Ria de Aveiro

Moorglade's Voyage
Ted Wilson
Fri 13 Aug 2010 20:22
Our position is 40:39.50N 08:43.81W
 
Friday 13 August 2010
 
We stayed at Povoa de Varzim for 2 days - one to take advantage of the good facilities and WiFi and also because a terrible thick sea fog descended and  shrouded everything in dankness, and the other so we could take the Metro and visit Porto, Portugal's second city. The skipper's ankle was not in great shape for endless sightseeing, but we changed some ancient escudos (entailing a visit to the bank of Portugal - a most resplendent place, enlivened by a mad woman being served before us, who was obviously re-enacting her life story), viewed various of the sights, including another double decker bridge, and encountered the crew of Yavanna (now in Leixoes) while we were having lunch at a riverside cafe. We manfully resisted the opportunity to have many "free" port tastings and headed back in time to get to bed for an early start the next day.
 
The pilot book was full of dire warnings about the dangers of the entrance to Ria de Aveiro and the importance of arriving at the right state of tide, so, bidding a fond farewell to Gordon, we set off in fear and trepidation, (particularly given the date) aiming to be at the entrance 1 hour before high water. For once there was wind when we left and we were able to run South under poled out jib and cruising chute for about an hour until it became apparent that the wind strength was increasing and we were sailing too fast and would arrive too early. So first the jib was rolled, and then later the cruising chute snuffed and replace by just the unpoled reduced jib. During this manoeuvre we still managed 3 knots under bare poles, snuffed chute and skipper on the foredeck, so as the wind (and sea) increased to F5 we were struggling to go slowly enough not to arrive before the ideal slot of high water -2 to -1. In anticipation of the dangerous approach waterproofs and life jackets were donned and we were pleased to see a yacht precede us through the opening and apparently come to no harm. Waves were breaking with some ferocity on the outer wall but inside the problem was mainly restricted to a ferocious flood tide, taking us along (with little help from the engine) at 10 knots. There was some concern about being swept past the entrance to the anchorage off Sao Jacinte but we made it in and eventually managed to anchor successfully in spite of the very gusty wind and other trials of a crew incompetence nature. We were then able to enjoy the trials of another British boat that had 3 attempts at finding a place they were happy with - the second saw them anchor on top of some local moorings - before ending up next door to us.
 
This is an interesting place if not particularly attractive. The anchorage is next to a Portuguese air base (although no sign of any airplanes) and on the other side is a commercial harbour. Apparently the little village ashore is a holiday resort - somehow seems unlikely. Big ships also come by on their way up river to another commercial harbour but there is no place for yachts up there so we will be off again tomorrow morning (braving the treacherous entrance again!) to Figueira da Foz. Hopefully there will be some room in the marina there - apparently one of the visitors pontoons sank last year.
 
 
Traditional boats loaded with barrels of port (or maybe not!) moored alongside the quay used by the port cellars.
 
 
 
View of the double decker bridge in Porto (cars & pedestrians on the bottom, metro trains and pedestrians on the top) taken through the window of the funicular railway car
 
 
 
Running under poled out jib and crusing chute
 
 
Dangerous entrance to Ria de Aveiro - doesn't look as bad as it felt, but that was probably the fear factor (and I couldn't photograph the ripping tide)
 
 
Anchorage of Sao Jacinte, with British boats second attempt at anchoring just being aborted.