Lisbon to Portimao Algarve

Well, the wind was not with us on this leg. We had to go by motor 21 hours and by sail 4 hours.  The last part from the  most west and south point of Portugal and Europe the wind came up and we had a great cruise all the way into the harbour at Portimao.

The sun was high and warm, and you really felt like you had got to the southern land. Portimao is a BIG tourist city, which has all the same things you find in any tourist city. The marina is exclusive, and it cost 40,73 euro a night to stay.

Zephyr at the dock of Portimao

The Marina of 620 boats.  ( Like Ishoj)

Well, tonight Terje is coming in from Fredrikstad, to sail with us to Lanzarote.  We will sail out tomorrow directly to Lanzarote, about 500 sea miles. Should be there Oct. 1st.  Until then I have no connection, eater by computer or phone. The weather forecast looks good, with wind from the north between 5-11 m/s.

Porto - Lisabon and the city Pos: 038.42.088 N 009.10.216 W

We left Porto Saturday at 13.00 after fueling some more diesel. We had good northern wind, but it came down during the night, and also the next day. 150 sea miles from Porto to Cascais ( Estoril west of Lisbon) was the first stop. Arrived Sunday at 19 o'clock after 30 hours.

Happy campers at the Portuguese coast

Then arriving Cascais harbour we were pulled over to the harbour office to check in. We found out it was a pretty fancy style, and also expensive. 53 euro a night. But we got a bottle of wine as a gift.  Had an excellent dinner in town that night, and sailed on next day towards Lisbon.

We had heard that sailing into Lisbon at night would be a great experience, with all the sculptures lighted up. Well, this was at daylight, but it was still great. Check out the pictures.

The bridge looks a bit like Golden Gate, with the same kind of construction

       and colour, and we thought it was 100 years old or sow. But found out later that it was finished in 1966.

It makes a HELL of a noise, since the driving pad is made of steel  'nitting'  You can see the bottom of the cars when you sail under it. The train goes on the bottom level.

        We had a dinner under the bridge at night, and then we got to see one of the sculptures with light. Could not talk together (almost) because of the noise.

Next day we went into down town Lisbon, and were real tourists. It's a beautiful city with lots of nice buildings and monuments.

                                                               

   The famous hill tram and here is a pictures for my friend Bent 2 meter at Ishoj.  He is an expert on the tram history of Copenhagen, and has his own office in the harbour of Ishoj. I have heard that Copenhagen exported some of the trams to Portugal and Egypt after stopping the operation in Copenhagen. Could this be one of them????

And the driver was really busy, avoiding traffic and people on the street.

                       

And this is for Polly and Kari, my sailing friends from Oslo. They know I like Traveling Willburys, and at the Hard Rock Cafe I happen to find the guitar that Tom Petty used during the Traveling Willburys time.

Jonas is going home tomorrow morning at 06.30 so we were only two left on the boat.

But while having breakfast in the cockpit this morning, and boy from the Netherlands ( 20 years old) came by and asked if we were sailing to the Canary Islands. I said yes, we are going to Lanzarote. He said; Can I come with you.

I said yes, and now he is on board.  Yes, coincidences happens on the way I suppose. Much better with 3 people, while sailing day and night. We do 3 hours shift, and then you get 6 hour sleep between your shift. ( If the weather is OK)

David Hielkema

Farewell dinner with Jonas by the marina

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Planning to sail out tomorrow, heading for Portimaao at the Algarve coast. It's about 130 sea mils, and the weather looks good. Maybe to little wind, but from the north east.

Just got to know that Terje from Fredrikstad is flying to Portimaao Saturday, and will join us to Lanzarote. OK, then we are 4 on board.

The rute track this far.

The real start of the cruise

The real start of the cruise.

The cruise started not in Ishoj Copenhagen August 25^th. But in Fredrikstad Norway July 27^th.

That’s where my family and friends waved me off, and wished me the best for my voyage.

There was my lovely mother  and father, my two younger sisters and my younger brother.

All with their family.  There was also my close friends from back in Norway.

It was a fantastic happening and also with many emotional feelings, since I have not put up a date when I will be able to see them again. But of course I will one day.

Here are some pictures from the day I left Fredrikstad Norway.

Sorry that I don’t have pictures from my friends on the bridge, but there was taken a lot of pictures, so please mail it to me.

My mother Anne Lise and my father Carl Johan

                Synnøve and my sister Nina and Falken on a weekend trip to the islands around Fredrikstad

               Joacim, the son of Synnøve, which sailed with me to Skagen Denmark together with his mother,
                                                       my sister Nina and and Falken.

