Friday, September 10, 2004 - Greg

Gibraltar.
Yesterday was a very long day. For me it began at 0600 when my watch started, for the others - various early hours.We'd been primarily motoring since Cascais as the wind was very light or from ahead. About the start of my watch a sea had begin to mount and various wind patterns were trying to establish themselves. The most frequent was "on the nose". Martin, on watch since 4AM, stayed up and together we attempted many sail different sail plans. Jib up, jib down, jib in, jib out, main up main down, with the jib without the jib, consider the staysail! But, for those non-sailors who read this log, there is no combination of sails that work when you want to go where the wind is comin' from........at least not in a straight line.
Around 8 AM Justin came on deck for his watch and just plain put his foot down on all the sail changes and we settled into powering against a building breeze and sea. [a geographical aside. Most of this was taking place off Cape Trafalgar-cannons long silent}
As the morning wore on we made slow (sometimes very slow) progress toward Tariff. Justin had done a calculation of the tides and currents for the Strait and the east going current (favorable to us) was scheduled to begin at 10 AM. We often found ourselves doing less than one knot through the water but luckily had a 1-1.5 Kt lift from the current. As we got closer the wind continued to increase until finally about noon we were faced with a solid 35-38 knot breeze with gusts seen to 42.9 knots. the waves were 6 feet or more, square in build, and very close together. Our very high prow was nevertheless regularly scooping up the oncoming wave. A sailboat is made to sail not motor but our options for falling off the wind to sail were limited by the shore to Port and the very active shipping lanes to Starboard. It was very frustrating going. We would build to around 2.5 knots then a series of waves would knock us back to a standstill, only the current carrying us along. At Matt's suggestion we increased the RPM of the engine from about 1650 to 2000. Though I don't like running the engine that high, it was just enough to power us through the waves and helped keep our momentum. Martin assumed control of the navigation as he had planned the route. He neatly tucked us under the Island of Tariff (the Spanish port of this gateway) and we were able to increase our speed to an occasional 5 kts. Unfortunately, we had to emerge back out into the oncoming wind and waves and were quickly back to painfully slow progress. We were now faced with the problem of the tide turning west, against us, long before we had transited the Strait. I estimated that we had two more hours of positive current with about 8 hours to run (8 miles at 1 knot) until we might veer north up into the Bay of Gibraltar. Grim.
Martin continued the con using the auto pilot remote. (I don't know if Martin knows for sure what that big round wheel in the cockpit is for). Slowly we struggled on ahead. On the electronic chart, the icon for the boat never seemed to move ahead) though the other instruments did note forward motion. Around 1 PM, the wind had occasional drops into the high 20's and in those periods, Thunderhead would quickly gain some forward speed. Slowly these periods became more frequent as the wind and the waves abated. It soon became clear that we were going to make it through before the turn of the current and a very different mood overcame the boat!
At a now easy 5-6 kts, we continued through the Strait and after turning north into the bay, the Rock emerged from the fog. What a sight!
All are well.

Wednesday, September 8, 2004 - Greg

Happy birthday Mike Swanton!
Today we finally had our first "swim call". No wind, water temp 21.8C (low 70's) sunny, warm. Last time the water was inviting enough for a swim it was in June in the Gulf Stream blowing 35 knots! We set out the ladder and tied from the stern a 30 foot line with a bowline in the end. Always leaving a man onboard we floated in phenomenally cobalt water above a depth of 800 meters. Naturally I encouraged the use of sponges on the waterline and Justin broke out his underwater camera. We took very sparing showers of hot fresh water (the crew might argue with my use of the word 'shower') and got back on track for Gibraltar.
As you might imagine, there is a huge amount of traffic coming out of Gibraltar and heading North along the Portuguese/Spanish coast. Martin (quelle geeque!) has drawn electronic lines on the chart for the likely shipping lanes and we stay 4-6 miles inside of these. The flow of huge container ships, tankers, and passenger liners is endless but they are all clearly on a path not ours. We have all become quite proficient with plotting the ships and in a few minutes either electronically or manually (the traditionalist Matt) can determine their course and speed. Now that Martin has explored (and taught) the depths of the Simrad charting system, I have come to appreciate it alot. It can do anything navigationally but it is not an intuitive system and requires learning how to make all of the features work. One other thing I'd say about Simrad is that when we had problems with software en route to Newport, they had updates sent Red Label at no cost and with few questions. Good choice, Brian!
Damn, I just looked up and the water is now 23.6 degrees (mid seventies) ...we swam too early!
Arriving in Gibraltar seems like the end of another leg. Martin will be leaving and Chris Plumb joining us. We may try to make a stop in Majorca but time is pressing and we need to get to Marseilles to get Matt back to Ireland for his return flight. We'll see how the winds blow...hopefully not the Mistral (45 knots).
Last night was Martin's night to cook. We had curried chicken, rice and chutney. It was really delicious and belied Martin's insistence that he was no chef. Nonsense, I say, those guys have it in their genes! Sometime get my bro-in-law Pierre to make you scalloped potatoes! Fantastique! Dessert was Flan with whipped cream--almost no carbs...that is good, right?
Damn, now the water is 24 degrees!
All are well.h

