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Feb. 22, 2007 - All work and some play
Haven't touched this site for ages and ages but must give it a go as uploading
a website is proving to be not so easy in cybercafes.
So latest news in a nutshell, Conachair now in Lagos, Portugal on the hard at Sopromar boatyard. Left Brighton mid June last year, spent some time exploring Britteny then across Biscay from Brest to North Spain, then down the coast to Algarve, reaching here mid September. Then off to work for a few months to earn a pennies for boat kitty. Now back onboard for the forseeable future.
Boatyard doing a fine job at repainting the outside of the hull while I swear and sweat a lot painting the inside. Could do to be a cross between inspector gadget and a hobbit to paint the bilges but getting there. In cybercafe right now having a coffee and waiting for paint to dry. Engine out getting some TLC again by boatyard. Hate to think what the final bill will be but it really is a fantastic boatyard, very proffessional. No problem living aboard either, though living aboard a boat in a boatyard is slight less than glamourous, not quite pims for the foredeck but at least the sun shines most days and good social life in bars along the marina. Prob here for another month then who can tell, would like to visit Seville, probable on to Gib and take it from there. First I'll paint me bilges!!
Adios
Feb. 23, 2007 - Don´t ever buy a boat
Don't ever buy a boat. Forget all that sunshine and perfect winds taking you to one paradise after another. Pure fiction, the reality is less appealing. Picture a pair of legs sticking out of a space which is actually impossible to get into, but somehow you managed to get in there and now can’t get out again, scraper in one hand and wire brush in the other. Grubby fingernails and skinned knuckles. Picture having to climb up and down a ladder to get in and out of your home and carrying dishes to a tap in the corner of the boatyard in the dark to do the washing up. Picture this and much more and you’ll start to get a little insight into what it’s like living onboard while doing a refit in a boatyard. Don’t ever buy a boat.
Bilge painting this week, probably illegal under some obscure EU regulation. Imagine painting under the floorboards of your house but only being able to lift one board in the centre of the room. Luckily no-one's too bothered about obscure EU regulations here in Portugal so I can still paint my bilges and buy fruit and veg which all look different to each other but taste absolutely delicious. Which is more than can be said about bilge paint. A perfect paint system is the holy grail of steel boat owners and this weeks paint of choice onboard Conachair is POR-15. Initial results very positive (apart from the price!). Single part polyurethane grey stuff which sticks to anything, dries rock hard but is still very flexible, keeping rust at bay by not letting oxygen near the steel. "Don't get it on your skin 'cos it will stay there until the skin falls off" it says on the can. For anyone interested I'll know how long it takes to shed skin hopefully quite soon. Before even starting preparation involves removing 20 odd years of dirt, grime grease, stale engine oil and rust. But I'm 2 coats on and one to go, think I'll let this coat dry overnight and apply final coat tomorrow morning. Then back onto wood. Top of the list of things to do are things which must happen before she goes back in the water:- Painting the hull (boatyard boys are taking care of the outside, I draw short straw of inside but my labour is considerably cheaper so can't complain. But sometimes I still do), teak toe rail had to come off so that needs severe cleaning before getting fitted again. Too far gone for teak cleaner so sanding it is. Which will be on tomorrows list, sounds easy (belt sander then orbital works a treat) but I suspect a fair chunk of the next few days will be spent finding a supplier of belts for a bosch belt sander. Luckily I'm in no great rush and such expeditions usually turn up something of interest. Then engine needs to go back in, probably a bit of rewiring involved there. New jib sheets tracks to be bought and fitted. Seacocks need removing, overhauled and refitted. Mine are blakes bronze ones which are seeping a tiny bit so I’ll need to find some valve grinding paste and try to get them up to spec again. And find some way of testing that they do their job before refitting. And being bronze they need to be electrically isolated from the steel hull which they are fitted to otherwise all sorts of nasty corrosion happens, can’t have that can we. Then that leaves overhauling the aries windvane and getting it refitted. And probably a hundred and one other jobs which I can’t even start to think about right now.
Don’t ever buy a boat.
Of course the real reality is that although I may occasionally utter a rather
rude word it is actually fantastic and I love it. Having the luxury of no deadlines
but instead a job will take as long as it takes, going for a walk down the beach
feeling the warmth of morning sun in your face, a walk to the market to buy
some fresh fish & veg for dinner, a glass of cheap red wine in the South
Bar at the marina and a chat with some other long distance sailors (“Of
course, you don’t have to go through the Panama canal, why not turn left
a little and check out Brazil” “Madeira’s beautiful, you gotta
go there”. Wow, am I really one of them? ) .
