31st August to 3rd September: Bilbao *** SPAIN ***
It is so wonderful to be in Spain!! We feel very pleased to have completed the Biscay Challenge and are very excited about having reached another country and we are looking forward to “Sailing South!” Unfortunately, it is the last day here for crew member Peter 🙁 We woke up at about 9.30, which, after the last 48 hours, was not bad at all!! We all agreed on spending a lazy day today – apart from Pete’s packing! It was a grey cloudy day but warm. We had our lunch at the marina (here we found lots of cafes and market type stalls) and we then went for a walk. Rob bought a cable plug adaptor so we can power up. We milled around on board – Jack was at the café for wifi hahaha! . As it was Pete’s last day, we thought it would be nice to eat out and we found a lovely restaurant – and a kind lady helped us with our Spanish. Pete beat us to pay the bill, which was so kind. It was a lovely meal – a very good end to his visit / hols. We will miss his company, his help with our Spanish and helm duty! The following day, Rob, Pete and I woke up at 7am for breakfast and then said a sad farewell to Pete at 8am, as his taxi was booked. I did my 1st run in over a month! 3k along the harbour wall and I didn’t feel like death either! Result! Rob put up our canvas cover and then the heavens opened! Jack was at the café but under their cover – phew! When it stopped, the sun came out and so Rob went diving! No fault was found with the rudder or the propshaft. At 5pm, we all looked at “canvas” (Jacks school platform) and we emailed his tutors. Rob cooked us a lovely curry for dinner. Pete’s flight was delayed for about 2 hours but he is now home. Bad weather is due, so it looks like we are here until the 7th. The next day, I completed a wash load (it was free but it took 3 hours!) and I aired all of our bedding. Rob did some of his accounts and then we went shopping. Jack was on Fortnite! He also learnt more about emails, Skype and Canvas. He had a Skype call with his science tutor and he booked two more for tomorrow and he is excited about his schooling. We need to buy a microscope and so we will look for a Fnac in Santander. We hope to go to the beach tomorrow. Rob said we are good to go on the 4th, which is better, so it will be our last day here tomorrow. We were ready at 1pm for Jacks 1st tutor Skype call, which went well and then we all went to the beach after. It was very hot and sunny with a warm sea, but I still didn’t go in, hahaha! Maybe at Santander. Maybe! We popped to a café for our lunch and we were back for Jack’s 2nd & 3rd Skype calls. After dinner, we worked on Jack’s planner and he will start “school” on the 5th. We are leaving here tomorrow at 9am. Rob popped to the office and paid our dues – the staff here are so lovely.
4th September: Bilbao to Santander
We woke up at 8am and I started to prepare hoopla for travel, while Rob returned our gate key to the office and emptied the rubbish. We then had our breakfast and we set off at 9.30am. It was a motor start, with a not very nice sea. We followed the coastline – and it was amazing! So many mountains! Not far from Santander, our destination, the wind picked up and so the the sails came out. In Santander, the 1st marina was full (Rob spoke to them in Spanish!) and so we had to go to the second. It was right next to an airport and a bus ride away from town, and the actual bus stop a very long walk from the marina! We moored up at around 5pm and I spent the evening working through Jack’s lesson downloads and resources that will be needed (no mean feat!). His first lesson will be at 9am and is going to be maths!
5th to 7th September: Santander
We were ready for 9am on the dot BUT no wifi at all! We had to use Rob’s hotspot in the end to email the history tutor with Rob’s tel number, as now we can’t Skype. Jack found today’s maths easy. His history tutor (Michelle) rang at 12.30 and was lovely. After lunch, we did the long walk and caught the bus into town. Eventually, we found 5 exercise books and a microscope. We caught the bus back and we were back on board at 8.30pm!! The next lesson tomorrow is English. We will possibly be leaving here on the 8th. It is Matt’s 25th(!) on the 10th and we have ordered his birthday pressie! For English, the next day, Rob & Jack covered story structure and conjunctions. I went for a walk and found a café. I tried translating the “breaking news” on their tv but I didn’t do so well! While I was away, we were boarded by the Spanish boarder police! How exciting! I’m gutted I missed them! They wanted to know how many people were aboard and they also wanted to check our passports plus boat insurance. School finished at 12.30 and we had lunch. We then caught the bus into town for supplies. We still have not found a birthday card for Matt! Hopefully a beach day tomorrow and I will get one then. We walked around the old part of the town and it was very warm and sunny! We all finally had a bit of a lie in, the next day, and breakfast was at 11.30!! We motored to the fuel barge for diesel (€205) and I spotted a boat called “Karen” Brilliant! After, we caught the bus into town then another bus to the beach. We spent a nice couple of hours here and then bused back into town. I found Matt’s card (yay!) and we had our evening meal in a café by the bus station. I went to find a postbox but then I had to run back to the bus station, where Jack & Rob were waiting. I only just made it in time to catch last bus back to the marina! Phew! We met Adrian & Judith, who are doing the ARC, and they need to be leaving tomorrow at 7am, (even just after their La Rochelle to Santander passage yesterday!!). It ended up being quite a late night for us (11.30pm) and we are hoping to leave tomorrow at 9am
8th September: Santander to Llanes
Rob & I got up, made Hoopla sea ready and we left port at 9am, as planned, with Jack still in bed! We are not sorry to be leaving Santander! The city itself was lovely but the marina not so! No wifi, a long way from town and the toilet/shower block was locked at 9pm(!). There were also lots of mosquitoes in the shower block and the showers didn’t even have a curtain, let alone a door! Very disappointing! Breakfast was at 10.30 and en route. We faced big rollers and choppy seas on exit of the port, which settled down to just big rollers!! The scenery, though, is magnificent! Cliff faces and beaches with forests. So lovely. Llanes is a wonderful little harbour! We moored alongside a French boat and another French boat moored alongside us. We walked into town to find a major festival going on: “Virgin de la Guia” which translates as: Virgin of the Guide. There was lots of singing, people in traditional costume and dancing. Back on board for dinner and bed. We aim to be leaving here at 9am tomorrow, for Gijon.
