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Doteyboaty
  • Margaret Meade
  • Ronan O'Driscoll
  • Ruby O'Driscoll
  • Margaret Meade
  • Ronan O'Driscoll
  • Ruby O'Driscoll

Doteyboaty

Family sailing around Europe Leggi altro
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  • Inizio del viaggio
    12 luglio 2021
  • Doteyboaty

    The Goodbyes

    12 luglio 2021, Irlanda ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Nana and Grandad come to visit Régal and help out with some last minute jobs. When Ronan and Ruby arrived back from their PCR test we say goodbye.
    The Meades arrive at lunchtime with a picnic lunch for everyone. We are sorry later that we didn’t keep the leftovers - those sandwiches would have made a great night watch snack. More goodbyes after lunch and 3 Meade diehards stay on and wait for nearly an hour until we leave. Gavin Deane and Pat Farnan come to see us off and Gavin brings hats for all the crew. They help us slip our lines and leave the marina in Crosshaven. Joan, Tom and Fionn give vigorous and enthusiastic waves from the shore until we lose sight of them.
    Liam and Mags come out from their house to wave us off. Bridie and Kevin wave bye bye with their giant Munster flag.    Leggi altro

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  • Doteyboaty

    First evening at sea

    12 luglio 2021, Celtic Sea ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    We have embarked on a 48 hour passage from
    Cork to Brittany. We have lovely sunshine and are motor sailing. Several pods of common dolphins come bow-riding and bidding us farewell as we watched Ireland fade to our stern. It’s chilli con carne for dinner followed by a beautiful sunset over the gas rigs. When the night finally comes the sky is full of stars. Ruby is up on night watch with Ronan and then me. She points out some of the constellations as we have a uninterrupted view of what feels like the whole galaxy. Colm pops up later during the night watch and keeps Ronan company for a whileLeggi altro

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  • Doteyboaty

    Day 2 on Passage

    13 luglio 2021, Celtic Sea ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Today is a very different day to yesterday . It is overcast and there is no wind. From the early morning the sea swell has been gradually increasing and the conditions are rolly. This is a day that just has to be endured. Ruby and Colm feel seasick. Ronan and I are tired after several shifts of night watch. The rolling prevents anyone from getting proper sleep and never allows the children to forget their queasy tummies for too long. We get some distraction from ‘eye spy’ which is made very challenging when the item spied must be outside the boat. We are in a great big fishbowl with only sea and sky and yet there was plenty of spying to be done.
    Colm does some great helming before dinner.
    We go through two traffic separation schemes around the Scillies during day light without much to report. The larger Ushant Traffic Separation Zone is much busier and we are crossing it diagonally at night time.The north going lane is full of ships with one following quickly behind another so it is hard to find a gap long enough to cross. Ronan and I go on watch together and pick the best spot to cross at, which meant travelling down through
    the dead zone for a few miles.
    The AIS is incredibly useful as it gives all the details of each ship including the speed they are travelling at and how soon and how close you will come to it. We were going to come very close to one ship Torpo. Ronan made contact and Torpo agreed that we would pass in front of him. It is an exciting and nerve wracking experience and when we are safely out of the TSS Ronan is delighted to turn in after nearly 6 hours on watch.    Leggi altro

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  • Doteyboaty

    Arrival to France

    14 luglio 2021, Francia ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    We are so happy to arrive in France this morning. We have our first family sea passage done. We tie up at the marina in Camerat Sur Mer and have champagne and eggs to celebrate. We are so proud of Ruby and Colm. The lack of movement on the boat and the feeling of stillness is a sensation we all really appreciate. After a snooze and a shower we wander up town for dinner. Still bleary and slightly disorientated we are happy to return to the boat for a good night’s sleep.Leggi altro

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  • Doteyboaty

    The walk home

    15 luglio 2021, Francia ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    One of the great things about being on the boat is that marinas and anchorages are often right where you want to be. Here is Camerat sûr mer we walk back to boat after dinner and on the way we pass most of the town’s tourist attractions.Leggi altro

