BLUEWATERCRUISING 09
NEXT MONTH
In part V, the Smiths discover
We had yet another team meeting and while we were in the water, so we escaped
the western coast of Portugal,
manage to overcome engine
concluded that everything was OK. We to continue our journey.
problems, fi t a longed-for
were sitting at anchor in a beautiful bay Incidentally, when we aren’t having
windlass and teach the locals
with 5m of water under us and everything ‘adventures’ like losing the propeller, we
how to play beach rugby.
would be fine – unless the wind got up. sail uneventfully from place to place. In
Laxe is stunning – a crescent of silver this case, we sailed along the Costa del
sand with sparkly bits, clear blue water, Morte (the Coast of Death) from Laxe to curry unless anyone out there has a good
gullible mullet, cheap beer and WiFi in the Ria de Camariñas, averaging 5½kn. triggerfish recipe. The flounder that David
the coolest café (got to get our priorities speared ended up as fish pie (with added
right). We swam, snorkelled, played beach
CAPTIVATING
tinned tuna) one evening and the leftovers
cricket (much to the amusement of the
CAMARIÑAS
were recycled into fishcakes for lunch the
Spanish), practised getting up before noon, The scenery in the Ria de Camariñas following day. We’re very selective about
having a siesta and fitting in three meals is stunning – in some places more like which mullet we eat and only take ones
a day (though we only ever seemed to the shores of a Canadian lake than the from the cleanest anchorages – we’ve seen
manage two) – I even worked a bit and Atlantic coast of Europe and in others like what they will eat given the chance.
everything was fine for a couple of days the Caribbean. When a southerly gale was forecast, we
– until the wind got up. Once we were anchored, a shoal of went into the Club Nautico Camariñas,
triggerfish took up residence under the which was efficient, cheap and friendly
“
But how do you explain
boat. They are so stupid that they kept with lots of people on passage with whom
chasing the same plastic fish, getting to compare notes and fish recipes.
in Spanish that your
caught again and again for three hours, Our next stop was Muxia, just across
prop has fallen off?
”
providing great entertainment for the the Ria from Camariñas.
crew. David even caught one on a fly rod It’s quieter than Camariñas and has
– the first outing for the fly rod since the an impressive 17th Century church of
All of a sudden, we were a bit closer to River Dee. We’re always keen to eat the La Virgen de la Barca with ship models
the pontoon and rocks than we were five fish that we catch. The triggerfish needed suspended from the ceiling.
minutes earlier. We deployed a second a scalpel to cut through the skin it was
anchor that seemed to halt our progress so tough and not worth the effort either
CAPE FINISTERRE
towards land and as both anchors now – if we get another one it will be trigger On Thursday, 26 July we left Muxia
set properly with a bit of weight on them, to head south for the Ria de Muros via
we were perfectly safe again. However, Cape Finisterre. Hardly a breath of wind
because the forecast was for a bit of a and a sea with no lumpy bits meant that
blow, we decided that we probably ought we had time for other onboard activities.
to get onto the pontoon sooner rather Lawrence and David set up the fishing
than later (particularly as it was Friday rods to attempt to catch tuna for tea, the
afternoon). Unfortunately our Spanish children played on deck and I baked the
phrase book didn’t have “Our prop has first loaf of the trip. Unfortunately, the
do.alt5
w
n.end t
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e.end S
p
a.alt
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i.alt3
s.alt3h.end
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fallen off and our anchor is dragging”, tuna weren’t biting and the loaf was a
but eventually we managed to speak touch on the heavy side, probably because
to someone with enough of a grasp of my yeast was a bit old. We still ate it. >>
English to arrange a tow onto the pontoon.
Safely parked on the visitor pontoon,
we carried on waiting for the prop to
arrive, killing time by doing schoolwork,
Main photo, opposite: Cape at
anchor in the Ria de Camariñas.
exploring the town and its surroundings,
This page, above: Bethany and
swimming, snorkelling and spear fishing. Bryn in the cockpit.
Beth managed to tread on a lesser weever
Left: Lawrence sunbathing on
fish (just in case you ever need to treat
the foredeck.
a weever fish sting, immerse the area in
Right: Sailing along the Costa
del Morte.
water as hot as you can stand).
Eventually the new prop arrived and
Lawrence and David managed to fit it
July 09 Sailing Today 87
ST147 Family4
RE.indd 103 12/5/09 18:30:47
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