9th September: Llanes to Gijon
After a good night, we all had breakfast at around 8am. The inside boat was up and about at 8.30, but Rob had to knock on the outside boat at 9am! We eventually set off at 9.30 – a tad awkward as the boat moored behind us had its stern sticking out. We entered quite a rolly sea (no change there then!) upon leaving the harbour but this soon settled down to an average 2 meter swell. It was also quite choppy when passing the headlands but other than that, all was ok. It was quite cold as the wind was right on the nose, with gusts up to 18 knots. We arrived in Gijon at about 7pm – so a long journey. Rob and I popped to the office to check in, but it was closed. So we did what all good sailors do and went to the bar! 20 mins later, we were back on Hoopla and the wind picked up and the heavens opened! We were glad to be in and warm. We have decided it will be a PJ day tomorrow!
10th to 14th September: Gijon
It is our eldest’s 25th birthday today!!! I popped a status on FB with some pics. We were boarded (again) by Spanish Customs: one officer but six(!) trainees! We were all quite squished on board hahaha. The showers here are nice but I accidentally used up all of the hot water, doh! Poor Rob and Jack! Matt has received his present but not his card. Hopefully he will soon, after all the trouble I went to! The following day, we were back to our normal routine; up at 7.15, breakfast, then School. Rob & Jack were on Geography for 9.30. I tided up and then jiffed the ceiling in our cabin. Very glamorous! This is to remove the mold spots that have appeared. After lessons, Jesus (pronounced Hasos) (a very nice and kind marinero) gave us a lift into town, where we hired bikes. The pilot books did say that the marina had free bikes that people could borrow, but they don’t anymore! We thought that the bikes we hired were quite expensive, even with a “deal”. After a nice lunch in a local cafe, we cycled to the beach and it looks lovely! We couldn’t find a chandlery, which was most odd. The weather is really quite warm and sunny and the plan is to go to the beach after school tomorrow. We looked at a full wetsuit for Jack but too expensive (€120). Hopefully we can hire one instead. We found a supermarket and then we cycled back to Hoopla, on a really good cycle path. We made it to the beach the following day after school and we had 3 hours of surfing/kindling on beach. It was nice, warm and sunny but very windy – I felt sandblasted. We cycled home for dinner but Rob & I popped to the pub first! The next day, I managed to do two wash loads (free!) and then hung the clothes out to dry, while Rob & Jack schooled. The lessons finished at 1pm, so we had lunch aboard Hoopla and then it was a cycle to the beach for more surfing. Nice. Jacks new full wetsuit (€70) fits and looks good! We had dinner in the Wimpy (again) and then cycled back to Hoopla. I began to realise that out of the three toilets, only one had toilet paper and one of the toilets flush didn’t work. Apparently it was the same for the mens. Rob & I looked at the weather/wind, sea/wave height forecast and we hope to leave here on Sunday 15th, with two overnights and then wait out the next strong winds that are due. On our last day, after breakfast, I put on a duvet wash on rapid, took the clothes of the line and then replaced with the duvet & sheets. We then cycled to town to return the bikes. We left Hoopla at 12.30 and half way to the hire shop, Jacks back tyre burst! We had to walk the rest of the way! The guy in the shop was fine, though. We were pleased about that, as they certainly were not cheap to hire! After lunch, we had a quick look around the town. It was so pretty and nice. We went to the supermarket and caught the bus back to Hoopla. Dinner on board and then we planned our route. We aim for one leg to Ribadao (12 to 14 hours) so we will try to leave here at 7am.
