The following day we checked out of the marina. We really like A Pobra Do Caraminal but the marina facilities leave something to be desired – especially the ladies’ which has reduced in size from last year. The facilities are shared with the marina bar and for the cost of the marina these facilities are not good enough. We would have stayed another night or two but felt a little aggrieved that the price had increased since our visits last year but standards have declined. So we “slung our hook”. Literally – just outside the marina, where we joined Adam and Lynne on Charisma in the anchorage.
That night we took curry for a faith supper on Charisma. John and Debbie brought rice and Ian brought GIN!! We had a lovely time together, leaving at midnight and getting a tow back to Calypso by John and Debbie before they all headed back into the marina.
The following night we went ashore with the Charisma crew, tying the dinghies up on the large launching ramp and heading to our second favourite in Pobra – the Kunka tapas restaurant where we took a table inside. Many of the restaurants around here have very drab interiors, but Kunka serves up great atmosphere as well as excellent tapas. We went aboard Charisma for a game of cards (Wizard) and home by midnight.
The following day we sailed the 2 nm across to the anchorage at colourful Cabo Cruz, where we had another faith supper aboard Charisma and headed home at midnight. This was to be our final dinner with the Charisma crew this year as they were about to head towards A Corunna to pick up crew to sail back across Biscay to Blighty.
We said our fond farewells the following morning – at which point discovered that our anchor was well and truly stuck on the bottom. Fortunately we were freed with the help of Charisma. We dropped a rope with a large loop on it and Charisma drove this away from our direction of anchoring. After a little frustration we were freed, and had learned that (a) we should always where possible use a trip line in anchorages off fishing villages and (b) dropping the loop down the anchor chain worked but might have been easier with a steel or chain hoop. That will be added to the inventory soon!