So don’t ever buy a boat. Unless you want to swap deadlines for freedom,
be consistently surprised by how friendly and helpful people can be. Unless
you want to feel the heat of the sun and feel the wind carry your home effortlessly
across the sea to new places and meet new friends along the way. You aren’t
on holiday looking at the perfect view, you live there and you are the view.
Well that’s enough rambling and painting for one day. Must be happy hour
by now…..
Mar. 16, 2007 - Life in Lagos and the concept of time
Well, Sunday 11th March sees me still in Lagos and still living in a boatyard. Hull painting finished and looking quite fantastic. S'pose that means I should really get the rest of the boat up to the same high standard, not that it's that bad. Bit of sand paper and teak oil/sealer has quite a remarkable effect. Got quite a lot done today (always seem to get more done on sundays, boatyard very quiet and fishing bait shop shut). Aries wind vane (a wonderful piece of equipment which steers the boat to using the wind direction without complaint or even a request for a cup of tea), stripped down and rebuilt. All new split pins and clean threads, ready for another thousand miles. Now almost frictionless and not so much as a single screw left over when it went back together. very satisfying. That and some clothes washing. Given up on the laundrette, no coin ops down here so it costs several bottles of wine to get a wash done. Can't have that, can we. So off to local supermarket this morning for some hand wash stuff. Bucketful of hot water from the shower room, some clothes and stuff in and , hmm, my Portuguse needs some work I think. The bottle had a drawing of a pair of hands in a bowl washing clothes (next to a drawing of someone washing a floor, maybe that was a hint) but when I put it in the water got really colourful instantly and smelt like a swimming pool. Now have several hippy glastonbury style tie dyed tee shirts. More bleach than persil I think. Anyway, quick learning curve and boat is typical yachtie with washing line out sporting some rather arty teeshirts. Might give the ironing a miss though. At least the wind vane's in good shape. Waterproof grease, fantastic stuff, I'd use it on myself if I knew where to put it (don't even bother with suggestions....).
Weather picked up last couple of days. Much warmer now (not that it's been what you would call cold really), fishing yesterday shirt off, shades on. Seem to be getting a bit obsessed with this fishing lark. Don't catch much though, and any which do venture onto the hook are tiny. Got "North atlantic and mediterranean" fish guide so at least I know what they are now. Had Annular Bream and Ballan wrasse yesterday, shame they were about the same size as the pictures in the book. But one of these days I'll catch my dinner.And boy that's going to taste good. I usually walk down to the end of the breakwater which protects the river up into Lagos. there's a family (herd? gang? what's lots of cats called?) of feral cats live down there and the other day one got all friendly doing the getting under your feet thing. I thought I was quite the Dr Doolittle. All animals love me, must be such a nice guy. Then I caught a little fish and it went wild, more kittys appeared just as excited. Ha, not me you're interested in after all is it? Not stupid these moggys are they. I mean, i just feel so used!
Which brings us nicely onto the nature of time whilst cruising. Throw away yer filofaxes and outlook, it's all a con. There are three periods of time. Main one is "now". Now is where it all happens. Best now is when you forget that any other time exists and are perfectly happy chopping onions (nice onions in portugal, good fun to chop) or spend an hour getting a particularly reluctant screw out of a windvane without burring the head. Thats a good now, definately achievable having been back on the boat for a while. Next (or previous) is "Before now". "Before now" is just that. I noticed sailing down here last year that it was very hard to remember if an event happened yesterday of a month ago. Simply doesn't matter, it's all "before now" and blends into one. Yesterday can seem an age ago, especially when making up a few miles. Makes history much easier. "When did you sail across Biscay?" someone would ask. Err, a few days ago, last week, ages ago, i don't know, it was before now OK! Next one is "after now". Now this is where the corporate west really has some problems to resolve. "After now" is simply that. (easy really, isn't it). "When are you leaving Lagos?" Hmm, lets see now, that would be, roughly, I would think sort of after now! No point trying to pin it down, just point your life in the general direction you want to go in and you'll get there in the end, possibly having much more fun and adventures on the way than you would have if trying to keep to one of those wierd schedule things. Or possibly you were completely mistaken in direction and end up doing something completely different but possibly more fun. So there, the nature of time in one paragraph. The Portuguese seem to cope Ok with it, work still gets done, my experince here has been that they work pretty hard, but don't get so hung up about it that it gets in the way of having some fun along they way and make sure a good lunch is had. They all seem to take pride in a job well done and if it takes a day longer then who's worried.