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  • Doteyboaty

    Raz de Sein

    17 luglio 2021, Francia ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Today we leave Camaret sûr Mer after a day of jobs yesterday. We refuel in the morning in is as scenic spot as any to fill up on diesel - shown here in the photo of Colm and Ronan. We head down through the Raz de Sein which is a passage between the mainland and Île de Sein. It is only easy to travel through at particular times of the tide and can get very rough if you hit it at the wrong time. We time our trip around this and the passage through is fast and comfortable. We give the kids some seasick medicine in the morning and it knocks them out. They sleep through most of the Raz experience.Leggi altro

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  • Doteyboaty
    The Pow Wow

    A great destination

    17 luglio 2021, Bay of Biscay ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    After passing through the Raz de Sein we continue our passage from Camaret to Loctudy . We were hoping to go to Anchor for a few days in îles de Glenan but the wind forecast lead us to believe Loctudy was a better option. It is a long day at sea and thankfully by lunchtime Ruby and Colm are over the worst of the effects of the sleep inducing seasickness medication.
    We pass Phare D’Eckmuhl, the lighthouse at Penmarch - ‘gateway to the sun’. We see an extraordinary athletic display from
    Dolphins as they are hunting around the point. They are torpedos moving through the water and we see them jumping and diving, bounding towards their prey. The seabirds swirling and diving add to the whole excitement of the scene we find ourselves in. We have no photos as the dolphins were much too fast for our amateur photography.
    Later in the afternoon there is only a light breezy and the sun is beating down on the boat. We jury-rig the back canopy to shade the helm. Our ETA in Loctudy is 6pm. We see the mainland on our Port and on our starboard we begin to see îles de Glenans. Everyone had been disappointed in Camerat when we had made the decision to change our destination from anchoring off islands of the Glenans. Now we could see them right there and they were indeed ‘Caribbean-like’ ,as the good guide book said, it made it even more difficult to head to Loctudy. Ronan and I had a private pow-wow at the bow and came back to Ruby and Colm with the good news that we were changing course to Starboard. We anchored below the lighthouse on île de Penfret with little wind and hot sun delighted with our decision.    Leggi altro

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  • Doteyboaty

    Penfret

    18 luglio 2021, Francia ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    We share our anchorage in Penfret with about 70 other boats. We can see the other Glenan islands from here and there are boats everywhere. There are so many masts of yachts at anchor, we can’t count them. There are day trippers on sail and motor boats. And finally there is the Glenan sailing school with dingy’s, catamarans and windsurfers out on the water and on the beaches on almost every island. The other big population in the Glenans, aside from sailors, is seagulls. The weather is hot, the islands are low lying and full of white sandy beaches. The water is clear and shallow. This is what we have been looking forward to for so long. Nous sommes arrivé.Leggi altro

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  • Doteyboaty

    Three on a SUP

    19 luglio 2021, Francia ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Ronan and I have our first sea swim of the trip. After second brekkie, we move to the most popular anchorage; Le Chambre. The water is pretty shallow so we have to go in at high water and pick a spot deep enough that we don’t find them bottom at low water. We launch the paddle board and 3 of the 4 of us go in to the beach. Ronan comes back out to collect me as he says the beach is not to be missed. There is a thin strip of sand that joins two islands. At high tide it is covered over with water and it is a magical place to swim and play. The day is so hot it’s the perfect spot to be. Ruby and Colm have a great time playing with the translucent jellyfish- they are all shapes and sizes and don’t sting so what’s not to love.
    Later when we return to the boat on the SUP we discover that the floor of our new dingy has burst and punctured in the heat.    Leggi altro

