San Martin de o Grove-Baiona
18 Jul, 2015 | 38.2 nm | position 42° 07.3820′
N 8° 50.5330′ W
S 5-14m/s
Still tacking against the south wind in mainly sheltered waters through sounds behind the islands Ons, Onsa, Norte, San Martin and the islets Las Estelas.
Tacking towards Islas Cies o de Baiona
After arriving in Baiona we hit the city and it really is a fantastic party-place with lots of atmosphere as one can see on the picture below.
Behind the seafront is a charming street with bars and restaurants.
At midnight a magnificent firework celebrated that we were about to leave Spain for this time!
From our harbour place we had a view to the fortification, which has a 3km walking trail around it. In the evening a huge firework was launched from here.
When we arrived at the MRC Bayona we hoped to lay alongside the long outer quay which was mainly empty. One of the many harbour master then directed us to a section where sailboats lied tightly together side by side, these are the guest places! We then asked for a place, which was more suitable to get on land with the dogs and were directed to a quay much closer to the castle and the club house, with a finger on one side. As the office was closed, we were supposed to pay the next day, and then a surprise awaited us: the harbour place was supposed to cost 62€, making this the most expensive harbour on this journey so far and 50% more expensive, because there was one small finger alongside the boat.
Unfortunately, when assigning the place to us, no-one informed us of this, and, as in other Spanish harbours, no information on prices was available on the information boards.
So it is really no surprise, that quite a number of boats were lying outside the harbour on anchor, while the two guest harbours in Bayona stayed half empty, and that on a Saturday night with a party going on in the city!
Corcubíon-San Martin de o Grove
17 Jul, 2015 | 40.1 nm | position 42° 29.8314′
N 8° 51.4450′ W
S-NE
0-4m/s
Today we passed in and out of Rias, always accompanied by fog.
In a narrow sounds this was the only landscape we saw!
Dinner in the sunset.
San Martin de o Grove was a busy and touristic place. During our land trip we stocked up, as there was quite a good selection of shops and bakeries with an interesting variety of bread, among them corn-bread!
The harbour at San Martin de o Grove did not have any guest places, but a local Spanish captain on a German sailboat offered us his buoy outside the harbour, and there we went and stayed.
In the harbour were several traditional square rigged boats.
Mugia-Corcubíon
16 Jul, 2015 | 29.7 nm | position 42° 56.8588′
N 9° 11.4113′ W
S 4-5m/s
Cap Finisterre got almost out of the fog when we were rounding it.
Cap Torinana disappearing in the fog.
Passing the most westerly point of Spain, which is not the Cap Finisterre, but Cap Torinana, about 10NM further north.
The coast along here from La Coruña to the next cape south is called Costa del Morte (The coast of death)!
The pilgrim route from Santiago de Compostella ends here and at first we thought that all the fog was smoke that came from the traditional burning of sweaty socks and shirts after the end of the pilgrimage at Cap Finisterre!
The fog came and went in the Ria de Corcubíon and revealed a change in the landscape.
We had a dogwalk through the town and stumbled upon a proper beer garden and away from the celebrating city, we could enjoy a drink and some food.
We also saw several stone huts that probable were used as food storage in the old days.
Bands were playing until 0400 at night!
Corcubíon was celebrating San Carmen and the fishing boats were flying all the flags they had!
Corme-Mugia
15 Jul, 2015 | 20.0 nm | position 43° 06.3217′
N 9° 12.7489′ W
N 5-14m/s
Nice sailing wind today, and so we sailed all the way. Unfortunately it made the docking a bit difficult as the outer part of the marina is not well protected from northerly winds. We tried the approach multiple times and when we finally landed, there were a lot of helping hands around.
View towards Cabo de Buitra
The marina at Mugia. The harbour was exceptional cheap (around 23€), so that afterwards we regretted not having stayed another day.
La Coruña-Corme
14 Jul, 2015 | 37.8 nm | position 43° 15.8105′
N 8° 57.6972′ W
N 7-14m/s
Anchored close to the old shell farms, with Laxe in the background
Some of the old houses were well kept.
Nice sunny day to test out the Bimini at sea and with proper wind, although it got a bit cold in the shade!
As we had north wind we picked the northern harbour in the Ria de Corme e Laxe.
Later that afternoon a Norwegian boat arrived, it was an old Albin Vega, a 27 footer that had sailed from Bergen via Shetland and the Irish Sea. The enthusiastic captain started from Bergen the 6th of June and had just gotten a new untrained crew onboard in La Coruña. Even though the crew was exhausted after being seasick the whole day, they sang shanties for us when visiting them in the late evening!
The crew of the Norwegian boat gets a lift to shore by a local boat.
San Felipe-La Coruña
13 Jul, 2015 | 11.9 nm | position 43° 21.6831′
N 8° 22.6063′ W
N 5-11m/s
Impressive town hall in La Coruña
In the morning we motored over to La Coruña Arriving there, we first went to La Marina Seca to pick up our Bimini top that we had ordered, then we went to Marina Coruña. Here we got hailed on the radio by the first Norwegian boat we have met on the trip!
The afternoon was spent mounting the Bimini - looks nice doesn't it!
Spending a day here, we could not really figure out, why this is the main harbour for boats crossing the Bay of Biscaya. Yes, it is close to the city centre, and La Coruña is definitely worth a visit, but there a quite some negative points.
