Lisbon is a city of vibrant colour and colour, heavily influenced by Art Nouveau style architecture. A perfect place to rest and explore after sailing down the Atlantic Coast.
The Hill Tram Tour – used by locals and tourists alike
At the end of the Hills Tram, this band was entertaining the passersby
Art Nouveau style shop fronts are common and beautiful. This is a jewellery store founded in the late 1920’s whos facade features the Portuguese coat of arms
We sat and watch this busker suspended in mid-air for ages
Buildings full of colour
In the Bairro Alto district, this Theatre was built in the mid 19th century
If Portuguese tarts take your fancy, then Pasteis de Belem is the place to go but be prepared for the queue
There’s a certain grittiness of the buildings in some areas that made this town intriguing
After a long, tiring sail down the Atlantic Coast of Spain and Portugal, we took a break and explored the vibrant city of Lisbon. Bypassing Marina de Cascais, popular with yachties, we chose to be closer to Lisbon city itself. After researching the city marinas options we settled on Marina Parques das Nacoes, as it was well protected, reasonably priced and able to accommodate our catamaran.
To get to the marina, we travelled about 7 miles up the Tagus (Tejo) River, an experience in itself. It gave us the opportunity to enjoy the colourful city from the river and pass under the spectacular Ponte 25 de Abril bridge, 70m above the water level.
Lisbon from the Targus river
Wild Heart under the 25 de Abril Bridge
25 de Abril Bridge, connecting both banks of the Targus River
Arriving at the marina entrance, we had to wait for the appropriate tide to enter the sluice system to berth. As the width of the lock was not much wider than Wild Heart, we held our breath and relied on the guidance of the marinaros to squeeze us into the lock. You can see our entry in the video below.
Owing to the sluice system and the tides, we stayed for a couple of days longer than planned which proved to be a delightful enforced rest.
Where we stayed:Marina Parque das Nacoes (Marina Park of Nations), built on the former Expo’98 exhibition site. A welcoming, sheltered marina. It’s 7 miles upstream from the Belém Tower and 1.5 miles downstream from the Vasco da Gama Bridge.
The Belem Tower from the Targus River on our way upstream
It operates on a sluice system, which makes it sheltered but subject to tides for operation. The marina staff help you in and out of the marina through the sluice gates.
Public transport, a supermarket and petrol station are all within close walking distance. Lisbon is a 20-minute bus ride away.
Boat jobs first
As usual boat jobs need to be done after check-in to the marina. So before sightseeing, we reprovisioned with food at the nearby (well-stocked) supermarket, washed down decks and topped our jerry cans (for spare fuel) with diesel at the service station.
Exploring Lisbon
We were excited to explore Lisbon as we hadn’t travelled to Portugal before. We chose to see what we could on foot but to go further afield we took the following tour: Hop on/Hop Off bus, including the Hills Tram . This bus is a perfect way to get oriented around the city. The old tram winds it’s way up the narrow, cobbled streets up to the top of the Sao Miguel district where we hopped off to enjoy the view over the city and the river while listening to some music from the local street band.
Lisbon has so much to offer. The Art Nouveau architecture and signage of the old town is a delight. The Portuguese are relaxed and helpful. Local specialities such as grilled sardines and Portuguese tarts are a treat. There are a number of open-air bars and restaurants to choose from. For a livelier atmosphere go out later in the evening, as the Portuguese (like the Spanish eat late).
For more sights of Lisbon look for our upcoming photo blog on this lively city.
A sense of foreboding followed us down the Atlantic Coast after we passed the Coast of Death (Costa del Mort). It was still early May and the weather in the Atlantic Ocean is notoriously fickle and changes quickly throughout the day. To minimise getting caught out in really bad weather, we quickly sailed down the coast of Spain. The weather, coupled with the fact that my time in the EU (specifically the Schengen area) was limited due to my Australian passport and Schengen visa. So, we were keen to spend our limited time in the EU in the warmth of the Balearic Islands.
Enroute
Sundown – Sagres anchorage
The Atlantic was true to form. it was cold with prevailing high afternoon winds and unsettled seas state which added to our determination to push on.
Another cold morning
Early morning watch – can you tell I was cold?
We determinedly travelled long days (covering 70 – 100+ nautical Miles), until we really needed some rest, reprovisioning or refuelling. We found few suitable, easy access anchorages and so sheltered in boat/fishing harbours where possible or stayed in the occasional marina. Many anchorages down this coast involved bar crossings into rivers. While we’re used to doing these in Australia, the weather and high tides, pushed us on. The one port, I’m sorry we missed was Porto, Portugal.
Late one evening after a long day of gusty winds, the port in Adra we had planned to anchor in was smaller than anticipated and badly affected by swell. We made the decision to attempt a sketchy entry into the nearby marina; in fact, we pretty much surfed in. We found a hammerhead pontoon and managed to dock the boat in the gusty conditions. As I jumped off onto the small, dodgy pontoon, I found it was unstable, dropped to my hands and knees and tied up the stern. As I crawled to the front, a Marinaro was yelling and waving as I completed the bow tie off. As he came to help and in the midst of the confusion of placing fenders and moving around the narrow pontoon, I half fell off the dock on to my ribs on a metal strut. Ouch. No serious damaged but I certainly was shellshocked for a couple of days.
On the same day, fellow Helia44 owners we met in La Rochelle, who were travelling close by, continued sailing that night and ended up with a wave in their saloon. I’m pleased we made the decision to take shelter.
You can see the route we travelled and where we stopped here.
Sines, Portugal, Vasco de Gama’s hometown. The morning after a midnight arrival.
Sines, Portugal. Many ports we sheltered in were mainly for fishing boats, were often small and subject to swell
It wasn’t until we reached Lisbon that we finally relaxed, stayed for a few days and enjoyed this vibrant city. More about that in a later post.
Wild Heart in Marina Parque das Nacoes, Lisbon. Behind the lock gate.
A small part of Port des Minimes, the largest marina in France for pleasure boats. It’s also where a number of brands launch their yachts not only Fountaine Pajot but Amel yachts and Nautitech catamarans
Boats and masts as far as you can see
The entrance to the old port, where boats constantly leave and enter
The historic architecture and rich history of the town sits side by side with the pleasure craft yachting lifestyle
There are regattas and sailing schools a plenty.
Wild Heart in the evening shortly before we left the marina
When we arrived in La Rochelle, a few short months ago, we had no idea what to expect from many things; the town, our new catamaran “Wild Heart” and sailing in France.
We quickly discovered that La Rochelle was a joy, rich in history and lifestyle; commisioning a new boat was an intense and exciting experience; sailing in a new country was an adventure. In fact, it continues to be an adventure of exploring, discovering and learning.
The Dalmatian Coast is simply breathtaking. It’s a coastline of turquoise waters and the red roofs and bleached stone of the old seaside towns and cities. Have you been inspired by these images to sail Croatia but possibly don’t know where to start? If you’re a sailor and haven’t chartered overseas before, it can seem daunting. Really, it’s not difficult to do, and I’d encourage you to go ahead and book your trip. It’s an exciting place to experience by boat. In this post, I’ll take you through what I think are the better options for bareboat chartering.