Tuesday, September 7, 2004 - Greg

After motoring through the night, we arrived at Cascais, Portugal at 0600. It was very dark and somewhat foggy. Orange and yellow lights of the city loomed through the patches but the navigation lights were evident (despite a color reversal in our C-map charting system) and we easily found the conveniently placed fuel dock to tie up to. After a couple more hours of sleep, the marina opened, we fueled up and received a berth in the inner harbor. The first thing I want to say is that the difference in the people's demeanor here is much improved over Galicia. Voluntary smiles, waves, they look you in the eye. Nice.
The marina is quite new (< 5 years) and is the mainstay to a large waterfront complex which includes bars, outdoor cafes, restaurants and shops both nautical and not. Two bars are named the Titanic and the Lusitania. A third is called the Iceberg! Anyway, we were soon at a sunny cafe ensconced in large cups of coffee with the first International Herald Tribune in weeks. After a quick crossword (okay, fine ...it WAS Monday's) and lunch and assurance that it was opened on Monday, we decided to go to the National Palace at Sintra about 15 Km away. We commandeered a taxi and headed out. On the way, we passed a major motorcycle raceway and the driver took us to a vantage point on a side road adjacent to it. A few people were practicing and we got to see (and hear) crazy people driving at crazy speeds, taking crazy corners healed at a 50 degree angle. As the driver said, "it makes your skin like chicken".
The main palace at Sintra (closed Mondays) is located on top of a very steep mountain about 15 Km inland from Cabo da Roca (the westernmost point of Continental Europe) It has been a royal residence since the 15th century and is surrounded by a very large overgrown park encompassing the same small mountain.
In the area are many other palaces and castles built by various members of the King's court over the centuries. The palace itself (photos to follow) is a fairytale structure with turrets, towers and minarets. The Arabian influence makes the similarity of this castle to the forts and palaces of Rajasthan striking. A second visit (not on a Monday) is a sure thing for aroundagain.org!
After leaving Sintra, we had the driver take us into Lisbon 20 Km away. Not a tourist city. The suburbs, which were once lovely rolling hills are littered with ten to twelve story monolithic apartment buildings; hundreds of them everywhere. Stack upon stack of concrete and brick apartment towers, laundry hanging from the decks. We were also struck by the modern nature of the city. Unlike Galicia (which on babelfish translates to "land of sad faces") there were huge shopping malls, industrial complexes, all scattered everywhere. No one, I mean NO one seems to have heard of city planning here. It is very sad to see this urban sprawl across quite beautiful natural landscape.
We leave this morning for either Cadiz or straight to Gibraltar.
Sorry about the delayed logs. Dan, our good webmaster and computer consultant extraordinaire seems to have take the concept of Labor Day seriously. He is getting married in October and I suppose he will want that
weekend off as well!
All are well.

Saturday, September 4, 2004 - Greg

The boom is back........in one piece.
Last night about 7:30, Alfredo Sr. arrived by car with a truck behind him. He had the boom and sail and these were quickly unloaded and transferred to the boat. He brought some friends who wanted a tour of Thunderhead so all climbed aboard and in very (very) broken Spanish, they were welcomed. One of the guests owns a "Finistere" type sloop built in 1958 in Argentine where it seems many wooden boats were built in the same era that Germany was building wooden boats for the US. after the (most reasonable) bill was paid, we presented Sr. Lagos with tee shirts for the crew, a polo shirt for Alfredo Jr. and to him, I gave my Cruising Club tie. I have probably broken some sacred rule of the club, but if ever a man deserved to wear the tie, it is he. In his office he has a well worn copy of the 1977 CCA yearbook with pages marked for the friends he has made over the years. He has stories of the passages made with them and races against them. He said that he was going to a large formal gathering of yacht designers in London later in the Fall and asked if he could wear the tie. I told him yes and just said to say that it was from a most grateful friend. I may have mentioned this before but his boatyard was actually closed for this entire period. He re-opened and gathered his workers from vacation to repair Thunderhead's boom. Muchos Gracias, Amigo!
I am currently sitting in an outdoor cafe across from the Yacht Club I look across and see the crew bending on the main. We are provisioned, fueled, watered and all are looking forward to sailing again........with a mainsail! If you follow Euro weather you could guess that we are about to put to sea again. The wind which has been 12-18 from the north (favorable) for the last two weeks is now weakening and turning southeasterly(unfavorable). But we don't really care. We will be headed south for Cascais (Portugal) and hope to make a quick side trip into nearby Lisbon.
The crew has been terrific about the delay. They were promised a month of sailing but instead got a combination of motoring and dockside living. In many respects it has been good because Matt and Justin got to see alot more than just the coast of Spain and though Martin will need to leave at Gibraltar, sailing to that port was his goal so everyone seems happy about the unplanned layover.
To celebrate our repaired boom and last night in Spain, we had a drink at the yacht club bar and then walked up to the "Paradores" for a very elegant dinner. We amused the locals with our nautical dress, and though Martin scratched like a dog in a flea collar in his KYC tie, and Justin reveled in his green "Brasso" fingernails, we did look pretty spiffy. After getting back to the boat, Matt "snuck out" and went back to climb the Yacht Club flag pole. Actually I don't know anything about this but as long as he was wearing a tie, I really don't care.
And finally, Congratulations to my friend Vinod Tiwari from Kolkata, India on passing his examinations to complete his second year of college. Well Done, mera mitr! Jai Hanuman!
All are well.

