Vigo to Baiona

Hi everyone,

Today we sailed from Vigo to Baiona.  Sadly there was little wind so we motored for much of the 14nm passage.  A light wind gave us a nice sail into Ensenada de Baiona which was a nice finish.  We had reserved a berth at the Monte Real Club de Yates (MRCY) which is located below the impressive Monte Real castle.

View from the deck of the MRCY clubhouse

Here are the usual images.  I won't bother with the stats for such a short passage.  The zig-zag in the track shows where we tried sailing upwind briefly until the wind died again.  Once we turned south we set sail.

Track

Arrival Detail

Graphs

On our way out of the Ria de Vigo we watched a SAR helicopter exercising above a large car carrier.  There are currently 5 large car carriers in Vigo and there are large multi-storey  car parks behind the wharfs.

Car Carrier with SAR Helo

To get to Baiona we needed to round the Islotes de Serralleiras.  The modest 1.5m NW swell was breaking impressively on the reefs around the Islotes and on the mainland shore.

View towards Baiona from NW

View of Baiona sea wall from N

Entering the MRCY marina

The MRCY responded rapidly to our call on VHF ch 71.  They directed us to our berth and assisted with our lines.  There's a significant surge in the marina from the Atlantic swell refracting around the sea wall.  Similar to practically all the Spanish marinas we've visited - either from swell or from traffic.

With the boat secured and tidied up we walked ashore to check out the yacht club.  The clubhouse and grounds are impressive and the office staff very helpful.

Zen Again in her berth

We then went for an initial recce of Baiona.  Found a laundromat, supermarket and grocery store, plus many bars and cafes.  The sea front has a nice promenade and the streets behind are narrow and full of small bars, cafes and shops.

View across Baiona beach to the Monte Real castle

On our way back we walked around the outside of Monte Real castle.  Spectacular coastal scenery.

Coastal view from W side of Monte Real castle

Coastal view of the sea wall from the WNW

Looking forward to exploring Baiona.  We'll be here for several days while awaiting delivery of a package and good weather for a passage to Portugal.