NornaBiron
New member
Considering wintering up the Guadiana this year. Does anyone have any idea what the fouling is like?
Guadiana
- Thread starter NornaBiron
- Start date
RAI
Well-known member
It's brackish water so only a furry gunge sticks on. Anchor chain doesn't like the galvanic action though.
ean_p
Well-known member
Can you expand on this please ?
RAI
Well-known member
Anchor chains seem to have a shorter life in the Guadiana glue than in salt water. It may be the rocky bottom in places that takes the zinc galvanisation off and ends with rusty chain.
GrahamM376
New member
Is it a galvanic problem or the fact that much of the bottom is shale and wears the chain? Guadiana is the last place I would want to winter, much colder than the coast and subject to strong flow and debris when in flood.
RAI
Well-known member
It's not so bad if you are comparing anchorages for the winter months. Tucked up in a nice marina is more comfortable, but also more expensive.
GrahamM376
New member
Culatra or Faro anchorages much safer and there are sometimes moorings available for <€100 p.m during winter.
GHA
Well-known member
No probs last winter, with either the chain or fouling over something like 5 months. Despite others opinions IMHO it's possibly the best place on the hook in the Algarve. 1 bigish flood last winter, no prob really, I was up in Pomarao to wait it out for a couple days. Load of cane in the river but no big deal. If a bad one is forecast then Vila Real marina is cheap, fast tide but go in slack water and easy enough or the also nice but more expensive Ayamonte.
Fantastic walks, good social scene, weather is usually sunny, any wind gets the sting taken out of it usually by the time it gets inland so even in a blow you can still dinghy ashore. Free hot showers & a laundry in Alcoutim. Short motor and you're anchored in empty isolated wilderness. All in all a little gem
Just be careful , many get stuck there for years
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GHA
Well-known member
Hmmm, you keep saying that but having spent time in boat not sure about that at all.......
Bar talk amongst the world girdlers & others tucked away up there would often be of the Guad being the best place for a very long way to spend a winter on the hook.
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GrahamM376
New member
Maybe no probs recently but I personally know 3 boats which have sunk following anchor or mooring failures during the past few years. When properly in flood, all boats have to leave pontoons and chance it on anchor.
GHA
Well-known member
Didn't hear about any of those - how long is a few years, were they unattended?
There's still talk of when both Spanish & Portuguese opened the dam sluices at the same time whenever that was. It's not really chancing it on anchor, plenty safe spots with good holding for a day or so and it's not exactly a common occurrence, leaving the boat I just stuck it into Vila Real for a few days over xmas, not too bad a budget cruncher - longer there are reliable moorings at Laranjeiros.
Ludd might be along soon - he was up there for ages. Great music scene as well.
Sandyman
Well-known member
He's been up there so long that he's written a book about his experiences, its called
''Ludd of the Guadiana''
GHA
Well-known member
Think the locals wrote one as well, El Pirata Ludd - scourgio del RioHe's been up there so long that he's written a book about his experiences, its called
''Ludd of the Guadiana''
Anyway, we all skipper our own boats, know where I'd prefer to have the hook dug in for a winter
Yet another awful winters day up the river..
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GrahamM376
New member
Last boat was Beleza, a Nauticat 44 well flooded, previous to that a German power boat at Guerreiros, other one was a WW2 wooden air sea rescue type boat, dried out with stern high and flooded on incoming. All boats recovered, you may have seen last one in Bruce's. Quite a few people have come a cropper with dinghies in fast flowing stream, often with a skin full though AFAIK all fished out safely.
We like the Guadiana, will be up there again this summer, it's fun to sit at Ayamonte cafe and watch boats drag past
P.S. Did you not see the high water marks from many years ago on the Sociad at Pomerao or the library at Ayamonte?
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Sandyman
Well-known member
If I can get my boat finished & out of Bruces yard before they close early December then we will be up there for a few months this winter.
GHA
Well-known member
GrahamM376
New member
RAI
Well-known member
I didn't think so the night the roof blew off the airport arrivals terminal in Faro.
Ludd
New member
OK, I'll take the bait!
3 years ago, big flood. Went off pontoon to anchor. Current about 6 knots. Fell in (sober) Ffro dinghy--survived. 3 neglected boats on moorings that had not been checked for years (in one case 12 years) broke loose . None sank.
At a later date, no flood , a Longbow dragged an inadequate mooring (owner gone to UK) and sank after hitting rocks near the bank.
Beleza sank after dragging because of neglect by the person whom Barry had left her in charge of .
Nothing to do withn the Guadiana---all these cases could have happened anywhere.
If you are living aboard ,you will be on the anchor, not on some dodgy mooring that some chancer has cobbled up!
Once you know thw river, you know where it's safe to anchor, in good holding. Now bugger off Sandyman, GHA and Graham and leave me in peace!!
AND the GUADIANA Accidental Unsynchronised Swimming Club has a very select membership---- there are less than a dozen of us! All survived.
3 years ago, big flood. Went off pontoon to anchor. Current about 6 knots. Fell in (sober) Ffro dinghy--survived. 3 neglected boats on moorings that had not been checked for years (in one case 12 years) broke loose . None sank.
At a later date, no flood , a Longbow dragged an inadequate mooring (owner gone to UK) and sank after hitting rocks near the bank.
Beleza sank after dragging because of neglect by the person whom Barry had left her in charge of .
Nothing to do withn the Guadiana---all these cases could have happened anywhere.
If you are living aboard ,you will be on the anchor, not on some dodgy mooring that some chancer has cobbled up!
Once you know thw river, you know where it's safe to anchor, in good holding. Now bugger off Sandyman, GHA and Graham and leave me in peace!!
AND the GUADIANA Accidental Unsynchronised Swimming Club has a very select membership---- there are less than a dozen of us! All survived.
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Sandyman
Well-known member
Seem to have heard a similar statement last year
Yep but very good additional reasons for getting out of here this year asap. Our lifestyle is one of peace & tranquility which we treasure & we don't like living in close proximity to foul mouthed violent tempered arseholes.
