Thursday, August 31, 2017

Portugal 2017

Portugal
2017

Cascais
Always dock into the wind, If you can't dock into the wind; change your dock.  Exception:  you are assigned a slip in a marina.  So unfortunately we had to take what they offered.  The wind was blowing over 20 knots.  The wind pushed us into the dock before Kathy could jump onto the dock.  A few neighboring boats helped to secure the lines and we were home.  Only a minor blemish on the hull.
The marina boarders the old citadel at the harbor mouth.  It is now home to art galleries, shops and restaurants.    
Cascais is a lovely tourist resort town with a large community of fishermen whose boats moor in the harbor just off the beach.  Cobblestone streets.  Plenty of boutiques for souvenirs, terra cotta pottery and embroidered towels etc.  An abundance of good, reasonable restaurants make up a large portion of the pedestrian streets.  Surf and turf fill the menus.  




Lisbon (Lisboa)
We toured Lisboa for a day.  A quick ride by train.  So many sites to see. We toured the ‘hills’ area by trolley starting at the Rue Augusta  Arch / building commemorating the  1755 earthquake which destroyed many structures, most rebuilt or built over.  Up and around narrow twisting alleys.  Architecture reflecting hundreds of years of habitation.  The Elevator of Justa (neo gothic design) lifts you to the top of a steep hill (147 ft) with great views over the city and river.  On foot we visited the Monument of Discovery and the Tower of Belem (castle) on the river.  Near by is the Navel and Archeology Museum.  





















Sines 
A very industrial harbor.  A gas refinery and storage facility line the shore and harbor.  Surprisingly it is hidden from view in the marina because of the break wall.  Unfortunately the ash and smoke from the processing make its way into and on the boats.  Our stay overlapped with a large music festival, beginning its 3rd week.  Several stages through out the area including the interior inside the old castle walls.  The streets parks were flooded with concert goers, mostly in there 20-30s.  They all seem to have arrived by caravan… campers of every sort.   Small rv’s to cargo vans or car with tents.  Lots of dreadlocks. Carnival food booths offering grilled sardines and choco (cuttlefish) and farturas (long sweet fry bread  served up every night. 




Alvor
after a long cold, foggy sail we rounded the corner of the Algarve Coast.  The fog lifted, the temperature went from just 60’ to over 80’ … Peeling off the layers of clothes and shutting down the foghorn was a great relief.  The wind picked up and continued to build as we approached our target , Alvor.  The idea anchorage (picturesque and quiet) comes with multiple warnings.  It’s very shallow at low tide with shifting sand bars.  Enter ONY on a rising tide.  We were ready to abroad the anchorage when another sailboat slipped by and continued on… so we followed.  We wound our way through the unmarked channel following the chart plotter for depths while trying to keep the other boat in site.  The area is VERY popular with kite surfers because it is shallow, protected and very windy.  We choose a spot for the anchor and set it quickly.  It truly is one of the loveliest anchorages we have found.  The tide retreats and leaves sandbars all around the boat, our own private beach twice daily.  The village is part fishing fleet part tourist destination.  Locals friendly and again the food did not disappoint.  We stayed several days soaking up the sun and enjoying the scenery.   A quick dingy ride to shore for exploring. A bus or taxi takes to you the neighboring big city if desired.  The Algarve region is famous for its sandstone cliffs that ply the coast.  Some with caves to explore by small boat.  Jet skis and windsurfers enjoy the calm waters of the encoded bay of can venture into the atlantic.   


Isla do Culatra
We anchored in the sleepy harbor off of Isla do Culatra with plenty of other boats.  One of the islands unique features, no automobiles.  Foot traffic only… with the exception of tractors.  Necessary to plow the shifting sand dunes or to move freight and heavy loads.  Parts of the island are very dry, much like the desert southwest of the US…. with an ocean backdrop.  Several times a day the ferry delivers people or goods from neighboring Faro on th mainland… 




Faro
We spent our time in the old city, famed for its several pairs of storks that reside / next atop the church towers.  A modern train runs along the outer walls of the old city and continue on to destinations inland.  The old city is home for any locals.  There are few restaurants and bars as well as churches and office buildings.  The structure itself retained the old world look, interiors modernized with electricity and plumbing.  One way streets of cobblestone.  We visited the historical museum housed in an old convent.  Many artifacts on display.  


Out time is Portugal has come to a close.  The Schengen is ticking and we have to move on…




Cascais / Lisbon pictures





















Cultura / Faro 













Sines



Faro























Wednesday, August 23, 2017

Atlantic passage part 2 : 2017

Portugal. 2017
Cascais, Portugal

6 days, 4 hours.  Passage from Sao Migual, Azores to Cascais, Portugal 
a few of the passage notes:

The deck wet the entire passage.  Rail in the water too much of the time for Kathy.  Plenty of wind, sometimes too much, with a bit a motor sailing when the air was too light.  
Silver white water. Big swells, not the height as much as the breadth; an impressive sight, many meters wide.  
Absolute darkness for night watch, the moon not rising till the wee hours of the morning.  The bioluminescence sparkling like champagne bubbles exploding as they break from the hull.  

itty bitty squid
The slowly changing sky over the passage.  Days of a 300 count sheet stretched tight from horizon to horizon.  Then a thread bare quilt, holes letting ribbons of light through.  Then to moth eaten pinholes with shafts of light streaming to the sea.  And finally a huge gash in the clouds, sunlight pouring through warming the cockpit to nearly 70”s… The fraying edges of the clouds ravel away so only the horizon supports the flimsiest of white puffs. Then stitching themselves nearly back together with only a few holes wanting for thread. 

Shift changes.  4 hours on, 4 off.  Record stats in the log book.  Dinner together.  For a change of scenery and exersize, switch from port side to starboard side seat.  The port seat has you magnetized to it on a starboard tack.  Legs braced against the port lazerete and the open companionway to keep from vaulting forward.  Moving below requires a hand on a solid surface for stability or being catapulted into a very solid surface… 
Inishnee is like a snow train forging her way through.  Built tough and proving her worth.  

To pass the time:   Reading.  Harmonica practice. Fresh clothes and a sink bath on halfway day!  
Sightings include dolphins.  A flying fish a foot long and one squid; both trapped on deck.  Sea birds and one sailing vessel.   Many freighters with interesting names: MSC  Kalamata, Brazos, New Venture.  
Shift change on the 21st at 4 am we took the a wave in the cockpit.  Large enough to flush some through the dodger openings and a few pints down the companionway.  A few sister waves would doused the cockpit over the next few hours.  Foulies top and bottom to accompany our warm weather clothes.  
7/21 @9:42 UTC land sighted.  31 miles from Cascais, Portugal.  The busy shipping lanes, 2 north bound, 2 south bound,  and 2 passing lanes.  We jockey for position with Juergen K, Arklow Ruler, Minerva Antartica Laga and Ruth as we slice across the lanes.  















Position report: 38’ 41.59’ north :   09’ 24.90’ west.  Cascais, Portugal.  21, June 2017.  

We did It!