Friday, September 3, 2004 - Greg

The boom is scheduled to arrive tonight from Vigo. If not tonight, tomorrow morning. But in anycase, we will leave tomorrow around noon and continue South.
Bayona and NW Spain (Galicia) has been a wonderful spot to be stuck in. The offshore islands, interesting ports and tourist destinations, beautiful mountainous scenery, easy convenient, clean transportation. But here is the rub---the people are just not friendly. Everyone looks very morose. Rarely does a person here smile. The people on the street or the docks walking toward you will stare straight ahead for hundreds of yards rather than make eye contact. The service workers, supermarket checkers, ice cream servers. None of them will smile. They say "Gracias" after the purchase but that is all. So naturally it has become great sport for us to greet 'everyone' with big smiles and "ola". They clearly do not appreciate our efforts but we get some begrudging "ola's" back. People on boats do not wave- even thought they are staring right at you or the boat. Though the fisherman in their little boats are friendly and will more often than not wave or acknowledge a greeting. Even Matt, who'd not say a bad word about someone if you held a gun to his head has finally admitted that in fact, these people are just plain cold and distant.
Aside from that we've been having a wonderful time here. We've gotten used to the bizarre hours, have found stores which are open on our schedule and survived well.
Today we went for a walk on the upper ramparts of the old fort above the yacht club. Inside is the "Parador", a multi-star hotel where we will have dinner tonight. The walk is absolutely spectacular. If you are ever in Northern Spain, a trip to Bayona is worth it just for this twenty minute walk. The views on this 360 deg perambulation include the bay, the city and out to sea where the Islas de Cies pitch high and steep out of the
surrounding ocean. Simply breathtaking.
On the domestic front, night time movies at the Cinema Thunderhead have become the evening pastime. We are currently watching the "Horatio Hornblower" series. They are decidedly anti-Spanish and anti-French in tone so in deference to Martin, we made sure that last nights drama was ..........well, anti-Spanish!
I have been making large salads for meals once a day for the last few days. Restaurant meals here consist mostly of meat, fish, meat, fish.....and French fries. We have all tired of this twice a day. This morning when Matt and I were out shopping for vegetables, we saw this lady sitting at a table in front of a fish market. On the table were huge suitcase sized brown mounds. On closer inspection, they turned out to be enormous loaves(?) of bread. There were easily 2 feet, 1 foot by 8 inches high. As we were staring ,trying to figure out what it was, the little old lady whipped out a knife and cut us a slice to sample, then a second from a loaf that included nuts and fruits. It was still warm. (And from the mass involved, will be for weeks!). Molasses, corn meal, flour, nuts, raisins.....we bought a small chunk and served it with the salad. I was afraid that we hadn't bought enough but we barely go through a third of it.....one small slice weighs about a kilo--I swear. And I want to add that contrary to my above gross generalization of all Spanish people as cold and distant, she was warm, friendly, and smiled a lot. Matt had just bought a small bunch of flowers for the boat and as we went by her on out return trip, he gave her one. Made her day...she made ours!
I just talked with Alfredo. The boom is coming in an hour. He said that there are a few fittings left over! Actually just a few fairleads which he doesn't know where to place. But we have Matt! It will be great to see Thunderhead together again! BTW, and since I figure that you are all dying to know...............Alfredo brought me the bill last night..........very reasonable, less than I had expected. The King and Franco have done very well here I think!
All are well.

Wednesday, September 1, 2004 - Greg

As it is the first of September, I have offered Justin the opportunity to return to Hobart in time to begin the Fall semester. He expresses no interest in my offer. In fact he has been in email contact with some of his friends there who have had their first day of classes.....much to Justin's delight!
This morning for lack of anything better to do we began polishing the 6 dorades on the boat. It has been many years since they were polished...and for good reason. But we are making progress and will try to keep them up through the regattas in France. See photos soon to be uploaded.
Last night we rebelled against the 10 PM dinner hour and sent out for pizza. This was eaten while we watched a movie on the lap top-The Triplets of Belleville- which is highly recommended.......the pizza is not. It is great fun to watch movies aboard. The saloon is set up well for 4 people to stretch-out and a small set of speakers is added to the lap top for better sound. I remember how W.F. Buckley had a complete set of Upstairs Downstairs on his Atlantic crossing in the early '70's (around). This was prior to wide-spread video tape availability and just a remarkable feat. Now Thunderhead has a DVD library and two screens!
Lunch today was at a nearby cafe. Justin, who is always a very experimental eater ordered Pig's ear sautéed in olive oil and paprika. Unfortunately when it arrived at the table it looked quite like pig's ear. Justin ate it (except for the hairy parts) and Martin tried some as well (French--naturally he tried it). Matt and I did our best to not change to a different table during the course.
We are determined to leave on Saturday. A quick look at our forthcoming schedule shows that we have about 1200 miles to Marseilles and Martin needs to get back to school and Matt needs to get back to Ireland by the 20th. This two week lay over has made the next leg daunting but not undoable. Stay tuned
All are well.

