Last few days in Spain
Stargazer of Southampton
Susie and Adam (both think they are skipper)
Thu 2 Sep 2010 10:01
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02:09.10
We spent quite a few nights in Baiona as we knew it
was the end of the Spanish Rias - we have really enjoyed the last few weeks
spent there, the Ria's are all protected by high hills all around and we saw
some really nice little towns. I had heard Baiona was nice and it was - we
anchored for 5 nights in still, calm water in the middle of the bay. As
there was no wind the days were very warm and we did morning and evening trips
into town by dingy with afternoons spent messing about on the
boat as it was too hot to walk anywhere and the town descended into silence
between 1pm and 5.
Out of our journey from Ribadeo to Baiona the
places that really stood out were Ribadao itself (I think because it was good to
have done the Bay of Biscay and to tie up somewhere warm and welcoming!),
Combarro was pretty to walk around and put on a good firework display and the
Isle of Cies were a good reason to go sailing - islands populated only
by people camping and walking and anchored boats, clear blue water and cool
eucalyptus and pine woods to wander about in.
The sail from Camarinas to Ares goes down as one of
the best days - was pretty challenging to sail, as we rounded the headland
north of Coruna and the wind steadily increased, as did the waves
so we were soon surfing along. Mr. autopilot didn't get to do any
steering that day as it was too much fun to let him do it ( also
- Mr. autopilot doesn't know how to compensate for big waves which is no good
for making cups of tea). As soon as you hear a wave starting to break
behind you, you steer downwind and surf down the wave - good fun but stuff goes
everywhere if you make a mess of it and end up side-on, not good if
anyone is on the loo at the time - it leads to
complaints. We have learnt that if the forecast says
force 5 around Coruna - then it will be 7 - by the time we pulled into the Ria
we had everything reefed down and the boat still piling along.
We spent a couple of days further in Baiona sorting
out some bits for the boat that we needed and taking in the town and
surroundings. The strangest thing was at night I kept waking up hearing
roaring waves so thinking it must be blowing a gale Soon realised that it
was the sound of the swell from the atlantic hitting the rocks and headlands
that surround Baiona - even if there is no wind at all, on the outside of the
bay there are still big waves breaking the rocks that you can hear a mile
away.
Can't believe we have spent a month in Spain - it
really doesn't feel like it, and my Spanish remains woefully inadequate. . .
next it is on to Portugal - my Portuguese skills are zero so that may be
interesting.
A few more pictures of Baiona. . .
The Fort and Town in the background
 View across the Anchorage
 Baiona's answer to the angel of the North .....and
some big statue ......
 View across the Fort and the Bay - the white bits
of water are those waves breaking that I was on about
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