Necessity is in Yate Clube do Rio in Cabo Frio

Necessity
Eva and Jan Fr. Mack
Wed 3 Oct 2012 21:56
Our position is 22:53:07S 42:00:35W
We had a lively sail across from the little bay inside Isla Cabo Frio to the town of Cabo Frio. The sea was up and it was breaking outside the small islands that we had to pass to leeward. I had made a slight misjudgment in leaving the inner forestay on rather than lashing it to the mast. When beating outside these islands the genoa snagged on the forestay. Not the best time to work on the foredeck, but after a short and very wet struggle the forestay was removed, and we were sailing again, a sixty degrees beat into breaking seas. It wasn't a problem, but quite lively and very wet.
Approaching the tiny entrance of Cabo Frio harbour we really wondered if this was the correct place. It was just a hole between the rocks, and it was blowing as hard inside as outside. No seas though, but a little to shallow for comfort. It didn't help that we were turned away from the Clube Nautico de Cabo Frio. Well, Necessity wasn't, but we would have to stay at a nearby hotel. Not the way of cruisers! In the end we got a nice, but exceedingly windy place at Yate Clube do Rio (annexe). Fortunately the mooring seems very good, and we are doubling with our anchor stern to the key.
"The triump of the horder"
Hanna, Per-Eirik and I were having dinner down below. It was pitch dark outside, when suddenly, there was an odd noise against our anchor chain. We were on deck in a flash to find a Benetau 40.7 wedged against Necessity's bow and the anchor chain. A fairly desperate and exhausted crew of four was trying to get there boat moored to Necessity. It was blowing 25-30 knots, so it wasn't an easy task. Their complete complement of fenders was 1-one. We had a lot more, so in a few minutes they were attached alongside. Still not a good position with the strong wind blowing straight on to the key. We told them that a better way was to use the available mooring from the yacht club. That meant going around to our other side. They took off in a blast of full throttle - bending one of our stanchions at they went (thanks God we have a rubbing strake). At first you feel disappointed and a little angry maybe. But hen it occurred to me that I had a spare stanchion onboard. Replacing the bent one would involve maybe half an our of work. Who else keeps a spare stanchion onboard? The triumph of a true cruiser - always a horder. I can report all stanchions straight as arrows.
jfm 03.10.12

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