Sundowner II log – 2005 update 12 – Portimao to Ilha da Culatra

Well here we are, 6 months later, at anchor having left Portimao a week ago. Our first port of call was Albufeira 20 miles along the coast. The island of Culatra, 25 miles further on, too far with it’s tidal entry and it being our first trip of any length for a while. As usual the boat was tidied and prepared in the morning of departure and we left at 2pm. Some but little work had been done on the boat in the previous 6 months (windows €1000 all but one still under the bed, depth sounder €70 still in box, anodes €60 still in boxes, anti-foul €180 still in tins, brand new 85 watt solar panel €600 still in box, alternator regulator €100 still in box, new oars €zero still not carved yet from old ones, bimini sun cover €40 still incomplete in bag, new staysail for windward sailing – can’t afford one ….). The day before Karl had dived and removed the ecosystem from the keel and rudders which was quite awesome and should have been filmed for a BBC2 nature documentary. Bart phoned us from the terrace of his Bar a bit worried as we were heading in the wrong direction, just missing a surfaced submarine and pulling down our main sail - which we didn’t need as the smooth hulls and following wind enabled us to sail all the way averaging 5 knots under genoa alone (front sail). Karl, Julie and Buddy were there to take our lines having left earlier. Albufeira Marina is new and quiet and the town, although a tourist hot spot, very nice. So it was up early to make the tide at Faro. Status Quo left while I soaked up the litres of hydraulic oil in the engine bed with nappies, again it had spurted out of the tank when the engine was started after sailing yesterday, I didn’t re-fill any more (as it shouldn’t happen same as the oil leak from fuel pump has never been heard of – we have unique gremlins!) We motored the 5 hours only getting some wind when we arrived and entered the marked channel, getting speeds of 8/9 knots over ground with the motor wind and tide combined. It seems best to enter drying harbours/rivers etc just after low tide and then you can see the channels and dried out areas and if you get stuck you float off again shortly. We phoned the twins who were now tucking up for the night in Albufeira, just as well really as the daughter would not have like the conditions here with 30 knot winds over tide creating very large choppy waves. So much for a bob beach party (twins are new bob members).

Woke up at 6 full moon on one horizon and dawn rising upon the other. Managed to inflate the dingy in the peace and quiet and row ashore (still only one paddle). What an unusual place Culatra is, a small fishing village on a sand bar opposite Faro and Olhao, there is even a small drying inlet full of catamarans and trimarans with generations of families aboard – wacky. First of all though found a café bar that has a TV and Utd are on Sport TV re-played tonight. Twins arrived in the afternoon on the big wind, shame they couldn’t get off the boat due to the rocky conditions, it did settle later in the evening so me and Sandra went ashore only to find that Benfica were playing and all the bars were full of part time supporters not bothering to travel the couple of kilometres where the game was being held outside Faro. By all accounts one of the best goals ever was scored at Old Trafford – typical! So it’s back to the twins boat to help reduce their wine stock!

By the way it’s hot!