Fai Tira Blog Friday 18/09 

Fai Tira in Baiona on anchor 42:07.20N 8:50.36W

No photos today usung sat phone.

To-day the planned destination was  Baiona, about ten miles away at the entrance of the same Ria, so loads of time to get there. The book had described it as a very popular venue for cruising yachts, think that we almost qualify now. With modern marinas’, sheltered anchorage, superb beaches, all the facilities of a modern tourist harbour, but with an un-commercialised old part offering refuge and shelter from the warm heat of the day, not sure that applies considering the rain we’ve just had.

It was also to be the place of our first social interaction, with other members of the rally.

Before that, though, we were woken by the now customary 7am siren summoning the workforce of our neighbouring ship yard. The wailing racket, quickly followed by the whirring of cranes and thumping of hammers, soon put paid to any ideas of a lay in.

 Any way we’d figured that to-days’ journey couldn’t take much more than about three hours, so there was just time for Pete to visit the fishing tackle shop he’d just discovered (something he always seems to keep on about, improving his tackle) Me to do some sketching, then a quick last walk round the locality, coffee and off.

It was really good fun, just to sit on the pontoon in warm sunshine, and try to capture some of the surroundings in my pocket book, particularly the one of Alberto and Alfredo’s boat yard, with our visit of yesterday still fresh in my mind.

I remembered that as we entered the yard it was like going back in time. The old, clad building, totally exposed its’ timber frame as we walked through the door. The trip up the tucked away stairs, and we were in their really lived in working office. Reference books and years of records were stacked on the surrounding walls.

The workshop was busy, a bit cluttered, but not untidy. It was extremely large, with some old machinery that, although looked unused, seemed an important part of what this operation stood for and could easily be utilised when needed.

We were shown around the yard, where a number of classic boats were undergoing restoration. The craftsmanship was remarkable. I thought it significant that, the ladders used to access the gantry surrounding them, were of timber with the rungs nailed on. How appropriate!!.

It was a place that seemed to fit the lingering image of Alfredo and his brother, perfectly, and on reflection also, the change in culture and values that’s rapidly becoming noticeable. I hope my modest sketch captured, at least, some of it

Then it was time to leave Vigo.

I think I’ve now got the hang of this boat driving lark. The other day I made a pretty good job of parking in it in quite a small space. So I suggested, to Pete, that now I should have a go at un-parking it, and that’s what we did.

Nothing to complicated, and none of this springing stuff.

Just tie it on at the middle, let off the bits of string at the front and back. Then slowly let off the last one, see which way it moved, and go off in that direction. Out of the harbour, with the red thingy on the right and the green one on the left, follow the white bit on the chart plotter, it was as easy as that. I could see from the smile on Pete’s face that he was impressed (least I think it was a smile) All I’ve got to do now is brush up on the terminology a little bit!!

On the way out, but still well inside the narrow entrance of the harbour, we encountered a large fishing vessel manoeuvring towards one of the workshops, with some guys in a row boat seemingly sorting out the lines. When suddenly they were fending off a leaping dolphin with an oar, it was really big, and compared with what we’d been used to it had positively whale like proportions. If it had landed in their boat, it would have sunk.

It then accompanied us for a short spell, with Pete capturing it on video. It was then we could see that it must have been, at least, half the length of our boat.

The trip to Baiona was wet and uneventful, but with a spectacular approach.

Shortly after we anchored, a dinghy came alongside, and a very affable Scotsman introduced himself as David. Him and his partner, Susan, were fellow travellers with us on the rally. An invite to join them later for drinks resulted in a really good, fun evening and an arrangement to meet later in Portugal.

I now have it on good authority that David has a very good taste in malt.

Bye for now. 

Pete and John.