All Gas and Gourmets: Portosin to Conwy
My crew: Howard Browes, Tony Brooks and myself assembled at Ffordd Triban at the ungodly hour of 5am to drive down to Stanstead Airport for the 10.30 flight to Santiago de
Compostella. A horrendous journey just about made it with 10 minutes to Check-In closure! Arrived at Portosin where the boat is moored; stocked up at the local supermarket. I had no idea up to that time what a couple of gourmets I had for crew, but clearly
could expect some good cooking on board.
Set off first thing next morning for the Scillies; Fairly strong north easterly / easterly wind
not ideal but do-able. About 6-ish some dinner seemed like a good idea, food prepared by
one of the gourmets!
Cooker turned on worked for a couple of minutes then the flame disappears; a horrible
thought comes into my head: did I replace the spare gas bottle this year?
Frantically
I open the gas locker and shake the bottles: Disaster!!!!!! They are both empty!!
A discussion with the crew: a couple of gourmets; no it is not
an option to eat cold food for the next three days!!! The only
other option: Put back into La Coruña 35 miles south. It is
going dark and a thick fog descends. The only excitement is a
close encounter on the radar with another boat showing no
lights which appears to be following us whichever way we
turn. Some discussion regarding the possibility of pirates in
the Bay of Biscay. We shake off our pursuer and arrive La
Coruña 2am; Go to bed pleased to be safely tied up.
Get up in the morning, good breakfast in the local cafe, taxi
into town in quest for gas. The Spanish have never heard of
Calor gas! Buy a bottle of Camping Gas + regulator. Much
head scratching back at the boat. Eventually an assemblage
of various sizes of plastic tubing is in place which would give a
CORGI gas fitter a heart attack but it works; Fantastic!
La Coruña Harbour
Set sail following morning, thick fog again, wind the same as before. Intermittent sailing and motoring for the next few days, one spell of quite windy
weather and moderate seas but nothing we can't cope with. Arrive Scillies latitude but 50
miles west due to easterlies. Miserable bash into the waves under engine; arrive Scillies
about 11pm.
Pleasant day in Hughtown visit several pubs have a nice meal; set sail next morning. Tony
wants next stop St Ives, failing that Padstow; Neither a serious possibility due to wind direction. Beat & motor to Dale. Nice night on pontoon in Dale; next morning head to
Neyland marina, Tony decides to head home by rail from there.
Howard and I press on; next stop Pwllheli or Porth Dinllaen? Wind still the same. Half-way
across becomes obvious Porth Dinllaen the only option, tides good though! Arrive about
11pm. Quiet night, pleasant trip through the straits next morning, arrive Conwy that afternoon; Nice sunny day, lovely scenery, so nice to be back!
John O’Donnell
19