When
we arrived, around noon, there was a space alongside about a
metre too short for us, so we hailed the Finnish-ensigned boat to
one side of the gap, asking them to move a tad, and the skipper
obliged without demure.Ribadeo is an excellent passage port, and marks the Eastern end of Galicia. There is a new fishing boat harbour, which allows the old harbour to be dedicated to sports boats. Locals tie up to the pontoons. Visitors raft up against the harbour wall. There is a charge based on area, but very low even for a cat, and showers are included.
Alongside in Ribadeo
When
we arrived, around noon, there was a space alongside about a
metre too short for us, so we hailed the Finnish-ensigned boat to
one side of the gap, asking them to move a tad, and the skipper
obliged without demure.
I offered the crew an exciting run ashore to explore our first town in a new country. However, apart from sending the mate (Ann) to buy bread, they voted for lazing in the cockpit in the hazy sunshine, drinking too much wine.
The next day was a Sunday, and Mark and Luke found they’d have to wait until Monday to start their journey home by bus to Madrid and then by Easyjet. So we sauntered out to explore the ria. We started by grounding on a sandbank (there were no buoys or other marks.) Mark was somewhat scornful of my technique of simply raising the dagger boards and rudders, and opening another beer. However, after 30 minutes or so, we drifted clear with no problem.
Local boat racing off Ribadeo
The ria is probably beautiful,
but the visibility was only about a mile, so we couldn’t
see the surrounding mountains. However, the local centreboarders
were out racing, and made a fine sight with their enormous single
lugsails.