Fiesta, fiesta,fiesta!

Saturday 14th July 2012 Sada

We still can't sail west because of the wind, so feeling we had been in A Coruna long enough we decided to go east to Ria de Betanzos, which does not involve actually going out to sea. It is a branch of the main Ria. We left in a W F4 so a beam reach out, a gybe and a beam reach into the Ria.

Just into the Ria, Radio Coruna gave an All Ships Navigation Warning! I rushed down got pen and paper ready expexting to have to note co-ordinates of lost containers or floating timber or something.
Actually, it was to say there is a yacht race in the Ria today!! Imagine that in the Solent! " This is Solent Coastguard, please be advised Sunsail are out this afternoon"

Fortunately, we were on starboard tack, but they were mostly all east of us beating hard to windward so no problems. But only about 20 boats, so not exactly a hazard in an area twice the size of the Solent!

A few larger dolphins swam round us for a while on the way in which was lovely. I think they were bottlenose but they werent jumping or anything so difficult to identify. I need to have some time to do some research. Again we were surrounded by tree covered hills and scattered houses.

Sada visitors pontoon - Galene on the outside! Plenty of space.

Entry to Sada marina was nice and easy. The fishing harbour was right next door, all the fishing boats decorated with flags, bunting and greenery. We could hear music and sirens started going, then all the boats came out in a procession with yachts, motorboats and even jet skis joining in. Thet went for a tour of the Ria then all came back and had some sort of ceremony throwing flowers and thing in the water. We understand it is homage to the patron saint of fishermen.

Pity the poor yacht at anchor. Initially moved out of the harbour by the police, then found himself surrounded by the melee outside!

They all came back and then the party really started. There were fireworks and the siren kept going.We went to town and had an excellent meal. There seemed to be parties on all the boats and as we were leaving, the partygoers started coming in for dinner -about 11ish!

There was a sound stage on the promenade but the music did not start till about 12, by which time we were in bed. The whole thing, including sirens and fireworks randomly, went on until 5 am.

We had a cycle round town with lovely beaches and some very interesting old buildings right up the hill to the ruined castle.

Sada Old Town

Monday 16th July - Corme
At last the wind from the North. We are off to the west to Camarinas with a fall back of Corme/Laxe if we have had enough for the day. Motored out of the Ria and eventually the wind built from the NE. Eventually up to a F5 we were heading SW by now so pretty much dead downwind with the mizzen and No2 genoa. A bit rolly in the leftover swell from the Westerly blow of the weekend.

Seas off Pta Del Roncudo

The coastline is very rugged and interesting, with Islas Sisargas to avoid. They are a bird sanctuary, but we didnt really see more birds than the usual few gannets, shearwaters and the odd gull. Corme is 33 miles from Sada so, tired of sailing dead down wind, we went there for the night.

Corme anchorage

Corme is a tiny fishing harbour, but you have to anchor outside and inside the mussel rafts near the beach. A bit stressful going in as there seemed little space with many yachts already there. Actually there was plenty of room further round the bay.  No sooner had we put the hook down and were enjoying a glass in the cockpit when the fireworks started! Seems the fiesta was still continuing here! Did not go ashore as we were only stopping for the night but the music started about midnight and went on until almost dawn!

We left in the morning having had not much sleep again!

Tuesday 17th July - Camarinas

We left with very little wind again, but it picked up quite quickly and we were soon doing over 5kts under full main and genoa with only a NE F2. The coast was all misty today so it wasnt quite as interesting. We passed Cabo Villano about noon and decided not to use the inside passage because it was misty and you need to go quite close in.

It is an interesting entrance with lots of leading marks, line up this tower with that, or with a monastry but we coulnt see many of them, possibly because of all the trees. Motoring slowly in we had the big dolphins round the boat again!

Moored at the Club Nautico Marina. €16 a night, wi-fi, electric and showers. We now are getting very low on gas. But guess what everything is closed because of the Fiesta! More fireworks, fishing boats decorated and the remains of the flowers etc in the harbour.

In the afternoon several large trucks arrived and set up 2 stages that would not have been out of place at a major rock festival. This was in addition to the funfair, flea market plus craft stalls, food stalls, street bar etc.

We went to town with Cliff and Anita on Sandpiper, BBQ pork ribs and a bottle of wine, excellent. Might as well enjoy the festivities.

          Rowena and Anita trying on clothes in the street market in Carmarinas



  

The late night entertainment was something of a different cultural experience. An impressionist pop show followed by a heavy rock band doing covers of rock standards. The show started at midnight and went on 'till the early hours. At 0100 we had enough and went to bed!

Roads closed definitely no sleep tonight! We later discovered that Camarinas had been partying since Saturday! Finally on Wednesday morning things started to return to normal. Took the old gas bottle for exchange at the ferreterria, seems I got the guy up at 10.30 he was complaining he had been at the fiesta!

We stayed Wednesday night to recover and catch up on our sleep.
Thursday morning we are off  to the Ria de Muros, the first of the southern Rias, hopefully with better weather and some off the wind sailing. Finisterre beckons, reported to be an area with a bit of a reputation so we are anticipating the worst even though we have a good forecast. Hopefully we will have broken the cycle of fiesta's and get a bit of quiet.