Pavoa - Aveiro - Figueria da Foz - Nazara

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Pavoa de Vazim - Aveiro - Figueiro da Foz - Nazare

This blog takes in about 150 miles of the Portuguese Atlantic Coast, incorporating the departure from Pavoa de Vazim heading for Aveiro, Figueiro da Foz and Nazare, all of which we sailed in company with A Small Nest. The reason we did this part of the coast this way was primarily due to the spring tides and the times they are occurring at the moment. Our pilotage books indicated we needed to be able to enter Figueiro da Foz at or just before high tide and to go from Pavoa direct to Figueiro to catch that tide meant a 4.00am start, a time that neither we nor the Stellermans were at all interested in. The other option of course was to stop off at Aveiro and whilst we needed to make the tide there, it was only 50 odd miles down the coast and suited our plans much better.

We left Pavoa on the 6th of September and avoided the bottom of the tide which may have seen us catching the mud for a while. We were able to catch up with Dave and Jo before we left. Jo was heading back to Wales that afternoon as her Pa was critically ill and the family had been called home. This was a very sad time for Jo and our thoughts were with her but she is a very positive person and she was very excited for us to see us heading out, and we hope that we are able to see her and Dave a bit further down the coast after they head off from Pavoa in a couple of weeks time.

This was the first time that A Small Nest had sailed in company with anyone and the kids were really looking forward to it as we were as well as this is, by far, our most preferred way of travelling. It is just a really great feeling being out at sea enjoying the moment and seeing friends doing the same and then later one, having a beer and talking about the day and the experience we were all able to share. Being this close to the coast, it is not a safety factor that we sail together, its like anything that friends enjoy doing together.

We motor sailed for most of the morning, through to the early afternoon with beautiful weather, relatively calm seas but unfortunately not much wind. At this time of the year, most, if not all of the wind comes from the north but fortunately, so does the prevailing swell. The weather patterns have been that the winds are very light during most of the day and then they start to fill in about mid afternoon. Our boat just loves wind from about 120 degrees apparent and once the apparent wind speed at that wind angle reaches about 8 knots, the motor goes off and we go sailing. Under those wind speeds, we can still sail but with our small headsail, for me it is just far too slow and when you have to make some where to catch the tides, we don’t muck around, the engine comes on and we make way.

The other side of the coin of course is that when the winds do fill, the boat just takes off and it is just fantastic. The Stellermans have a gennaker on their boat and it has been really interesting watching the difference in speed she makes when the gennaker goes up. I am sure that the addition of that type of sail would adjust our slow speeds in light winds from the stern problem. Each boat took heaps of photos as we made our way south. Flor, the youngest member of their crew absolutely loves being on the helm and for someone so young and still quite small he handles their big cruising boat brilliantly. I am sure that he has salt water in his veins and that one day he will be a world famous yachtsman.

We dropped our sails near the entrance to the Aveiro Ria and prepared ourselves to side step our way through the incredible number of small private fishing boats that were littered all around the mouth of the Ria. Not only where there heaps of fishing boats but there seemed like hundreds of people were lining the breakwalls fishing away like made.

We were about an hour or so before high tide so with the tide flooding, it was a bit like being on a travelator with the engine just ticking over and us making 9.2 knots over the ground!! There were two options of staying in this Ria, one was an anchorage in a bay about a mile inside the Ria and the other was a few miles further inland. Some Aussies we met in La Coruna had told us about being able to tie up to a ‘rickety old pontoon’ or a possible option of tying up near the yacht club but overhead electrical cables might prevent us from reaching that.

We motored past the anchorage and kept going up the river, passing huge abandoned Portuguese and Russian fishing trawlers who were obviously never, ever going to sea again. It was simply a ship graveyard and a very sad sight to see. We made it to the overhead cables and it was obvious we were going no further so we turned around and went back about 500 metres to the ‘rickety old pontoon’ and tied up there. While there was electricity and water on the pontoon, it was obvious that it was more for private use so we didn’t abuse our privilege of being there and maintained our own power and water source.

We headed over to a Small Nest and relived the day over a few drinks and it was obvious everyone had a brilliant day and was loving the experience. We thought about heading into the town of Aveiro the next day but the thought of leaving the boats where we were which was a pretty desolate area was not all that appealing so we decided to move further south to Figueiro the next morning. A nice meal of lasagne and a couple of glasses of red and all was good on both yachts.

