The Portuguese Coast Passage

What will the type of sailing be like?

This is a different kind of Sail Libra passage. Rather than spending a week hundreds of miles offshore, we will use the time to work our way south along Portugal's Atlantic coast, sailing meaningful coastal legs and stopping along the way. The tentative route takes us from Lisbon to Sines, around Cape St. Vincent and into the Algarve, with stops around Sagres and Lagos before finishing among the barrier islands and tidal channels of the Ria Formosa at Faro. The exact route will be determined by weather and conditions. The goal is not simply to get from Lisbon to Faro. We have a week to make the passage, so when conditions allow, we will drop the anchor, launch the dinghy and go explore. THE ROUTE AND THE REALITY Lisbon → Sines → Sagres → Lagos → Faro We begin in Lisbon, sailing down the Tagus River and out into the Atlantic before turning south along the Portuguese coast. August is prime summer sailing season in Portugal and the prevailing North and Northwest winds can provide excellent conditions for a southbound boat. The Portuguese summer Nortada often strengthens during the afternoon, creating opportunities for strong coastal sailing while teaching an important lesson in local weather, daily wind cycles and passage timing. This is coastal passage making rather than harbor hopping. Some legs may be sailed during the day. Depending on weather, timing and the route we choose, others may continue into the evening or overnight. Along the way we will work with changing wind strength, Atlantic swell, coastal traffic, fishing activity, headlands, tidal entrances and the practical decisions involved in moving a cruising boat down an unfamiliar coast. DEPARTING LISBON Leaving one of the world's great maritime cities by sea There are few more appropriate places to begin a sailing passage than Lisbon. After boarding Libra, completing orientation and reviewing the weather, we will have our Crew dinner ashore on arrival day, the next day we'll prepare the boat and depart through the Tagus River toward the Atlantic. Once clear of Lisbon, the crew begins settling into the routines used aboard Libra. Everyone participates in sailing the boat, navigation, lookout, sail handling and the decisions that determine how we make progress down the coast. Early passage priorities include: Coastal navigation and route planning Sail trim and boat balance Understanding the Portuguese summer wind cycle Traffic and collision avoidance Weather observation and forecasting Anchoring and arrival planning The coastline gradually changes as Lisbon disappears astern and we head south toward the Alentejo coast. SINES A protected anchorage beneath a historic Portuguese seaport Our first planned stop is Sines, approximately 55 nautical miles south of Lisbon. View on Google Maps Sines has been connected to the sea for centuries and is the birthplace of Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama. Above the waterfront stands the medieval Castle of Sines, where da Gama spent part of his childhood and where the town's maritime history remains very much alive. The harbor provides a protected stopping point along a stretch of coast with relatively few all weather harbors. If the schedule and conditions cooperate, we will anchor, launch the dinghy and head ashore to explore the old town, castle and waterfront before returning to Libra. It is exactly the kind of stop this passage is designed around. We arrive somewhere because we sailed there. SOUTH ALONG THE COSTA VICENTINA Leaving Sines, the coastline becomes increasingly wild as we continue south along Portugal's Atlantic shore. This is an excellent section for learning coastal passage planning. The summer Nortada frequently builds through the day, and the interaction between prevailing wind, Atlantic swell and the coastline becomes part of the sailing strategy. Instead of simply following a predetermined track, we will discuss why we leave when we do, how far we intend to sail, what shelter is available ahead and how the forecast affects the next landfall. Those are the decisions cruising sailors make every day. And eventually one very distinctive landmark appears ahead. Cape St. Vincent. ROUNDING CAPE ST. VINCENT Sailing around the southwestern corner of Europe Cape St. Vincent is one of the defining moments of this passage. View on Google Maps For centuries this exposed headland has been a landmark for vessels moving between northern Europe, the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. For us, it marks the transition from Portugal's west coast to the Algarve. The sailing can change dramatically around the cape. Wind acceleration, sea state, traffic and the timing of the rounding all matter. Rather than simply being a spectacular place to photograph, Cape St. Vincent gives us a real coastal seamanship exercise aboard Libra. Once around the cape, the geography changes and the south facing Algarve begins to offer more protection from the prevailing northerly wind. SAGRES Drop the anchor at the edge of Europe Weather permitting, Sagres gives us one of the most memorable anchorages of the trip. View on Google Maps We can anchor in the protected waters near the historic