Well, the infamous wind acceleration zone around this NW corner shows no signs of going away this week… but today is probably the best day to make some progress. If possible we will go all the way to Camarinas today, but we will see how strong the wind gets.
05.05
Slip La Coruna and encounter 5 vessels before we clear the breakwater.
Leave the 2nd green to port, then out to sea and turn onto our course to clear the Sisargas. Dodging fishing vessels for a while, then confused for some time by two flashing orange lights which I assumed to be two pair trawlers. Turned out one was a special mark on land, the other was much further away and was a solitary trawler we passed just as it was getting light.
Rolling like a pig, improved slightly at dawn, or was that my imagination?
09.00
43deg 23.32N
08deg 43.17W
5.8nm to WP off Sisargas Isles.
Dolphins round boat briefly.
Catherine snoozing in the forepeak.
09.15
Deploy genoa with 2 reefs to try to dampen rolling. Ineffective in 7-8kts apparent. Just passed a creel marker on the 100m contour line!
11.00
43deg 20.23′
08deg 56.38′
Have been brave and set a WP for Cabo Villano (17nm} as we are making good time and Corme is a bit pointless unless we have to divert.
Wind 12-18kts, keeping genoa W. 2 reefs filled nicely, but still motoring to keep the speed up. This. Is passage making today, hoping to get round Cabo Villano before the wind really gets up. Been hearing strong wind warnings of some sort from La Coruna radio, but unable to make out the detail.
11.55
Can’t justify keeping the engine on any more – wind is 17kts gusting 23 and we are making 4.5kts with one reef in the genoa. The sudden quietness wakes the sleeping crew. Beautiful sailing, with the autohelm handling the steering for now.
13.30
Wind 22 gusting 30, seas building. Reduce sail further. A brutal British flagged motor yacht passes us going North, massive engines thumping it through the heavy chop. It’s a savage coastline (Costa del Morte – you do the translation). It would be scary in these winds in Scottish weather, but blazing sunshine takes the edge off!
14.15
Reduce genoa further and gybe to go round the dodgy rocks off Cabo Villano. The GPS on my phone appears to pack in whenever danger threatens, but fortunately I took the precaution of installing Navionics on Catherine’s phone as well. With El Bufardo abeam we turn onto a very breezy beam reach under heavily reefed genoa and head for the welcome shelter of the ria.
15.45
Anchored off the beach to the North of Camarinas. 30m chain out in 4m of water – it’s going to be breezy tonight.
I lol around with a beer, then go for a wee hour’s snooze before dinner.
I waken an hour or so later to a delicious spag bol. Just time to shave and open a half bottle of rioja before a delicious dinner.
Tomorrow, Cabo Fisterra, Finisterre, the most Westerly point in mainland Europe.