Lisbon

[Vagabond]

Hi All,

After a overnight stay in a small Portuguese fishing harbour where the fog horn was a little over sensitive and kept going off every 5 mins we set sail for Lisbon. I was a bit bruised as every time the thing went off Debs reminded me of my bad planning by a dig in the ribs!

It was an easy overnight sail and the wind died during the night so we switched to motor. The conditions are now so much better than the Biscay crossing, calmer seas and warm sunshine.

Dolphins are everywhere, we had a huge school of them follow us for about an hour. Very playful as well. Debs was trying to bond with them by talking Dolphin, a sort of high pitched shriek which seemed to work as one even did a few back flips!

Lisbon is interesting, must admit it's not that great and the harbours are not very clean but it's fun exploring and seeing the sights.

The boat is running well and our friend Julie has joined us for a week or so. We are going to set sail for Lagos on Friday and then explore the Algarve for a week or so. Hope to get my windsurfer out and have a play.

The weather has been fantastic and the boat has been put to use as the sun trap that she is.

One problem with the boat is that she is a little too fast! I've been trying to catch some fish off the back but at a cruising speed of 7+ knots the only things that I think have a hope of swimming that fast are barracuda!

Guess we'll have to make do with all the great fish restaurants around here!



Just a thought...

La Coruna of Bayonia?

La Coruna! it's soooo much better than Bayonia, fantastic cycle routes around the coast and a lively town. If you can stay at the Yacht club and not the inner marina.

 

[FAITIRA]

By the way, if the weather suits try anchoring off Cascais Marina, it,s very pleasant right in the corner near the beach. The photo of Iles Cies is great, when you get round the corner at Cap Vincent, the Bay at Sagres is another lovely anchorage if the wind suits, Alvor near Lagos would be good for a cat, hope to be following you back there in June/July. Have fun

 

[jimbaerselman]

Your chart . . .

If you're good at free diving down to 8m, you can pick Scallops off the bottom off that southern island!

 

[Ocean Hound]

Watch the weather down Cape St Vincent - very high winds can come from nowhere, particularly if it is very hot in central Spain. We were there last year sailing in approx 15-20 knots most of the day as forecast when a purple haze appeared, then rain bearing lots of sand. Within minutes the wind was up to 40 knots and then straight to 65. Fortunately we reefed down at the first sign of the haze, but even with 3 reefs in we had a knockdown. The whole thing lasted about an hour an half. Also, as with Lisbon, you may find a big increase in the wind speed as you round Cape St Vincent. Enjoy the Algarve, although in INMHO, northern Spain is much better, far less crowded. Try the lagoon between Lagos & Portimao, forget the name now but we spent a happy week there chilling out - great cockling too. Great fish restuarant in the village opp Portimao marina not to be missed.

 

[Budgie]

"Try the lagoon between Lagos & Portimao, forget the name now...."

Alvor.

 

[wingdiver]

Hi
Keep your eyes open for a 50ft white Beneteau en route from East coast of the UK to the Greek Islands. Can't remember the name but they arrived in Lisbon yesterday (Tues).
Dave, Nick and Rob on board.
Enjoy the rest of your trip.

 

[Vagabond]

Hi All,

Thanks for the tips and advice on places to go.... I'll watch the wind and for any purple haze! Don't fancy a knockdown in a Cat!

 

[samwise]

If you want toi catch mackerel, around 2 to 3 knots is best. Tuna swim faster but you need some substantial kit for them,
La Coruna or Baiona, we enjoyed them both. Steer clear or Porto though, at least by yacht. Water filthy, lots of ferry traffic.

 

[Vagabond]

Yes we did avoid Porto but it was due to the fact that I don't have any fender boards yet and as I understood it it was a quay wall job.

Fresh tuna wouls be nice!

Not sure I'll be able to reel one in on my hand held line!

I was a bit worried I was going to catch a Dolphin but I got the line in quick when they arrived.

 

[jimbaerselman]

Porto has improved a lot. The main sewers no longer discharge into the river - so you'll no longer see the heaving hordes of grey mullet fighting for first bite . . .

The local excursion boats will rough you up a it if you try to go alongside on the town quay in season. Much better to use Leixoes (a bit oily) or Povoa, and travel in to Porto by train or bus. It's a city not to be missed - world heritage site.

 

[ChrisE]

Not even a cat can outrun any of the pelagic species you'll catch in warm water. I've caught wahoo when travelling at 25 knots coming home from a day's fishing. You don't need to worry about dolphins they're nowhere near as stupid as fish /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif Seriously in 20 years of towing lures around for all sorts of fish in all sorts of places I've never hooked anything other than fish.

Chris_E's simple guide to catching fish in warmer waters:

1. Concentrate on fishing at dawn and dusk an hour either side of both is definitely the best.
2. Use lures that at least 5" long, we're not fishing dor mackeral here, the usual size of fish is 5lb plus.
3. Try towing two lines, with two hulls this should be dead easy. One with a lure skipping on the surface ideally with something a metre or so up the line to splash and catch the attention of your quarry. You can buy things that do this, they are called 'birds' but half a beer can or a CD works just as well. The other with 4 oz of lead about a metre up the line to fish about a metre under the surface.
4. I've caught fish from 20 to 200 metres behind the boat but 100m is about as far as I'd want to run a line so that I continued to remain manoeverable.
5. Stop the boat when you hook a fish, trying to tow even a 5lb fish is very difficult anything bigger and the chances are you'll either break the gear or lose the fish. With one hull heaving-to does the trick, I don't know what you'd do with two.

Best of luck.

 

[Vagabond]

Hey great advice!

Iºll give it a go.