The next morning was fog bound and as we were leaving on the half tide, we were not sure what the conditions at the harbour mouth were going to be like. We were in front as we left the fog started to thicken and by the time we were about half a mile from the harbour it really closed in big time. Debs and Luke were in their usual position on the bow as look outs and for the first time, we got our fog horn assembled and Nikki went up front. We thought that the harbour could well be full of fishing boats again so the fog horn got a serious work out as we made our way down the Ria with A Small Nest quite close behind us doing exactly the same.

We could hear one large boat pass us on our port side but we could neither see the boat visually nor on Radar so that heightened our senses even more. A minute later I could see one boat coming from our starboard side heading straight for us but we turned and fortunately we could just make him out just ahead of us and we were able to avoid him completely even though he seemed very close to our bow.

We finally cleared the harbour and headed for the open sea and when our radar screens were clear we turned south for Figueira. The wind was up quite early this morning so we quickly raised our sails and set off at a cracking pace. We were very hopeful of a full days sailing but unfortunately the wind died away and the motor went back on.
The fog finally cleared and was replaced with sunshine and we did a copy cat of the day before, heading south with very good sea conditions. The upside of motor sailing is that you have heaps of power for the auto pilot and being on watch is as simple as that, just watching out for fishing pots that continue to dot the seascape.

We did get a bit of a sail in later in the day when the wind came up very nicely and we had a clear run off the coast back in towards Figueira making our destination well before the tide was due to turn. Willem had been researching their Lonely Planet Guide and had found an all you can eat for 7.5 Euro Portuguese Barbecue restaurant and wanted to know if we would like to join them. Well that question took a lot of answering - not, so dinner was arranged for the night.

We got into the marina and washed the boats down and the kids, big and small had the time of their lives having water fights all around the pontoons and boats. We went through the rigmarole of Portuguese paper work once again, something we have to do at every marina we pull into, having to produce ships papers, passports and anything else that is asked for. It really isn’t a hassle, it is just the way their system works but it would appear that the system has been streamlined over time as I think in years gone past, the same routine would have to be repeated about two or three times at each marina.

We stepped out for the night and went to the restaurant which was only about a ten minute walk from the marina. All you could eat was right, with plates of local fish of all different species being served up along with barbecued squid and plates of bread and salad. Now one thing I have learnt being in Portugal is that we waste one very tasty fish that we use for bait back home - Slimy mackerel. I knew that Europeans and lots of cruising yachts really consider these bait fish as a great table fish but I didn’t think much of the idea, that is of course until I tried one at this restaurant and truth be known, they are delicious.

The seafood was followed by barbecued pork both in rib and fillet form and a very interesting rice and red bean dish and that was followed up by fresh oranges and apples. Wine was a euro a pitcher and the whole bill for the 10 of us 84 Euro - fantastic value couple with just a great night out. We met a local guy who came over to speak to us and he was originally from China who had come to Portugal many, many years ago. Well it turned out not only did he play soccer but he also played for the Portuguese National Side and in his time had played against the legendry Pele. He spoke fluent English to us and fluent French when needed to Willem and Haike who later explained to us that anyone who had played for the Portuguese national team was and would always be regaled as a national celebrity.

On our way back to the boat we talked about the merits of catching mackerel and the equipment we had on both boats. Essentially Small Nest had the same gear that we had so both Willem and I being slightly competitive, we decided that the only thing to do tomorrow on our way down to Nazare was to hold the inaugural Australian / Belgium Fishing Competition.

As Nazare has no tidal influence, there was no real time concern to head down there so after trying to get some diesel without success, we motored off out of the marina, again past dozens of small private boats out doing their best to catch a fish.
The wind was light but suited the speed we needed to get some fishing gear out and start the competition in earnest, with Small Nest the first to get their gear in the water and cry out they had a hook up. Unfortunately for them, their cries of victory were soon replaced with groans of disappointment as the fish they said they had was not at the end of the line. It wasn’t long before they were beating their chest in triumph as they had their first mackerel on board and in the bucket.

The gear we, and they use, is simply about 150 metres of cord attached to a small oval shaped device that takes the lure(s) towed behind it down to about 6 metres depth. We got our gear into the water and before long we hooked up two mackerel and had them in the bucket - yahoo - 2- 1 to the Aussies.

