42:07.2910N 8:50.3050W

After Camariñas we stopped in Ribeira for a night, before sailing on to the lively city of Baiona, not far from the bustling commercial harbor of Vigo. The wind had picked up and increased throughout the day. By afternoon we had a gale blowing from behind and quite large waves. It made for a roller-coaster ride and we were happy that we were not heading into that wind. Oda and the crew held up fine, and by afternoon we entered the harbor in Baiona, which was to become our favorite city during our cruise along the Spanish coast. This was, incidentally, the place Columbus first came a shore after returning from discovering the New World. In the harbor is a replica of his ship, “Pinta”.

 

Several other Norwegian boats were also here, most also on their way to the Canaries for the ARC (Atlantic Rally for Cruisers from Las Palmas to St. Lucia, West Indies). We stayed here an extra day, went to the beach, and enjoyed sunny but windy days. The third leg of the Round-Spain bicycle race, La Vuelta, passed through town and it was exciting to see the thousands of people in the street to see the racers pass.

 

Also in Baiona is a grave at the cemetary commemorating two terrible Norwegian ship-wrecks. One of M/S Aslaug from Haugesund in 1929 in which a number of Norwegian seamen died, and one of the cruise vessel M/S Thalassa in 1948, in which there was only one survivor, a 10-year old girl. We met a 70-year old Spanish man who told us the story and who knew her, and long story short, we called her at Rykkinn in Norway and spoke to her. Quite a moving experience.

 

The weather report was for high winds the next days and most boats decided to stay in Baiona a few days to wait it out. We had noticed, however, that the wind was considerably weaker early in the morning, so this morning we got up and 6 am and left at dawn with destination Viana do Castelo in Portugal.