Windy in Cascais

ULA
John & Jackie Richards
Thu 21 Aug 2008 08:35
 
Position 038:41.430N 009:25.130W
 
Your good skipper is on the airwaves again from Cascais 15 miles west of Lisbon. We sailed down from Nazare yesterday. We intended to get off at 7.00 am but administration in the Port meant we were an hour late. We were joined by a Dutch boat which was moored along side us for the night. So the race was on! After a slow sail for the first hour the wind filled in and we sailed to off Peniche. We had been warned to avoid this port as the wash from an unruly fishing fleet causes damage to boats so we carried onto Cascais, a total distance of 64 miles and with a totally blue sky. The swell caused by a storm several days ago somewhere in the North Atlantic was high at 2.5metres so when we turned down wind off Peniche we slowed down. Jackie had been talking to Sally in the Marina office before we left and had been told the forecast was for strong winds by late afternoon. So we motored sailed for 3 hours to keep the speed up. About 3 pm the wind increased to a good force 4 and we sailed for the next 4 hours to Cabo De Roca on the corner of the river Tejo estuary which goes up to Lisbon. Just as we turned the corner we had a school of Dolphins playing around the boat. Then the strong wind hit 3 miles from the marina gusting up to 30 knots or Force 7. We still had full main up but limped into the sheltered bay by the marina and although still windy the lack of waves meant we could take the mainsail down. Just in time as one of the batten cars broke in the mainsail. The decision was then do we anchor like several other boats and wait for the wind to die or try and get in at the marina. We contacted the marina and they said they could offer assistance with berthing as the conditions were strong. So in we went and made their reception pontoon where we booked in. Then with help and an into wind berth we managed to get Ula tied up safely alongside the Dutch who had arrived 30 minutes before us. Worth the struggle as everyone was glad to get off onto Terra Firma even though the restuarant appeared to everyone to be swaying.
 
We went out for a super meal at one of the many posh restaurants in the Marina and literally crashed out. This morning boat repairs and provisioning and planning the next 3 days with visits to Lisbon and some of the local sights. More from you usual correspondent later.
 
John