Figueira da Foz to Nazaré
01/07/07 17:51 Filed in: Portugal
At 09:25 we left the marina at Figueira da Foz. Ten minutes later we exited the harbour in challenging conditions. Last night the sea was virtually calm but overnight a predicted 3m swell had arrived. The swell likely originated hundreds of miles away in one of the low pressure systems which are now causing unseasonable weather in the UK.
At sea a 3m swell is not really an issue but in 5m of water at a harbour entrance a 3m swells becomes a very steep and often breaking wave. There were breakers at each side of the entrance but not in the middle so we pressed on.
The seas were very steep and at one point I saw 1.4m on the depth guage (0.5m from being aground.) We continued and soon the water deepened though the seas remained steep and only flattened out to a big swell once we passed the 20m line. I heard that Figueira da Foz was closed later in the day.
We continued motorsailing down the coast but kept well offshore outside the 30m line. The swell was from the NW, causing a fairly rolly trip, but the wind was variable and rarely over 5knots.
Approaching Nazaré we rounded Punta da Nazaré where the swell was breaking spectacularly.
The southern face of Cabo Nazaré with its unusual rock formation. This continues downwards into an undersea canyon of great depth.
Once round Punta da Nazaré where the depth is 25m we crossed the undersea canyon at a depth of 160m. It then slowly shallowed to around 30m just short of the harbour entrance. The water depth in the canyon had the added effect of absorbing the ocean swells so that by the time the harbour was entered much of the swell had gone.
Any remaining swell was dissipated in the outer harbour so that by the time the inner harbour was reached it was virtually flat calm. A clever harbour design.
We were all fast in the marina at 16:55. Days run 33.9 miles. Marina Cost €17.50 per day.
At sea a 3m swell is not really an issue but in 5m of water at a harbour entrance a 3m swells becomes a very steep and often breaking wave. There were breakers at each side of the entrance but not in the middle so we pressed on.
The seas were very steep and at one point I saw 1.4m on the depth guage (0.5m from being aground.) We continued and soon the water deepened though the seas remained steep and only flattened out to a big swell once we passed the 20m line. I heard that Figueira da Foz was closed later in the day.
We continued motorsailing down the coast but kept well offshore outside the 30m line. The swell was from the NW, causing a fairly rolly trip, but the wind was variable and rarely over 5knots.
Approaching Nazaré we rounded Punta da Nazaré where the swell was breaking spectacularly.
The southern face of Cabo Nazaré with its unusual rock formation. This continues downwards into an undersea canyon of great depth.
Once round Punta da Nazaré where the depth is 25m we crossed the undersea canyon at a depth of 160m. It then slowly shallowed to around 30m just short of the harbour entrance. The water depth in the canyon had the added effect of absorbing the ocean swells so that by the time the harbour was entered much of the swell had gone.
Any remaining swell was dissipated in the outer harbour so that by the time the inner harbour was reached it was virtually flat calm. A clever harbour design.
We were all fast in the marina at 16:55. Days run 33.9 miles. Marina Cost €17.50 per day.