Pobra to Pedras Negras
22nd July
A cloudy start to the day sees us motorsailing into a F4 out of Ria Arosa. We’ve been going about an hour when the engine suddenly overheats.  Oh dear! We kill the donk and unroll the genoa, and between short tacks out of the ria, Leighton looks into the problem.  It’s pretty obvious the fresh water system has run dry, the question is why?  We top up the water tank, put in some more oil and keep sailing.  Once clear of the ria we can ease the sheets and bear away to the south.  The engine runs fine for the short time we need it to squeeze into the small marina at Pedras Negras.  What a relief.

Pedras Negras to Sanxenxo
23rd July
We head for Sanxenxo where we reckon we should be able to get a new alternator fanbelt.  The Pont L’Abbe fanbelt has already worn badly and Leighton can turn the alternator pulley by hand.  He thinks this is why the engine overheated.   We have a wonderful sail, beam reaching in calm water along the coast past Isla Ons in 10-15 knots of wind, decreasing to a zephyr at midday.  Before long a nice sea breeze picks up from the northwest to blow us into the marina at Sanxenxo.  We’re greeted by rows of gleaming gin palaces, and lining the quay are several nightclubs and cafes.  This is going to be expensive!   We pay for one night, and set off in search of fanbelts.  Ashore there is only one chandler and unless you’re looking for Gucci deckshoes, completely useless. We’re told to go to Vigo, in the next ria to the south.  Hopeless.  Leighton decides to put the old fanbelt back on, thinking that if he can remount the alternator bracket, he can tension it enough. 

In Sanxenxo

Sanxenxo to Isla Cies
25th July
Another sparkling sail closehauled in 10 knots of breeze which gradually frees to a broad reach all the way to the islands. The Cies islands lie at the entrance to the Ria Vigo and shelter the ria from the Atlantic swells.  A protected wildlife sanctuary, the islands’ cliffs are home to colonies of seabirds. There’s an anchorage off Playa da Roda on the east side of the biggest island. By the time we get there a stiff sea breeze is blowing off the beach.  The anchorage is crowded and but by evening almost all the boats have gone. Sometime during the night the anchor alarm goes off and we scramble out of bed.  It turns out a 20 knot wind has got up from the northeast, which gives us little shelter, and the boat’s straining hard against the anchor chain.  For the rest of the night I sleep fitfully, worrying we’ll drag.

Isla Cies to Bayona
26th July
A bit rattled after a disturbed night, it’s good to take the dinghy ashore and walk to the lighthouse at the top of the hill. Early enough to be ahead of the daytrippers from the mainland, we have the track more or less to ourselves as we climb up through the eucalyptus trees and out onto the cliff path.  We walk past seagulls nesting in the scrub close to the path and although they’re wary, they don’t seem to mind us passing by.  From the lighthouse there are spectacular views of the exposed Atlantic side and back down to the anchorage on the other side. Hundreds of seabirds hang in the air keeping their balance in the gusts, then swoop down to fish.  Back onboard after a beer and sandwich in the beachside bar, we unroll the genoa and head for Bayona, some 6 miles away.  25 knot gusts off the islands power us along past Las Estalas, and we carry just the headsail even after we’ve turned and the wind’s on the beam.

Bayona
This town has everything, from fig ice-cream to fanbelts! Its main claim to fame is it is the town where the news of the discovery of the new world was announced, since Admiral Pinzon in the Pinta landed in Bayona before Christopher Columbus arrived in Lisbon.  At any rate, it is a delightful seaside town curving round a sandy bay, with some interesting historic buildings and a fine fort. More importantly, it has a laundry, Mercedes the breadshop does good pastries, and there’s a covered market and some good chandlers.  I enjoy exploring the town and reading for a day while Leighton dons his overalls (again!) and gets to grips with putting a decent new fanbelt on the alternator.  He’s getting pretty quick at doing it now, certainly less than the two hours it took in Ste Marine.  Our social life looks up when we make friends with Jon and Pat from the Clyde in Senara, a big Moody. They’ve been held up for several days waiting for some spares from the UK.  Pat produces some delicious tapas when we go over for a drink one evening. I have my work cut out to compete when they come over to have a drink with us the next evening.

Bayona to Viana do Castelo
29th July
It’s time to head on down the coast, and at 11.00 we set out bound for our first stop in Portugal.  We haven’t gone more than half a cable and Leighton goes ‘Uh-oh!’ The temperature gauge is climbing again. Topping up the fresh water tank lowers the temperature enough to allow us to get back alongside but it’s obvious we have a problem with the water pump and we’re going nowhere until it’s sorted.   Well there are worse places to get stuck.