Nazare to Peniche
11th August 18 miles

It’s off to the market this morning, leaving Leighton talking to Carlos the engineer.  He’s come to inspect the alternator bracket and advise if it should be modified, as we’re still getting the ignition light on from time to time.  His verdict is to fit the smaller fanbelt we got in Bayona.  By the time I return Leighton’s almost finished and by midday we’re ready to leave. Like yesterday it’s very hazy and we lose sight of the land almost immediately as we motor towards Berlenga Island in a calm sea with a faint swell.  The poor visibility is apparently due to the rash of forest fires burning inland. We thought we’d check out the anchorage at Berlenga, a small rocky island 5 miles offshore with a fortified monastery built in the old days to protect the monks from pirate raids.  I’m not happy about anchoring there overnight because it’s open to the swell and any change of wind direction.  So we motor on to Peniche just round Cabo Carvoeiro, overtaken all the way by tripper boats bringing people back from the island.  Mike Hedley has warned us that in Peniche yachts get damaged against the pontoons from the wash from fishing boats, so we’re apprehensive about going into the harbour.  Luckily there’s a perfect anchorage just outside the harbour wall off a sandy beach in 5 metres of water.  As the sun goes down we watch a constant stream of fishing boats steaming at full speed out of the harbour.

Peniche to Oeiras
12th August 30 miles

We leap out of bed early when we realise the boat is enveloped in thick fog.  We can’t even see the three other yachts at anchor, let alone the sea wall.  It is nervewracking to hear the sound close by of the boats returning from a night’s fishing and the wailing sirens without seeing them.  We can’t even work out which way we’re pointing until we turn on the radar.  By 08.45 the fog has lifted enough for us to see the light on the end of the sea wall.  We reckon as long as we can see the lobster pots in our path, the radar can do the rest, so we decide it's OK to leave.  We motor out in search of the current which Mike Hadley told us about. Apparently it sets south along the coast about 4 miles offshore.  Sure enough, with Berlenga astern bearing 180° (if we could see it), our SOG increases and we know we’ve found what we now call the ‘Hadley’ current.  There’s no wind to speak of at all, just the usual lazy swell.

Lisboa/Sintra
13 & 14 August
The maritime museum is fascinating, and Jurgen is a knowledgeable and entertaining guide.  Comparing the long voyages made by the Portuguese navigators in leaky ships and with only the most rudimentary equipment to our own small trip brings home to us their achievements.  Their seamanship and courage are an inspiration.  Aside from the discoveries, Portugal is famous for its fishing industry.  It’s interesting to realise most fishing is or was centred on the harbours we’ve already visited – Peniche, Nazare, Povoa, and so on.  In the old days, the fishermen would just pull up their boats on the beach with the help of teams of oxen. I was also struck by the human cost of cod fishing on the Grand Banks in Newfoundland – how dozens of fishermen would sail out in open boats from the mother ship to catch cod by line, only for many to capsize or lose their way back in the fog.  All to satisfy the Portuguese appetite for bacalhau.  Appropriately enough, Jurgen treats us to a delicious lunch of bacalhau fishcakes by the docks at Alcantara, then leaves us so we can wander around the city sightseeing on our own. 

The next day, Jurgen drives us out to Cabo da Roca and we receive a certificate in flowery script that says Makarma and crew have visited this westernmost point in Europe. A great memento!  From the top of the headland the sea looks fearsome and today it’s really windy up here. It’s our turn to treat Jurgen to lunch and he chooses a wonderful seafood restaurant on the beach.  We eat garlicky clams and arroz marisco to sustain us for our visit to Sintra.  Jurgen drops us off there and we tour the Moorish castle and the National Palace before catching the bus back to Oeiras.  Anyone who’s been to Sintra can tell you how wonderful it is.  It is an unforgettable afternoon, despite the thousands of visitors. Later that evening, Jurgen brings his young family to visit on the boat.  Makarma clearly reminds him of happy times on his own boat. He's been very generous with his time and we've really enjoyed his company. Saltram owners are a breed apart!