Tuesday, August 31, 2004 - Greg

Bayonna
Just prior to the last entry we had been lured into the wrong marina by a nefarious Spanish fellow in a rubber dinghy. I realized my mistake about a nano-second after I'd agreed to his offer and moments after tying up, Justin and I headed off to find the yacht club to make a reservation for the following day.
..........and what a yacht club we found............The Monte Real Club de Yates is situated under the crenellated walls referred to earlier and actually occupies one of the star points of the old embattlement. The club house is recent, build of stone with the usual red tiled roof. The inside is heavily varnished, leathered and decorated with half models of famous MRCY yachts. This has been the sponsoring club for the previous America's Cup Challenges from Spain. Needless to say this would do just fine .......reservations were made for early the next morning.
We moved over at 10 AM and last night we had dinner on the porch of the club house overlooking the harbor (view beats food). Behind the bar are a swath of Burgees from around the world. Though mostly Europe, there are NYYC, CCA, and others we recognize from our sail in Ireland. They now have a KYC burgee from Blue Hill and it is supposed to be hung by tonight.
Yesterday Justin and I took the bus over to Vigo to check on progress with the boom. We found Alfredo Jr and a carpenter doing the initial shaping of the new section. The boom is now back in one piece but that big square section is the middle is a bit disconcerting. The real wood wizard was due in the afternoon ....to make it round again! I have a great deal of faith in the quality of the work I am seeing. Naturally things didn't go as quickly as expected but the plan now is to deliver the boom to Bayonna on Friday or Saturday morning this week. If all works out we well be at sea again by Saturday night.
One correction from earlier log. Columbus did not return to Bayonna but the PINTA under Captain Pinzon did. There are references to this event all over town and 50 yards from our slip is where the replica of the PINTA rests.........when it is in town (currently not!)
Many new pictures are now up on the site..........with more on the way.
Justin is hanging out plotting our next leg on the nav computer, Matt and Martin have found a place to rent kayaks and I'm sitting here doing email and listening to La Boheme.
All are well

Sunday, August 29, 2004 - Greg

After a wonderful overnight (though a bit wavey) at Islas de Ons yesterday we motored down to the next set of offshore islands the Islas de Cies. This small archipelago is made up of Islas de Norte, Islas de Faro (lighthouse) and Islas de San Martin. This group of Islands are a National Park, much more precipitous and barren than Islas de Ons. The first two are joined by a sand bar and an old rock dam making a wonderful tidal lagoon in between. This morning Matt, Justin and I rowed ashore and climbed an easy path (many switchbacks) up to the Faro The views from this pinnacle (185 meters) were spectacular. I will upload some photos later though I doubt it will do the scenery proper justice. And though it was geologically more dramatic than Islas de Ons, as a National Park, Islas de Cies is more populated, regulated and used. Islas de Ons had a remarkably pastoral quality to it; random small homesteads, barely trodden paths, naked swimmers....wonderful.
After lunch we got under weigh toward Bayonna. This is where Columbus made his first landfall after discovering that the Norse (and probably the Irish) had already beat him to the New World. The Santa Maria was built in Pontevedra just next to Vigo where we are heading. Bayonna has a UNESCO designation as a Picturesque and Historic City and on first glance, that would seem to be the case. The small protective peninsula adjacent to the anchorage is mounted with crenellated towers and walls. The main avenue along the port seems to have small shops and hotels. It could be a nice place to stay for a few days whilst waiting on the boom.
After we came around the breakwater at the entrance to the harbor in Bayonna a man in a rubber duck (small inflatable launch) approached us at a very high rate of speed and inquired if we wanted the marina. Without thinking and grateful for some help I said yes and he lead us to a space on the outside of the "pontoons". The berth is fine but what we wanted was the yacht club and I now understand why he came out so rapidly to help us. Anyway, we will remain here for one night and go by foot to the yacht club to inquire about a slip there for a couple of nights.
As you can read from our locations and adventures, we were very fortunate to be "stuck" in this part of Spain while we wait for our repairs. Vigo, where the boat yard is located is in the next bay north but really just over the hill and easily reachable by taxi or train. The crew is happy especially for tonight's hot showers and restaurant and all else on the boat is functioning as per spec!
All are well.

Saturday, August 28, 2004 - Martin

Bonjour tout le monde. Nous y voila enfin, le premier log en français qui fera des heureux, pour ceux qui comprennent le français, et pour les autres, ils devront utiliser un dictionnaire. Je tiens tout de meme a signaler que je n'est pas accès a un correcteur d'orthographe ni de grammaire et donc il se pourrait que ce log soit honteusement rempli de fautes !!!! (Je m'en escuse d'avance).
Nous attendons toujours aux alentours de Vigo afin de récupérer notre bomme qui nous permettra de poursuivre notre trip vers Marseille, France.
Hier soir nous avons encore eu le droit à un superbe repas soigneusement préparé par le meilleur cuistot du bord, Justin. Puis ce matin, après le footing journalier de Justin et la ballade sur l'île de Matt et moi-même, nous avons appareiller pour une autre île situer a environs cinq miles au sud de Ons.
L'île de Cies est une réserve naturelle, vu de bateau elle parait très belle avec des plages de sables blanc mais seul Matt a eu le temps d'y mettre un pied car il est la seule personne a bord, capable de rester plus de une minute dans cette eau a moins de 18 degrés Celsius.
Bon je crois qu'il est temps de laisser la parole a Greg car je crois qu'il veut rajouter quelques choses.

