As we rounded the NW corner of Spain, we experienced a peculiar sensation for the first time. The fog was very thick and we were negotiating big swells from the Atlantic storms. As we rose to the crest of a swell, the bottom of the next swell was out of sight, completely obscured by the fog. This gave the amazing sensation of sailing off the edge of the World, incredible and rather unnerving!

As a retrospective general observation, local sports fishermen off the Portuguese Atlantic coast seem to go a long way out in the smallest of boats (we saw three people stood up in an inflatable dinghy, well offshore and in fog) and because it becomes so deep, they have no chance of anchoring. We have seen them tied to deep lobster pot marker buoys where they seem to fish away to their hearts content.

We have just seen a Dutch yacht called ‘Surprise’. We chuckled imagining the radio exchange : “Coastguard, Coastguard, Surprise, Surprise”.

Since Cape St.Vincente, our passage north along the Portuguese, then Spanish Atlantic coasts, has been under engine alone, in very light winds and sometimes in dense fog. However, repeatedly updating the weather charts for the Bay of Biscay and beyond hasn’t improved our prospects of seamlessly continuing our passage back to the UK, in fact the situation has been steadily deteriorating. Such is the pressure to complete our mission and avoid the complication of an extended stay in Northern Spain, that we have been clutching at the flimsiest of straws. The reality is that prudence must win over all other factors. With the deteriorating situation, the undisputable fact is that once we start our crossing of the Bay of Biscay, we are committed to the 350-mile passage and turning back would not be sensible. Not only has the wind strengthened with 30 knots forecast, but the direction has also backed to the north which is another major factor in our decision making. The prospect of slowly bashing away in big seas and winds does not appeal to me or the crew and with the unhelpful weather set in for as long as we can currently see, the imminence of my son, Ollie’s impending wedding is a mounting pressure. So, having discussed all the options with the crew, we have taken the decision to put into A Coruna, leave Hejira there and we have booked flights back to the UK from Santiago de Compostela. (subsequent note: after mooring in A Coruna Marina, we learned that a 51ft. yacht arrived having turned back 70 miles into the crossing of Biscay describing terrible conditions. This news made me feel sort of vindicated in the taking of our decision)

Perversely, the cost of leaving Hejira in A Coruna Marina for a month is only a little more than leaving her for 2 weeks, so, a month it is. Let’s hope that a window opens within that time, and I can quickly get on a plane (Covid allowing) and resume the mission. A passage back in south westerly winds would leave a sweeter taste in the mouth than a relentless bash in big seas and head winds.

I have moored Hejira in A Coruna marina before, and it is a famous ‘pit stop’ for those embarking on ocean passages under sail but I had previously barely ventured beyond the marina. This time we have discovered the old town and it is delightful. Being on the north Spanish coast, it is cooler (not a bad thing) than the Costas and with more rainfall, it is verdant as a result. The town has many gardens and parks with historic monuments and legacies from its previously strategic military position. There is very little evidence of tourism, but it is still well served with restaurants and bars. The streets are amazingly free from litter and graffiti which preserves a ‘latter day’ atmosphere enhanced by the cobbled ‘traffic free’ streets, devoid of parked cars and with striking architecture.

Everyone we have encountered has been friendly and helpful and no one appears to be in a hurry, it must be catching as the relaxed attitude has even permeated to the crew. We can’t have that; we have jobs to do before we leave !

Richard writes:-

Our briefings for the last few days have been dominated by the weather. We have been clinging to the hope of a change, but have finally decided that we will not be able to take on Biscay with 30 knot Easterly winds backing to the North, being forecast. Disappointing but such is sailing.

But we are  blessed with the most amazing wine cellar and have been consuming probably six bottles a day between us. Remarkable for a dry boat! But these are, of course, miniatures kindly donated by Andrew Gosling (who is hoping for their safe return – fat chance!). Originally destined for the airline industry, a huge number of these small plastic bottles have smuggled themselves on board Hejira and nestle in every nook and cranny.

Mostly they are really good quality, but our lunchtime sip of Sauvignon Blanc yesterday was more the colour of a badly dehydrated sample! The bottles’ contents were consigned to the deep; but there is plenty more where that came from.

