A Festival in Porto

By dawn it was still calm and beginning to warm up. We were all feeling much better and I think Norma was beginning to believe Tony and myself again.

We continued to motor at 6.5 knots across the now flat calm seas and began to make up time that we had lost yesterday.
Norma was flying out tomorrow and we wanted to be in Porto in time to have a good evening ashore to make up what she had been through and see her off properly.

The day got hot and by early morning we had disregarded the oilskins and were back in t-shirts and slapping on the sun protection.
We began to edge closer to the coast at 17.00 and soon could see the large cranes at the commercial port of Leixoes just a few miles north of Porto.
In the cruising guides Leixoes is the port that is recommended to berth in.
As well as commercial shipping, it has a yacht marina and is a short bus journey into Porto. But there is a new marina just inside the mouth of the Douro River, that Porto is built on and that was where I had decided to head for.

The entrance to the Douro River was hard to find but the chartplotter showed us the way in. There are two breakwaters at the entrance to the river that overlap and it was only when we got close that we saw the gap between them.
The sea bottom came up fairly quickly and there was only 5.5 meters at the entrance.
Once inside we followed to channel markers and made our way upriver. The channel is on the north side of the river and once we were opposite the Douro Marina we made the ninety degree right turn as instructed to head straight for the entrance of the marina on the opposite side of the river.
When we were almost at the marina entrance a rib came out to meet us and directed us to a berth where we tied up at 19.30 and I went up to the marina offices to book in.

The staff were very friendly and it was almost like a tourist office because of the enthusiasm to tell us about the locality. I was asked how many would be onboard overnight which I thought strange but seeing my confusion they explained that they deliver fresh bread rolls each morning to the boats and wanted to make sure we would have enough.

As time was getting on we quickly headed for the showers and then to the local village where they were having a festival. It was the local saints’ day and also Portugal were playing Poland in the Euros. Everyone was out on the streets.

A local restaurant had been recommended to us and once we found it, we picked an outside table as it was still lovely and warm.
It was great to be able relax and enjoy ourselves after what we had been through and the relaxed good humour of the staff and locals who were in a party mode was infectious.

We started with some wine before the meat and fish were served up. These were cooked outside BBQ’s and everything tasted lovely, helped down with another bottle of wine and it all turned out to be very cheap.

There were two Polish supporters in our restaurant who were disappointed at the end of the match but the Portuguese who had won were wishing them the best and even gave each of them a bottle of beer on the house to help cheer them up. Lovely people.

We later wandered future up the village and passed many stalls lining the road. Some were selling local produce but as we got closer to the centre of activity we found they were selling drink and a different one at each stall.

There was a large stage erected in an open area and soon after our arrival the band started. It sounded a bit like a TexMex band and were very good.
The Portuguese were dancing what looked like a very quick waltz and it didn’t matter if you were young or old, everyone knew the steps and were out enjoying themselves.

Norma was enjoying a few Cuba Libra’s to restore the nerves while Tony and I stuck to cold wet beer and soon Tony and Norma’s feet responded to the music much better than mine did. I mustn't have drunk enough!

Late, very late or was it very early in the morning, a tired but very happy crew staggered back to Eureka. All thoughts of gales and high seas forgotten as the crew slept soundly and peacefully, hic!

Leg 13 - 161 mls. Total 1508 mls.Read more