Friday, August 27, 2004 - Greg

We left Villagarcia this morning after filling our fuel and water tanks and headed out to Islas de Ons just southwest of the Ria Arousa where Villagarcia is located. We had planned to stop here for lunch and then continue on to Sangenjo to a marina there. But the anchor was hardly down before all of us expressed our desire to stay here for the night. We are anchored off a beach(...........yes a nude beach) and are protected from the NW winds. Weather report calls for North and Northwest winds for a few days so we should be fine here. Martin has sussed out the anchor alarm on the chart plotter so if we drag in the night a very painful whistle will alert Matt, Martin, and Justin that they need to quietly get up and re-anchor(......in my dreams!)
Justin and I rowed ashore and after I dragged him away from the beach, had a fine walk up to the lighthouse in the center of the island then down and around a tiny port before returning to Thunderhead. The island has no cars and most of the roads are just paths. The views up and down this mountainous coastline are really beautiful. The island is very unspoiled and there is just one small commercial area where small ferries land bringing day trippers and campers. There are one or two restaurants, a church, and not much else. A great antidote to our last few days in an urban marina.
Late last night I got an email from Alfredo Jr who said that the boom was glued up but advised against unclamping it for 48 hours. They will resume work on Monday. This is a little slower than I had wanted but when I consider some of my imagined scenarios for the repair, we have nothing to complain about. In the meantime there are more islands to visit and Bayonna is also just south of here.....close enough to visit and return to Vigo to get the boom.
I have uploaded a few pictures which should be on the website soon........and why yes, of course it includes a photo of the beach!
For those following our gustatorial endeavours, Justin has baked biscuits and elegantly doctored some red sauce for a spaghetti dinner. We have set up the table in the cockpit and if the damned sun would ever set, we'll have a fine candle light meal aboard.
All are well.

Thursday, August 26, 2004 - Greg

Today we all boarded the train and headed for La Coruna. It is the large town we were headed for when the boom broke....so we decided to see it by land. La Coruna is a large port city near the tip of the Spanish coast which forms the southern border of the Bay of Biscay. Its most remarkable landmark is a tower and light house in operation since Roman times. The tower has been rebuilt many times with the most recent 1790. It sits high on a bluff and we were able to climb to an observation deck near the top. The bluff is part of in an incredible urban park which encompasses hundreds of acres of bold craggy shoreline. A strong northerly wind was causing a 6-10 foot swell on shore and the wave action against the rocks was breathtaking. We walked the perimeter of the park and after 4-5 miles ended up in the port itself. The port is not as busy as what we saw in Vigo yesterday but there is a large fishing fleet and two marinas with large yachts tied up. Again, I'm very happy that we ended up in Villagarcia and in communication with the Lagos family.
We head out tomorrow with our jibs and engine and plan to visit a nearby island then on to a marina in the River Vigo.
We are supposed to get a report on the boom tonight by email but so far.....nada!
All are well.

Wednesday, August 25, 2004 (Part II) - Greg

Well today is also Matt's father's birthday. Happy Birthday Mr. Rooney.
Today Justin and Martin were ordered to go to Santiago de Compostela-for the good of their souls! They took a train this morning and spent the day there.....Now their reaction was just as one expect from a 19 and 20 year old.........but let me tell you that when Matt and I returned to the boat at 7 PM, the boys had, without orders (not so much as a hint!), polished the large and very tarnished binnacle to a brilliant shine.....If you ask me SOMETHING happened at that shrine in Santiago!
While the boys were off on their pilgrimage, Matt and I took the train south to Vigo to make a visit to the boatyard Astilleros Lagos (www.astilleroslagos.com). Alfredo greeted us at the gate and I was VERY happy to find him and three other workers busily at work on Thunderhead's boom. The bad sections had been removed, the interior filled and a long (8 ish feet) scarf was being prepared. Four layers of spruce are being laminated and will be fit tomorrow. The bent track was sent out for repair and all the pieces removed from the boom to do the job are neatly stacked and labeled. We got a great tour of the yard which is a small wooden boat building establishment nested into a waterfront lot next to very large ship builders (small cruise ship on the ways) and massive containership operations. Vigo is a very large port with lots of major shipping and fishing. Alfredo said that it is the largest fishing port in the world...and I don't doubt it. The yard itself is a couple of very large wooden structures, dirt floors, three railways. It reminded me ALOT of Rumery's. We saw pictures of past work and a current rebuild of a Swedish 6 meter . Beautiful work. I'm just amazed at the good luck of finding this place. There are hedging on the delivery date of Monday but I expected that so we will see more of Galicia (this northwest corner of Spain)
All are well.

