Thursday 22 May

Aguete is a small place, that started with a breakwater to shelter the beach. Behind this, the local yacht club have laid a number of moorings for about 50 boats, and have installed two pontoons, neither of which have shore access. Local boats lay alongside the inner one, and the outer is available for visiting yachts. Outside of that is a further wave break line of pontoon sections.

When we arrived we were the only visiting yacht. We were once again embarrassed by our total lack of Spanish language, but the marinero who came out to help us berth went off to get a club member who could speak good English to translate for us. The pontoon we are on is a bit tatty, and looks as though the local seagulls use it as a picnic table. There are also a line of power pillars, but no electricity or water. However, at high tide you can go alongside the quay for these things, and for fuel if necessary. None the less, the pontoons are quite secure, and the charge is nil, which appeals to me. And nobody is bothered about papers or formalities. Ashore the clubhouse is an imposing three story building, where the bar on the first floor has a panoramic view across the Ria.

This morning we set off to visit Pontevedra. We walked up to the village, about 2 kms away, intending to catch the bus. But we were told by the local watch repairer that the bus was not for another 3/4 hour, so we were bundled into a little car driven by a charming senora, who drove us as far as Marin where there is a regular bus to Pontevedra. Once there, we explored the mediaeval centre of the town, which has been impressively restored, and is now entirely pedestrianised (apart from the delivery vans!). Our visit ended with a splendid 12€ lunch at a restaurant sitting under a stone arcade, being photographed by the walking tours of tourists. Do we look mediaeval? We opted for a taxi back, but as he came via the old road that runs alongside the Ria, it was a good end to the trip.

Back on board, another British yacht joined us on the pontoon. TRUMPETER is a Vancouver 28, that Quentin is taking back from Almerimar to her home port in Blyth. He has a series of crews joining for different legs. They came aboard for a glass of vino tinto, and we got quite enthusiastic about SW Ireland as a cruising ground.

It is now raining and blowing here, and the locals say that tomorrow might not be too good either. We will see in the morning.

Editors note: I think that photos and maps will have to wait until I find a decent WiFi connection