Returned to A Coruna. Struck by sauna like heat stepping off airplane. Hired car from Santiago airport & provisioned at Carrefour. Purchased 100mb phone card from phone shop near the supermarket. Girl on duty still at the Marina cheerful as always, gave me a gate access card and phoned the car hire company for me. Car hire office just about to close so parked car overnight. Met MJP at Bus stop (ticked off for not meeting at the airport) and walked back to the Marina with short detour through town.

2^nd Sept. 42m

Checked engine- started 1^st time! Collected repaired genoa (80 euros), paid marina fee (very reasonable- highly recommend Marina Coruna) paid for repair work on guard wire (good job) and returned hire car. Genoa hoisted. Chart plotter still not reading Iberian card.

Set off at 11:15am with Nexus as chart plotter. Heading for Corme. Motored in no wind until sea breeze allowed motor off for 2 hours when wind died leaving uncomfortable lumpy sea which made AP sick. Calmed down after a couple of hours, arrived Corme 19:00hrs. Anchored in harbor between small boats and disused fish farm, pumped up dinghy for trip ashore. Fishing village hiding its charm behind a façade of tiled walls. Enjoyed a glass (copa) of beer from friendly barman. Funfair on prom with kids playing in sea of foam spewing from a machine. Returned to OR for supper (spag + meatballs) + bed. Funfair continued with loud music & horns untill 2 am.

3^rd Sept. 57m

Dirty prop was slowing progress so AP took to the water to scrape barnacles. Hard work managing about 10secs underwater at a time but barnacles mostly cleared. Set off at 09:10- no wind but better speed under power. Wind picked up but southerly as we turned Cape Finistere. Arrived Muros 19:00. Anchored to west of harbor wall. Supper prepared as we sailed gently into the bay so ready once anchored (sausage + spuds). Walk round town- bought some red fish from a stall on the quay cleaned and filleted by friendly fish mongeress.

4^th Sept.

Weighed anchor 08:30. No wind & flat sea. Arrived Baiona 16:30. Pulled up on ‘Transito’ pontoon at the sailing club ‘Monte Real Club de Yates’ (guide says dress code applies) but told at Marina office that no room except a finger berth at 50 euros. Decided to our dress not up to scratch and moved over to the Puerto Deportivo de Baiona which had plenty of room for 34 euros.

Explored Baiona churches and walked round castle walls. Red fish for supper (not very tasty).

5^th Sept.

Set out early on bike for provisions but no shops open till 9am. Nice cup of coffee in café waiting for Carrefour to open then back to marina, fuelled (100 ltrs) and set off 10:30. Another light wind day motoring again. Crossed border to Portugal and switched flags. Arrived Viano do Costello at 16:00 in thick mist. Pulled up on waiting pontoon in river outside marina. Joined by old wooden boat with 2 very young children strapped into car seats in the cockpit. Looked round town. Chicken curry for supper. No charge for pontoon.

6^th Sept.

Set out at midnight after 2 hrs sleep. Aiming for Leixoes (Porto). Picked up SE breeze allowing sail at last.
3 hour watches through the night. Wind veered South in the morning so motor-sailed last 3 hours.
Arrived Leixoes Marina de Leca 10:30am.

Took metro tram into Porto after lunch. Got off too late and spent quite a time walking in the wrong direction before finding centre of town and decided to take a tourist bus to see city and make up lost time. Should have got a Portuguese phrase book as no-one spoke much English. Jumped off bus and walked over River Douro- looked round the Port Cave district and took a Cave tour. Enjoyed some folk dancing. Metro back to Leixoes and delicious fish supper in Restaurant on route back to marina courtesy of MJP. Goose barnacles look disgusting but taste delicious (quite like winkles but less chewy). Didn’t make the Fado advertised on Marina poster office. Managed to download update for chart plotter and get it to recognize the card-big relief as the Nexus was struggling.