Any Camping Gaz in Alcoutim?

Mistroma

Mistroma

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Anyone know if I can get Camping Gaz (907) in Alcoutim? I've been around Vila Real de Santo Antonio today and nobody seems to sell Camping Gaz.

The marina office suggested a nearby shop and also the Repsol place opposite. Neither wanted anything to do with Camping Gaz and couldn't suggest anywhere else. Very strange, I wondered if they'd been warned off re-filling or something similar. I met someone who suggested a garage about 20mins. walk from the marina. They had filled a cyl. for him 4-5 days earlier but did take a lot of persuasion. I might try them tomorrow but it might be a long walk for nothing.


I had hoped to go to Alcoutim tomorrow but don't know if I can get any there.
 
In Portugal most diy stores sell camping gaz as do the Continente stores. They though often do not carry the full range. Most filling stations that have gas pump will allow you to fill bottles if you have adaptors though filling local bottles is not allowed. Good luck
 
If you get the ferry across to Ayamonte, there's a hardware shop close to the market which sells it. SWMBO just reminded me - yes you can buy it from the electrical shop in Alcoutim square.
 
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I looked for supermarkets but only found Intermarche (no gas) and Lidl (shopping there today). There's a garage en-route to Lidl and will ask there but I don't have my own adaptor. Failing that, I'll take the ferry to Ayamonte and still have Alcoutim as a backup.

I was surprised at the problem with Camping Gaz here and knew that Alcoutim was a pretty small place. I was expecting to find gas at Alcoutim but good to know I won't be stuck.

Many thanks for the information.
 
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Mistroma said:
I looked for supermarkets but only found Intermarche (no gas) and Lidl (shopping there today). There's a garage en-route to Lidl and will ask there but I don't have my own adaptor. Failing that, I'll take the ferry to Ayamonte and still have Alcoutim as a backup.

I was surprised at the problem with Camping Gaz here and knew that Alcoutim was a pretty small place. I was expecting to find gas at Alcoutim but good to know I won't be stuck.

Many thanks for the information.
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You forget the Portuguese are the original barbecue fanatics, outside cooking is only on a barbecue or perhaps a wood fired traditional oven. Gas barbecuing is an absolute no no, and domestic gas appliances of which there are many run of big bottles
 
I tried the gas filling station just after Lidl and he couldn't help either. However, he did explain that he'd had warnings about filling gas cylinders. He said that someone had complained and they'd had a bit of a clampdown. So pretty certain I won't get any gas here. I'm taking the ferry to Ayamonte tomorrow just in case the problem extends as far as Alcoutim.

Marina office staff warned me to hide the cylinder when travelling. They said that it was illegal to bring gas back from Spain as it is cheaper there (subsidised, lower tax?). Camping gaz was usually cheaper in Portugal than Spain last year. I guess that's because locals just fill from a Galp cylinder instead of buying from an authorised dealer (I thought the Spanish did that as well :D).
 
maxi77 said:
You forget the Portuguese are the original barbecue fanatics, outside cooking is only on a barbecue or perhaps a wood fired traditional oven. Gas barbecuing is an absolute no no, and domestic gas appliances of which there are many run of big bottles
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Red herring. The Galp place was full of identical Camping Gaz 907 type cylinders, but in Galp Orange. They just wouldn't touch a blue cylinder.
 
maxi77 said:
Well done, I haven't seen those before..
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Neither had I, the paint looked suspiciously new and there were a couple of normal blue Camping Gaz 907 empties sitting behind them (perhaps waiting for a re-spray). I wonder if they just decided to muscle in on Camping Gaz and tipped the police off about illicit filling. It must have been someone with an axe to grind or potential for profit.
 
