The lights of Lisbon at last
A year afloat: to the Caribbean and back
Sam and Alex Fortescue
Sun 24 Oct 2010 00:21
|
38:41.487N
009:24.539W It's been a long day of leisurely motoring, but
we've anchored up at Cascais, a few miles from Lisbon. It's been glassily calm
with never more than 5 knots of wind all day, which is just as well because
local fishermen have mined the waters with invisible fishing floats - usually
mineral water bottles which have lost their labels and are therefore
completely transparent.
There appears to be a pretty calm anchorage just
off the main marina here, but in the lee of its breakwater. We're a few hundred
yards from the shore, which looks pretty lively. It may not be as peaceful as
last night, but there's less swell so we should sleep better.
All day long we've been taunted by jumping fish,
some clearly small tuna with huge long side fins. Whether they're the bullies or
the victims of some larger beast, it's hard to say. Either way, yesterday's
albacore made a noble lunch, mixed with salad and capers and covered in
dressing.
From the cockpit here, I can see the 'mega yacht'
berth, which is a huge, deeper pontoon on the outside of the breakwater. We were
musing as to whether or not Tilly Mint would fit into this category. She could
be a sporty, compact mega yacht - I suppose. Any other views to summersong
(at) mailasail (dot) com.
We're off to meet belle-maman soon, who arrived in
Lisbon yesterday. Marina's staying with a friend who lives near Cascais, and
we're planning to spend the next couple of days sightseeing, which will be fun.
Unlike Porto, it's thoroughly possible to take a yacht into the city, floating
up the River Tejo, which we'll try to do tomorrow or Monday. For us it's
primarily an opportunity to make the most of having both feet on dry land and in
comp'ny before we set sail to Madeira, which is four of five days' sail to the
southwest.
We hope to be there in time for a blow out supper
in celebration of my 33rd year, which was so nearly foreshortened by a lot of
Swiss snow.
I've also been reading 'Storm Tactics' with rapt
attention. The book lays out the various different tactics for surviving strong
winds and huge seas, but with the emphasis on 'heaving-to' - essentially
stalling the boat with a combination of sail and rudder so she doesn't advance,
but just slides sideways. The 'slick' wake she leaves to windward as she is
pushed sideways through the water acts like oil to calm the waves and prevent
them from breaking on top of the boat, which can roll her over and inflict a lot
of damage. I can see a visit to the chandleries of Lisbon over the next couple
of days...
|