Wednesday, August 25, 2004 - Greg

Happy Birthday brother Bob!
rcarroll@sacoriver.net

Tuesday, August 24, 2004 - Greg

The dock master in Kinsale told me that ships and men rot in port. So rather than rot here in Villagarcia, this morning I took a train up to Santiago de Compostela. This is a very old pilgrimage site just southeast of La Coruna. It is believed that the apostle James (Jacques) visited the site in the first century when it was a Roman encampment. In the 8th or 9th Century his body was discovered (uh-huh!) and since that time has been a major pilgrimage site for Christians. The main church is a huge 18th century Baroque (this is Spain---is that redundant?) basilica replacing a series of churches built here over the centuries. The locale around the church is wonderfully preserved with small streets, no vehicles, and a pleasant mix of tourist shops, cafes, and restaurants. The overwhelming percentage of people here on pilgrimage was amazing. These folks are easily recognized by walking sticks and bearing the pilgrimage symbols of a scallop shell (Coquilles St. Jacques anyone?) and a double headed gourd. They are also identifiable by matching tee shirts identifying their cause or group------my god, they are worse than yachtsmen!
When I arrived at the Basilica, there was a line into the church ---so I joined it. It is warm and sunny here so it was pleasant to just walk along and enjoy the scene. It was also fun to watch the nuns cutting in line further on ahead. Anyway, when I got it to the church I realized that I'd been in line to attend the very high service performed by a bishop with many (many) attendants, singing nuns, organ music etc. I thought that I had noticed black clouds (thunderheads, actually) gathering on the horizon as I approached the front door so I quickly scooted thru the crowd and found myself at the Museum. Fair collection of tapestries, books, bits of stone carvings and other stuff. The Vatican museum it was not..... but a few pieces of metal/jewel work were definitely worth the price of admission. Chalices, Monstrances, cruets etc with phenomenal numbers and sizes of diamonds, emeralds and sapphires. You know, the usual stuff used to help elevate the poor and forgotten.
The train was wonderful. Clean, smooth, frequent. I lapsed, as usual, into my thoughts of how the US missed it in letting train travel disappear. But yes, I know the reasons and we ARE way too big and hurried to ride 'em. And as newer faster, bigger roads are built in Spain and elsewhere car travel will increase and ridership drop off here too.
Spanish time: For those of you who have traveled here, you know what I'm about to say..............Stores open at 10 AM................close around Noon..........open at 4-5 PM and close around 7 PM-------everyone of them on a different schedule. Restaurants open for dinner at 10 PM----------yes that is OPEN! Trying to shop, eat and sleep here is very difficult. I suppose that a siesta would be a very nice option in life but if it isn't built into
the system....(and it isn't yet on the Thunderhead daily schedule) it is most inconvenient. One more Tapas at 8 PM and I'll scream!
All are well.

Monday, August 23, 2004 - Greg

At 0830 this morning, I headed out to find a willing soul to repair the boom. I first went to the local boatyard where not a scrap of wood shaving was to be found. The manager was pleasant however, and said he would be down to inspect the "botabara fractunado" (broken boom). I then called the recommended boatyard in Vigo 30 km away. The owner answered and spoke English.....definitely a plus! I told him the problem and asked him if he would come to Villagarcia to inspect it. He asked me what group I was with and thinking that he wanted to know where I lived, I tried to explain the relationship between New York/ Boston and Maine. No, he was insistent. What group did I belong to? I finally said as slowly and clearly as possible ...the Cruising Club of America. Oh, He replied...the CCA! I immediately knew that I would be on the right track. I must say though that the next sound I thought that I heard was the Spanish equivalent of "Ker..ching" on the other end of the phone!
Alfredo Lagos and his son Alfredo Jr appeared about an hour later and boarded to inspect the boom. I showed him a copy of "The Perfect Yacht" by Arthur Beiser. It features a small article on Thunderhead with pictures from the Sixties. I wanted him to understand the historical importance of the repair he was about to undertake....but I needn't have bothered. The son told me that he had visited Rockport Marine a few years ago and though he had not been to Brooklin, asked about Joel White. He said that for them, that area of Maine was the "Mecca" of boatbuilding. You cannot imagine my relief and joy at finding people like this family to repair Thunderhead. We soon got to the part about the cost and Alfredo Sr. said that he would not quote a price but would charge me 25 Euros per hour for the work. He said that they were an expensive yard but reassured me that he had done work for both Franco and the King of Spain and he never charged anyone an unfair price......................So let's see....I'll be getting the same price as Franco and the King of Spain...........yes, now that IS reassuring!
Anyway we are aiming to get the boom done in a week. That'll never happen but at least we are not talking about 6 weeks and I'm quite confident that the work will be done right. I am feeling very very fortunate right now.
We told Alfredo that we planned to sail around the area for a few days and arrive in Vigo later in the week. He made some recommendations for places to visit including a nudist beach on the north end of the Bay where we now are moored. He mentioned nudist beach more then once and then confided to me in a collegial sort of tone that for old people it was quite rejuvenating.............thanks, Alfredo!
All are well........and the boom soon will be as well!

