Oh how I wish we'd bought a drone and made fancy videos...

[michael_w]

For diversion, take the train into Lisboa. Public transport v. cheap. Take the pre-war no.28 tram through the Alfama area, the streets are so narrow when the tram passes pedestrians have to squeeze into doorways. Fab maritime museum too.

 

[Frogmogman]

For diversion, take the train into Lisboa. Public transport v. cheap. Take the pre-war no.28 tram through the Alfama area, the streets are so narrow when the tram passes pedestrians have to squeeze into doorways. Fab maritime museum too.

....and while you are at the Maritime museum, don't forget that Belem is the epicentre of the famous Pastel de Nata (Custard tart). ?

I love Lisbon. It has such a great vibe. A beautiful city, the good burghers are very friendly, enjoy a drink and love their football. Everything seems pretty good value too.

 

[Bajansailor]

....and while you are at the Maritime museum, don't forget that Belem is the epicentre of the famous Pastel de Nata (Custard tart). ?

I love Lisbon. It has such a great vibe. A beautiful city, the good burghers are very friendly, enjoy a drink and love their football. Everything seems pretty good value too.

Me too re Lisbon, although it is now 31 years since we sailed in to Cascais and spent a week there.
Wonderful place - we also took the train into Lisbon.
Everything was in escudos (scuds for short) then, and with the exchange rate then against the GBP, prices were extremely reasonable.

 

[GHA]

I love Lisbon. It has such a great vibe. A beautiful city, the good burghers are very friendly, enjoy a drink and love their football. Everything seems pretty good value too.

Lisbon might not the best place to be travelling around at the moment...

 

[wully1]

Sorry to hear that you have joined the sick engine club.

At least you know what’s wrong with yours..

 

[webcraft]

Sorry to hear that you have joined the sick engine club.

At least you know what’s wrong with yours..

Erm... head gasket may only be part of it. Watch this space.

- W

 

[longjohnsilver]

Hope repair is fairly simple.

Meanwhile here is a drone video:-

The Ifach is a special, large piece of rock. I hope to be there again by the middle of the month.

 

[wully1]

Erm... head gasket may only be part of it. Watch this space.

- W

mine might be a head gasket, then again maybe not...

At least for me it ‘should’ be an easier fix given the boat is ashore in the yard just along the road from the house.

I hope yer man sorts it out pronto or you

 

[Blueboatman]

2 U bolts set through the aft deck , one one metre length of scaffold pole mounted athwartships in these, two scaffold clamps on the outboard end, one plate of 25mm plywood, clamped vertically with 2 or 3 more u bolt clamps ...one ( existing) dinghy motor through bolted to aforementioned plywood as low as is practicable to the waterline ..
sorted , rough n ready, mark 1.

mark 2 version.. ? extra bit of scaffold pile clamped vertically to the main horizontal bit , with lanyard from the top led forward to a cockpit side clear.. you now have a tilting outboard bracket ‘ rig’..

You ‘could ‘ be out of that marina 2hours after sourcing the bits from a building site.

All very PBO ?
But...hey, who has to look at it except you?? And you are sailing on and not bleeding mooring fees..
People get ‘ stuck’ on the Portuguese west coast once the weather breaks and the big seas start rolling in...

The weather gets a lot better around the corner ( algarve)
Or indeed in the canaries


Btw : When I was last in the canaries I discovered that because Spain has an active fishing industry and assoc support industries, all manner of stainless steel sheet, rod, tube and welding facilities were readily available at fishing, not MARINE, pricing.
Result : vert affordable custom outboard brackets. Bimini frames, goosenecks , what have you ...

And the whole point of this post is not to say “ ooh how clever I am making a whole new boat from a discarded crisp packet “, nor “ do this” or “ don’t do that”, but to indicate one of many possibilities ,it being autumn and all..gets yer brain moving, away from depending on marinas, mechanics, spare part pricing and sourcing, and continuing fair summer weather...
All best, anyway.

 

[Beneteau381]

Ha! Head gasket gone, oil full of water.

Lovely guy coming round to remove it next week and assess the damage.

Prisoners of Cascais, looking into Portuguese residency.

- W

Get a bit closer and I will help you sort it, need to get to Bruces Yard, Cascais a bit dear! Cheapet marinas up the river

 

[webcraft]

Bbm, my aft deck is tiny, transom is completely taken up with the windvane - and I would in any event have to buy a bigger, long shaft outboard.

I know Cascais is dear, but I think I have found the right engineer. A couple of weeks marina fees won't add much to the bill in the end if I have found the right guy.

Will post progress here as it happens - or doesn't!

Very conscious of the need to get 'round the corner' before the weather falls apart. Last time here (2006) we left Cascais on 27th October.

- W

 

[Kelpie]

Best of luck Nick, it must seem like fate is trying to conspire against you on this trip!
Out of interest, what is your dinghy and outboard setup? I can tow Kelpie at maybe half a knot under oar power alone, I guess Avy J would be easier. But obviously I'm only talking about flat calm conditions and travelling a few boat lengths.
Anyway, look forward to following your travels, and hope to see you down there next year

 

[capnsensible]

Bbm, my aft deck is tiny, transom is completely taken up with the windvane - and I would in any event have to buy a bigger, long shaft outboard.

I know Cascais is dear, but I think I have found the right engineer. A couple of weeks marina fees won't add much to the bill in the end if I have found the right guy.

Will post progress here as it happens - or doesn't!

Very conscious of the need to get 'round the corner' before the weather falls apart. Last time here (2006) we left Cascais on 27th October.

- W

Certainly I reckon Algarve weather is better for the winter. Even so, during the winter there is usually quite a few times when it's possible to continue south. I've certainly made the passage north or south from the islands to the straits in every month of the year. February is probably the pants one though.
Last time was on our liveaboard yacht and we arrived on 1st November.
Anyway, good luck with the poorly engine. ?

 

[webcraft]

Certainly I reckon Algarve weather is better for the winter. Even so, during the winter there is usually quite a few times when it's possible to continue south. I've certainly made the passage north or south from the islands to the straits in every month of the year. February is probably the pants one though.
Last time was on our liveaboard yacht and we arrived on 1st November.
Anyway, good luck with the poorly engine. ?

Last time I did this trip we arrived in the Canaries on the 19th November, so plenty of time yet.

But Winter in the Algarve has its attractions, financially as well now we have a big unplanned expense.

- W

 

[paulajayne]

The Ifach is a special, large piece of rock. I hope to be there again by the middle of the month.

Yes Calpe is great - Place I love to go to - great food, nice beach, plenty of places to go and no Benidorm crowd.

 

[GHA]

Winter in the Algarve has its attractions, financially as well now we have a big unplanned expense.

Pressure cooker and a few bags of beans to supplement the normal diet you could live for next to nothing up the river and still have a great time.

November >

 

[cherod]

Pressure cooker and a few bags of beans to supplement the normal diet you could live for next to nothing up the river and still have a great time.

November >

i have only been there in the summer but i have heard that it can be quite cold throo the winter ,, a bit like in the mountains of S Spain