41:.08.585N 08:39.049W                               1036 Miles from Ramsgate by Log

Vigo to Viana do Castelo and on to Porto…………First 1000 miles logged

            We had a day away from the boat sightseeing in Vigo and I even managed to get Norma to climb another big hill. The view over the Ria Vigo was worth it though and so were the ice cream drinks in the castle café. Later Norma found an Irish couple walking around the marina. They were leaving their yacht in Vigo for the winter months and travelling back to Ireland the following day so the blarney was good for an hour or so. She also found a lonely Dutchman who was instantly co-opted into the conversation (resistance is futile). He was also laving his yacht in Vigo for the winter but had another couple of weeks sailing around the Rias before he finally departed. Who can blame him, the Rias are an amazing cruising ground which are so often missed as yachts push on South. We have been very lucky in that our timely weather window in Biscay allowed us to get across well ahead of schedule, this has gifted us the last few weeks to visit the lovely bays and marinas in this part of the world. To be honest though have barely scratched the surface, but it is now time to move on.

Galleon Anchors - Mariners Monument overlooking the Ria Vigo

            Up early the next day and we headed Spectra South again for the long awaited trip into Portugal. At exactly 1200 Spanish time we crossed the line and ran up our Portuguese courtesy flag. The good thing about heading South is that the clocks go back which means that we had 12 O’clock twice which obviously means two lunches for Paul. Another high point for the trip was that we have now completed our first 1000 miles by log so that certainly deserved a beer when we hit port. It was another day of light winds and so again we motor sailed along the coast dodging the fishing buoys and relaxing in the sun. The hardest working member of the crew is our poor old auto pilot and I certainly don’t begrudge it the amp or three it uses to keep us on track. We pulled into Viana do Castelo and were moored up on the waiting pontoon in the river by 1400. It would have been earlier but I made a complete hash of the mooring. On the approach I had asked Norma to rig the lines and fenders to Starboard for no other reason than I thought I would varnish the Starboard rubbing strake that afternoon. As we approached the Marina I noticed a rather large swing bridge firmly shut over the entrance which left as the only option the waiting pontoon in the river. I wasn’t brave enough to ask Norma to swap everything over to the other side of the boat (although to her credit she did offer) and so I elected to try and moor up Starboard side too which meant a down stream approach! With two knots of stream from behind and a boat that doesn’t like going backwards at the best of times it wasn’t pretty. After two attempts the poor Swiss guy who was moored on the end of the pontoon was looking quite shaken as near on 20 Tonnes of Spectra repeatedly shot towards him at a rate of knots only to pull away again at the last minute. Anyway Norma called a halt to proceedings and the third attempt by announcing that she was moving the fenders to Port. Port side too up stream and we ferry glided in first time to general relief and smiles all round, once again Norma knows best.

            The marina is situated a mile upstream from the harbour and close to a road/rail bridge built by Monsieur Eiffel of the tower fame. We entered the marina office loaded down with every document we could think to bring, having been warned of Portuguese officialdom in dire tones by our pilot book. Two minutes later all paper work complete we were having a friendly chat about likely restaurants with the Port Captain (Antonius). I actually felt a little cheated when he showed not the slightest interest in our bill of sale, OfCom radio licences, sailing certificates or even proof of VAT paid certification.

Spectra Safely moored up at last….Picture from the Irish bar on the Quay

            Needless to say, this is a very friendly little marina, there was no room inside for us but as we wanted to push on next morning it was a mute point and we stayed on the visitor’s pontoon in the river. The town itself is quite small, but it does have a well preserved old quarter with the usual clutch of restaurants and bars, some of which we visited in order to sample their wares. Viana do Castelo was only ever meant to be a stopover and so again it was up early (well about 8) and of South again in the morning for the 40 mile hop down to Porto.

            It was a bit of a ground hog day, light winds from dead astern so motor sailing for half the day and a final sail as the wind got up in the afternoon. I did make good use of the time by servicing the two foresail halyard winches, while Norma practiced the Ukulele as we went along. Even with Spectra doing a rhythmic rolling motion in the 2 meter swell I still managed to get them back together without any spare parts being left over, which is always nice. We also passed a single windmill looking very lonely all by itself in the middle of the sea.  

Working in the sun…. Now all I have to do is put it all back together again

Another rendition of Jingle bells while the lonely windmill listens on.

A new marina has opened in Porto on the River Duoro  right in the town centre for which we had been given a voucher for 20% off by Antonius, so that was the destination. When I radioed up, the marina sent a launch out to meet us and guide us in which was probably fortunate as you have to stay in mid stream until the entrance is at 90 degrees before turning in. Without the guide I suspect that I might have cut the corner a bit and fallen foul of an unmarked shoal that runs the full length of the marinas outer breakwater and extends out into the river for 30 meters or so.

Now this is a really friendly and well run marina. We are moored up with an 86ft Gin palace on one side and a 55ft one on the other, I new Spectra would shrink as we approached the Caribbean but I didn’t expect it so soon. I feel like I’m living on a Topper dinghy. The marina maintenance team came down to the dock and introduced themselves and so did the marina manager. They are organising a gas refill into our UK bottles which is handy and we have got courtesy tickets to Churchill’s port warehouse which is even handier. They also run a courtesy bus to the supermarket and generally can’t do enough for you so we are very happy bunnies tonight.

That’s it for now, we will be in Porto for three days having a look around and visiting the sights (Churchill’s).  As an extra bonus when we woke up this morning the marina had left a complementary bag of bread roles in our cockpit, this place reminds me more and more of Ramsgate harbour every day. We are securely moored up facing another railway/road bridge connecting Porto with Gaia which we plan to cross today or tomorrow. Oh and the marina staff informed me rather proudly that it was also built by Monsieur Eiffel, he was a busy boy I wonder if he had a big hat like our very own Mr Brunel?

The Clifton suspension bridge Monsieur Eiffel style