Orion - Bayona to Oeiras

How things have changed! The Bay now a distant memory. Portugal is displaying all her finery and we are loving the gentle breezes, gorgeous weather and enchanting towns. Santiago was a joy! Porto fun on the tuk-tuk tour and great port wine. Peniche a nice break and now, Oeiras! Greg is really looking forward to the sardine BBQ tonight! (Well, some of us are!) Sadly, the days are now numbered and the wind-down beginning. The group meals, great company, interesting stories to listen to, banter and friendship. All that we were hoping for on this rally! And it didn’t disappoint! It is hard to name a favourite place. I have purchased a unique momento…a book of Portuguese folk guitar tunes, something that with lots of practice, will help me remember this lovely country and accommodating. read more...

Orion - orion

We were promised an adventure and how true! The Bay of Biscay displayed all her moods, majestic and splendid. We were buffeted and becalmed but Thursday was the pinnacle for us! The small window to travel the last 40 miles to Bayona soon closed and we were straight into 30 knot headwinds but still making way when it all began. Our trusty engine stopped, just when we were between the shore and a rocky outcrop. Quick action to hoist the genoa, vastly overpowering the boat but getting us away from the shore. Then a quick tack to miss the rocky shoal. Then…snap, the genoa sheet broke. Another quick tack, substituting the only available line, a smaller preventer line. Greg went down below to work out the engine problem as the tank still showed, correctly so, half full. As he was doing so, the. read more...

Orion - first blog

The trip to Plymouth was a very small taste of the good things to come! Our new crew member John enjoyed the delights of England including the start point, Eastbourne, then Brighton, Weymouth and Dartmouth. All great places! Keith joined us in Plymouth in time for us to finish the little jobs necessary before setting out. Already we have made some great friends and have had some “too good” nights! The party boat has been determined and it is not ours. The rally crew are very helpful and a preview of the visiting ports in Spain and Portugal are tantalising. Tomorrow is the big day. We head out at 9. Be great to start after all the preparations. Our first big ocean crossing! Bayona, here we come!. read more...