Portimao to Cadiz
Posted at 10:52 PM, Sep. 8, 2005
Technology problems have finally been resolved now that we have arrived in Spain so the 3G card in my computer now works at near to broadband speed and I can sit on the boat at any time and email, access the office network or post to the blog.
Pam and I arrived back in Portimao on Friday evening 2 September and met up with Pedro at his office. Great to get back on the boat and he and Jose and done a great job with getting the warranty jobs done, putting the boat back into the water and taking it back to the marina complex at Portimao. The only repair job not competed was to get the 24 volt charging system going again and Pedro wanted us to take the boat to another marina about 6 miles west of Portimao, at Lagos (pronounced either Laygosh or Large we were never quite sure which). So on Saturday morning Pam and I, for the first time on our own, headed off in Savarna to Lagos. No problems and we found a very well set up marina complex and associated separate basin with very good repair facilities. The electrician very quickly ascertained that the problem was the alternator itself and they sent off an email to Yanmar in Lisbon to get a replacement sent down. In the meantime Pam and I took Savarna back to Portimao and spent the weekend working our way through a myriad of jobs on the “to do” list. Weather very hot - in the low to mid 30”s. and a clear sky with light sea breezes only.
The fold up 16” wheel bikes we had ordered from Cowes over the internet had also arrived so they were assembled and Pam and I took them for the test ride. One is a bit buckled so the chain comes off in high gears so I need to do a modification (like use a hammer!) – but they were quite cheap and made in Taiwan.
Sunday evening I headed back to Faro about 60 k’s away in the rental car (not big enough for Pam to come to) and collect Jason and Emma. Easyjet got in about an hour late – Jason and Emma unimpressed with the service!! But they are very cheap!
Monday 5th saw us champing at the bit to get away and pestering Pedro about the replacement alternator. No good news though but he expected it to arrive on Tuesday so we could get it installed that afternoon or on the Wednesday. By Tuesday late morning we finally ascertained that the alternator was not a Yanmar part, Pedro was in Spain for the day, so we headed off to Villamoura about 25 miles east of Portimao. We have since heard from Pedro and he is has been in contact with the Hanse yard to ascertain the make of alternator so we can have a replacement sent to us in Palma, Majorca.
Weather not wonderful, cloudy still warm, and a 20 knot westerly. Got into the Villamoura early evening with a very strong wind across the check in pontoon. The pilot said they were very strict with protocol, and they were, but we finally got a berth allocated and found ourselves next to an English couple on a Moody 54 and after our arrival we had only a few inches either side. They were as unimpressed as I was at the berth allocated. Despite the fact there boat is only 3 years old they were still very impressed at the Hanse design.
Villamoura is like a big Viaduct Basin in Auckland except about 10 times bigger, with dozens of restaurants right around the marina edge, and back several streets also. Obviously a more expensive centre than others we had visited on the Algarve and noticeably less English people there – maybe as a consequence? The whole place did seem to lack a heart though.
Wednesday 7th headed off for the 92 mile sail to Puerto Sherry which is on the other side of the Cadiz Bay from the city of Cadiz. Wind freshened from the west during the day so finished up with some nice sailing (Jason hogging the helm) after motor sailing for the first few hours. With sunset at 2025 hrs we were still about 15 miles off, dark fell quickly with only a sliver of moon, and we finally tied up on the check in pontoon around 2200 hrs with some help from the only other boat there, a maxi multi hull on a delivery trip back to France who had stopped to collect another crew member after one walked off as he was apparently not used to the way these things sail.
Tomorrow we explore Puerto Sherry, the nearby town of Santa Maria (home of a few sherry caves – like Terry and Osborne) and about 20 k’s from Jerez de la Frontera the home of Tio Pepe) and also Cadiz across the bay.
That’s all for now
Cheers
Keith