RCC Pilotage Foundation Atlantic Spain and Portugal 7th Edition 2015 ISBN 978 184623 620 4 Supplement No.3 April 2018 This replaces all previous supplements Acknowledgements Caution Since this edition of the book was published comments Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of from the following have been received with grateful thanks: this supplement. However, it contains selected information and thus is not definitive and does not 2015: Richard Salkeld, Richard Lassen, Ian Powolny, include all known information on the subject in hand. Gavin McLaren, Hans Rierink, Michael & Barbara Pollitt, The author, the RCC Pilotage Foundation and Imray Steve Pickard, G Laughton, Edward Clay, Nick Chavasse, Laurie Norie & Wilson Ltd believe this supplement to be Will Pedder, William Maltby, Martinho Fortunato, a useful aid to prudent navigation, but the safety of a Chris Brown, Bússola Frenética. Sincere apologies to vessel depends ultimately on the judgement of the anyone whose name is missing. navigator, who should assess all information, published or unpublished, available to him/her. 2016: Richard Salkeld, Richard Lassen, Ian Powolny, Dody With the increasing precision of modern position fixing Stiller, Gavin McLaren, Steve Pickard. methods, allowance must be made for inaccuracies in 2017/18: Jose Manuel Lodeiro, Michael & Barbara Pollitt, latitude and longitude on many charts, inevitably Dody Stiller, Will Pedder, Chris & Katie Russell, Lars perpetuated on some harbour plans. Modern surveys specify which datum is used together with correction Gulbrandsen, Mike Gill, Alberto Lagos, Arnulf Doerner, figures if required, but older editions should be used Willem Melching, Helen Norris, Carmela Núñez, Mike with caution, particularly in restricted visibility. Gill, Richard Lassen, Madeline Strobel, Helmut Heine, This supplement contains amendments and corrections Mike & Devala Robinson, Tim Trafford. With special sent in by a number of cruising yachtsmen and women, thanks to: Geraldine Hennigan and Norman Kean for their in addition to those culled from official sources such as detailed pilotage information from the 2017 ICC cruise to Notices to Mariners . the Rias Baixas, Galicia. Note where lights have been modified in this text do All contributions are welcomed with heartfelt thanks. They please remember to alter them on the appropriate plan. enhance the content and accuracy of information included Author’s caution in the Pilot. Please send any new information to It must be emphasised that none of the charts, plans or [email protected] sketch plans shown in this guide should be used for Page 2 Swell navigation, nor should they be in any way considered as There can be a lag of two days between wind and waves substitutes for the official charts and other nautical reference materials which every vessel is obliged by increasing and decreasing – sometimes there will be wind international law to have on board. but flat seas, but also there can be no wind but big seas. Websites with swell predictions can be useful to help plan a This Supplement is cumulative. The most recent passage down the coast. These include information is printed in blue . www.magicseaweed.com and www.passageweather.com . Atlantic Spain and Portugal Supplement no.3 1 Page 4 Visual harbour signals Muros, Marina A Pobra do Caraminal, Marina Vilagarcia Portuguese Marine’s website, www.marinha.pt/pt- de Arousa, Nauta Sanxenxo, and Marina Davilo at Vigo. pt/servicos/informacao-maritima/Paginas/Estado-Barras.aspx , Page 15 National Park Permits uses a ‘flag’ system to give information on the status of There is reported to be another way of obtaining National access to harbours along the Portuguese coast. Although Park Permits involving helpful staff at marinas: provided for commercial shipping, it does give an indication of conditions pertaining. These may of course be Navigation Permission more challenging for a yacht, so the website is no substitute Enter: www.iatlanticas.es/formulario/formulario_ingles.pdf (for for good seamanship and a close watch on the weather, example, on a marina PC). The application form must be state of the tide and swell conditions. (See correction to printed and filled out as it is not possible to do this online. page 131 II Portugal – West Coast ‘Harbour entry warning Scan the completed form together with passport, vessel signals’ for more information.) Registration document (eg SSR), and Certificate of Competence. Email to: [email protected] with a Page 6 Practicalities, Spain short explanatory letter in Spanish hopefully written by the It should be noted that the Spanish maritime ensign, which Harbourmaster who should be requested to phone the Park should be flown as a courtesy flag, differs