So "after now" new engine parts will arrive, engine will go back in, I'll have the more important bits of the boat sorted and will float again. Then off round the coast a bit towards Spain, drove up to a place called Alcoutim a few days ago with some friends. Very nice. Up river Gaudiana which seperates Spain and Portugal so I shall try to get up there for a few days anchored well off the beaten track. And then further into the after now, getting excited about spending some time in Morocco maybe. Then?? Madeira? Canaries? Who can tell. It's all in the after now and I think if you relax and sort out the now then everything else will fall into place without having to lift a finger. Suits me just fine.
Boa nuite e ate logo
ps New video of Biscay crossing here - http://www.youtube.com/Yachtconachair
pps Friday now, how time flies. Much excitement onboard, yesterday after several hundred euros and a long day working in confined spaces, Conachair has a working fridge! Cold drinks for the first time in over a year and a half. Yippee!!
May. 19, 2007 - Floating again at last.
Great rejoycing in Lagos as Conachair finally floats again. Looking good, she
is. Well, certainly the bit near the water, topsides look a bit scruffy but
all in good time (and wallet only so big). I may have donated a few more euros
to the local community than I had hoped for (engine parts not cheap) but have
to say the boatyard (Sopramar in Lagos) did a great job. Paint job fantastic,
engine looks like new.
But great to be afloat again, no more up and down ladders and now have running
water again. And seemingly dry boat. Had worrys that seacocks were on their
last legs (maybe they are and I'm just lucky) but they seem to be drip free.
Blakes bronze ones they are, this time I put loads of grease in and didn't do
the bolts pushing the taper into the plug too tight. Seems to have done the
trick. And though I only motered from the boatyard round to the marina the stuffing
boxs seems fine as well. Used stuffing with PTFE this time, from asap supplies,
which is supposed to be drip free. One hopes. And also have clean main bilge
now as well, great fun that was, 20 odd years of engine oil (not any more I
hope) and god knows what else to clean from a narrow bilge about 4 feet deep.
Anyway clean now and hopefully will stay that way.
So next stop where? Well, for starters that forward planning thing is greatly overrated. Just leads to stress and disappointment. So I shall be planning not to plan more than a bit ahead. Initial bit ahead will be to turn left. Alright, maybe I should plan a little bit more precisely than that, but only in that a quite fancy anchoring off Isla Du Cultara for a day or two. Island just off Faro, big estuary and wildlife reserve. Sounds very peaceful. And might go up river Gaudiana, which seperates Portugal and Spain. You can get about 20 odd miles up the river in pretty much unspoiled countryside with the occasional village to visit. Sounds nice. But generally just turn left, do a bit of sailing and see what happens. Something always does so why worry.
But before all that this afternoon I'm going to pick up laundry and hang it out to dry. And not watch the cup final. Got to be enough to be getting on with on a hot Saturday afternoon in Lagos.
adeus e sorte boa
Jun. 7, 2007 - Espania
Written, 29/5/07
Berth – Ayamonte Marina, Rio Gaudiano, Spain
Well, finally left Lagos. Bungie port it certainly is, tempting to go back
and visit but not just yet, not for a while. Left last Wednesday, 23rd, slowly
sailed just across the bay to Portimao, massive passage of, oh, about 6 miles.
Very little wind but enough to get her moving, just had jib up and getting up
to 5kn in little gusts. Go girl, go. Well done you, we got miles to eat. Wind
picked up for brief moment so main up and considered carrying on to Vilamoura
but was not to be so main down, jib in and motor last little bit into marina.
Couple of days in Portimao, tidying boat and generally relaxing after final
few days of late nights in Lagos. Friday and we’re off again. Nice wind,
sw high 3 , low 4 and we’re heading pretty much east so with with a bit
of boat speed apparent wind is bang on the beam. Just how she likes it so lovely
passage, thought first to put into Albufiera but sailing too good, then Vilamoura
came and went so ended up anchored up inside Isla Du Culatra, near Faro. Beautiful
sail, big ketch, must have been 60’ plus came out just behind me and only
just overtook before turning back before Albufiera. Go girl, go.
So sailed all way into estuary (engine on tickover ready, not that stupid) and anchored up near Unity. Wind up a bit by then but new anchor (rocna 20) seems to hold well. Over to unity for fine fish and prawns with Mike and Tina.