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  • Doteyboaty

    Iles de Glenan

    19 luglio 2021, Francia ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    We spend two more hot days in the Glenans. We do an unsuccessful repair to the dingy floor and so have to motor slowly from the boat to the islands with our soggy bottom. This setback doesn’t stop us from exploring and we go on a tour of the islands… then we run out of fuel. We laugh as we row back to the boat and when the laughter runs out we just row.
    We wake up with a renewed spirit of adventure the next day and head off to one of the further most islands. We have had our eye on it the whole time we have been here. The island is one long white sandy beach with a tiny grassy and rocky at one side. The only way to this desert island is with a small boat and this island is surrounded by boats and full people. We are the palest people on the beach and the only ones without a parasol or beach tent for shade. We have a little black rain umbrella that does the job nicely.    Leggi altro

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  • Doteyboaty
    1

    Back to the mainland

    22 luglio 2021, Francia ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    The tides are moving steadily from neaps to springs and we have less and less water under our keel at every low tide. We saw two boats ground and go over on their sides at low water. The weather forecast isn’t good for the coming days and we have run out of fresh food. All good things must come to an end and so we leave the îles de Glenans.
    It’s another hot day as we make our way to Concarneau. We put up sails and turn off the engine travelling at about 3 knots. A good speed for fishing and we catch two mackerel. Try and we might for two more to feed the other half of the family, none bite.
    As we arrive into Concarneau we are met by the marina rib who tell us they are full up and that we will have to go elsewhere. By now we are uncomfortably hot and aware that bad weather is due tomorrow. Over the noise of both our engines, the marina man shouts a few suggestions of marinas we could try across the bay. Over the next hour and a half we motor across the bay and try on and off to make radio contact with the marina in Port-la-Forêt where we are headed. We hear other boats making contact and booking and we finally succeed about 15 minutes- ah they have a spot for us. The marina is huge and a rib escorts us all the way into our berth - one boat down from Arkea Paprec, a Vendée Globe participant. The team is working on her when we arrive and she gets a steady stream of fans taking photos of her. There are several other amazing racing boats in the Marina and Ruby takes a real shine to a Trimaran.    Leggi altro

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  • Doteyboaty

    Port la Forêt

    24 luglio 2021, Francia ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    We have decided we will make our passage to Spain on Monday as there is a weather window. We would love to have more time in France but if we are to get into the Mediterranean before winter we have to push on and get further South. This is a jam-packed weekend with passage-planning, dingy- repairing, provisioning, refuelling, 5 loads of Laundry, car rental, stocking up in decathlon and two trips to take in the sights of the old town of Concarneau. When we return home at 10pm one evening Ruby says the experience reminds her of our trip to London 2 years ago - fun and go go go!
    The car rental company is in the next town over so in order to get there Ronan and I walk, with scooters thrown over our shoulders, through lovely old pathways by the sea and through woods . We scoot from one side of town to the other, rent the Car and return home to a lovely lunch prepared by Colm and Ruby.
    During our first visit to Concarneau we take in the sights of the beautiful old town on the fortified island and go for dinner. We spend very little time in any tourist shops but Colm and Ruby have just enough time to spot some fancy daggers and Swords. We manage to leave empty handed. There is so much chat about this amazing shop and we just can’t leave for Spain without seeing it. We return on Sunday and Colm buys a fake dagger. Ronan goes to the cafe and continues passage planning while the Colm, Ruby and I proceed to visit all the tourist shops buying postcards, tea towels, biscuits and very very expensive kids sweets - we were had.
    Ronan and Ruby do most of the provisioning in Lidl on Saturday but conclude that Lidl in France is nothing compared to her Irish cousin. We plan to top up in one of the larger supermarkets on Sunday only to discover they are closed on Sundays. We make do with our little local shop and get enough lettuce to last us until we get to Spain.    Leggi altro

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  • Doteyboaty
    Gascogne KnollThe compass - Sometimes its all you see and all you need on nightwatch.

