Leaving the Wi-Fi Wilderness
Niord's Big Adventure
Tony Gratton
Tue 25 Jul 2023 19:45
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Tuesday 25/07/2023 Povoa de Varzim
We find treasure on the deck this morning! The missing
Jesus nut from the boom is hiding there. Good job, as it is a biggie, and not
present in our spares unfortunately. Tony does not feel too bad today, as
although the bolt is drilled to take a pin, the hole is covered by the nyloc
nut, so there is nothing other than the nyloc keeping it tight. Must check that
frequently until we can make a better arrangement. All the standing and running
rigging is checked. Niord is complete again!
We check the weather. The forecast has improved
slightly. It's not perfect, but good enough, as we will be travelling downwind
and down current.
Unfortunately, reports come in of Orcas sighted at
Figueira de Foz, and Sesimbra, both directly on our line of travel to Lagos. We
spend much of the available time discussing what to do. We are now under a lot
of pressure if we are to make Lagos before the end of the month. Pure day
sailing is out of the question, as the tides are wrong for Aveiro and Figueira,
and Figuera now has Orcas.
We decide on a two-point plan. We put back our flight
home by a day to give us a bit more breathing space. Next, our master plan is to
go offshore and follow the 1000m contour just inside the shipping lanes and TSS.
There have been no recorded attacks out there. It makes our trip longer, but
allows us to night sail, effectively doubling our distance, and allowing us to
reach Lisbon in 24-hours. From there we have the option to carry on offshore and
do it in one go, or take a rest in Cais Cais for a day, and carry on day
sailing. The pitfalls of this plan are that we have to cross the Orca attack
zone to get to the 1000m contour (not recommended), we have to night sail (not
recommended), and we have to contend with the shipping. Maybe we'll have a
better plan in the morning.
We pay our bills, go for a farewell beer on the beach,
and do some last minute shopping before dinner. It turns out to be cheaper for
us to pay an entire month's fee, given the amount of time we have spent here.
With our ARC2023 discount, this comes to EUR 245! It's cheap for a reason
though. No facilities in our area, and no wi-fi. Our data bill will probably be
more than our berthing fee! We won't be sorry to leave this wi-fi wilderness.
There is a massive yard here with a 35T lift, so a good place for repairs, as we
have found out, though no chandlers.
Depending upon what happens tomorrow, we probably won't
be in touch for two or three days, but at least we will be on the move, and
still in one piece hopefully!
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