Saturday morning, well midday – should have been earlier! Off east again, fair bit of breeze, 20kn maybe and motored out of estuary. Entrance choppy, swell just breaking and I’m very wary of gunning the engine (rightfully so, it turned out) main up tacking out the entrance, down to less than 1kn, come on girl, just another 50m and we can bear away and be off. Bit more engine, play chicken with a fishing boat coming in and out we get. Fast for a while, hitting 8kn then weather front catches us up. Wet!! Few hours of fast sailing then wind goes leaving rain and sloppy sea and boat wallowing, ugghh. Motor on. But got there in end, considered Tavira but pilot book put me off “do not enter before half tide…”. Alright then, shan’t. Same for Rio Gaudiana but text from Unity confirm that more than 3m water over the bar in the entrance to the river. By this time sun is out with a bit of swell left over from the swesterly so I motor into the river with couple of dolphins playing 100m behind, over the bar, inside the breakwaters and at last out of the swell. Gaudiana is border between Portugal and Spain, this particular Saturday Portugal is having some powerboat racing so I sneak slowly up west side of river out of the way. Then into marina, rising tide so fair bit of current behind and into berth, luckily couple of guys off big German boat grab lines and stop me, gun engine in reverse to try and stop boat against current and it revs then stops. Now that’s not normal. But I’ve had pretty unpleasant 7 or 8 hours, aries not working so handcuffed to the tiller, wet and cold. Tapas and vino waiting in square, doesn’t take long to catch up with Unity crew. They had perfect sail!! Kept ahead of weather and watched me disappear into rain! Wind all the way. Oh well, there you go.
Next day look at engine, fuel seems ok, thought it might be air lock or something. Can’t figure it out so go for a walk, then think, I haven’t even looked at the oil, back to boat and oil grey and watery. Blown head gasket top of the pile of causes. So next day head off and indeed, 1 cylinder gone. And to add to the mess I’m stuck in a 16m berth – and paying for it. And come 1st June it’s high season, prices go through the roof! New gaskets arrive hopefully 3 days time so might have to do bit of funky warping the boat around other side of pontoon into cheaper berth using the tide if they take any longer.
But all good really, very lucky engine went when I had a rope on a pontoon
and not in Faro entrance or halfway here. Concentrates ones mind having a slightly
temperamental engine in many good ways, sails and anchor always at the ready.
So now I shall have a few more days in the very pleasant Ayamonte, enjoying
Spain. But have to say, I do miss Portugal a bit so might have to jump on the
ferry, tapas is fantastic but the Portuguese have got the edge on grilled sardines!
Jun. 25, 2007 - Isla Canela
On the move again at last. Even if only 5 miles round the coast, Isla Canela
marina. http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&q=&ie=UTF8&ll=37.185382,-7.335305&spn=0.015215,0.034976&t=k&z=15&om=1
Tourist place but some more traditional bars and restaurants round other side
of harbour. Friend Adam came down for a few days to sample the cruising lifestyle
and of course the fine seafood and red wine that are such a part of life around
these shores.
Gentle sail round in a light breeze with just the jib up. And oh joy of joys,
a pod of dolphins came to play.
Shall probably sail round to El Rompido tomorrow and anchor up for a few days,
high season now so marina charges getting a bit prohibitive, anchoring's free.
Then possibly round for a look at Cadiz and Morocco maybe soon. But one day
at a time. Low tide about fiveish today so that shall see me at the beach picking
some clams for tea. Tough old life innit! Hope everyone well.
Well now, wasn't this just well worth the effort. This morning in all too touristy Isla Canela. Left there probably 10ish, motored back across to Ayamonte then up the river Gaudiana. Few miles up from Ayamonte breeze kicked in so sailed pretty much all the way (about 20 miles or so, log only started working last few miles). FANTASTIC.
portugal to the left of me, Spain to the right (here I am, stuck in the middle
wi....)
Gybed all the way up with just the jib. Now oh so quiet apart from a few wavelets off the hull, slight wind noise from wind gen and breeze rustling reeds on either side of river. Stars overhead, Venus just set over the hill to the west. Anchored up just downstream of Alcoutim on the Portuguese side and Sanlucar on the Spanish side. So much the better for it, crickets and cicadas give the night air a constant zing, unknown animals grunt and splash and squeek on the riverbanks. I catch a couple of barbel after tea but feel guity not knowing if you can eat them or not so they go back in and rod goes away. Salami on the hook means I can eat the bait if not the fish. Dogs barking in the night air, another splash of some unseen animal or bird on the riverbank.
