The Spanish Rías
We left A Coruña in company with a couple of other boats, including Bojangles a Dutch boat that had been across the pontoon from us in the harbour. With little or no wind, we variously motored and motor sailed slowly along the coast enjoying views of a coast line that was sometimes jagged and dramatic and at others steep and rounded but always green and rocky.
Impressions of the coastline south of A Coruña.
We also started keeping a watchful eye out for orcas which (supposedly) had been seen lurking around this bit of coast a week previously.
A strange object ‘flew into’ the screen of our chart plotter. It was a Search and Rescue plane, doing a bit of circle work. We never did find out who or what was being rescued.
Anchoring in company
At 1900 we rounded Cabo Vilán made the long slow loop into the Ría Camariñas and dropped anchor in about 6m at the back of a small group of boats a bit to the north of the town of Camariñas. Here we were well out of the swell and wind that had accompanied us down the coast and had a very comfortable night.
Camariñas in the morning light.
Goosewinging in company
The next morning, we again left our anchorage, more or less in the company of a couple of other boats. SY Bird Song, an Ovni 395, was perhaps half an hour ahead of us while Bojangles left a few minutes later. We motored for the first little while but raised the main as we left the Ría.
SY Bojangles and SY Bird Song just ahead of us.
It was all but useless initially but eventually a northerly began to fill in and, filling the sail, pushed us along at a leisurely pace. Once it had built enough, we set up the pole and ran along dead downwind with headsail poled out and the main all the way forward.
An Ovni photoshoot
In this very comfortable style, we rounded Cabo Toriñana and then passed under the cliffs of Cabo Finisterre, the western-most point of mainland Europe and the ‘end of the world’ of antiquity.
SY Yuma passing Cabo Finisterre.
Looking back at Cabo Finisterre.
Here, the two Ovnis posed for photos of each other underway under this landmark renowned amongst European sailors. We then parted company with Bird Song and then a short while later with Bojangles as they turned in to their respective destinations.
SY Bird Song and SY Yuma modelling for each other at Cabo Finisterre.
Last anchorage in Spain, for now
We continued on with a steadily increasing wind towards the Ría Vigo. Our track took us along past a series of capes and Ría mouths, sometimes slipping in between or behind islands and skerries sometimes outside them.
More impressive coastlines on the approach to Vigo.
Like the previous day though, the greenery seemed to comprise mostly of huge blocks of uninspiring forestry trees including pine and eucalyptus. Around 1800 we came in behind the impressive Isla Cíes and with a now stiff wind and swell behind us turned into the Ría Vigo and almost immediately gybed up and into the Enseñada de Barra where we anchored for the night.
