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Remedy of Mylor - Half way down!



We're rafted up three abreast in Peniche, which is about the half way point of the Baiona to Lagos section of the rally. How to condense the last week into one log entry? It's been chock full of experiences, with some wonderful sailing and busy days in port. The first two legs, the first from Baiona to Povoa de Varzim, and the short hop from there to Porto, gave us some scintillating downwind sailing - and we finally got to fly our cruising chute (red and yellow!).

Porto itself was a highlight, such a vibrant and atmospheric place, all of the crews packed into six tuk tuks weaving through the busy streets. We were also treated to a tasting session at the Churchill's port lodge before having a wander by ourselves around the city. At a cafe by the river, we watched as young lads, after much strutting and posing, jumped off the road bridge into the murky river below, then swam hell for leather to the side to get out of the current...they clearly hadn't read the guide book that warns of all sorts of germs floating in the Douro!

On the leg from Porto to Figueira da Foz, we were enveloped in thick fog for most of the 55 nm, travelling in a small group with Dieter glued to the radar down below. Shortly after the start, we were joined by an exhausted racing pigeon that landed on the sprayhood, then decamped to the deck after being sideswiped by the main sheet once too often. He spurned my offer of Portuguese cake and flew off up to the top spreader, where he kept a lookout for the rest of the trip. As we rounded the headland towards the harbour, he must have realised that we were not going the same way as him, turned round and flew off.

Crew activities in Figueira included a reception hosted by the mayor at his slightly dilapidated estate house at the top of the town and a trip to the university town of Coimbra. Well, actually only Dieter and I went to Coimbra. Tim spent the day upside down in various lockers, investigating why our bilge pumps aren't doing what they're supposed to do. After much blowing through hosepipes and hanging phones down into the keel area, he concluded that we don't in fact have an automatic float switch on the electric bilge pump (we will fit one!) and there was a small hole in the pipe from the manual pump (temporary repair completed!). On the sailing front, yesterday gave us a mixed bag of weather on the leg to Peniche, with a great first few hours of broad reaching and spinnakers, then a quiet patch and a beat around the headland at the end. Most boats ended up motor sailing to get in before the cut-off time, and I think we must be getting into the rally spirit as we only had to have a few minutes' discussion before giving in and turning the engine on again...

On to Oeiras tomorrow and the delights of Lisbon!






Sent from my iPad


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