Wandering around the Galician coast 42:13.95n 008:44.59W to 42:18.2N 008:39.1W
SV Jenny
Alan Franklin/Lynne Gane
Tue 19 Aug 2014 20:27
Sunday 17th August,
Following the end of the rally we have been very leisurely making our way south. Two nights ago we anchored off a bay off St Vincent, and entertained Ed and Sue, Anne and Jonathan and had a very pleasant evening, finishing with a game introduced to us by Ed and sue called Joker.
Monday 18th August,
Another late start to following day and we were moving south to Vigo. The wind seems to start with promise in these parts, dies over lunch time and the early afternoon, before picking up a little in the late afternoon and evening. Its often windiest over night, frustrating when you want to sail. The coast is often shrouded in mist during the day, making the receding line of hills and mountains seem as though they are floating above the horizon with a fairytale quality to the scene. Passing islands to seawards, the coasts rise steeply in granite cliffs, giving way to wooden hillsides. Barren partings in the trees criss cross the hillsides providing passage to the pylons and perhaps also as a fire break. Houses spill down the terraced hillsides to the ports, with generous pockets of green giving way to more densely packed housing as you reach the fishing port/marina. No more so than as you approach the city of Vigo on the Ria Vigo. Situated on the south side of a roughly east west ria, this is a busy commercial port with several marinas, it is an unglamorous but important centre. Apartments crowd around the port spilling across and consuming much of the surrounding hills, just leaving a leafy crowns. From 1st sight the nicer parts of town seem to be across the busy ria on the north side where individual houses nestle under their terracotta roof, with space to breathe.
Basing ourselves in a recommended marina, we got the bikes out for a ride into town some 20 minutes away. As this was only the 2nd outing for the bikes it was a little daunting to using a main arterial road to Portugal, but we managed it but the thighs complained. Slightly worryingly we got a bit lost on the return, as dusk was falling, we without lights, were relived to finally find the marina in a maze of port buildings. (Just as a foot note, it gets light from about 7am, being fully light nearer 7.30-8am and as I write the sun set about 9.30pm and it will not be fully dark until about 10.30pm.)
Portugal on the other hand is Uk time!
Tuesday 19th August,
Having received an invite from co ralliers, Gavin and Georgie, to an anchorage just up the ria from Vigo, it seemed a good idea. Today we drifted with a little wind up river, under an enormous road bridge, past mussel beds and mussel fishermen, a whole 4.5 miles! Having had lovely drinks on board Harold and Beatte’s boat, with G and G, we retired to eat supper with a wonderful view and the setting sun, who could ask for a nicer dining room!
Life on board boat has its ups and downs, a recent problem has been the flies which come aboard and hang around. So when I saw some fly deterrent in a Spanish corner shop, I thought that will do. I didn’t realise that these were fly papers which don’t look great, but I am now a convert, they are really effective, as I found to my cost! I collided with it getting my hair stuck firmly and if you are not careful you can be more stuck not less! So having wrenched myself from its deadly grip, I can confirm that trying to get rid of the sticky stuff takes several goes with shampoo, soap and anything else I could find, no wonder flies don’t stand a chance!
Storage aboard is also at a premium, the lockers are deep, but it is always the thing at the back you want, so most tasks start and finish with unloading and reloading the lockers. Nothing is quick! And it is tedious.
Washing has also become something we have to do when we get to a marina, because of refilling the water tanks and is mostly by hand. Some marinas have washing machines but their workings are erratic and the secrets of their operation, just where to kick it, or turn this off and on, are passed on from yacht to yacht, as precious pearls of wisdom!
Our plans are to hang around for a day or two, whilst we await the batteries we have ordered to arrive in Vigo.
All our best to you, Lynne and Alan