Monday October 17th. It’s now the middle of October and we’re sitting in the dark with no electricity in front of a fire at home in Crosshaven listening to the abating wind from ex-hurricane Ophelia outside. We had 84 knot gusts at midday today, glad we weren’t at sea!
A day for reflection – LARAGH was lifted out last week and is safe in a cradle in Crosshaven boat yard. All sails and canvas removed.
Back to 14th July 2017. After leaving Lagos we anchored 6 miles around the corner away from the busy tourist boat traffic, waiting for the strong northerlies to ease. Unfortunately the downside was sea swell and a very rolly night. Next morning we sailed 11 miles west to Baleeira, just before Cabo Sao Vicente. We had 30 knots at anchor and sat it out for the day watching the windsurfers scooting past.
Forecast was for wind to lighten over the next few days so Saturday the 15th we rounded Cabo Sao Vicente and started heading north. This notorious headland lived up to it’s reputation giving us 2 metre breaking seas in 25 knots true and a sand fog – 2 reefs and staysail. After 2 hours the wind eased as forecast, we tacked onto port and motor sailed into 11 knots northerly. Seas gradually eased as we pulled away from the headland and the boat was covered in fine sand.
Cape St Vincent
Sunday 16th of July 0745 LARAGH completed the circle circumnavigating the globe in 3 years and 2 weeks. We were off Cabo Raso near Lisbon, we had fog and 12 knots NNW, 2 days earlier we had air temperature of 25 deg C and now it 18 deg, the water temperature had dropped from 24 C to 17.4 C. By 1600 hours we were tied up in the fishing harbour of Peniche at a small marina just inside Cabo Carvoeiro. At 26€ we were definitely heading away from the western Med prices!
Circumnavigation celebration breakfast with Portuguese eggs and Malaysian beans!
Not a pretty port but our arrival coincided with the sardine festival put on by the local fishermen so there was a marquee with plentiful food and Eurovision music. We had an early night.
1030 next day we were again underway, light northerlies, rolly sea. 1300 the wind switched to SW and we were soon sailing north under spinnaker, unusual for this time of year.
After 19 hours the spinnaker was socked and we entered the river entrance leading to Viana do Castelo. To access the marina a footbridge must swing open, we entered. Some yachts tied up to the waiting pontoon overnight for no charge, we paid €39.
The waiting pontoon at the entrance to Viana do Castelo, no fees charged!
the swinging footbridge
the “vernacular” railway
Viana do Castelo is an attractive historic fortified town. Several cruisers base their boats here. We did the tourist thing and took the funicular ( vernacular as the brochure said) railway up to the church overlooking the river. May have been a spectacular view if the weather had allowed but we were back into Atlantic fog. No more shorts and t-shirts, long trousers and duvets!
Wed 19th July, the swing bridge opened for us and we sailed 30 nm north to Baiona in Galicia, Spain. Clocks went forward again and up went the nearly threadbare Spanish courtesy flag. We dropped anchor off Baiona at 1530, nice to be back in a familiar anchorage for the first time in 3 years!
Fishing off the pier in Muros – Galicians fish wherever, whenever!
We then cruised the lovely and familiar Rias Baixas of Galicia for a couple weeks, heading north to Muxia in the Ria de Camarinas. As the wind was strong from the SW we went to the new marina here rather than nearby Camarinas. Good provisioning walking distance away and reasonable prices, €23 per night. One branch of the Camino de Santiago extends to the ancient church on the point dedicated to mariners with its hanging model ships, sailing boats, fishing boats and naval vessels of times gone past.
Traditional Dorna Ria de Arousa
Thursday 3rd August 0900 left Spain for Ireland 500nm away, destination Sherkin Island, west Cork, 6 miles east of the Fastnet Rock. Our 8th Biscay crossing on Laragh.
We began under engine and zero wind with awkward confused seas left over from the fresh SW of the previous day. After 3 hours the wind filled in again from the SW and eventually freshened to 28 knots at an angle of 160 deg true. Around midnight the rain cleared, the sky cleared and the wind veered to NW 11 knots. This was to be the pattern for the voyage with a series of warm fronts.
Leaving Galicia
A note about AIS. Our first night was busy with several ships in the busy traffic zone off NW Finisterre. At 0100 we had a situation with 2 ships, 1 nautical mile apart. One headed north, one south, we were the meat in the sandwich! Identified in the AIS screen we could radio each ship by name, verify they had us on screen and agree a course to avoid a collision. We had less than a mile of visibility in the rain and dark, they were travelling at speeds of 16 knots and 22 knots respectively. So much safer than in the old days with radar in the conditions.
Friday 4th August. Beautiful sunny morning, and seas eased and wind veered NW 11 knots, almost making our course. Ships clock changed back one hour to BST (UTC+1) 1600 clouding over and slightly headed. Catching up on sleep but long pants and warm layers needed now.
Saturday 5th August. Wind backed more giving a lovely sail slightly above our course.calmer conditions meant we could see the whale spouts in the distance. One surfaced right next to the boat, typically too quick for the camera to catch!
Sunday 6th August. 0400 our second warm front approached. The wind backed and freshened to 28knots true from the SW. Main double reefed, Genoa furled to one third, very fast speeds and rain. Rolled with one wave and knocked out the cockpit dodger, welcome back to Irish weather!
approaching Ireland
1900 reached Sherkin in thick fog, wind and rain. Saw Holy Grounder on AIS, talked to Eddy English on VHF and arranged to raft up outside him on the hotel pontoon on this busy bank holiday weekend. Our friends Dave Nagle and Miriam arrived to greet us and came on board with welcome champagne and pizzas, much to our and Eddy’s crew’s delight.
It felt like we were truly home and there followed a memorable night of music and song in Mark Murphy’s Islander’s Rest hotel with Norman King, John Simpson, Ken Cotter, Klaus , Krestine and Ron Kavana.
PS. Hear Dave talk about some highlights of our trip on Seascapes RTE Radio 1 Fridays 10.30pm
Our friends in Sherkin – photo courtesy of Krestine Havemann
Wed 3rd July we sailed the 154nm from Ponta Delgada to Faial and the harbour of Horta. We decided to do this overnight. Leaving at 1300 the wind was a fresh 20+kts at the western tip of the islandThis acceleration zone under the high cliffs took us by surprise and a crash gybe damaged the mainsheet track.luckily nothing else was damaged and the wind eventually eased to the forecast 10kts for the trip.At dawn next day we could see Pico,the highest mountain in Portugal at 2,351m.The islands are volcanic and often create a wind shadow so we had to motor the last 3 hours in the lee of Sao Jorge. We had up to half a knot of current against us at times
As it happened the trip went exactly to script, a lot of motor sailing until Mon when wind backed and freshened. We put in a tack port to north and when wind started to veer to north some hours later we tacked back on starboard heading 220 degrees true with a course of 254T. It was rough enough but at least we were sailing and in right direction. We soon had 25 knots True and with staysail on inner forestay and two reefs were flying along.
Laragh's voyage 