    Passage from Brittany to Galicia

    26 luglio 2021, Bay of Biscay ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    We say goodbye to the lovely Port la Fôret, turn on our engine and put us up the sails. We have more than 50 hours of passage to make across the bay of Biscay.
    Donal O Driscoll has given us many wise words over the years and they frequently come to mind and guide us. His advice on passage making is make it as fast as is comfortable. Weather and conditions can change on passage and in the Bay of Biscay there is no where to go but through it. Based on this we leave the engine on, while we sail and make 7 knots rather than slowing back to 5 knots without it,
    This passage, like our last, is rolly. The kids are dosed up with seasick medication and yet still feel a bit queasy and sleepy. They are troupers and always perk up with any bit of distraction. They can’t read or write because of the motion but they have podcasts downloaded and it’s lovely to see them laugh away to themselves when they are wearing their headphones. We also enjoy playing music on the speakers and we are all loving Queen at the moment. Later on night-watch it seems all I have downloaded to Spotify on my phone is Prince - so I listen to Purple rain about 5 times!
    Colm joins Ronan on the first watch after dinner when day turns to night. he brings a blanket and his band of toys up with him and they all have a lovely few hours together. Later in the night Ronan spots the ‘Green Isle’ fishing boat he on the AIS and talks to a Donegal man on the VHF. Later a Cork fisherman nearby contacts Ronan for a chat on the radio.
    When the first night is turning into the second day on passage, the wind comes up and there are squalls and dark clouds about. I have to bear away to prevent Régal becoming overpowered and rounding up into the wind. We put two reefs in and the boats settles back down and is comfortable on her course again. Colm is up with me when I see the blows from a Whale in front of us. I think she is sleeping because the 4 blows come from the same spot. I bear away to Port and as we come closer her huge back and fin come up and before she dives down. I hold my breath until I am sure we and she are out of harms way. I let out a ‘holy …..’ when I breath out, she was a big one - Probably a fin whale.

    We continue on our journey through the vast infinity pool, which is how Ruby describes where we are. Hour after hour all we see is sea and a 360 degree horizon.
    Later on, on day two there is a bit of excitement as our AIS screen becomes dotted with boats. We are out in the middle of the Bay of Biscay when all of a sudden we seem to be surrounded by traffic. We investigate the chart and see we are near the Gascogne Knoll, a shallower part of the bay and near the French/ Spanish boarder. We avoid getting too close to anyone but see some of the boats in the distance.
    The swell is dropping by the hour we all welcome the reduction in roll and the improvement in sleep.
    At 8am on day three, Colm declares ‘Land ahoy’ - He is the first to spot the Spanish Coast, dead ahead. As we get closer the heat comes up and we have a sun -filled 7 hours before we drop our Anchor in Cedeira.    Leggi altro

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  • Doteyboaty
    SunriseSunrise

    A Biscay sky

    27 luglio 2021, North Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    One of the things I love about being on watch is that sometimes you have the most spectacular sky all to yourself. I had this gorgeous sunset the very next morning the beautiful sunrise while everyone on board was asleep. I did get some sleep in between.Leggi altro

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    1

    Dropping Anchor

    28 luglio 2021, Spagna ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Over the years we have always gone to a Marina after a long passage so going to Anchor in Cedeira is a new experience and a much better feeling. Rather than usual stress of ropes, fenders, coming along side, checking in, hosing down, showers,orienteering the town - all done through a fog of tiredness, when we drop Anchor we were instantly relaxed. The four of us jump off the boat for a swim- it feels amazing to have arrived in Spain.
    The next day is the 29th of July and is special because it is our wedding anniversary. It is great to be in Galicia on Régal 15 years after we arrived here on Re Shuanta at the start of our honeymoon trip on the ARC to the Caribbean. It is hard not to bore the kids with memories of our wedding and honeymoon on our anniversary and they are good enough to indulge us on our trip down memory lane. Colm prepares a lovely post swim breakfast for us,    Leggi altro

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    1Can you see Colm?

