Leaving the Azores - headed to Gibraltar

[steve77]

Originally Posted by TheThunderbird

Steve, why not heading south to Canaries?

Maybe it gets impossible to tack to Gibraltar, from there.... but not to Morocco....

Well, the main reason is we are US citizens, and we have used up all of our Schengen time. The Canaries, as part of Spain, are not options for us.

We have extended stay visas good for Portugal only. We used up our 90 days some time ago, and now have a second 90 days to spend in Portugal.

So, Madeira IS an option.

Cheers!

Steve

[steve77]

We finally have all our preparations complete and the weather looks good. We will be leaving today, Nov. 3rd.

The first couple of days may be breezy, then a couple days of motoring. We will see how it develops.

We will head for Lisbon for a crew change, and plan on going to Alcantara marina. After a few days, if the weather is good we continue to Gibraltar.

If anyone is in Lisbon, let me know - maybe we can say hello.

No internet coverage for the next week or so, so I will check this after we arrive in Lisbon.

Take care!

Steve

[chuckr]

Fair winds and sail fast - oh and stay warm

[Polux]

Good luck to you. You are going to pass some strong winds and heavy winds on the way.

Consider also Cascais Marina before going to Alcantra. It is a lot quieter and you can visit Cascais and the Sintra Area. If your idea is to stay for a considerable period of time consider also the Marina do Parque das Nações on a very nice spot and with easy transport to all the city. Not a bad place to pass the winter.

The entrance is made through floodgate but once inside you are on a very quiet and nice area, a big park that was once a World Expo fair. Google images for parque das nações and you will have an idea of what I am talking about.

I would be glad to meet you but I am about 80km North of Lisbon. If you are going to stay there for a considerable time say so and maybe I can show up for a beer.

[steve77]

Five days and four hours from Terceira to Lisbon. Now in Oeiras marina with everyone okay.

I guess I can't read GRIBs. I thought we would be behind most of the strong winds during the passage, but we were ahead of where I had predicted, and in the middle of them. I need to pay more attention to the area at the bottom of file where it tells you the date and time of the prediction. I had also estimated our speed at 5 knots and we were making 7-8. In any event, we were way ahead of my predicted path.

Have some repairs to do, and I'll put that in another thread. Thanks to all who posted with advice!

Steve

[Raythesailor]

All the advice you have received is good . Lagosh would be a great place to winter either afloat or onshore , but I am not sure about cost.

Just down the coast the river that forms the border between Spain and Portugal( I can not remember it's name) is navigable for many miles inland, will give excellent all round shelter, and be very inexpensive, if not free.

Don't do what I did and arrive in Gib in the middle of the night. Although quite experienced, I have never been more confused. Lights everywhere , dozens of ships at anchor etc!

Good luck

[Polux]

Originally Posted by steve77

Five days and four hours from Terceira to Lisbon. Now in Oeiras marina with everyone okay.

I guess I can't read GRIBs. I thought we would be behind most of the strong winds during the passage, but we were ahead of where I had predicted, and in the middle of them. I need to pay more attention to the area at the bottom of file where it tells you the date and time of the prediction. I had also estimated our speed at 5 knots and we were making 7-8. In any event, we were way ahead of my predicted path.

Have some repairs to do, and I'll put that in another thread. Thanks to all who posted with advice!

Steve

If you look at my last post before you sail away (probably you were already out) you will see that I was a bit concerned and said that you would get some strong winds on the passage

I am happy that it turned out to give just some more speed to the boat and that everything went well

[Polux]

Originally Posted by Raythesailor

All the advice you have received is good . Lagosh would be a great place to winter either afloat or onshore , but I am not sure about cost.

Just down the coast the river that forms the border between Spain and Portugal( I can not remember it's name) is navigable for many miles inland, will give excellent all round shelter, and be very inexpensive, if not free.
...Good luck

That's good information. Some more regarding those places:

Lagos is one of the nicest places to spend the winter with a climate as sunny in the winter as on the best spots on the med and with a very nice town just the other side of the Marina. If the Marina is a bit expensive, living in Lagos and eating on the restaurants is not (less than on the med). I know what I am talking about since I had my boat there for some years.

The 6 "winter" months will cost (12/14.99m) 1980 euros.
Here the marina prices: Marina de Lagos - Tariffs

Going up river between Portugal and Spain (River Guadiana) for about 20nm, always with a deep over 2m, you will arrive at two lovely traditional small towns on either side of the river, Alcoutim and San Lucar. The anchorage on the river is good, there is no traffic of big river boats and on the Portuguese side you will have a yacht quay (that will be occupied almost all the time).

Another Place on the Algarve coast were you can be at anchor with a very reasonable shelter is in Olhão, behind Culatra Island.

[barnakiel]

NORMALLY grib display software does not display files that are off the date. Unless you specifically ask for that.

Change your grib software before you have to change the boat ;-)

Also, you never make such a silly mistake if you look up the radiofax up first.

Cheers,
b.