Mary has enjoyed a wide range of sailing experiences since
joining us in Bilboa. We left on the 8th for the 29 mile trip down
the coast to the very new and almost empty marina at Laredo. No expense had
been spared in construction; the marina office is a 4 storey glass
edifice. Unfortunately they ran out of
money before building the toilets and showers, so these consisted of
portacabins in a huge echoing and unused maintenance shed.
We motored for the first couple of hours before tacking into
a brisk head wind. The following day we were again motoring the 23 miles to a
beach outside Santander, for a lovely afternoon and night at anchor. Our next
stop after 26 mile downwind sail was the pretty town of San Vincete de la
Barquera; where the only option was to anchor for the night in a shallow pool
just off a beach in the river estuary. It was bizarre experience to be at
anchor 50M off of a crowded beach, with the tide falling to expose an ever growing
expanse of sand all around us. Eventually poor Cara Mara was sitting rather
drunkenly on the bottom of the river, until the tide lifted us back up again.
Mary had her first night sail when we left at 3.00am for her final 30 mile
sail, arriving at Ribadesella at 9.00. Ribadessella is in a fantastic location
with the Picos Mountains rising behind the town, so tomorrow we plan a bus ride
and some walking.
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| Nearly deserted Laredo Marina |
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| Wendy and Mary enjoying a glass of wine anchored off the beach at Santander |
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| Our anchorage in a pool off the beach at St Vincente |
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| Pete, the solo sailor's twin keeled boat settles onto the bottom as the tide recedes |
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| Cara Mara's single keel sits on the bottom rather less elegantly |
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