La Rochelle

On our last night in Bilbao we were plagued with mosquitos and I am glad to
be able to report that we have left them in Spain.

We left Spain for France as soon as we could pay our bills which was 8am UK
time and were underway in a flat calm. When sailing one always listens to
channel 16 which is the VHF channel on which to make distress calls and to
contact other boats. Misuse of this channel brings down the wrath of God
from the authorities. So at 9 am we heard to our complete amazement a
trumpet being played beautifully on channel 16. Tina thinks that it could be
the Basque national anthem and I am in no position to disagree.
The crossing was in flat calm but with about 1.5 m of swell. Now sailing or
motoring against the swell is a bit like bicycling up hill, the down hills
never make up for the effort of going up hill!
So our speed was down from the 6.0 knots I had hoped for down to only
4.9kts. that meant that the 200 miles we had to do would take quite a bit
longer up to 7 hours longer.
Eventually the swell subsided and we regained most of our speed.
We had to motor for 33 hours and sailed the last 3 hours and arrived at La
Rochelle at 8pm tired and ready to sleep.

In Spain we never had a clue as to what was being said so now we do have
some idea and it is rather nice to know what is going on around one!
In a posh marina we ate at the restaurant and on the menu were 'Grilled
Knives' and some other gems which I regret I have forgotten.

Since leaving Spain we have met several yachts that have said that 'the med
was too hot, too crowded and either no wind or a gale' So I for one am happy
to have retreated.
They did however say that the Algave and South Atlantic Spain was lovely, so
we leave that for another day.

So now it is short trips up the French coast and then along the N Brittany
coast to Guernsey and then home by August

Bilbao

We left Gijon with the intention of sailing to La Rochelle some 48 hours away. We had wind for once but on the nose. We were going like a train at about 7.0 + knots [good for us]. The seas were uneven, the waves were not large but coming from all direction. This is why the Bay of Biscay has it reputation as an uncomefortable bay to cross. Anyway the wind headed us and the Bay claimed another scalp - mine. So we turned back to Ribadesella.

Ribadesella is where the Spanish holiday and is delightful. It is also the starting point for those that want to hike climb or canoe in the Picos of Europe. We moored alongside the town quay and were the only yacht there!

We then sailed on [motored] on to santander where we intended to stay for 2 days, however the airport runway is conveniently positioned beside the marina and between the city and us was a vaste commercial port. We left the following morning for Bilbao where we now are. Wifi promised but not working!!

We firsst went to the lesser marina that had recently had is main building bombed by by ETA a fortnight ago. Anyway no one speaks english and I think that they are having a regatta soon so we moved on to the posh marina. Still no wifi that I can find but there is an internet place in a games hall where the noise level is way higher than concorde on take off!!

If the weather is good we will head  tto Royon tomorrow.

Gijon

I write this for the third time in slight exasperation.

The first was writ at an internet cafe and my money ran out

the second on my lap top but despite promises I can find no wifi that works

so we left Viveiro for Ribadeo a wide shallow river with a small marina and a vast bridge above.. We had left early as I had started a cold and woke early and so we left at 5.30. Now if you leave early you also arrive early and we passed by Ribadeo and went on to Luarca. luarca is a tiny fishing village rather like Penzance but without chips and surrounded by attractive cafes. The inner harbour is full full of fishing boats but provision has been made for yachts inside the breakwater on steel can buoys where ther is constant roll from the swell outside.

We or rather I retired early 8.30 uk time =9.30 spanish and we awoke to hear voices close and banging on the hull. It was customs on a routine check and more than a little surprised to find us in bed at that early hour. Half an hour later we were in bed again only to be woken at 10.00 uk time by a vast explosion. It was fireworks and in spain it is the bang that matters and these were good ones. After that we retired again accompanied by a mosquito. Not the best nights sleep.

So we were pleased to move on to Gijon, which is as I rememberd it except that there is now a mile long breakwater protecting the adjacent port that was not on our charts and also they have put a steel ballustrade around the quay to stop Matt from launching his canoe into the harbour!

 As the result of our search for wifi that works we came accross traditional dancers on the promenade. dancing to bagpipes and drum all very enchanting.

Tina is now baking bread and roasting a leg of lamb so our existance is not too taxing

 

Sunbird at Viviero

We have now moved yet again.

In Corunna I tried to cash some travellers cheques. A simple task I thought, but not so we were passed from bank to bank and eventually ended up at head office of some spanish bank where it took 4 people to do the deal and then they would only let me have $300. So almost 2 hours later I emerged with 200 euros!!

from Corunna we went to cedeira where we had been before and just as attractive.We are now in Viviero which was a fishing port and a part of it has been passed over to yotties . The old townl ooks very attractive and we will now go and explore

It is hot and I for one am glad that we are now going East and North

 

la Corunna

We had an easy passage to Corunna, 40 miles no wind and motor on and 7 hours
later we were being presented with a map of the town by the marina staff.
So far so good. we set off to find an internet cafe and supermarket. As
navigator I can only say that i temporarily lost the plot. we did get back
to the boat but not exactly directly but we did pass Sir John Moore,s grave
and the Green Jackets base here, which of course was always my plan. More
than that we never got connected hence the silence if you had been
listening. Anyway I am on now!!

we have climbed the tower of Herculese 200 + steps and a superb view. It was
started bu the romans and then left derilict for centuries as it only guided
the vikings in and we all know that was not good news

Tomorrow we set off for Cediera which with no marina at all enabled me to
get a very ok camera. Corunna on the other hand is said to have everything
here, but in my view that is only if you want little!

