Cruising the N W coast of Spain.

We woke up at daybreak as we always do, and surveyed our surroundings, a peaceful bay with no other boats or fishing buoys and plenty of room. We gave a quite and very grateful thanks to God and Jesus for our amazing trip. It was truly a gift from God. To have a six day window from Uk all the way across the Bay of Biscay is a rare occurrence even in Summer, let alone in the depths of Winter.

Our quiet anchorage.

Breakfast was eaten while deciding on what to do next, go ashore in the dinghy in a building wind and get wet on the way back. This would also mean leaving the boat on its own, which is never a comfortable feeling in an increasing wind. Go and see if the free marina at the next port Lexia was a reality, or go and see if the Camarinas Yacht club had place for us and at a reasonable charge.

Yacht club marina at Camerinas

We opted for the Yacht Club and it turned out the best. It was virtually empty; something to do with winter I guess, and the Marina manager was there to take our lines. He did not speak much English but we got by. € 10 is all it cost us for the night, lovely hot showers, water on the dock and WI FI to tell friends and family we were safe. We had landed in the best place ever. We stretched our legs in the pleasant town, found enormous strawberries and good fruit and veg, but we had enough for the moment and they were more expensive. The sun shone all day, even though the wind was cold having the sun was infinitely better than the grey skies we had become accustomed to. Our celebratory supper was steak, and then we slept like the dead.

We set off from Camarinas the next morning after filling the water tanks, cleaning the boat, another shower,  Mike grabbing a bucket load of mussels and we decided to head across the bay to Lexia to see if it was true that they had a marina that was free. It was a short trip of just over a nautical mile, noticing as we crossed how many fishing buoys we had thankfully missed, as we rounded the breakwater we were greeted by the sight of a very empty marina. There were small local fishing boats on the first two pontoons and 1 yacht on the last pontoon, all the rest were empty. We tied up and went ashore, there was no marina office to report to and no water on the dock, although the lights worked and the safety gear was there.

The marina at Lexia, with guano.

We walked into town and were greeted by loud music coming from a back street, we crossed over to see where it was coming from, and surely a small town like this could not be having a rave at about 11 in the morning?

From around the back of a building a police van appeared followed by a van making the music and behind that the children and parents in a carnival parade escorted by the Police and electricity van with loudspeakers.

The Kids procession

We seemed to be the only tourists in the town that day and the only ones watching the parade on the sea front.

Walking through the town we came across a Market with fruit and veg, fish and clothes, in the middle of the narrow streets. We found the library by accident and found they had free internet. We could check the weather and messages from home if needed. We climbed up the hill behind the town, on the point and overlooked the quaint narrow streets and cute houses of the town and of course the sad sight of an empty marina. That afternoon Michael went musseling and came back with a bucket load and a large grin. They are one of his favourite snacks and so much tastier for being fresh.

Lexia from the top of the hill

It seemed as if they were stopped from completing the marina because of the economic crisis and so it was just left partially finished. It is a real shame to have come that far to making it earn money for the town only to become an expensive white elephant. We were happy, alongside a berth in a picturesque setting and no money to pay, even though we did have to dodge the guano on the pontoons.

The wind had died down by the time we left the next morning and we played the light land and sea breezes, running the motor when there was no wind to charge the batteries and run the fridge and freezer.

Along an interesting and indented coastline with plenty of fishing buoys littering the area, a good watch was needed if we were not to fall trap to the law of fishing buoys “whatever course you plot there will be at least one right in front of you”. Then of course there are the “flying buoys” The little white buoys that when you see them from afar they look like the fishing buoys but when you get closer the fly away, Also known as gullbuoys.

Round Finistere in a dead flat calm, and is daylight, much better than a dark night and a howling gale with tons of shipping to contend with.

Cape Finistere, the end of the ancient world

Muros was the next stop on our way down,  We approached in the evening and decided to have a look inside the harbour to see what facilities they had before anchoring off. In the harbour we found the same sad situation, only here they had not completed all the pontoons. Small local fishing boats were occupying some of the berths but the others were empty. We tied up in one and went to see about offices, again nothing. Being Saturday even the fisheries were closed. We continued on our way to find a WiFi spot which we found in a bar, not really our scene and I am not sure they appreciated us buying fruit juice and water.

