Well after 3 days of La Coruna, we decided to leave. Great town (as always) and great Tappas but the showers, the fight over the washing machine and the toilets left a lot to be desired. The main problem was that the high pressure over the atlantic was setting up F6-7 Northerlies around cape finisterre so everyone was arriving at La Coruna but not leaving. It was getting quite busy. Added to that, Wednesday was a fiesta day so for the whole day the guy on the pier was setting off nuclear blasts which could be heard in Madrid. The weather has also been brilliant, blue sky 25+ deg C etc.
The forecast was F5-6 northerlies so at least they would be behind us - but add on 1-2 more as they always under-read. The plan was to move down the coast a bit so Rob and Tom could get nearer Santiago to fly back. On Thursday then we left late morning after stocking up with provisions including are rather dodgy 5 litre box of wine which cost as much as 5 Euros. 6 hours later we anchored in Ria de Camarinas after a 45 mile sail in winds that ended up as force 7 (at least behind us). It was a great sail though with great weather and another downwind sleigh ride into the Ria. We anchored for the night in 25knts of wind and decided the 5 Euro wine was not so good after all. There was an attempt at a fireworks display that night in the town of Camarinas but a bit of a damp squib.
We left Camarinas first light on Friday to head down to Ria de Muros and into the marina at Portosin where the plan was to let Rob and Tom off and then for Pam and I to catch a flight back to the UK for a week in seven days time. Again another great days sail with 25knts behind us, 2 reefs and an 8 knt roller coaster ride round Cape Finisterre (also know as the Cape de Morte - Cape of Death). Not a patch on Rattray head - or Carnsore Point which are far worse in these conditions!! By midday we were all in tea shirts and shorts (and life jackets following the sad news from Port Edgar).
We arrived in Portosin mid afternoon, threaded the boat between a pontoon and a yellow bouy with 2 inches to spare either side and onto a berth for a couple of weeks. After the usual boat tidy up we went up to the office to register and to go for a beer in the bar. If you remember in previous posts, I mentioned my unofficial "best pub in the world" competition. Well I'm now starting the best marina competition. To date it was Kilmore Quay but that has almost been surpased by Portosin (Kilmore Quay, you should be worried) - and we have only been here an hour. The office staff are great, the cost is low, the facilities are brilliant and the four of use sat down to have a few cold ones on the balcony, overlooking the marina, the blue water and the Ria. It was 30 deg C, wall to wall blue sky, a F3 westerly and the beer was cold. This was around 4pm local time or 3pm UK time. Rob spent an hour texting and emailing as many people as he could to let them know it was warmer here than in Scotland. Did I tell you Spain was cheaper than Ireland? ....and now I realise why we decided to take the boat down to Portugal with such good weather.
We've now decamped from the bar back to the boat, raised the large saltire flag (with the Welsh dragon underneath) we have as some french boat has put up a tricolor - although very careful to keep it below the spanish courtesy flag! and prepared for a siesta ahead of a night of more food and drink. There are good wifi conections here so looks like there should be a post each day for the next week.
I have advanced my bird watching, now being able to recognise the difference between a Corry and Great Shearwater, of which there are many here. Also the european, manx and sooty shearwater although Rob reckons the sooty I saw was indeed a european. Rob's been seeing a lots of great boobies as well as gannets. They tend to congregate on the local beaches.
So a few hours kip and then back up the bar. Talk to you all tomorrow once we have done a bit more exploring.
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