It has rained but mostly at night and it was the first rain we have had
other than on our arrival some 3 weeks ago
sunbird 16 june

Corme June 13

We are now in Corme a small fishing port.
We motored against very strong winds and current up from Muros to Camarinas.
It was a 35nm trip and at times we were only making less than 2 knots over
the ground. It was a bit tough.

Anyway by mid afternoon we were in the marina at camarinas and met up with
some charming Irishmen [going South] and even more charming Welsh crew
[going North]. The welsh crew of 4. 3 J109 racers who probably took no
prisoners and the very charming owner. the racers were helping to bring the
owner's boat back from Lagos on the Algave where it has been a sailing
holiday home in the sun. If we had it tough they had it far worse as they
had much further to travel and having hoped to bring the boat home to wales
they were only going to make la Corunna, also they had no lee cloths. anyway
they left ahead of us today and are probably closing Corunna now.

We are off to Corunna tomorrow and weather forecast looks good and quite
mild so hero status on the passage I hope. [for which I am very grateful]

i write this from a bar in Corme which is a bit rough but at least it has
wifi that works. The TV is on and no one watching and the card players have
left now as I was sure that aknife would be drawn it was so loud and
exciting!

June 9th

We were sorry to see Duncan and John John leave as they had been excellent company and to his credit JJ had [unasked]dried up almost all the time

We left them at Santiago di Compostella, having seen the city by car the previous day. An amazing place. the pilgrims are easily identified by ther stout walking boots and walking sticks. Around the cathederal amost 50% of the people were pilgtims from all over the world.

After they left us the debate as  where to go next continued and ended up 2 to 1 in favour of returning home. Tina wanted to go on and to go back to see the puppies and i was warm enough. So we are headed  North again.

the winds on the NW coast of Spain are essentially from the North and are squeezed between the Azores High and the low over central spain so are or can be quite strong.

We motored back from Villagargia to Muros early in the morning to avoid the strong N winds and had a quiet passage until the end when the winds built up. We anchored in Muros but could not get out of the wind and so had a windy night having dragged our anchor with a bag of cockles around the anchor. We almost ran back into the yacht Cream Cracker also at anchor. Now she was laid up at weir quay beside us!! Small world.

Tommow we bike to see Noya a world heritage site some 4 miles away

Sunbird

Ria Muros

I was asked whether the places we were about to go to would be a good and as
nice as this. I knew that for the next 1000 miles the answer was NO as to
the destination I did not know.
On the basis of that Tina said Why go on let us enjoy what we have here.
As El Capitano and in charge of all I immediatly agreed and we will spend
the summer here, returning by air/ferry in August and will bring Sunbird
home in September

The weather is not too hot, and the scenery fantastic. So I am happy with
the decision. We will not go more than another 30 miles South and will then
work our wat very slowly back towards

More dophins than you can shake a stick at!!

Sunbird

may 31st

During the passage from Plymouth to La Corunna we only saw 7 yachts and a
lot more cargo vessels that the ais spotted for us before we could see them.
</p>
<p>
The Spanish have been quite charming to us inspite of our total lack of
Spanish.
</p>
<p>
We at last found an internet wifi in Fontan marina but I could not get it to
work.
</p>
<p>
We then found a internet cafe that would only let you use their machines,
however the girl in charge virtually took me to the cafe where I could use
my lap top.
</p>

Now my problems started again as I could not connect. The motherly lady
behind the bar served me a beer, No problem but could not help me so she
spoke to other guests and a boy just older than Daniel sorted me out in
seconds.

The cuisine on board has been excellent thanks to Tina.
&;Ralphs wooden lee board has been in use most of the time

The spanish Navtext do not work for us and the french one has broken!

The Rioja is excelllent but I can not say the same for the wine that we
bought in Ushant. Perhaps the inhabitants of the island hace a taste for
turprntine

We are now in the Rias, a bit like the Scottish lochs except Sun shines,
Warm, No midges.
Sunbird

Comments to date

During the passage from Plymouth to Carino and then on to la Corunna we only
saw 7 yachts. Lots of cargo ships which with the AIS we could easily avoid
even before they were visible.

The Spanish have been quite charming to us bearing in mind I only know one
Spanish word 'creveca'. At last we found wifi in the marina at Fontran
[beside La Corunna] but I could not get it to work, so we went off to an
internet Café who only allowed you to use their machines. As my magnum opus
was on my lap top the little girl in charge almost took me to the internet
café.

There my problems began again. I ordered a beer, no problem, and yes I could
use my lap top but I could not get it to work. The motherly lady behind the
bar got a customer, a 15year old boy who sorted me out in seconds!! I got my
blog away. Then the good Lady of the house came back and said I know not
what and I got a very good tapas.

We are now on our way south and into the rias which from the pilot books
look a lot of fun

The cuisine on board has been excellent, no thanks to me, but to Tina.

Ralphs wooden lee board has worked wonders and almost all the time.

Spanish navtext broadcast from La Corunna has not worked for us even in La
Corunna.

The local wines are excellent. PS the inhabitants of Ushant are not to be
noted for their taste in wine but rather their liking for turpentine