Witch’s log, 28th of July til 9th of August, 2019
After almost a year of non existent activity, the Witch was yet to move again, a bit late in the summer I realise, but better late than never. This time the plan was (or rather still is) to sail her down to Portugal.
Elsa returned for another adventure and with her I was to sail down the coast up to whenever time allowed. We set off from Muros on the 28th midday wanting to reach Baiona by the end of the day.
Even under engine, I was then reminded, it’s a long way to Corrubedo… A very many hours later we crossed the cape and set a heading for Baiona, leaving the Ons to port and later the Cíes to Starboard. A pleasant sail with the prevailing W-NW swell in the area and a SW wind which allowed us to beat and ride at the same time, with a wonderful scenery all around and a few dolphins swimming along with us. Sunset was coming, and it came. You couldn’t have wished for better sailing weather and for a brief moment it felt like paradise.
… Up until … the wind direction (or absence of) made us turn on the engine and motor a bit past the Cíes, and then the worst happened, the engine died, again! *sigh* *ffs* I thought! A few tries and nothing… last year again!
It was getting dark. Wind was SW and 15 knots (as it probably always is in the inside of the Cíes and edge of Ria de Vigo) and the choice was between beating up to Baiona for a few good hours or run down to Vigo. We took the latter, last but not least because the chances of getting the engine repaired were better in a big city.
Under sail we went up the ria … Davila Marina seemed to have an easy pontoon to moor so we aimed towards it, only to *ffs* #2 … no wind… we were adrift in the middle of the ria for an hour or two at least.
Between many indecisions to call a pan-pan or not on channel 16, a few attempts to reach the marina, dinghy out, anchor ready and so forth, eventually the wind picked up a bit and we made it to the pontoon at 1 or 2am under sail and moored nicely along the pontoon.
The following almost two weeks were spent regrettably ashore exploring Vigo.
The mechanic came two days later and found the injection pump not working and one of the cylinders having no compression. The engine was completely removed, winched up with the main’s halyard, taken away, refit with a new gasket, new pump, new segments, flattening of the head, etc in what was to be a very expensive repair indeed, the most that it had ever had.
On top of that being land ground for almost two weeks, not a good start of a trip, but that’s boating life and we had to endure it.
The engine was repaired and put back, only then to be hit by two days of rain and storm not allowing us to leave. The atlantic promised 25-30 knot southerly winds and a 4 metre westerly swell *ffs* #3
And so it was until the weather cleared and we were in condition to sail away and south.
Witch out, for now.
Yeap! What another adventure ? I can ⛵️ to the end of the world with you…any time any boat ?and the time ashore was superb ?too. I’ll be patiently waiting for the next time ?