Faro 36:57.81N 07:52.19W Gremlins in the works
SV Jenny
Alan Franklin/Lynne Gane
Sun 12 Oct 2014 09:16
We have finally quit Vilamoura as we have to make our way to the next rally on the River Guardiana, in the torrential rain. Our stay in Vilamoura has largely been a wet one. For those on holiday here, and an overwhelming majority around the harbour where English speaking, you can not help but feel for them. Nor can you miss the golf bias to the place, with the Portuguese golf masters tournament during our stay here, bars were streaming it live, golf caddies abounded as did the talk in restaurants. Irish bars and pubs, in fake home style and restaurants of every kind cram the first few streets around the marina, with supermercado’s supplying English products. It is somewhat strange to me, ‘this home from home’ but I have not spent any time in any other English tourist haunts.
There seem to be any number of gremlins aboard the boat at the moment! Our wind instrument is playing up with an intermittent fault, but when we called the engineer twice it worked twice, it failed before Vilamoura, toothbrushes and steering wheels have had minor problems, it is hard not to feel a little besieged by the gremlins.
We are at anchor in the lagoon outside Faro, if you have flown there you will have flown right over our position! It is alarming to see both red and green lights of descending aircraft flying straight towards you. We can only see Faro from the coast, a concentration of tall apartments clustered around the front, as we have to move on. Today is brighter and sunny with winds force 4-5. The sea in the entrance to the lagoon is going lumpy but we hope for a good sail to Vila Real De Santo Antonio.
All our best wishes,
Lynne and Alan