Tomorrow might push even further up river, met a couple of expats in canoes
as I was anchoring, upriver from here becomes even more untouched, crikey there'll
be dinosaurs next. As I write this I keep popping head out of the hatch, special!
Heady smell of eucalyptus or something like that, zing of crickets. And all
free for the cost of a boat and an anchor. If tonight was a one off then you
could argue that is a pretty hefty price tag but somehow I think there's plenty
more to come. Bring it on. Just don't expect me to rush, got all the time in
the world....
29th June 2007
Another day at anchor. Portugal an hour behind Spain if you're unlucky enough to look at a clock. Wonder if the roosters know that. Wasn't awake early enough to find out. A flock of azure winged magpies are having a party in the trees on the Spanish side of the river where I'm anchored. Must get some piccies of them, got piccy of red-legged partridge while having a "I’m in a new place lets explore" morning walk earlier.
Some golden Orioles here as well. Good job I've got digital camera, 99% delete
rate.
Getting a bit arty with Photoshop!!!!
Industrious afternoon, cleaned bilges after a minor flood a few days ago. Top tip, when leaving the boat turn off the water to the hose, because hoses having a certain intelligence and being somewhat malicious will manage to spit off the nozzle and after flaying around for a moment like some Harry Potter serpent will then somehow shove itself down the nearest open hatch, which of course is the one you left open into the main cabin on your boat. All this while you enjoy an innocent glass of wine. Next visit to B & Q remember this and be wary in the garden tools section, they will be watching you. But at least it was fresh water and bunk cushions dry quickly in the sun. Nice clean bilges again as well.
Heads clean and working again as well. Dripping inlet pump seems fine again after I threaded the flange nut the other day. Polysulphide sealant is a wonderful thing, shall rejoice if kitchen paper under it stays dry overnight. And shower hose even works again after it developed a leak, just a washer needed reseated. Phew, I though that lot was going to take a month, at last a bit of luck.
All for now, this being posted as i sit under a tree on some generous souls
wifi in Alcoutim. And, yes, the sun is shining.
Jul. 9, 2007 - Further up the Gaudiana
Somewhere up the crazy river.
Shame I don’t have that song onboard, Robbie Robertson was it? Tonight anchored up even further up Rio Gaudiana. Yesterday motored from Alcoutin to Pomarao, bit further up the river. Another pretty little village, so perfectly fits into the hillside maybe it was there all the time and just gradually appeared as the hillside eroded away. Probably.
Pretty village of Pomarao in the evening light.
This was a major mining area from middle for 19th century apparently, millions of tons of ore going down the river from Pomarao on sailing barges. Quiet little place now, no shops though I did manage to find a little bar with 3 people in it last night. Europe’s biggest damn is here as well on a tributary of the Gaudiana. Big it is, if you look left before flying into Faro you’ll see it. So this morning went of a wander before it got too hot while waiting for the tide, more piccys. Out of the village up a dirt track (old railway line maybe) it was so quiet that even footsteps seemed a noisy intrusion. Then about oneish the tide turned inland so off I went upriver again. Totally uncharted but a fair bit of water, though trip not without incident; I did manage to graze a rock which shook me up a bit. Sorry, girl, you with your new paint and all. Nothing major though. Top tip: - although generally the water tends to be on the outside of bends (as it says in pilot book), I did learn that a pays to look at the riverbanks as well, a cliff on the inside of a bend may well indicate good water there. Obvious really. So I didn’t go much further, mile or so later and anchored up in about 5m of water. Completely remote here. No people, roads, houses, telephone lines – nothing but hills and scrubland and emptiness and peace.
Somewhere up the crazy river
Not much traffic, couple of Dutch yachts head further upriver, other than that haven’t seen a soul since leaving Pomarao. Too hot to do much so lazed and snoozed then wander ashore about 9ish. Then best shower I’d had for ages onboard (maybe because first shower for a few days?) and salt cod for tea. Delicious.
Hope that anchor's dug in...
Must head downriver again tomorrow though, I think. Enough of this hermit stuff for now, and need more provisions. Bad seamanship I know but ran out of beer days ago. Down river it is then, 7am tide turns so early start. Haven’t had to worry about tides since Leaving Brittany not far off a year ago. Can’t say I’ve missed it.
Adios for now, from a place far, far away…..