15th September: Gijon to Ribadeo
Unfortunately, we didn’t quite make it to get up at 6.30! We got up at 6.50, though, followed by a quick breakfast and then we made Hoopla ready for 7.50. Bye Bye Gijon – thanks for the (not) fab wifi hahaha! It was a very misty start and fairly rolly at the harbour entrance (again!) until we passed the headland, but it was ok – plus a very calm sea after and there were two more headlands with rolly seas to follow. We couldn’t see the land for quite a while because of the mist, hahaha, but the sun burnt it off at around 2pm – and then it was much warmer. A robin came and rested on our rails, after circling Hoopla quite a few times. We stayed very still in the cockpit, so he/she could get a good rest! Later, we had a small pod of dolphins come over and play in our bow wave! It was so magical and brilliant! We finally arrived (going under our second ever bridge!) at the port, at dusk, at 8.45pm. We went up top for a well deserved beer and a baileys!
16th to 19th September: Ribadeo
Our first day here, we woke up at about 8.30. It was very foggy out there! While Jack & I were on Lessons (maths), Rob went shopping, made a cover for our ensign (flag on the back of Hoopla), repaired said flag and another flag. The mist finally cleared at around 1pm. The showers here are nice and clean. There is a lift up the cliffs and a nice walk back to Hoopla. The following day, I scrubbed the decks. They look much better – but it was damn hard work hahaha! I rinsed the decks down using the hose. Only the cockpit to do now. Chris and Sarah popped in for a drink (they had sailed from Cornwall!) and then we ate out, for a change. We found a lovely restaurant nearby. Rob worked on the wind generator the next day. Again, the mist cleared at around 1pm and left a warm and sunny day! After lunch, Jack & I walked into town but all shops were closed until 4.30/5pm. I went out again at 6pm but I still couldn’t find any postcards to send home. On our last day, we woke up at around 8.30 for breakfast, etc, and Rob & Jack are on Geography today. We had received an email from Penny (Jack’s English tutor) with his first assessment result. He did very well: 83%! out of 18 marks, he received 14. We were all very pleased. We aired all of our bedding, as it was nice, warm and sunny. At around 6pm, we all went to the supermarket for enough supplies for the next 3 days. We plan to leave tomorrow at 8am for an anchorage (10 hours) stay overnight, and then onward to A Coruna (6 hours).
20th September: Ribadeo to Cedeira
Our alarm went off at 6.50 (ouch!), we had our breakfast, made Hoopla sea ready and returned the key to the marina office. We slipped our ropes at 8.15 and we motored into a rolly and windy sea. Great! We had big rollers for the next four hours! Double Great! We rounded the headland and then all was calm – until the next headland. We had winds of 20k and big Biscay swells. Not nice! But, again, all was calm once we were around the headland. The sails came out and we reached a very impressive (for us) 6.5 knots and Rob was a happy captain). We ended the tack and then we motored into the anchorage at 7.30. BUT, 1.5 hours into this passage, a pod of dolphins came over and played in our bow wave for approx. 15/20 mins!! FAB!!! Rob did us burger and chips for tea. I washed up then bed for all at 11pm.
21st September: Cedeira to A Coruna
This was a marvelous anchorage: we all slept so well! We were up at 7.30, had our breakfast and then we made Hoopla ready. We pulled up our anchor and left the anchorage at about 10am. It was a grey sky but a flatish sea. The wind picked up and so the sails came out (Rob very happy). It is a very nice coastline along these parts. We saw a pod of dolphins go past too. The wind picked up to 25 knots! The wind continued to be really strong, so Rob said we have to take shelter in a nearby bay. We motored in and anchored at around 2pm. We had our lunch and waited while the wind blew itself out! We were nice and protected here. A very good call Rob! At 4pm, we pulled up our anchor and we left the bay and motored on to A Coruna. We arrived at 7.30pm and we checked in with a lovely lady! Rob made us all dinner and, as we were all so very tired, we turned in around 10pm. The wifi here is not very good 🙁
22nd to 30th September: A Coruna (+ Santiago de Compostela)
On our first day here, we were up at 8am for breakfast, etc. Rob & Jack were on Science, while I sorted and cleaned the starboard side of the main cabin. It is all go on the plaza! There are lots of divers, a camera crew and a fire engine! They are cleaning out the inner marina. They have brought out a shopping trolley, car tyres, lobster pots and a childs scooter! Wow! Rob has booked our overnight accommodation for my birthday and has hired a car for Wed/Thur. This will be our first trip away from Hoopla and on dry land. Today, the wifi is much better! Jack is very happy! We might be popping home to the UK for the 1st two weeks in November (as it is my best friends 50th!) and then onto Pete’s for a 3rd week. It has been cloudy but warm. After school the next day, we walked into the town to look at the beach. It was very nice! We have 20 knots (sometimes 30) of wind in the marina, so the surf was up! We had a big lunch in a café, walked around the shops and we were back on Hoopla at about 7pm. All had showers (not brilliant, but ok) and then we all caught up with the wifi: jacks maths results came in: 96%! Well done Jack! The following day, I cleaned and tidied up our cabin. The wifi was a bit hit and miss and so we walked to Burger King for lunch (and wifi) at 2pm. I managed to get some postcards and stamps before heading back to Hoopla. Jack & Rob went diving and Jack loved it, but he needs a weight belt. We moved Hoopla to another pontoon, more in, as it is a bit rolly where we were and it should be a little safer while we are away for a few days. Rob & I went to the quayside bar (Nemo’s) for a baileys, or two, and we asked for their wifi code! Would you believe that we haven’t needed it since!