Holding tanks! For the uninitiated, these are special tanks which hold the toilet waste and can only be emptied when you are a certain distance offshore. Imagine what fun it is to be given the job of emptying these tanks! Actually, not so bad as it only entails opening and closing certain valves and pumping like mad, hoping that you’ve opened the right valve and are not about to create a huge and very messy explosion!

Now, having made the decision to fly home, we are having to negotiate the Covid regulation hoops for returning to the UK involving tests, which we’re hoping to have done today, preparing our ‘passenger locator forms’ and all the other bureaucracy associated with travel these days.

We’re also trying to use up all the fresh food bought for our crossing, so tonight’s dinner consists of chicken, lots of chicken with, you guessed it, onions, chillies and garlic! A LOT of garlic!

Nick’s also been trying to use up his giant tub of marmite. Not because it needs to be used up but because, like the other passions in his life; garlic, chillies and onions, it has to be done, and to excess. It tends to hang around in his beard, nourishing him for days! Breakfast this morning was unique. Peter, in his usual quest to try eclectic local fare, found octopus pie!!! Not as bad as it sounds; a sort of slightly fishy, slightly chewy pastie! Yum?

A Coruna, the old town, is charming with lively and friendly bars and restaurants filled with locals. We found a small bar that specialises in chiperones (fried baby squid) and tortillas, which were delicious, washed down with the local, ice cold, Estrella, Galicia beer. Marvellous.

This voyage has been great fun. Although we’ve been able to do very little sailing, life at sea very quickly settled into a pleasant, relaxed pace with lots of banter and taking the mick. We’ve been to some interesting ports, all new to me, and enjoyed good weather, good sea conditions, and good comradeship. And the best thing? It’s not over yet because Hejira still has to get home!

After 4 days in Lagos pouring over weather charts, we had planned to leave on Tuesday to carry more favourable winds north up the Portuguese coast but we have now become concerned about a blow off Galicia and we have reviewed our plans. Hoping to continue to monitor the conditions, we have seen an opportunity to exploit a small window necessitating an earlier departure.

So it is that we are now on passage, fuelled, watered, provisioned, and prepared  with our fingers firmly crossed. We have stowed the parasailor after reluctantly recognising that, given the weather forecast, we are unlikely to use it again and that its presence on the foredeck would be something of a liability with the crashing seas we expect later in the passage.

Our stay in Lagos has been a real tonic.

The marina is very focussed on sailing and the facilities have enabled us to sort a few things out, to do our laundry, and we are in good shape for the passage.

The temperature has been noticeably cooler necessitating a jumper in the evenings, possibly due to the wind ripping through the marina.

Our Lagos experience was greatly enhanced by meeting up with Corina and Thiery, Belgian friends of Peters who were in residence at their Lagos holiday home. They entertained us at their house, and we shared two fabulous meals in recommended beach restaurants.

They even delivered fresh croissants one morning for breakfast!

Following up on the orca situation, you might like to look at the  ‘Noonsite’ international yachting website and review the (rather technical but interesting) webinar given by an expert on this peculiar subject: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKwtzBUxBk8

Once under way, we had a good sail west for a short while and the chop off the south coast was replaced by unthreatening big Atlantic swells as we rounded the corner. The wind decreased but persisted on the nose, necessitating the intervention of the engine. We settled down to motor through the night as expected in a half knot adverse current.

The mist we are experiencing this evening is so laden with moisture that the rigging literally drips with water. Thank goodness for the radar and AIS as an instrument watch will be most important overnight.

Richard writes:-

I did like Lagos. There are miles of sandy beaches and the most remarkable limestone cliffs which have eroded to form dozens of small coves, caves, tunnels and arches. Peter and I went exploring some of these yesterday, although Nick didn’t want to come with us in case his feet got wet. But he was clearly suspicious that we were actually attracted by topless bathers rather than the geology. This is simply not true! (Editor’s note: No-one is going to believe you Richard!)

We do like to play psychological games on board. Nick is an engineer with an ordered mind and likes things ‘just so’, so it’s brilliant fun to create a little chaos in his life. One favourite (introduced originally by John Coe) is to  turn the instrument covers around so they are all facing different directions. It drives him mad!

But he gets his own back by subjecting us to entertaining us with such gems of radio as ‘Cabin Pressure’, ‘Ed Reardon’ and, unbelievably, ‘Ladies of Letters’? Add to this list, TV recordings of  ‘Peep Show’ and ‘’Curb Your Enthusiasm’ (the most appalling US series) and we’re thinking Nicks’ sense of humour is a major cause for concern!

