, and take stock from there.