Vilagarcia to Caramiñal
23/May/2007 15:20 Filed in: Ria de Arosa
Time to leave Vilagarcia. I've really enjoyed it here. The Marina has excellent facilities, is very central and has friendly, helpful staff. All for €11 per day. There are good transport links to other towns on the Ria and to Santiago, La Coruña and Vigo. An excellent place to stop.
Just a short run today and a bit of a grumble.
Said goodby to Gerry and Isolde on "Northern Sky" and had a gentle sail down the Ria to Caramiñal. A distance of just over 7 miles.
A pattern is beginning to emerge with marinas built and owned by Ports Galicia and operated under contract by various Club Nauticos as is the one in Caramiñal. They charge like wounded bulls. The clubs say they are told what to charge by Ports Galicia but I'm not so sure.
My cost tonight for an 8.5m boat is €18 and it's not yet high season. Actually it's the cost for a 12m boat and that's what I have to pay even though they chose to put me in that berth and there were a lot of smaller berths that were empty. This cost ranks amongst the highest I have paid on the European mainland including Holland, Denmark and Germany. Ribeira and Portosin were similar. It does not encourage one to stay and spend some time and money. Had it been a bit earlier I would have gone back to Vilagarcia or anchored.
In future I think I am going to have to anchor a lot more to achieve my daily port cost target of €10. A third element to my observations on moving south. The palms get taller, port entry forms get bigger and marina charges increase.
I've also managed to lose my mobile phone. Not the best of days.
Caramiñal is a very pretty little town and I'm off to have a look around.
Just a short run today and a bit of a grumble.
Said goodby to Gerry and Isolde on "Northern Sky" and had a gentle sail down the Ria to Caramiñal. A distance of just over 7 miles.
A pattern is beginning to emerge with marinas built and owned by Ports Galicia and operated under contract by various Club Nauticos as is the one in Caramiñal. They charge like wounded bulls. The clubs say they are told what to charge by Ports Galicia but I'm not so sure.
My cost tonight for an 8.5m boat is €18 and it's not yet high season. Actually it's the cost for a 12m boat and that's what I have to pay even though they chose to put me in that berth and there were a lot of smaller berths that were empty. This cost ranks amongst the highest I have paid on the European mainland including Holland, Denmark and Germany. Ribeira and Portosin were similar. It does not encourage one to stay and spend some time and money. Had it been a bit earlier I would have gone back to Vilagarcia or anchored.
In future I think I am going to have to anchor a lot more to achieve my daily port cost target of €10. A third element to my observations on moving south. The palms get taller, port entry forms get bigger and marina charges increase.
I've also managed to lose my mobile phone. Not the best of days.
Caramiñal is a very pretty little town and I'm off to have a look around.