38:40.538N  09:19.069W

Wednesday 15^th and Thursday 16^th October 2010

After 36 long hours of motoring in 8kts or less of wind we arrived in Oeiras (about 10 miles west of Lisbon) yesterday afternoon.   It’s a nice marina with many bars and restaurants and doesn’t feel quite so out of season as everywhere else.   A call to Carlos, the local ‘Mr Fix-it’ listed in the RCC pilot book meant we soon had our gas bottles refilled.  A simple thing that proved impossible in Spain and had led to gas rationing on board with no baked potatoes or baking of muffins!  Happily recent restrictions have now been lifted.

Today we had further success as Mary completed 3 loads of washing and got it dry before lunch!  The previous attempt at washing had taken two days!  This major achievement was celebrated with lunch in one of the many marina bars, followed by a walk along two very fine beaches to the west.

The wind is forecast to be very light (i.e. nonexistent) for at least the next 4 days, so we are still debating our next move.  Having met the Nords from Sjarmen (who are also in Oeiras) who left Spain just before the storm we are glad we were stuck in Baiona as they had an awful night in Porto and then got stuck for several days in Figuera de Foz as the swell closed the entrance.  Even in Lisbon they had waves breaking over the harbour wall which damaged the marina building!

Tomorrow we’re taking the train into Lisbon for a ‘city break’.

We understand that one of our readers is doubting whether Toby has really joined us......

Surfers on the beach