Now, this is not a ‘have a go at the skipper’ day but the sight of a number of ‘ARC Portugal’ (Atlantic Rally for Cruisers rally to Portugal) flags in Lagos Marina certainly brought out the ‘Mine is Bigger and Better Than Yours’ side of his character as he trumped our neighbours’ proudly displayed flags with not one, but two bigger and better ARC flags! They were clearly deflated.

We left Lagos late morning and managed an hour or so sailing in a brisk Northerly wind, averaging perhaps 8 knots, which was exhilarating. As we approached Cape St Vincent at the SW corner of Portugal, it became shrouded in mist and the wind picked up to 22/24 knots. Reefing the sails, we rounded the cape and are now motoring in thick fog, as darkness approaches.

Nearly time for dinner. Tonight’s delight on passage is Portuguese sausages, beans (not baked) and 2019 vintage (can’t waste it) rosti from a packet. Cooked, of course, by Nick, inevitably with garlic and onions. Yum?

After two sumptuous nights sleep, uninterrupted by watchkeeping, we finally managed to ‘square up’ for our stay in Queensway Quay (£47  for two nights including electricity – bargain!!!), pick up our laundry (nearly forgotten), slip and depart at 09.30.

We had carried out the necessary preparation including the removal of nylon fishing net caught around one of the rudders and we headed out west through the Straits of Gibraltar.

We expected an adverse current but not the 4 knots we experienced at one stage – we also didn’t expect a message on our phones saying, ‘welcome to Morocco’!

With a berth booked in Lagos on the western end of the Algarve 180 miles away we had to maintain our speed to catch the marina bridge opening curfew. This necessitated, once again, the assistance of the engine in the light airs for most of the passage .

We kept a very keen eye out for any approaching ‘fins’ but thankfully, the orca threat did not materialise and once we were beyond Trafalgar, we felt able to relax into the usual exchanges of banter and routine.

Pausing in Lagos will allow us an opportunity to review the weather coursing down the Portuguese Atlantic coast and to ‘go for’ any windows we might consider viable. The winds are still very strong and unfavourable, but we may be able to exploit some lighter inshore conditions and hop between ports of refuge. Plans should always be subject to flexibility and prudent adjustment, and this is why one should never allow extraneous pressures (like booked flights) to impinge on considered decision making.

15 miles off the Portuguese coast, we spotted some dolphins in the distance. I quickly switched off the Ultra Sonic system and the pod of half a dozen came and played in our bow wave – it’s always a magical privilege!

Richard writes:-

I wanted to start this entry with a Sun type headline;

‘SAILING VESSEL JUST MOMENTS AWAY FROM VICIOUS ATTACK BY DEADLY KILLER WHALES’

But the skipper felt that this was stretching the truth just a little too far. In fact, the lack of Orca’s is, in a way, a little bit of a disappointment! (editor’s note: you would say that, it’s not your yacht that would be damaged)

We’re now getting into more Atlantic weather. As I stand my watch at around 2am (depends on whether you’re on UCT, BST, GMT, Portuguese or Spanish time; all very confusing) it’s a bit cooler and damper but there is currently a bright ¾ moon, good visibility and very little shipping. Very peaceful and a good time to reflect.

I enjoyed Gibraltar. It’s very lively and very British but Spanish is the language you hear all around you. I get the feeling they are trying to take it over? Perhaps it’s this that started a lively debate about ………… dare I say it? Brexit. Now I know the boss hides his feelings on this matter very well and is shy about expressing an opinion, but the subject seemed to ignite something in his soul. Perhaps ‘rant’ is too strong a word, but Peter and I are still quaking in our boots.

Food is, of course, still the one thing that dominates our days and it’s starting to get more interesting with such delicacies as: cheesy pasta bake, cheese with marmalade, ginger nut biscuits and tinned curry on the menu.

Sunday evening was distinguished by firework displays along the Spanish coast. We understand that they were to celebrate the ‘Assumption of Mary’ whatever that means. When attending a firework display on land, it seems that the rockets shoot up really high before their fulfilment – watching from the sea it always surprises me that, when viewed from offshore, how low the rockets actually do ascend before bursting forth.