    Cedeira

    29 luglio 2021, Spagna ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    It is so lovely to wake up at anchor and smell the eucalyptus. We are surrounded by hills that are covered in forests of eucalyptus and pine. At the foot these hills are long sandy beaches and the town of Cedeira. We dingy into the town to explore the beaches and Restaurants. After a feed of Pizza, Ruby and I go on a walk up the hill out of Cedeira and through the woods to get to the viewing point and lighthouse. We soak in the views of the sea and the trees as much as we can but it is hard to take it all in.
    We find that most of people in the town and indeed on this remote walk are wearing face masks and so we do the same. We remove it to breath in the fresh air and beautiful eucalyptus smells and to cool down when no one is around. Later we see a man wearing a mask while fishing off the pier alone, we see a whole rowing crew, rowing in this heat - all wearing masks. This is the norm here in Spain and so we adapt and are happy to comply.
    We return to the town in time for our booking in the free water bouncy castle.The Bouncy castle we are told has been provided for by a political party - we just hope it isn’t the fascist one that the locals have organised marches against! We go for our first taste of tapas in a local restaurant and sample some of our favourites - Calamari and Pimentos de Padron.
    The next day I tackle some daunting plumbing while Colm Ruby and Ronan go to a lovely remote beach under the eucalyptus forest. When they get back we all jump into the water for a swim. There is nothing like it to wash away the previous few hours of frustrating and dirty work.    Leggi altro

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    Getting back home

    30 luglio 2021, Spagna ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    This is a little photo sequence of our trip out to Régal after our day in Cedeira town - a sample of what its like getting home from the shore when we are at anchor. The dingy has to be untied and carried down the slip to the water - she is heavy and even heavier with the outboard attached. Ronan guides her around the slip for easy access. We load the bags and passengers while a group of rowers delay coming along the slip to allow us get off. Our outboard doesn’t kick into action when Ronan pulls the cord so we deploy the oars to move off out of the rowers way. We are an amusement for the people walking and fishing along the pier. Ronan gets the outboard started and soon are insight of home - and she is beautiful.Leggi altro

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    A Coruna

    1 agosto 2021, Spagna ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    We travel south to A Coruna and stay at the marina. Ruby wakes up early and snaps a beautiful sunrise.We have a lovely morning in the Aquarium followed by a walk up to and around Hercules - the oldest existing lighthouse in the world (20B.C.)
    We have a gorgeous afternoon meal in the old part of the city. Spain requires a Covid passport for indoor dining which we haven’t got yet. The owner is kind enough to let us eat inside after I use Spanish, english and my charades skills to show we were both doubley vaccinated.
    When we wander after dinner we see the usual gorgeous buildings and green areas as well as a big market down by the water. We follow the sound of music to find a band sound-checking for a concert and Ruby and Colm become instant AC/DC fans.    Leggi altro

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    Leaving under cover of Darkness

    2 agosto 2021, Spagna ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    We leave A Coruna at 6 am as we have about 14 hours of journey to make down to the Ria of Muros. We expect the sun to be rising as we leave but it doesn’t show itself until well after 7. Spain is an hour ahead of Ireland but we are in Galicia, which is on the same longitude as West Cork hence the late sunrise. In a few weeks time when we are just a little south of here the sun will rise to our expectations at around 6am -Portugal is in the same time zone as Ireland.
    Colm is a great help with getting off the Marina and watching out for bouys . Ruby isn’t feeling and only comes up for a short while.
    Later in the afternoon we pass Cabo Finisterre. It is a nautical milestone and this is the closest we have ever been to it.    Leggi altro

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    1The boat is on the marina below and Colm and Ronan are on the beach

    Muros

    3 agosto 2021, Spagna ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    Régal is at the Marina in the lovely town of Muros. We spend a few days here as the weather is inclement. It is much easier to duck in and out of rain showers when you can run instead of row back to the boat. The Marina is in the centre of the town which has lovely old narrow streets to explore. The hills surrounding Muros are covered in Eucalyptus and Pine trees and there is beach 3 minutes walk from the boat. We know now why Liam and Mags Drennan it so much.
    Interestingly the yacht that was the subject of the book ‘Sailing for home’ by Theo Dorga, ‘The Spirit of Oysterhaven’ is in the boatyard here and is for sale. That book inspired us to do the Atlantic crossing 15 years ago.
    In Muros we stock up on food from the nearby shop and market. The fruit and vegetables are so good in Spain; bigger, juicer and way more delicious than any of the perfect looking specimens we get in Ireland. Ruby even says the wild blackberries we pick on our wandering side here are tastier than at home - the sunshine is a magical thing!    Leggi altro

