This document provides a travel log of a boat trip along the coasts of France, Spain and Portugal between August and October. It details stops in locations such as Gijon, Ribadeo, La Coruña, Corme, Muros, Santiago de Compostela, Baiona, Viana do Castelo, Cascais, Lagos, Alvor and Vilamoura over the course of 2 months. Notes are included on weather conditions, sights seen and activities such as fishing and sailing.

1. Biscay & Spain

2. Gijon Port Crouesty to Gijon Course: 209ºT Distance: 280 nM Time taken: 56 hours

3. Au revoir to France

5. 100 miles from anywhere… goosewinging at 5.5 knots, Dire Straits on the stereo and French shepherd’s pie for dinner

7. Culture shock in Gijon

8. Ribadeo 11-12 Aug Viveiro 13-14 Aug La Coruña 15-19 Aug Corme 20 Aug Camarinas 21-23 Aug Muros & Portosin 24-27 Aug Ria de Arosa 28 Aug – 7 Sept Santiago 31 Aug/1 Sept Baiona 8-9 Sept Galicia & the Rias

9. Ribadeo

10. La Coruña

11. View from the Torre de Hercules (wind F6) Note scale: this is two people

12. Corme, dawn. All the southern rias are full of fish farms

14. Cabo Finisterre

15. Flying the cruising chute for the first time

16. Ben at the masthead

17. Ria de Muros from above Portosin

19. Our first mackerel … yum yum

20. Santiago de Compostela

22. Back in Vilagarcia – Ben & Donnacha

23. Khepri – home to Declan, Debbie, Saoirse and Donnacha

24. At last….

25. Fog…

26. Baiona – now you se it…

27. … now you don’t

28. Portugal

29. Viana do Castelo 10-11 Sept Baiona 8-9 Sept Leixoes 12-14 Sept Cascais 16-23 Sept Sines 24-25 Sept Lagos 26 Sept

30. Viana do Castelo

31. Porto in the rain

33. Cascais – warmth at last

36. Meanwhile the swell from Hurricane Gordon reached Cascais. The harbour wall is about 30 ft high Yacht to show scale

37. A bumpy ride past Cabo Sao Vicente…

38. … to the smoother waters of the Algarve

39. Lagos 26-29 Sept Alvor 30 Sept Albufeira 1 Oct Vilamoura 2-3 & 5-6 Oct Faro 4 Oct Portimao 6-8 Oct Lagos 9 Oct onwards

40. Lagos

41. "What do you think - should we stay here for the winter, or press on for another 200 miles up a boring muddy river to a place where we don't know if we have a berth?"

42. Into the Med…