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Raggy Doll - Thursday 22nd June - Dolphins



Porto to Figuera de Foz. Today was, for the other members of the rally a race start, we had decided not to get in the mix too early, so basically we crept up from behind to join. It was a bright, warm, blue sky kind of day. Not much wind, but now and again enough to tease us into putting up the cruising gennaker. This, for the non sailing people, is a huge sail that is attached to the front of the boat to give you more speed. We designed ours, red white and blue and so, it seems, did a lot of other people.
The wind was so temperamental that the gennaker became more of a hindrance than a help so we took it down.
We were relaxing and enjoying the sunshine when we were visited by a group of dolphins, it was great watching them swim around and under the boat, we knew other members of the rally had seen various sea life on the Biscay crossing but this was our first experience on the trip.

We arrived at Figuera de Foz around 1930 and were given our berth details, with a warning that it was a bit tight, that, was probably the understatement of the whole rally! We spotted Charlie and Thomas waiting on our berth ready to take ropes and saw Chris, another yachts crew member, clambering onto the boat we were to berth next to, ready to ease us in. At this point, I felt a giant size pot of Vaseline would have come in very useful to slick up the fenders! We ended up with fenders wheezing and squeaking between us, the boat beside us and the finger we were tied up to. We certainly didn't need springs that night! Andrew (Rally organiser) came along after we were settled and quietly said "really sorry, but they gave you the wrong space, you should have been in the one 2 down", a quick glance over was enough to reveal a much wider mooring, that was later filled by Seraphina 1708Y with room to spare.

It was straight to the yacht club for a sardine dinner. Followed by sugar coated peanuts that were from the lucky dip bag and then bed.

Sally Dolden



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