Santander

Jane carrying the EPIRB

TUESDAY 14 AUGUST 2007

Chris, Jane and Tommy joined us on Susannah for lunch, bringing the EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) with them which Roger had ordered about 4 weeks before we left, but had been out of stock. 

We had a lovely lunch on the boat, swam and went for a sail in the afternoon. In the evening, we went for a meal as it was our wedding anniversary. There was a problem with the internet connection, as it seems the gigabyte I bought yesterday had not yet been registered. I had to ring Vodafone to try and sort it out – without much success.

Santander - Chris and Jane's ferry arriving

Chris and Jane's ferry arriving in Santander

MONDAY 13 AUGUST 2007


It was a beautiful day and Roger and I waited for Chris and Jane’s ferry to arrive from Plymouth. The ferry passed quite close to us and Chris, Jane and Tommy were waving from the top deck. They went off with Max and Tracy to find their caravan site and Roger and I went into town to get our internet connection (hopefully) and finally found a computer shop that had the portable Vodafone internet modem and then went to a Vodafone shop to buy a gigabyte of memory which cost 60 euros. We had a Menu del Dia and took the washing to a launderette and the gas bottle to be changed.

Santander

Roger taking the gas bottle for a walk!

SUNDAY 12 AUGUST 2007


We re-anchored nearer the yacht club and out of the path of the ferries and went to see where there was a launderette, a place to change the gas bottle and a Vodafone shop. The yacht club was very friendly and didn’t mind us using their steps and walking through their foyer in wet shoes, carrying bags of washing and gas bottles. After the lunch time Menu del Dia, we had a siesta in the cockpit.





SANTANDER YACHT CLUB: Anchored for free, but would have been 30 euros a night in the yacht club marina. Showers cost 5 euros each, probably free in the Marina

Bilbao to Santander - 39 Miles

SATURDAY 11 AUGUST 2007


We left the anchorage about 11.00 a.m. and had a good sail of between 5.5 and 7 knots to Santander in lovely weather, and Roger caught a mackerel for our tea. 

We anchored off the Santander Yacht Club about 5.30 p.m. There were quite a few mooring buoys belonging to the Yacht Club, and after we’d anchored we realised we were in the direct line of the ferries that ran constantly back and forth, although we were out of the main channel. They didn’t seem to mind us being there, but I just hoped they kept away and didn’t hit us!

Fish for dinner!

Getaria to Bilbao - 47 Miles

Transporter Bridge, Bilbao

THURSDAY 9 - FRIDAY 10 AUGUST 2007

After breakfast in the café and getting diesel, we sailed to Bilbao and Roger fished. The wind died so we motor sailed and anchored just outside Getxo Marina about 8.30 p.m. It was a very sheltered, peaceful anchorage.

The next day we went to Getxo and found a Vodafone shop to buy an internet modem. They were very helpful and told us what we needed, but then said they hadn’t got it! We got the metro to another shop and they hadn’t got one either. We then got the metro to Bilbao and arrived at the shop just as they were closing for lunch at 1.30 p.m. and didn’t really want to serve us, but said they hadn’t got one. The shops wouldn’t be open until 5.30 so we decided to give up and try again in Santander. The shops won’t phone other Vodafone shops for us, as they are franchised.


We took two large bags of washing to the Getxo Marina, where there were two very small washing machines, one of which was in use already. We put one small load on to wash and went to find somewhere to change the gas bottle, to be told the nearest was 3 kilometres way! We had a drink waiting for the washing, but in the meantime someone had locked the door to the facilities, and as we were not moored in the Marina, we didn’t have a key. I found the Capitaneria and managed to get the door unlocked. The washing took two hours, so we decided to leave the rest until we got to Santander.

It had been quite an unsuccessful day and felt in need of a nice Basque meal, but there were very few restaurants, and they were very expensive, catering for tourists rather than the excellent Basque cuisine, so we went for the cheap option of a Buffet Chinese at 8.50 euros each.

Getaria

Juan-Sebastian de Elcano
Skipper of the Elcano

Monument to Juan-Sebastian de Elcano - Skipper of the Victoria
Originally uploaded by Yacht Susannah

WEDNESDAY 8 AUGUST 2007

Another British boat, Hunters Moon, berthed behind us and when we started talking we realised we had met John and Elaine years ago in Ilfracombe.  They were sailing a boat called Shalaine and the Harbour Master had told them to moor further up the quayside.  They had been concerned about the depth of water but the Harbour Master had assured them there would be enough water at high tide.  Next morning, at high tide, they tried to leave and were grounded!  In the end the Harbour Master bought a shovel and dug a channel for Shalaine which managed to get off on the next high tide.  He blamed it on high pressure!  The shovel was kept in the Harbour Master's office and became known as 'The Shalaine Shovel'.

We had also met up with them four years ago in Vivero. They live in Spain and had been taking Shalaine, which they share with another couple, to Spain. This year they were taking Hunters Moon to Spain and the other couple were sailing Shalaine back to Britain.

We had breakfast in a café with them and Roger and I explored the lovely Basque town of Getaria. The church is about 14th Century and is very unusual as the floor slopes upwards, and the road runs underneath it. There was a model of the Victoria in the church. In the evening we had a meal with John and Elaine.

St. Jean de Luz, France to Getaria, Spain - 25 Miles

TUESDAY 7 AUGUST 2007

The Victoria being towed in

We left St. Jean de Luz about 11.00 a.m. but I felt very ill with a pounding headache. I tried to sleep most of the way but was also very sick. This was the first time I had been sick, but it was a virus rather than seasickness. We berthed alongside the waiting pontoon at Getaria, but the harbour master said there was no room for us. Then the skipper of a Spanish boat who had helped us tie up, said he was leaving in the evening, and we could go in his space. I was too ill to go anywhere!

We’d arrived just before Getaria’s big festival which happens once every four years. Juan Sebastian Elcano and his 17 crew had set off with Magellan in 1519 trying to find a passage to India across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. All the other boats and crew, including Magellan, had perished, but Elcano returned in 1522 with his crew, the first to have circumnavigated the world. The festival is a re-enactment of their ship Victoria returning to Getaria. There were hundreds of people lining the quayside (I thought they were there for us) and as the fishing boats full of people set off to escort Victoria into the harbour they all began to sing.

I was still feeling very ill and went to bed. Roger wandered around Getaria and started chatting to a French couple and some Spaniards moored near us, and invited them on board to look around. Luckily he didn’t invite them into our cabin, as I just wanted to die quietly and peacefully.

GETARIA MARINA: 14 euros, free showers; very friendly staff
Diesel: 99c