The harbour fee amounted to 49€ inclusive everything, but toilets/showers/laundry were only accessible until 22:00. We got a 6€ rebate, because we have stayed in the Northwest harbour in Viveiro.
The next supermarket was more than 1km away, the shop with sea maps, which was recommended to us, probably 4km.
The Bimini in place together with the new deckhand
The harbour is large and modern and, at least when we were there, more than half empty. During our stay it was blowing like hell, and there was little wind protection. Internet existed, but the speed was unbearable.
In the evening we had dinner in a restaurant at the outskirts of the old city, next to the harbour and eating local specialities while waiting for our new deckhand; the captain's daughter.
Ceirero-San Felipe
12 Jul, 2015 | 25.9 nm | position 43° 28.0271′
N 8° 16.5928′ W
N 8-12m/s
On the way in the Ria de Ferrol, we spotted some local sailboat anchored by the charming dwelling San Felipe, just after the two fortresses protecting the Ria.
The beach at San Felipe with one of the fortresses.
Here we are laying protected by fortresses!
After a walk in San Felipe we found the dingy like this - the tide was going out faster than anticipated!
San Felipe is really a tiny place. We saw neither supermarket nor restaurants, but had a beer at the club house of a rowing club.
So, instead of motoring all the way in to Ferrol, we decided to do it as the locals and anchored right here. We were a bit concerned about the current, which was supposed to be strong in this narrow part, but as we were really lying in a tiny bay, the current was not that strong.
However, the next morning when we pulled up the anchor, we had to find out, that the current, which were moving the boat this and that way, caused the anchor chain to wrap around the anchor and it was quite a job to untangle it again.
Cariño-Ceirero
11 Jul, 2015 | 19.4 nm | position 43° 39.2112′
N 8° 03.8078′ W
NE
5-10m/s
Passing the northernmost point of Spain - Islote
The dolphins gave us a little show when we where leaving...
Ria Ceireo
Viveiro-Cariño
10 Jul, 2015 | 22.3 nm | position 43° 44.0907′
N 7° 52.0958′ W
W 3-19m/s
A terrible mix of gusts and waves today! In seconds the wind changed from 3m/s to 19m/s and setting the sails for 19m/s we didn't have the speed in the lulls to manoeuvre the boat. When we finally got a bit under land and the waves eased a bit , we could motor to the nearest harbour!
Here we found perfect shelter. The anchor only held at the second try, and even then only after sliding another 20m over ground - but then it really held.
The village is not really spectacular, but the first mate liked the beach arrangement: The beach, were the boats were lying, was mainly used by dogs. East of it came the main swimming beach, which was well maintained and then finally another large section with natural beach, dunes and walks over the dunes. Walking all beaches return takes 30min.
The tiny speck on the beach is the first mate!
Harbour day in Viveiro
9 Jul, 2015 | 0.0 nm | position 43° 40.8068′
N 7° 36.1440′ W
E 10-20m/s
As the weather forecast predicted strong winds and high waves, we stayed another day in the harbour and walked up to Monte San Roque (353m). The way up the mountain leads through eucalyptus forest, and the steep climb is rewarded with spectaculars views.
The view from Monte San Roque.
Ribadera-Viveiro
8 Jul, 2015 | 33.9 nm | position 43° 40.8068′
N 7° 36.1440′ W
NE
4-5m/s
Before entering the Rio Landro which leads to the harbour in Viveiro, we met a large group of dolphins outside in the bay, before the "playa de covas"
The harbour of Viveiro is well sheltered, again with a harbour master who helped with the landing, and cost us 33€. We also received a useful tourist-brochure. Unfortunately the fingers of the quays, which are for boats <14m were really to short for us.
Just before entering the breakwaters we spotted at least 12 Atlantic Bottle-nosed dolphins playing at the beach.
Luarco-Ribadera
7 Jul, 2015 | 33.8 nm | position 43° 32.5814′
N 7° 02.1527′ W
W-NW
4-13m/s
Our Reeds guide informed us, that the harbour in Ribadera was supposed to be, very, very expensive, so we searched for an anchoring place near-by, without any luck. Outside in the bay there was insufficient shelter and on the other side of the puerto deportivo was a commercial harbour, with cargo ships going in and out, making it impossible to anchor there.
So we went to the harbour. A friendly harbour master, who spoke perfect English, helped with the landing and a bit later we found out, that the had decreased the harbour fee. We had to pay around 39€. Here, the harbour office, showers, toilets and laundry can be found next to the guest harbour. Also some tourist information were provided.
Again we had a quiet night.
At 7km distance one can find the "Beach of the cathedrals", a beach with spectacular rock formations, only visible at low water - and we did not see them!
Avilés-Luarca
6 Jul, 2015 | 30.3 nm | position 43° 32.8838′
N 6° 32.1029′ W
W 7-13m/s
Luarca - a picturesque fishing village
Pick your private beach...
The harbour of Luarca has a high breakwater wall, but obviously not high enough, as part of the building from which the picture was taken, has been severely damaged by waves!
Next to the harbour is a multi-story building with a restaurant on top. There we found a WI-FI connection.
Unfortunately it was not possible to lay directly at the wall (and get on land), as it was too shallow there.
Luarca is a small fishing village, full of charm and popular as a stop-over for tourists, without being overcrowded by them.
The coastline is also beautiful, full of cliffs and small beaches as you can see on the pictures above.
or maybe this one?
Tied up to the breakwater.