Crossing the Bay of Biscay

Leaving Falmouth Saturday at 12.45 o'clock heading for La Coruna. Still some south west wind but calm sea. The weather prognose was that it would turn into west and the going north west, which would be the perfect wind. So after 10-12 hours the wind started to go west and then later north west. the night went by in a nice way, another day again, and then we were in the middle of the bay of Biscay. The wind went down and also the sea. So at 21 o'clock we had spagetti bolognes with candel lights on the table in the cockpit. And we were thinking......This is fucking special. Everybody have respect of the bay of Biscay, and that's not for no reason. But we had a good weather forcast before we left Flamouth, and that went through as predicted.

Well, the last 20 hours before north Spain, Biscay showed what it is famouse for, and gave us 17 m/s wind from s/w with quit big waves. But with 2 reefs in the main sail and reduced front sail, Zephyr was sailing great

                                               The water of Biscay passing by at 8 knots

                                                    Jonas steering at sunset
 through the sea.

Landing outside La Coruna at 8 in the morning with full sunshine and no wind, was fantastic. I thought... NOW I am getting into the southern hemisphere

                                      Having a swim an a class of Champagne outside La Coruna

Well, we dicded to continue south to Portugal, and picked out Porto as the next stop.
This was another 3 days sailing. And one morning, when I had have my 3 hours watch, I woke up Jonas at 03.00 in the morning. I told him about the strange wave behine the boat. It look like a crocdille was following us.  One hour later when it started to get some more light, Jones said that it looked like we were draging something. And indeed we were. We had cought a fishing line with canes and bolds.
We were going by engine, but had have no problems with the propeller. We stopped and found out that it  was just around the keel.   It was to dark to dive under and check it out.  But at daylight I went down, dressed with my short legg wetsuit  ( bought in Australia in 1977 when I was 21 years, and I could still get it on. Not bad haha) No problem to get the fishingline off.

                                                       The dolphins in the in front of the boat

In my old wetsuit

At the end of the day we were visited by Flipper's ( dolfines) They are just so amazing animals. They come in a bunch of many. They are so cool to watch. 5-10 minutes, and they leave. But at night again, they came. back
Arrived Porto at 11 o'clock Thursday, and was wished welcome by the harbour staff, and shown the place to berth. They even tied the boat on to the bridge.
After clearing custom with passport, ship registration and insurences paper, we went to town, and had a beer.
For dinner we went to a restaurant were the locals go. We were the only one there, but we got a very good meal, and got to be close to the owner and the staff. Very nice people. Antonio was the owner, and gave us a port wine as dessert.

                                               At the local restaurant Maria Moira

Today Friday, we went by train to Porto downtown, to see the city. THAT was a very nice experince. Of''course we had to enter a portwine tour including tasting. We went on a tour with Sandeman port. It was a much learning and interesting tour. Now we know more about the portwines history.

                                                 The tour gide dressed in the Sandeman outfit

                                            Me trying to taste some of the 44000 liters of port

One of the nice streets of Porto

The 150 years old bridge over the river

Before going back to the boat we had a exelent dinner down by the river.
Tomorrow Saturday 18th. we will sail out for Lisabon. about 150 sea miles.
It's 2 o'clock in the morning, and Finn and Jonas and myself are having a night cap,and going to bed...............

The Crossing of Biscaya should soon be done

While downloading daily GRIB files with wind data, I've seen a reassuring and nice sea all the time for our friends at Zephyr.  While writing this, they might be kind of close to their destination, La Coruna:

The wind speed and direction should have been mostly optimal for Zephyr

There are a few situations which might delay their arrival to La Coruna. On the chart above, we can see that they might be struggle with head winds, if their position have been some nautical miles west of the smaller bay where La  Coruna is located.  Next (or first... ;-) I've noticed a shift from westerly to easterly wind for some day or two ago. At that moment they might have done some fishing and waiting for the wind to turn for several hours.

Bent discovered something strange in one of the breads he got as a gift in Ishøj!

Whenever Zephyr is arriving, don't expect the same fresh mood as Bent is showing the picture above... We must give them the opportunity to get a day sleep, find some useful wireless connection and 220V power outlet for the PC, before doing their long awaited update from the crossing of Bay of Biscay.

Leaving Falmouth and The English Channel

Zephyr left Falmouth at 9:00 (GMT?) this morning, and there will be at least 4 days until Bent or others of his crew can blog us eager followers.  I'll then keep up with some weather/wind facts together with more guesses for where they might be.