Mistroma said:
Neither had I, the paint looked suspiciously new and there were a couple of normal blue Camping Gaz 907 empties sitting behind them (perhaps waiting for a re-spray). I wonder if they just decided to muscle in on Camping Gaz and tipped the police off about illicit filling. It must have been someone with an axe to grind or potential for profit.
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I know of only one place that will fill cylinders if you do not have an adapter, but myself and a lot of other motorhomers who overwinter in the Algarve have our own adapters for calor bottles, german bottles, dutch bottles and use them in the local autogas station.
 
maxi77 said:
I know of only one place that will fill cylinders if you do not have an adapter, but myself and a lot of other motorhomers who overwinter in the Algarve have our own adapters for calor bottles, german bottles, dutch bottles and use them in the local autogas station.
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The ironmongers on the square in Alcoutim will sell you as many 907 refills as you want for 14.50 euros a pop!
 
Ludd said:
The ironmongers on the square in Alcoutim will sell you as many 907 refills as you want for 14.50 euros a pop!
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Brilliant. I assume that's uptodate information and I'll cancel my trip to Ayamonte tomorrow. I have lots of other stuff to finish so could use the time.

I was only going in case the rot had spread to Alcoutim recently. Might see you soon, we'll probably leave about 18:30 tomorrow and might anchor overnight on way up. I'm hoping that the bridge will be OK as it says 18m at mean sea level and we have about 19.8m air draft. Even at low water the clearance should only be 18.8m. I met someone who took his 42DS up and read about another guy with similar air draft. Also heard that the 18m is a bit conservative.

Even so, tempted to heel the boat with some weight on the boom (if I can persuade my wife to wear lead weights and climb out :D).

Thanks again.
 
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Mistroma said:
Red herring. The Galp place was full of identical Camping Gaz 907 type cylinders, but in Galp Orange. They just wouldn't touch a blue cylinder.
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We've been using those for the last couple of winters, direct replacement for CG but only 11.50 euro. Until this spring they could be swapped for CG and then changed back when heading out of country but they've now stopped doing it.
 
GrahamM376 said:
Don't wait for slack water at the bridge, it's approx 2 hours after LW, later if heavy rain up river.
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Many thanks, I'd spotted that in the marina and actually wanted to approach the bridge with tide against us. No problems with height and we anchored a little up river and move to Alcoutim the next day. No problem with Camping Gaz here as Tom Ludd said.

A bit miffed at the marina though. I only agreed to stay an extra day if they'd let me stay until 17:00 I was summoned to the office at 12:20 but they were closed. I went off for shopping and lunch and went there at 15:00 to be told I'd need to pay for another day. The "checkout time " is 12:00. I argued that we'd agreed a "special one-off" of 17:00 but was told that the boss had not agreed. Refused to pay as she actually had agreed and left. Marineros came to make certain we left. Very helpful marineros but 12 o'clock rule is a problem. It can be difficult to enter/leave when tide is at 3 knots and wind pushes on to pontoon. We were lucky with conditions but there were at least 5 free berths so no real problem for the marina.

I think I'll avoid it on the way out. Electricity is 3 Euros/day, check in/out at 12:00 is a problem, no Camping Gas and it isn't that cheap.
 
Mistroma said:
I think I'll avoid it on the way out. Electricity is 3 Euros/day, check in/out at 12:00 is a problem, no Camping Gas and it isn't that cheap.
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We usually anchor off and dinghy to one of the ferry pontoons, either side. Never used Vila Real for the reasons you give and use Ayamonte instead but hear that is now silting up near the entrance. Hope to be up the river again in a few weeks, in Nazare Club marina at the moment.
 
GrahamM376 said:
We usually anchor off and dinghy to one of the ferry pontoons, either side. Never used Vila Real for the reasons you give and use Ayamonte instead but hear that is now silting up near the entrance. Hope to be up the river again in a few weeks, in Nazare Club marina at the moment.
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Thanks, I'll be doing the same on way down the river. I'd read somewhere that depths were between 0.5m -1.5m in Ayamonte last year and a friend told me not to bother trying this year. Hopefully they'll get money to dredge but not anytime soon.

I might see you in Alcoutim as I might still be here in 3 weeks.
 
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