Sunday, August 22, 2004 - Greg

SPAIN
Late last night we spotted the first headlights off the coast of Spain as well as the urban glow from La Coruna where we decided not to go. Martin continued with his computer wizardry as we sailed down the coast inboard of the traffic lanes. Yesterday's magic was new color templates for evening viewing which are magnifique! We are now all plotting our targets on the electronic charts, determining course bearing and likely collisions with ease. We now have the auto pilot connected to the plotter and it will steer the boat over a series of way points. I think that we have a "geeque" on board!
Making landfall on Spain was an amazing event for both Justin and myself. Even though it was only a 551 mile passage, it seemed that we had made another enormous journey. Justin described it best....as if Ireland were
only a half way point; Like a destination just Northeast of Newfoundland......whereas Spain seems remarkably foreign and it feels for the first time like Thunderhead is VERY far from home. Around noon we made it to Villagarcia which is up the Arosa River. We motored our way through the breakwater into a marina of very small boats and tiny slips.........I hate that part! Anyway, an official looking fellow soon appeared on a dock and signaled us into a very accessible (though tiny) slip. We were soon tied off.....at least the pointy end ..........and can stay here as long as we want. It will be easy to get fuel from here and to make our exit.
So, in case you had forgotten, they speak Spanish here! Lots of it! And we have no Spanish speakers aboard (though I think that Martin is holding out on this on.) But the damnedest thing happened to me as I tried to converse with the dock master. (yes , I did speak English louder, hoping that would help) but all of a sudden I remembered French words for all kinds of things....and I don't speak French.....and neither did the dock master................I think that one of my attractions to India is that English is very common there.
Aboard Matt and Justin are ably filling the slots of Dr. Abeking and Mr. Rasmussen and the Vicar respectively. Justin's culinary skills are increasing exponentially. Last night we had seared pork chops with roasted vegetable and hot garlic bread. The night before was sautéed chicken with pesto pasta and green salad. And Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream served at the 10 PM watch was a whole new culinary treat aboard any boat I've owned!...............and one to be repeated! Matt has become invaluable in maintaining the mechanical end of the boat and his perseverance and thoroughness are a gift. Today he had a major score in the water pressure system. I may have written about it on the transit. We had major problems with the pressure system and with losing water. We were forced ultimately to shut off the system and get out water manually. It worked fine and may actually be a better solution for water conservation over a long passage but the problem was maddening. Dr A. and Mr. R had the entire starboard side interior ripped apart twice looking for the problem with no result. We experienced the problem again on this passage from Ireland and this afternoon while refilling and washing the decks, Matt discovered a faulty pressure relief valve on the hot water tank spilling much fresh water into the bilge.It appears to be only needing a good cleaning. I'll report back.
We had a visitor soon after we arrived here in the marina who has recommended a boat builder in Vigo (just south) who may have the skills to repair the boom. I'll report back on that too.
It is nice to get your emails again and to know you're continuing to follow. You read, we'll write.
All are well.

Saturday, August 21, 2004 - Justin

A summary of Ireland.
Our first sight of Ireland was a flashing light in the distance calling to this group of wanderers calling us in whispering of a beautiful, rugged coast which would provide a safe anchorage, fresh food, and a place to clean the boat and ourselves after a long trip. As the sun rose on the 20th morning of our crossing we saw for the first time Fastnet Rock a rock rising from the water screaming it's defiance of the ocean and whatever weather came it's way. Upon this rock was a lighthouse and station which was the beacon welcoming us to Europe and which made the rock look even more like a fortress in constant battle with the elements. This rock was a wonderful sight for this roving band but at the same time a signal that all good things, and all good journeys, must come to an end.
Kinsale became a special spot for Greg and I. It is a wonderful town filled with history dating back to the bronze age, a church that was three hundred years old when Columbus discovered the new world and two forts, protecting the mouth of this wonderful natural harbor, from the time English took control of Ireland. The marina and our favorite restaurant, The Little Skillet, carry many memories with them including the departure of Peter, Brian, and Jamie. This departure was a harsh return to the world carrying on around us as five men who had just finished a journey they would always remember, and always remember each other as a wonderful part of. Another memory which we associate with the marina include the arrival of Jesse and Chris who both kept out Irish Cruise fun, exciting, and informative. In The Little Skillet we had a wonderful dinner with Janet, David, and Nicola on our last evening in Ireland. Kinsale became a kind of a coming home for Greg and I each time we returned and it seems only fitting that it is where we spent our first and last nights in Ireland.
The Irish Cruise celebrating the seventy fifth anniversary of the Irish Cruising Club was an enormous, and amazingly well run event. Everyone we meet at the different events, from the extravagant dinner in Cork to the not quite as edible barbeque in Schull, were friendly and interesting helping to turn a potentially overwhelming sea of people into a great place to be. The scenery along the south western coast of Ireland is incredible. With a climate similar to that of Oregon or Washington state all you had to do was throw a jacket on and you were ready to go, and if you did not like the weather right then just wait ten minutes. The coastline was a combination of the landscape from The Lord of the Rings movies and an exaggerated version of the coast of Maine blended together and aged perfectly by countless generations of farming and castles. Traveling up Bantry Bay to spend a night in Glengariff made us expect to see Leprechauns and other fairy tale creatures. The hills around Glengariff looked as though they were an overgrown pile of bricks left by giants. Or was it a covered over city filled with Leprechauns, Fairies, and Dwarfs?
Being left in the Crosshaven Boat Yard was a very new experience for me. It was the first time I had been left on my own with the charge of seeing a list of work done on the boat. My days were filled with checking when the different jobs would be done or where Joe is, who said he would be here to do one of the jobs, and then cleaning up after the workmen had been aboard. During my free time there I learned my way around Crosshaven, which makes Blue Hill look well .... very big.
I spent one of the weeks the boat was in the boatyard traveling around Ireland with my sister, Stephanie, and my aunt, Caroline. This was an opportunity for me to see more land based section of Ireland. On our travels we learned about the Butler family in Kilkenny by touring the castle there, visited the Black Abbey, drove some of the smallest roads we could find on the Ring of Kerry, walked along the Cliffs of Moher, saw Galway by night with the help of some of Stephanie's friends, explored a bronze age fort on the Aran Islands, and had a traditional Irish dinner in a castle.
We have now left Ireland and are on our way to start exploring mainland Europe. I will always remember Ireland for the friendly people and amazing scenery. May the luck of the Irish be with you always