headland and take the dinghy ashore to explore a place synonymous with Portugal's Age of Discovery. This is a landscape of cliffs, fortifications, fishing boats and open Atlantic. It is also a natural place to stop after rounding Cape St. Vincent, allowing the crew to relax, swim, explore ashore and enjoy an evening aboard before continuing east. As with every anchorage on this passage, the stop depends on wind and swell. If conditions don't make an anchorage sensible, we keep sailing. That flexibility is part of cruising. THE ALGARVE Cliffs, clear water and summer sailing After Sagres we turn east along Portugal's southern coast and enter the Algarve. The character of the passage changes almost immediately. The exposed Atlantic coast gives way to protected bays, limestone cliffs, beaches and remarkably clear water. With the prevailing northerly wind coming off the land, conditions can provide excellent sailing with considerably less ocean swell than we experienced along the west coast. This portion of the trip gives us time to combine sailing with cruising. If we find a beautiful anchorage and the weather is right, we can stop. Swim off Libra. Launch the dinghy. Have dinner ashore. Then weigh anchor and continue the passage the following morning. LAGOS AND PONTA DA PIEDADE One of the Algarve's most spectacular coastlines Lagos is our next planned stop and one of the highlights of the passage. View on Google Maps The coastline surrounding Ponta da Piedade is famous for its golden limestone cliffs, sea caves, arches and small beaches. Several sandy anchorages lie along this section of coast, giving us the opportunity to anchor Libra beneath the cliffs when conditions permit. From the anchorage we can explore by dinghy, swim from the boat or head ashore into Lagos. After several days of sailing down the Portuguese coast, this is where the passage begins to feel as much like cruising as passage making. That balance is intentional. Learning to sail offshore matters. Learning how to actually use a cruising boat to explore a coastline matters too. THE FINAL LEG TO FARO Our final sailing leg carries us east along the Algarve toward Faro and the Ria Formosa. View on Google Maps The coastline gradually changes again as the cliffs of the western Algarve give way to long beaches and the barrier islands protecting the Ria Formosa lagoon system. Entering the Ria introduces an entirely different kind of navigation. Instead of an open Atlantic coastline, we transition into marked channels, tidal water, shoals, current and confined navigation. The crew will participate in planning the entrance, monitoring depth and position and navigating Libra through the channels toward Faro. It is an appropriate final exercise for a passage that begins with open coastal sailing and ends with close quarters pilotage. ARRIVAL IN FARO One last piece of real cruising Faro isn't simply where the passage ends. It is where Libra's next project begins. At the completion of this passage, Libra is scheduled to enter the shipyard in Faro for her haul out and maintenance period. For the crew, that provides an unusual look at another part of long distance cruising that doesn't normally appear in sailing courses. Boats don't simply sail from beautiful anchorage to beautiful anchorage. They are maintained, hauled, inspected, repaired and prepared for the next ocean. After approximately 250 miles of sailing along Portugal's coast, we finish by delivering Libra to the yard and closing another chapter in her sailing season. WHY THIS PASSAGE IS DIFFERENT POSSIBLE ORCAS!!! Not to worry, Libra is a full keeled vessel, they don't like the taste :) This passage combines several kinds of experience in a single week: Coastal passage planning Sailing with Portugal's summer Nortada Anchoring a large cruising boat Dinghy operations and shore exploration Cape and headland navigation Traffic and collision avoidance Sail trim in changing coastal conditions Entering unfamiliar harbors Tidal and confined water navigation Cruising decisions based on weather rather than a fixed itinerary And plenty of actual sailing. For sailors considering their own cruising boat, this is an especially valuable passage because it resembles the way many people actually dream of using their boat. Sail somewhere. Drop the anchor. Explore. Check the weather. Then sail somewhere new. LIFE ABOARD LIBRA Life aboard Libra is hands on. You are not joining as a passenger. Everyone participates in sailing and operating the boat. Captain Ryan personally runs the passage and works directly with the crew throughout the week. There is no rotating staff of captains and no handoff to someone you've never met. Underway, sailors participate in helm, lookout, sail handling, navigation, anchoring and the everyday operation of a 60 foot offshore cruising boat. When longer legs require it, we use Libra's established three hours on, six hours off watch rotation in pairs. On shorter coastal legs, the schedule adapts to the sailing and the route. When we're anchored, the pace changes. The dinghy comes down, people swim, we explore ashore and enjoy the places we've worked to reach under sail. This is sailing with a destination, but the sailing is still the reason we're here.