The wind increased a bit and our boat speed increased and that was the last of the fish we caught that day. The Crew of Small Nest are all obviously very competitive and they more or less stayed fishing for ages and when they caught up to us later in the day they very proudly proclaimed the trophy with 8 mackerel in the bag and 3 released, we got smashed. The upside was however that later that night, Willem took our two graciously and then cooked them all up in foil on their barbecue.

We got into Nazare harbour to be greeted with the house full sign and the very apologetic harbour master, Mike, advised us that the best he could offer was the fishermen’s pontoon. On one side of the marina is the fish processing area where the daily catch is brought in to be auctioned off immediately to the local fish mongers and restaurateurs and on the other side is the trawler pontoon where the boats tie up and dry their nets and in the middle is the marina for cruising yachts and local boats.

The wind was coming in pretty hard so after tying up to the pontoon where told, we were then advised to leave that location and head around to the eastern side where A Small Nest was able to raft up to us. The smell from the drying nets was not what you would call pleasant and the fact that it was a rigid, not floating pontoon meant we had to adjust the lines with the fall, rise and subsequent fall of the tide. Mike had assured us that the following day; he would find space for us in the marina.

We really enjoyed our dinner of fresh mackerel, followed by some pork ribs I had cooked up, a few beers, couple of bottles of rose and soon the guitars were out and Willem and I jammed for a couple of hours much to the amusement of ourselves and the local fishermen who were waiting to head to sea for the night. We had a ball playing and saying to old ballads and personal favourites and as such, attending to the lines was not a hassle at all.

Good to his word, the following morning, Mike had us tucked up on the hammerhead with A Small Nest rafted up beside us, all good, paperwork attended to and we were settled in. Nazare sits 110 metres below the Promontorio do Sitio, a village now reached easily by the cable car that takes loads of tourists up and down each day. Nazare is a popular seaside location, buzzing with activity each summer with lots and lots of tourists flocking to the area. The other attraction of Nazare is its accessibility to the towns of Batalha, Obidos and Alcobaca demand a visit. We did a day trip to each of the towns and I will do a short blog about the days sightseeing.

Our second day in Nazare saw the Sparkes / Stellerman families walking into town, a distance of about 3 kilometres and up to the cable cars. Heading along the beachfront promenade we passed row upon row of fish and octopus that had been split and laid out and were being aired and dried in the sun. They did not look at all appetizing but we were assured they are very much the local fare, not for this group I can assure you. We went up to the Promontorio do Sitio where the views back over the cliff top and down to the beachfront of Nazare were simply incredible.

The very impressive Church, Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Nazare that takes centre stage in the village houses a statue of the Virgin Mary that is said to have been brought back from Nazareth in the 4th Century, subsequently lost but then rediscovered in the 18th Century. The statue now takes pride of place in the alter and after paying a small entry fee, you are able to access the back of the alter and view this amazing piece of history.

The Promontorio do Sitio is also home to the small Hermida da Memoria Chapel on the edge of the cliff tops to commemorate an event whereby it is said that on a foggy day (plenty of those in this area I can tell you), the Virgin Mary appeared before a local nobleman, Dom Fuas Roupinho who was in pursuit of a deer on his horse when suddenly it disappeared in the fog, presumably straight over the cliff top. Legend has it that Dom called out for some divine intervention and miraculously, his horse stopped just centimetres from the edge of the cliff and Dom was saved.

We spent the afternoon there taking in the sights and views and continued to enjoy the brilliant weather we were so fortunate to have. That afternoon the fishing fleet came into port and we headed over and saw the catch being unloaded in readiness for the evening auction. Sardines are the local favourite and I don’t know how many kilos of the fish were unloaded but the number of tubs of sardines being unloaded seamed endless.

That night, after dinner, the Sparkes family was introduced into the wonderful card game called Werewolf which we were all having a brilliant time playing. Obviously the fun we were having was all too much for a nearby neighbour who came over about 10.30pm to inquire with his opening line of “Do you speak English?” followed by, “Do you guys do much sailing?” Our immediate thought was he needed some help but then he suggested that we had gone way past his bedtime. No guessing where his home country was, but a small clue of George W Bush might help you out. We kept playing until we had finished the game, as well as our nightly ration of Spanish grappa that both Willem and I had taken a real fancy to.


We ended up spending 6 nights in Nazare and our next port of call was the island off the coast of Peniche called Ilha da Berlenga.

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Photos

A Small Nest
Getting their gennaker ready

A Small Nest
In full flight