25th Sept (Santiago de Compostela). We were up at 9am (again) and Jack & I were on history by 10am. Rob left at 9am to collect the hire car. Lessons ended at 2pm, so we could pack. We had a quick lunch at Burger King and then we loaded up the car and left. Ana and the marina team said they would keep an eye on Hoopla while we are away. We left them our keys and our numbers. It feels really odd to be driving on the right and roundabouts are quite interesting! We finally arrived at our accommodation, but the lady at the hotel didn’t speak any English. We were not sure what she was trying to tell us or what time breakfast is tomorrow, but we recognised 8… She spoke very fast and had no teeth! We realised later, that she probably said that their restaurant is closed today and the nearby restaurants are good. We found a GF pizza place, which was lovely. We have a triple room and the shower was great. We are all excited about to tomorrow.
26th Sept (Santiago de Compostela) *** Karen’s 50th Birthday *** We all slept very well. The room was so dark! We woke up at about 8am and breakfast was at 8.30. I opened my cards and pressies first. I had lovely cards and was given very pretty earings – and a seagull! 🙂 After breakfast, Jack and I had a shower (no flip-flops in sight!! Hahaha!). The shower was so hot, we needed a shoe-horn to get Jack out of it LOL! We left the hotel at 11am and Santiago de Compostela was amazing! There were lots of scaffolding, unfortunately, but still wonderful. I/we think that the scaffolding put off a lot of visitors and so the queue for St. James was not long at all! I bought my standard fridge magnet from the gift shop and a few gifts for St. Dunstan’s in Lower Feltham. After, we visited the pilgrim museum and we then went to a lovely park. Earlier, we saw a lovely restaurant near our hotel, so we went there for dinner – and the fried chicken was gorgeous. There was no problem with a “sin gluten” meal 🙂 We got back to the hotel at about 12pm. It was a really nice, warm and sunny day. I couldn’t have asked for a more wonderful birthday.
27th Sept (Santiago de Compostela). We all had a good nights sleep again and we all made it for breakfast at 9am. I didn’t need to buy any GF bread as they had some! Fab! As it was raining, we decided to go to a shopping centre today. It was a long drive, over mountains and through the mist, but we eventually arrived. It was HUGE! Another Burger King meal(!) and then we hit the shops! Rob bought some bits and we got Jacks hair cut. Back to Hoopla via Lidles for a big shop (taking full advantage of the car!) and then Rob returned it. We are all fairly tired so bed at 11pm. There was a party going on at Nemo’s Bar but it didn’t disturb us. It was still going on at 1.30am but at least the band and the music was good!
Back on board and so back to our normal routine, and Rob & Jack were on Geography. I did 2 loads of washing and a 3.5k run (and it nearly killed me!) There is a triathlon happening here! They all look so good! I would have been on my knees! Today was very warm and sunny. The next morning, Jack and Rob started on Science at about 12.30 (the first half hour or so was spent playing with the microscope!). They both enjoyed this lesson. A mosquito was killed and examined – yuck! I put away our washing & tided up our cabin. It took ages hahahaha. I am still struggling after the run yesterday – my thighs! I could NOT enter a triathalon! After lessons, we all went for a walk. Next day, after lunch, we went to the beach and Rob and Jack went surfing: a P.E. lesson? We met a very friendly Dalmatian puppy who was very excited to be on the beach – he wee’d on our bag! The owner was mortified but it was so funny. A few wet wipes later and all was good, but they left the beach soon after! Rob did a lovely steak and chips for tea while I prepared a letter for St Dunstan’s. It was really warm and sunny today but some locals were in coats! I made a decision to go for a run tomorrow and Rob has seen a folding bike that he likes….