from the Spanish HQ (Xunta) +34 886 21 80 90 to ensure that the email national flag in that it does not have the crown in the had been received and is adequate. centre. Navigation Permission should come by email within 3 Page 7 Practicalities, Portugal hours and is valid for 3 years now (as reported in December In the Algarve, if you anchor you need to have a certificate 2015). Print the Permission in order to be able to show to showing payment of Light dues (a few euros per year). This an Island warden. can be obtained from the Port Authority in Portimao or Villa Real de Santo Antonio. It is understood to be Anchoring Permission unavailable at Marinas. Application for Anchoring Permission is best done when in a marina near the selected island so that a good weather Page 7 Day signals window can be used. Enter via www.iatlanticas.es , select Early in the morning in particular, small open boats Anchoring, and complete the two lines of the dialogue box, anchored in shallow bays may be encountered, flying Code and the required date and island. The first line, ‘ID’, needs flag A. Sometimes there is nobody aboard. On some of the passport number. In the example given there is a final them there is an air pump aboard the boat, and it is letter which does not exist in a British passport; its connected to a (shellfish) diver by a long hose. It is a very omission does not matter. The second line requires the bad idea to get between the boat and the diver. Often the skipper's password created for the Navigation Permission. diver’s position is indicated by a small float and a stream of The example given has only numbers; but letters can be bubbles. If there first, and they set up around you with air used as well. Permission should be received quickly by lines, have patience. They will soon leave. email and forwarded to the marina for printing. This Page 8 Bottled gas, Spain cannot be done directly, but only by opening up the website If the gas bottle locker is at least 300mm in diameter by and entering the passport number and password. 595mm deep, a standard Spanish 12·5kg butane bottle can Page 15 National Park Permits be accommodated. The Spanish bottle takes the same If a permit to anchor is booked at one of the islands, but regulator as the Irish one, which is the push-on type, not plans are changed, the permit should be cancelled. If a the left-hand-thread British one. Bottles and regulators are check discovers that a permit had been given and not used not hard to find. the Authority access to the website will be blocked for a The website www.mylpg.eu lists all the gas stations in fortnight. This is designed to stop boats making block Europe that sell LPG, but not all will refill a stand-alone bookings just in case they fancy a trip some time. UK Calor cylinder. Page 18 The full set of European gas refilling adapters are available Lower plan Islas Sisargas: should read ‘See plan p.39’, not for approx £48 + postage (2017) from www.lpggpl.co.uk . p.31. See also GasBOAT solutions at www.whayward.com . Page 23 Approaches to Rîas de Ferrol, de Ares, de Page 12 Hazards Betanzos and A Coruña The numerous mussel rafts, variously referred to as bateas Plan Add box for El Ferrol area and add ‘See plan p.25’. and viveros (the latter meaning literally “nurseries”), are Page 25 Ria de El Ferrol unlit, but steep-to. Their ropes and anchor chains go Anchoring A brand new and vast container port now straight down and it is quite safe to give a vivero a berth of dominates the Ria de El Ferrol. An overnight anchorage in a boat’s length or less. They do at least indicate deep water; the Ensenada de Carino is sadly no longer an attractive spot they are normally moored in not less than 10m. Another for a visiting yacht. positive aspect is that, in large numbers, viveros are, in effect, extensive floating breakwaters and significantly Page 27 Ares reduce the wave heights in their lee. A pleasant, large holiday village. Beware of semi- submerged moorings in the bay. The marina has the usual Page 14 Marinas facilities with visitors’ berths for yachts of any size. Larger A discount on berthing fees of 15% can be obtained by ones will berth on the outside of the outer breakwater. buying a ‘Passporte’ for the princely sum of 5. This is € Access to the marina is via normally locked gates. It is a ½ valid for two years and can be used at the following Galicia mile walk into the village. The bay provides excellent marinas: Marina Viveiro ( South Biscay , Imray), Marina anchorage, well sheltered from the prevailing winds. The Sada, Marina Coruna at A Coruna, Marina Muxia, Marina Atlantic Spain and Portugal Supplement no.3 2 holding is good on sand. Anchor clear of the moorings Page 50 Muxia wherever depth allows.