San Vicente & Combarro
'Sarf & West mate, Sarf & West'
Pete Bernfeld
Thu 17 Jul 2008 14:54
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42.25.908N008.42.061W
I'd had enough of the 'Grand Toja' after two days.
I realised I was becoming a bit of a local landmark when I'm sure I heard
something about 'La barco Ingles' over the PA system of one of the sightseeing
boats. Boy, those guys have a boring job, about five times a day on the same
run, both the skipper & the deck crew were waving to me after I'd been there
one day!
Anyway, I thought I'd move on a bit and just out of
the ria and round the corner to a resort town called San Vicente. The plan was
to anchor off the beach, maybe go ashore for a walk thyen the next day on to Ria
de Pondevedra for a seafood lunch at Combarro. There was a decent breeze, NE 5-7
so as I was off the wind I tried running under the gennaker alone. It worked OK
until I rounded the headland, the Gennaker does not like 30kt gusts! Very
exiting for a bit. Anyway, I anchored off the beach but there really didn't seem
to be much worth going ashore for so I did a bit of sunbathing instead. The wind
was NE fairly constant 15kts gusting up to about 20 so the boat lay easily to
anchor, being blown offshore with 60 metres of chain out and I had a good nights
sleep.
Today the wind was again NE 5-7 so I tried one reef
in the main and (eventuall) one reef in the working gib. Perfect! If the wind
comes to within 30deg of being dead astern the main, even with a reef in, blanks
the foresail so I now have a benchmark. Had a fabulous hour tacking up the Ria
de Pondevedra. Easier than I thought it would be, using the 'auto-tack' system
on the autopilot. The boat will go 'upwind' to within about 30degrees of the
apparent wind. There were two other mono-hulls going the same way, both from the
Spanish Naval School, I outtacked one but the other walked all over
me!
Anyway, now anchored off Combarro. I don't
know if the cruising guides have been updated, but there is now a marina so you
can't anchor between the harbour walls as both Reeds and RCC 'Atlantic Spain
& Portugal' suggest, but there is room where the fishing boats are moored.
I'm going ashore tonight for some exercise (make that calamares & white
wine!) if I can find somewhere to beach the dingy, if not I'll chance taking it
into the marina and walking (there. that'll be the exercise) into the old part
of town where the restaurants are.
Weather continues to be clear, hot with strong NE
winds. Perfect if you want to go somewhere (to the South) not quite so perfect
if you want to potter around in the dingy.
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