Ep32 | Sailing Portugal - Porto to Peniche: Surfing in surf city

Ep32: Porto to Peniche (Goal = Cascais - 8hr sail from Peniche) December 10-16th, 2020 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Dec 10: Set sail from Porto (15 C - 59 F) 11am - START Middle of night - 3 REEFS IN THE MAIN SAIL, REEFED GENOA - OVER 30 KNOTS OF GUSTS Passing Naseré during the night proved to be one of our most dreadful sails for us so far?.sailing in 25-30knots of wind isn't such a big problem - the problem was that the wind direction was at a sharp angle, making us pound against the waves, with things falling down from shelves in kitchen - a very uncomfortable sail. In addition the waves were large as we were sailing near to Naseré, Portugal Huge waves still rocked us around all night heave-to position? gustsover 30 knots - Naseré is known for it's waves and surfing, thanks to the "Nazaré Canyon", a submarine geomorphological phenomenon that allows the formation of perfect giant waves. It is the largest underwater canyon in Europe, about 170 kilometres along the coast, reaching a depth of 5,000 metres. Dec 11: Early morning - We sailed farther towards the coast this morning to avoid 30 knots of gusts & found out that the harbor of Peniche was open?so, instead ofsailing another 8hrs like originally planned, we stopped in peniche to gain some strength 15:00 After eating a good meal, We visited the old prison for political prospects against the dictatorship that lasted from 1926-1974. They turned it into a museum to honor the lives that fought for democracyin Portugal. This was the visiting area where it ws purposely made difficult to hear soo that the guard could hear everything said & could punish the prisoner if they didn't ike what the convo was about. You had to shout and no hugging aloud! Looks difficult to escape here, but a group of prisoners ended up escaping in the 70's After - we-deserved ice cream?and free wifi Dec 12 - Saturday - going for a walk on the pier -the nav towers : The red tower show us that the barrier wal should be on our port side (left) as we navigate into the marina & the green on the other side should be on the starboard side (right) The waves crashing over in patterns showed us that waves are unpredictable when you're not paying attention. Found a surf school and the spot they practice! 60F, 16C Dec 13 - Sunday: going for a run instead of a sail 60F, 16C In the evening, Eivind & I decided to go out on a little date to check out the local cuisine of Peniche. Dec14 - 10am: out to go surfing (big waves over wall) Go4surf school #go4surfportugal - https://go4surf.pt/escola/principiante/ This surf school was perfect! It was located by the beach directly north of the harbor. Since it was the low season, we were few, so we all got our own personal coach to help us get to our feet. This 2-day beginners course started out on the beach - learning techniques for getting up on the board. They taught us? And, bc of the excellent instruction & training, we all made it up on the board in the water!! Such a feeling of accomplishment! The reason we baked so many cinnamon rolls was bc 3 of the surf-instructors were coming over for a visit to see how we lived on a sailboat. Very cozy, but forgot to take a picture!! Dec 15 - Our second surf-school day Dec16 - 30knots of howling wind - today, tonight & tomorrow- dangerous around the sea Shopping at ripcurl: early Christmas presents Dec 16 -:- We pick up some humungous pizza for the boys? The boys remember this pizza for years to come! Best in the world! Meanwhile, Eivind & I go out on date night to the Tasca do Joel restaurant recommended to us by the surf instructors! It was very inviting with friendly staff & delicious food. We Highly recommend it! Dec17 - motoring away to Cascais (cascash)- 16C - 60 F Stay tuned for the next episode where we motor away in oily-looking smooth seas?FINALLY?after waiting out the weather in Peniche for a week. But, what a week we had, and we can now officially say that Portugal is probably our new favorite country. The people were so relaxed and friendly! They stole our hearts and their food stole our stomachs ? Next port is Cascias where we briefly meet up with our new German boat-friends. CREDITS: Movavi Suite Video Editor 25 Epidemic Sound: Doce Bahia - Clara Mendes Huapango de Luna - Alcones Negros Las Fresitas (Instrumental Version) - Ramiro LR Menino e fogo - Clara Mendes Passarinho - Luiz Mura Surfer Kids - Elliot Holmes Windy Room - Anthony Earls Weather Any Storm - Cody Francis Wednesday - OTE #go4surfportugal #ripcurloutletpeniche https://go4surf.pt/escola/principiante/