Yachting World — November 2017

November 2017 57

houses with covered porches, wraparound balconies, and
tiny gardens and fl ower planters. The granite streets wind
along a rocky coast loaded with horreos (granaries),
cruceiros (crucifi xes) and shops and restaurants cut into
the stone walls. The fl eet of small fi shing boats supplies
restaurants with the fresh catch of the day. The food and
wine were excellent, the atmosphere festive.

An epic rally
The following day we took part in a raft-up of Ocean
Cruising Club (OCC) members’ yachts in the Ria de Vigo
off the magnifi cent (and nudist) beach in Ensenada de
Barra. Eleven yachts took part, four of which rafted
together while the others anchored off. Twenty-six OCC
members and crew were hosted aboard Michael Holland’s
72ft Celtic Spirit of Fastnet.
It was a brilliant evening, with the older salts advising
the newer recruits about crossing the Atlantic and

‘Old salts advised about

crossing the Atlantic’

Left: Bayona, with

its pretty harbour

and imposing fort

at the outlet of

Vigo Bay

Above: raft-up

in Barra, with

Celtic Spirit

as the anchor

vessel, Aleria and

Grand Slam tied

alongside, and

Papageno tied

alongside Aleria

circumnavigating, as well as making the most of the Med.

The fi nal night of the Rias Baixas Rally took place in the

spectacular setting of the Monte Real Club de Yates de

Bayona. The yacht club and marina are on the grounds of

the 12th Century walled fort and castle, now an upscale

parador state-run hotel. The panoramic views from the

walk along the walls of the fort were stunning. The

beaches lining the Ensenada de Baiona are fi rst rate, with a

bicycle and walking path running the length of the bay. We

rode our bikes along the beaches and climbed to the

Virgen de la Roca statue, which stands sentinel for

mariners as they embark on their journeys. The facilities

at the yacht club are unparalleled and the club now

welcomes visitors. We enjoyed cocktails in the clubhouse

grounds overlooking the marina and the closing dinner

was at the parador.

It was a fi tting end to an epic rally.

Reverberating boom

Now we were on our own. We hopscotched our way north

to the Ria de Corcubion in the shelter of Finisterre, where

we spent fi ve days at anchor. The ancient village of

Corcubion sees few tourists and fewer yachts. There is no

marina but the anchorage has good holding and shelter

from the predominant northerlies in the

summer. A few pilgrims stop in for a spell as

they walk the obscure reverse Camino route

from Santiago to Finisterre to see the end of

the world.

We launched our dinghy and assembled

our bicycles to explore. The charming

winding granite stone streets, architecture

and welcoming atmosphere combined to create an

authentic Galician experience.

Adjacent to Corcubion is Cee, a modern town with all

the amenities you would need, including a giant

supermarket. One morning, we were jolted from sleep by a

reverberating boom. At noon, a second boom sent shock

waves down our mast and hull and echoing off the hills.

This was soon followed by at least a dozen more

explosions. We learned that the festival taking place was

letting the world know it was open for business. That night

we had the best seats in the house for the most

spectacular fi reworks display we’ve ever seen.

From Corcubion, we worked our way back to the Ria de

Vigo where we had chosen the Punta Lagoa marina as

Aleria’s winter berth. We took in the magical river and

waterfalls at Ezaro and watched fi shermen diving for

scallops at Sardiniero before continuing on to visit

each of the barrier islands that constitute the Parque ›