Off again early the next morning on the land breeze which ran out about 1000, and we drifted a bit waiting for the wind to turn to a sea breeze but it was late and we were not sure we would make Bayona, so we looked at the chart and there was a possible place. Piedras Negras, We altered course and headed that way. The bay was very protected from the N wind and very calm with golden beaches. We went into the marina and were met by the manager in a dinghy and directed to a berth. € 25 for the night on the marina and 15 for a buoy, a monohull would have been 13 for the marina, normally it is a 50% surcharge for a cat, here is was double, and also a buoy at double that of a monohull was a rip off, so we left and anchored in the pleasant bay, clear of the fishing buoys, for free and had a wash on board.

The next morning at daybreak we wandered down to Bayona and stopped at the Iles Fargo on the way, while the wind swopped from a land to a sea breeze, going ashore in the Dinghy and finding that we were only supposed to walk on the wooden paths, we scuttled back to the boat.

Ilha Fargo anchorages.

Ilha Fargo nature reserve

We anchored behind the breakwater at Bayona, in the calm water and went ashore to the fishing dock where we were greeted by everyone and assured our dinghy would be safe where we moored it. We asked for internet and a fuel station and understood the gestures and Spanish enough to find our way, the internet was only across the road, the fuel station down the road a couple of blocks.

Having got a drum of fuel, we checked the internet, not bad, €1 for half an hour. The weather looked good so we decided to stay another day to rest and get some more fuel and water. Having done a fuel run the next morning we asked at the fishing co-op about water, they directed us to the hoses they used to wash the floors with and we filled our drums with no charge. We watched as the fishermen brought crates of sea urchins and goose neck barnacles to be weighed and sold, then walking across the street we saw them in the restaurant windows along with other sea foods.

Bayona Castle

We took a walk round the castle, very pleasant but we did not have our camera, not having intended to go for a walk. We visited the Yacht Club but as we did not have reciprocity we could not use the facilities, there went the shower again, but we were allowed to walk through the club. They would charge us 1 and 1/2 times for our boat where as the commercial marina would not.

 

That afternoon we came ashore for another fuel run, and noticed all kinds of people in fancy dress heading down to a spot beyond the fuel station, and others gathering along the street. We thought we would stick around and see what happened. We found a supermarket and bought something to sustain ourselves and settled in for what was to be a long wait.

Had we known what to expect we would have gone back to the boat for the camera, we have learned now, rule of blogging, always carry camera.

The Parade was really fantastic and we were very happy we had stayed for the spectacle.

The drummers came first, in red and black with top hats, mad hatters by the look of it, and in spite of a dog getting excited and trying to bite them, they did not miss a beat or a dance step. It was really excellent lots of energy and fun.

The Pirates were next, dancing girls and all, with a chest of treasure and boat, Mike and I thought it would be rather fun to snatch some treasure and run off with it shouting Viva Britania, but we thought it diplomatic to restrain ourselves.

The best float was the fire fighters (Bombadieros), with a house on fire, lady with baby hanging out of the window, first aiders and ambulance in attendance. I was given the Baby and a fireman snatched it from me and ran in front of the float to do CPR, stopping the whole procession. They then resuscitated one of the kidlet fire fighters on a gurney rushing down the street to the ambulance. Every one was having fun.

Mike really enjoyed the motorbikes, real vintage ones, even before his time. World war one veterans zooming round the road, sidecars full of dubious ladies, one was made up as a scaryplane and zig zaged its way down the road threatening to wipe out spectators, followed by a tank with a lizard on the end of the cannon.

Aladdin and his lady throwing sweets to the crowd followed by the dancing girls and the Genie coming out of the lamp, looking really realistic and bobbing around as he was twirled and danced down the road.   

Another really good one was the Lion king, two kids on stilts dressed very realistically as giraffes, I admired them, to walk all that way like that was an admirable feat, leading a massive lion on the truck which reared up and roared with mouth coming open, Rafiki on the front of the truck, followed by African animals and of course Pumba and Timone bringing up the rear. It was getting cold by now so we walked to the end of the Parade to make sure we saw all of it. It was the best we had seen, kids and adults and lots of good fun had by all. Then we went home before we froze.

Bayona will always have fond memories for us, friendly people, good festival and good atmosphere, Thank you for a great time.

Bayona Harbour