Porto to Figueira da Foz
29/07/07 18:48 Filed in: Portugal
Up early to catch the tide. We left the berth at 05:30 with the ebb already well underway. This made for a fast passage down river.
Between the lower motorway bridge and the first channel buoy the lowest depth noted was 2.9m. We cleared the entrance at 06:06 and there the lowest depth noted was 7.9 metres.
It remains to be seen how the new river entrance will look but in settled conditions at high tide access to Porto seems pretty straightforward. Kiriwina is only 28ft LOA but I visted as crew on a 54ft yacht 3 years ago also without difficulty.
There was very little wind and we motorsailed most of the way arriving off Figueira da Foz at 17:45. We berthed alongside the reception barge at 18:00 and were all fast in our allocated berth by 18:30.
I was not impressed with this marina three years ago. It was badly maintained and the compulsory arrival mooring alongside a barge was not even fitted with cleats. Nothing had changed and the mooring cost was an eyewatering €21.45 per day. These people are taking the mickey. They know the marina is in poor condition but reckon they can get away with these sort of costs as there is not a lot of choice on this part of the coast.
Daily run 58.4 miles (GPS 64.85) a combination of help from the current and, I suspec, the log under reading.
River Douro entrance from upstream.
Our first sight of dolphins since leaving the Ria Camarinas.
Between the lower motorway bridge and the first channel buoy the lowest depth noted was 2.9m. We cleared the entrance at 06:06 and there the lowest depth noted was 7.9 metres.
It remains to be seen how the new river entrance will look but in settled conditions at high tide access to Porto seems pretty straightforward. Kiriwina is only 28ft LOA but I visted as crew on a 54ft yacht 3 years ago also without difficulty.
There was very little wind and we motorsailed most of the way arriving off Figueira da Foz at 17:45. We berthed alongside the reception barge at 18:00 and were all fast in our allocated berth by 18:30.
I was not impressed with this marina three years ago. It was badly maintained and the compulsory arrival mooring alongside a barge was not even fitted with cleats. Nothing had changed and the mooring cost was an eyewatering €21.45 per day. These people are taking the mickey. They know the marina is in poor condition but reckon they can get away with these sort of costs as there is not a lot of choice on this part of the coast.
Daily run 58.4 miles (GPS 64.85) a combination of help from the current and, I suspec, the log under reading.
River Douro entrance from upstream.
Our first sight of dolphins since leaving the Ria Camarinas.