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    Feliz Cumpleaños

    4 agosto 2021, Spagna ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Today is Colm’s 11th birthday. He usually celebrates his birthday on holidays with lots of his cousins in Kerry so this had to be a good one to make up for the lack of party guests!
    We wake up to rain but rather than it putting a dampener on things it has the opposite effect - guilt free movie watching in bed .
    When Captain America finishes Colm opens the door to his party. The Saloon is decorated with streamers and balloons and there are fresh cakes and croissants from the bakery. He gets cards and lots for presents from the local Chinese- anything-you-need shop. He is especially delighted with a card Nana had snuck onto the boat before we ever departed Cork. There are phone calls full of well wishes and love for the birthday boy.
    As the weather clears we pack up and get a taxi to a huge and beautiful beach. We have a wonderful afternoon playing with his new Chinese beach tennis set and water squirter. There are great waves on the beach and we bodyboard and body surf the afternoon away.
    We all get dressed up when we get home and go out for a delicious dinner in Muros. The celebrations finish off with an ice cream on the waterfront at 10pm. It has been a great birthday for everyone.    Leggi altro

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  • Doteyboaty
    How the swell feels

    Ria Muros to Ria Arosa

    7 agosto 2021, Spagna ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Today we travel from Ria Muros to Ria Arosa - a journey the four of us did eight years ago on the Re Shuanta with Nana and Grandad (aka Margaret and Donal). There had been a fine swell that day and today was no different.
    Once we get into the Ria the swell calms and we are able to enjoy the beautiful scenery as we head up the bay to an anchorage Ronan has researched.
    We bore the children with memories of being here 8 years ago - none of which they remember. We point out a beautiful white beach with a pine woods that we had spent a day at with Nana and Grandad. Nearby just around a little rocky headland we see yachts and boats at anchor. It’s too perfect to ignore so we abandon our plans and divert through the numerous’ bateas’ (mussel beds) and drop anchor in this magical place called Praia de Cabio.
    Although there are several boats here the little beaches dotted along the shore are quiet. We swim and SUP and have dinner. By 9pm all the other boats have left - we have the place to ourselves.    Leggi altro

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  • Doteyboaty
    The same picnic spot 8 years later

    Memory Lane

    8 agosto 2021, Spagna ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    We dingy into shore and walk on the wooden boardwalk through the pine and eucalyptus woods to find the very spot on Praia de Lombina where we picnicked 8 years ago. We find it and it is just a lovely as we remembered. We pass the campsite which we had planned to holiday in at some point - no need to rent as chalet now since we have returned here equipped with our own comfortable accommodation.Leggi altro

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  • Doteyboaty

    Happiness is…

    10 agosto 2021, Spagna ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    … being able to jump off the boat and swim. Praia de Cabio is a perfect anchorage for us. There are so many little beaches, rocky outcrops and coves to explore with the SUP, Dingy, Snorkelling and swimming. The fact that the anchorage is inside of a bank of mussel beds makes it feel enclosed and safe. We stay at here for four days going on little adventures in ones, twos, threes and all four of us. In and out of different beaches and sometimes venturing into the woods behind them.
    Most mornings little boats and divers arrive for fishing later they leave and make way for day trippers. We try to get our heads around Spanish time as day trippers only start arriving at about 2pm and they often don’t leave until after 9pm.

    Another curiosity to us about this place is the few naked people who we see wandering around the beaches. It’s great fun looking in at the beach from the boat trying to work out if the person is clothed or not. It’s another matter walking down the beach and coming upon someone, who I can only describe as being aggressively naked.    Leggi altro

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