Cascais

It is beautifully sunny day with a gentle breeze, here in the marina in Cascais. Position 38 degrees 41 mins North, 9 degrees 25 mins West.

We had a delightful departure at 700 from Sines, having had a quite and enjoyable night, anchored off the beach. The amazing thing was to see some of the locals swimming at 0630! Hardy souls that is for sure.

As in the previous leg from Lagos, it was the Iron sail all day, to cover the 60nm to windward all the way. The high point(s)of the day were a visit by a pod of dolphins, who stayed for around 20 minutes, and as usual did their best to dive out of sight, just as I pressed the camera shutter. But I did manage one half decent picture (attached).

The other high was the discovery that Sarah had left 2 packets of frozen fish fingers on the boat. So we had a fish finger salad for lunch. Yum. It did not taste as good as it does when you steal the fish fingers from the plates of Grand children, but none the less, was a real treat!!

It was bedlam when we arrived in Cascais bay. It was the Cascais cup, annual regatta and there were racing yachts of all classes and sized dashing everywhere with safety boats by the dozen, charging around like demented mother hens. How we managed to weave our way through and around them to get to the marina entrance was something of a mystery.

Then last night, just as we were snuggling down to a nightcap, there was a knock on the hull. It was a couple,  (David and Jane) who own a Contest 42, moored four berths down from us. They stayed for a brief chat before heading back to their boat to meet the crew, prior to an early departure today. They are off to Lagos and then onto the ARC.

This morning, disaster struck. We ran out of English tea bags. Seems the crew left half of our stash in the garage, prior to departure. So it was off to town in search of acceptable tea bags. Not easy on a Sunday in Portugal. But with some help we found some Lipton’s English breakfast tea, and cleaned the shop out off all of their stock.

The Tall Ships race left from Lisbon today at 1100. We went into town (again) to enjoy a good coffee in a pavement café next to a small park in the town, shaded by Plain trees. Then a wonder down to the foreshore to watch the Tall ships ghost by on there way south. This was very thought provoking and the temptation to follow them is quite strong………………………..

The plan is to leave for Nazere first thing tomorrow. Unfortunately we need to stop for diesel before we leave, and the fuel berth does not open until 0900, so it will be quite late by the time we get to Nazere.  

Not had the weather forecast yet, but I assume it will be more northerly winds, and more hard work for the iron sail.

Until the next time…………………..