Saturday, August 21, 2004 - Greg

We are presently N of Cape Finistere and headed south. Sunny, warm, calm rolling seas. In about 24 hours we should be near Villagarcia where we plan to go for repairs. We have been sailing with the jib, staysail and we rigged the storm trysail which works well at a beam reach or better but not to windward. Unfortunately, the weather "tea leaves" call for head winds for the next 24 hours. We have a reasonable amount of fuel and with some sailing should be able to make it.
On Board: We have been joined by Matt and Martin in Ireland and the team is working well. Martin had one look at the navigation system and nothing has been heard from him since. In three hours the first day he had checked out (and had working) every possible system, accessory, routine, sub-routine and device on the system. It was unbelievable to watch. From never having seen the system to having a complete comprehension in a couple of hours was amazing. We had 20 days to figure it out and had only about a third of the capacity functioning. Les Jeunes!
We have been traveling in shipping lanes for a day or two and last night we were fast into the southbound lane for ships coming out of the English channel and heading around Cape Finistere. I got up about 5:45 to start my watch at 0600. I looked at the radar at the nav station outside my berth and saw the screen littered with yellow targets. There were 8 ships all around us (and down from 10 ships minutes earlier). In the cockpit I found Martin as happy as can be navigating with all kinds of radar systems I'd never seen; plotting ships on the chart, determining course and bearing, two radar screens up with four live bearing and range markers --a master!................So listen to this.............Martin would someday like to be an air traffic controller (really, no joke!). If he does become one, we can all feel very comfortable flying into Marseilles.
As I mentioned earlier, the yard work in Ireland was a bust. Half never done and half done poorly. It was a great disappointment. I'd thought about returning to Ireland next May but it surely will not be to that boatyard. One positive note though. I had been a little unhappy (ok- it was Harris who was unhappy) with the cut of our new mainsail. It was quite baggy and didn't trim very well. I talked to Win Fowler about it and he called the sailmaker in Ireland with instructions for a re-cut to his specs. The recur worked very well (that doesn't always happen) and Win picked up the charges. Thanks Maine Sailing Partners. The sail looks and trims well.............now we just need a boom to put it up with.
Another Irish high point was meeting up with my English cousin Janet Carroll Morris and her two children David and Nicola. I'd not seen them for six or seven years and it was great to reconnect. David and Nicola sailed with us from Crosshaven to Kinsale and Janet went shopping for us (thanks again!). When we get settled down, I'll upload some pictures.
A note from shore.......Our frequent correspondent Peter Lindsay Sr. stove up his arm in a golf cart incident....we hope it doesn't keep him from typing.......we are in need of more Monica Lewinsky type jokes.
All are well.

Friday, August 20, 2004 - Greg

We are off the Bay of Biscay headed for Spain.
Fifty miles out from Ireland, our boom broke in two. No one was hurt. No other rigging or sails ripped. It broke at the preventer strap and at no particular occasion. No sudden gust or wave, though there was plenty of both at the time. My first thought was to head back to Ireland but the yard experience there was horrendous. (A whole log on that later!). Also, if we are held up for a while by this (which we will surely be) at least we can be in a new area........and We'll get to see the Guggenheim Museum in Balboa!
We changed our destination from La Coruna to Villagarcia because of (apparent) better boat facilities. It is a hollow boom and I'm hoping that a graft in the middle will do the trick.
Weather is turning warmer, water bluer and warmer. Packs of dolphins off Ireland, two whale spottings; one right off Old Head of Kinsale---sorry Christopher!
On a Starboard tack in a sea---impossible typing....more to follow.
All are well----common colds aside.

Sunday, August 15, 2004 - Greg

Oh, give me again the rovers life-the joy, the thrill, the whirl! Let me feel thee again old sea! let me leap into thy saddle once more. I am sick of these terra firma toils and cares; sick of the dust and the reek of towns.....

Herman Melville
WHITE JACKET
1850