Even 40 miles away from the Straits of Gibraltar, we experienced a continual adverse current of up to 2.8 knots. I guess this is not surprising as the Med is huge and hot and the evaporated water must need replacing.

As we slowly approached Gibraltar, a fog descended, and we could hear a cacophony of fog horns from the shipping in the straits. I had had the radar replaced by French contractors in my absence last year. I was not at all happy with the work they carried out as they reported having difficulty running the (different) cable up the mast to the radar and had actually cut the cable and installed an external joint (which they charged me for) at the radar, introducing an unnecessary vulnerability. They also said they used the cable to the tannoy to pull the new cable into the mast. I expected them (as would be good practice) to pull a replacement tannoy cable into place alongside the new radar cable but it would now seem that they did not – I despair. With no tannoy, we could not automatically send fog signals but with the radar and AIS display on the plotter we were pretty confident we at least could navigate safely.

We had sent an Email to Queensway Quay marina in Gibraltar requesting a visitor berth. Not having received a reply, I phoned to be told by the duty  officer that the office was closed on a Sunday but that he thought the marina was fully booked. I have stayed in Queensway Quay before and it is new, pristine, well served by bars and restaurants and central to the town. The alternative is out of town and next to the Airport runway so we were keeping our fingers crossed and hoping that our previous patronage and short stay might ‘swing it’.

We thankfully received confirmation that a berth was available and took the opportunity to fuel before proceeding on to the Marina. We took on 366 litres for £273 which is pretty cheap compared to UK pump prices. There is now considerable form filling required on-line before entry into Gibraltar can be allowed and the Covid regulations mean that we could not step ashore until all of the documentation had been inspected, copied and approved.

The Nelson pub and a few pints of Speckled Hen followed by an excellent steak in the Gaucho restaurant were a welcome reward for the 6 days at sea and 870 miles, nearly all under engine.

Quite apart from the weather which is looking dire as far as our forecast can predict, we have learned of another extremely worrying warning. A number of yachts, including two from this marina have been attacked by killer whales and there is a real danger in the area from Tarifa to Barbate and beyond. We came across this story on the internet. – “A British sailing crew of three ‘feared for their lives’ as they were attacked by a pod of killer whales off the Strait of Gibraltar. The orcas were said to have slammed into the yacht for two hours, biting off chunks of the vessel and causing considerable damage.” This YouTube clip, showing the orcas is causing anxiety:- Killer Whales Attack. Wisdom appears to be to hug the coast as far as practical until well beyond the straits. I have mentioned in a previous blog about our ‘Ultra Sonic Anti Fouling’ system and how it appeared to discourage dolphin visits, I may be ‘clutching at straws’ but, it could possibly also discourage orcas – I have already turned it back on – in the Marina! The danger apparently begins to recede at the end of August when the tuna  migration diminishes and the orcas move on – apparently to continue their attacks off Finistere, also on our route!

We also have a scheme if we are attacked. We plan to fully raise the keel and head into very shallow water – we draw only 1m with the keel fully raised. I do, however, remember some David Attenborough footage of orcas actually crashing up onto a beach to take seals… We were also given some candid advice, to pour bleach around the yacht. This would be a last resort but we have ‘shipped’ 5 litres just in case.

Richard writes:-

Oh God I’m in big trouble!

Mooring in Queensway Quay, Gibraltar, entails picking up ‘slime line’, ropes fixed to the seabed that secure the front of the boat. Unfortunately, these get disgustingly fouled up over time with slimy sea stuff! Once secure, the resulting mess on deck has to be washed away and, in the process, yours truly managed to drop the bucket overboard! Well, with sodomy and the lash looming, I had to scour the seabed with a grappling line and hope that I got lucky. And I did!!! I could see the disappointment in Saddam’s face.

We’re casting off early tomorrow, destination Lagos. Very exciting because the skipper says we will be attacked by Killer Whales and that Peter will be used as bait if he doesn’t behave. And it’s exciting because Peter never behaves!

Peter and I explored the Rock this afternoon. After making friends with the monkeys we descended the mountain looking for various points of interest, which were suggested in their brochure but the sign posting was abysmal.

In the end, we walked down the mountain, missing most of the listed attractions and ending up in a Moorish Castle, too late to pick up the laundry.

Again, Saddam’s patience has been stretched to the limit and capital punishment was on the cards. However, a long beer and a bottle of Rose did the trick and Peter and I survived our little adventure.