RAOC Gazette - page 58
Image details
| Corps | RAOC |
|---|---|
| Material type | Journals |
| Book page | |
| Chapter head | |
| Chapter key | |
| Chapter number | |
| Full title | RAOC Gazette |
| Page number | |
| Publication date | 1980 |
| Real page | |
| Colour | Yes |
| Grey | No |
| Early date | 1980 |
| Late date | 1980 |
| Transcription |
four fathoms of water, having hailed a German boat anchored there. Information given was that we should not land until we had seen the frontier police, but the office would not be open till the morning. Skipper said he would like to go for a look around in the dinghy, but was frustrated in this wish when the pump to the dinghy could not be found. It seems that it was left in Gibraltar! Fortunately the roving bilge pump could be made to fit over the pump holes and the boat was filled with air. The skipper and navigator asked about ports along the coast and were told about decent ports in the north near Vego. At change of anchor watch it was noted that the German was gone! It was remarked on later that he must have been up to some no-good activity as he had said that he had been in this port for several months and had given no indication that he was going to move. We weighed anchor and were away on the dawn breeze. The course we set was North West and then along the Portuguese coast. We rounded Cape St Vincent and progressed northwards throughout the day. The coast here is of high cliffs of red stone against which the waves dashed with great spray. Throughout the night the wind slackened but we motor sailed on. arriving at Cascais at dawn. Cascais is the port at the entrance to the river which leads to Lisbon. We anchored in the Yacht Club area near an American and a British boat. The Yacht Club had a very helpful beaming bosun who showed us the showers, omitting to tell us that it was ten pence per head—as if this would come as a financial em- barrassment. A very nice lunch was had, wine and sea foods. This was an interesting dish with prawns, limpets, mussels etc. At 1400 hours we set off with a good stiff westerly breeze and moderate sea. The visibility closed down and we could soon see less than half a mile. Later we lost sight of land and by 2000 hours the fog had closed in. The wind dropped to less than sufficient to maintain steerage way. We had to put the engine on for a short time, but after a short while the wind returned with more dense fog. We hoisted the large radar reflector and just as it was up there came a loud fog horn close on the starboard bow. We tacked with a speed and efficiency which amazed the skipper and the vessel passed close by, a frightening shape, and much too close for comfort. With this amount of fog about, it was unwise to stand in too far to the shore, so we put out north west crossing the shipping lanes then returned towards the coast during the following watch. It was a full twenty four hour period of fog with visibility never more than two miles. With a need to press on, the engine was used when the sailing speed dropped below four knots, so there was a lot of engine on, engine off, sails up, sails down. We approached Port Lexios which is the shelter port for Oporto during the night, and a call through on VHF to the harbour left us with the information that we were not allowed to enter harbour at night and in the fog. We anchored in about five fathoms, having crept in past fishing boats and anchored ships. In the distance we heard a very boring siren which identified the entrance to Oporto. Later we identified another more distant horn to the north which gave us our position two miles south of our destination. Not bad navigation for thirty hours of fog. None of the beacons have worked since the revolution! Port Lexios was approached and we entered the yacht basin which we shared with tugs and Portuguese frigates. There were oil and water facilities and showers. It was decided that unless a very good weather report was given, we would stop overnight and leave in the morning. That evening we went to a little restaurant under the vine leaves where the opening drink was port! A good one at that. The meal was good and merry with much banter. The waiter' was dubbed Miguel, wearing the Star of David on arrival, but later changed to a slick DJ (maroon). We saw several antics with this fellow, ie he dropped his napkin and instead of picking it up he flicked it with his foot straight into the nearby laundry basket. Next morning we set off and had an uneventful twenty four hour trip to Camarinas a small village just west of Corunna. Just short of the entrance we saw two whales and were surprised to see them so close to the shore. It was at this time that the No. 2 genoa ripped from end to end. It had obviously been a waste of time and money repairing it in Gibraltar. The cloth was obviously too old to take the normal strains. The harbour had been recommended as ' the most beautiful spot in the world * by a crew in a Moody 33 that we met at Lexios, and the setting was very beautiful even if the town was a little scruffy. We filled up with fuel and had a brief spell ashore. We set out north from Cabo Villano in the evening sun and with a rain- bow round the lighthouse. The first day in the Bay of Biscay was a surprise to those who had been brought up on tales of persistent storms and heavy seas. The whole day was bright, warm and beautiful. We lay on the deck in the sunshine and enjoyed what W3s probably going to be the last of the summer. During the evening a breeze filled in from the South East and we set sail with spinnaker. The wind was strong enough to maintain speeds of around six knots and we drove well with the wind on the starboard quarter. Later during the night, the wind became stronger and the spinnaker was taken down. By dawn the sky was overcast and the wind speed slowly increased to force five. The seas became steeper and were crested. With the long waves coming in from the quarter the slow pitch and roll began to alfect the crew who felt the first significant amount of sea sickness since the first night. The forecasts warned of gales to the west. Throughout this time we followed the main shipping route. That night was spent driving towards Ushant at around seven knots with a reefed main and storm jib and wind speeds of around force seven. By the time dawn came we had Ushant light on the starboard beam and we were in the thick of the traffic separation zone. The gale warnings were of one in the Irish Sea and another due shortly in the South giving gales seven to eight in the Portland area. Around this time ihe square rigger was seen, probably the Gorfoch. During the morning the storm jib was changed to No. 3 jib, the seas became less steep and there were squalls and heavy rain. The mid-day watch endured heavy rain with very cold winds. At one time one inch rainfall in one hour was recorded at a weather station nearby. By the evening watch the seas were reducing and the wind decreased sufficiently to allow a No. 3 genoa and main. The clouds cleared leaving a bright night that was really quite warm. During the early hours of the day the wind died away completely and it was necessary to motor. Steaming for the rest of the trip seemed inevitable, but the South East wind finally stirred itself and by dawn we were again under power of the small spinnaker. At dawn the watches changed and The Needles off the port bow—nearly home. England slowly revealed hereself. We passed Duriston Head and made our way to the Needles passage with a strong wind making seven knots on a broad reach with mizzen staysail set. This was a most exhilarating sail of five to six hours with bright sunshine and the Solent was full of boats racing or out for a weekend cruise. We made our way into Portsmouth Harbour and into the berth of HMS Hornet on the last flood tide. The formalities completed, the boat was cleaned and the crew dis- persed, most on the train to London. All felt that they had enjoyed the trip a great deal and had a considerable feeling of satisfaction that the aim of successful sailing the Nicholson 55 had been achieved in a variety of wind and sea conditions. — 277 — CORRESPONDENTS PLEASE send in any short items of general interest that may happen in your Unit or your area, for publication in the front section of THE GAZETTE. If accompanied by a picture so much the better—though this is not essential. Stories of the length and style of those published this month" under " For the Record" are required. Keep them short—make them interesting. |
| Book number | R0403a |