Slow-motion filming of ZEPHYR through the water

In general I can see that the selection of time for this little bit longer travel is very good, when talking about weather.  Far out west is a stable high pressure is parked for quite a while according to the forecasts.  The best thing is that the wind strength is suggested to be of fair optimal sailing strength for the whole periode they will need for going to La Coruna. They should even have a wind direction for a nice Beam Reach (slør).
If I now this sunday evening makes a Great circle distance of about 60 miles which is the distance they should have covered with 5 knots in 10 hours, they should now be in the area of the yellow spot:

Aproximate position of Zephyr after 10 hours sailing from Falmouth

Falmouth South England 050.09.109 N 005.03.658 W

It's our 5th. night at Falmouth, and we are getting to know the town pretty good. People we meet are very kind, and it is alot of bars and restaurants.
The tide water here is about 5,2 meters difference, so check out the harbour office at high and low tide.

                                                                 Harbour office at high water

And at low water

Christian went home on Thuesday the 7th. to deal with his house expanding project.
See you 15th. of November Christian at Lanzarote, ready for crossing the Atlantic.

Jonas Wallberg from Sweden came Thursday to cross the Biscaya and stay onboard for 12 days.

Well to morrow (today) morning we are sailing at 09.00 ( Which mean in 6 hours from now) heading for the Bay of Biscaya. The forcast is N/W going N and then N/E

Well, that's the  forcast. It's 437 sea mils, and with an average og 5 knots, it will take us 87 hours, which is

3 and 1/2 days. If we average 6 knots we make it in 3 days.

6 nights in Falmouth has been a real pleasure. Nice people, and a cossy old English town. with a lot of sailing history. Here is a couple pictures.

Got to go to bed and sleep some. You will hear from me when I'm in Spain. Oleeeeeeeeeeee

Sailing in one step from Amsterdam to Falmouth England

Took of from Six Haven at 11.15 Thursday morning, sailing through the Nord See canal to the end ,where the the big marina Ijmuiden was. We stoped and filled the thank with diesel for the long trip to Falmouth.
This was also needed, since we used the motor 39 hours on the total transfer of 76 hours one leg.
We had the wind from north east all the time, but some times during the night it calmed down to 2-3 m/s sow we started the engine.
I had heard many things about the British canal, all the trafik and the current against you up to 4-5 knots + foggy.  Well, this was not our deal. The British canal showed itself from a good side, and gave us back wind, not very big waves and no fogg before entering the harbour of Falmouth. So all together this nice trip.

Today we have been to a couple pubs, had a very nice dinner, and now we are back in the boat having a Irish coffe.

We are now checking up the weather forcast for the next few days, to make a safe trip over the bay of Biscaya.  Have a few things to fix and do with the boat before we leave ASAP.

Give you some pictures from the last 4 days.  That's right., at Six Haven we saw a Norwegian flag, so I went over to say hello. That was Skipper Tor and his friend Tom on the way around the world in a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 49. They were very nice people, and we were invited for BBQ that night. We had plans to leave before checkout time at noon, but dicided to spend one more night in the company with them.  Tor was grilling  pork file at his gas grill on the rear of his boat. Tom had made the sauce, and it all tasted fantastic.
We got plenty to drink, and a Spanish trubadure playing

Christian steering in the morning at the Britsh canal

Tor and Tom in Amsterdam on a long sailtrip

Reaching for Falmouth

On Friday (3. Sep) evening, I've got an SMS from Bent where he also told the following:
Har passert Dover idag. 35 timer til Falmouth. Har seilt 34 timer. Alt vel her.
Based on my previous knowledge, I can guess that they have taken this extremely good opportunity with an optimal wind direction (which is not that usual). The wind has a perfect strength for good boat speed, without being too hard and making unpleasant waves:

I'll guessing the route Zephyr is following - the destination are Falmouth (Yellow/red marking on far left)

As you will see on the fresh GRIB-map (Wind/Weather status) I've added my guess for the route and approximate position and put on the name of Falmouth which was actually not on the map. Since Bent expected to be in Falmouth in 35 hours, they might be there around Sunday (5. sept-2010) morning. While running simulation on the wind conditions with the Met-GRIB data they should expect the same wind direction all the way to Falmouth.

Down town Amsterdam at Six Haven marina

Arrived Amsterdam yesterday, and were lucky to get a place in a very crowded smal harbour called 'Six Haven'  You take a 5 minute ferry over to the central station, and you are down town.

Walked around andf got something to eat and of course a Amstel beer.  Today we will head for the Nordseekanal, which takes us out in the British chanal. We will then cross over to the coast og UK, and continue south west towards Falmouth.