9] Portugal: The Best & Worst Of Sailing | Sailing Kittiwake

[@Nerd3927]

Excellent, one of the best Sailing channels currently!

[@SailingKittiwake]

😯😯😀😀😁😁💃🏻🕺🏼 Wow what a HUGE compliment! Thank you! 🙏🏻

[@motorstunter]

Very well deserved 👍👍

[@SailingKittiwake]

You guys are making us blush ☺️

[@tikkathreebarrels]

I should have clicked thumbs up on each of the videos 1-8 which I have been watching back to back. I am impressed by the way your confidence levels have grown during your adventure thus far - I started out thinking "this is all a bit nervous" and not really enjoying your music but as your confidence in the boat and yourselves has gone up and up, your music has changed a bit and has grown on me and I now listen much more closely. Well done! Onwards now through this video and the rest!

[@SailingKittiwake]

Haha thanks very much! There was definitely a steep learning curve when we set off, but we're a lot more confident and relaxed now. Thanks a lot for watching and commenting and I hope you continue to follow along :)

[@MurphysLemonadeStand]

We feel your pain on motoring. We also have a single outboard engine on SV Kakamora. Which makes it nearly impossible to maneuver in certain conditions.

[@almath9987]

What more can you ask for lovely music, scenery, boat and couple telling a real story. Looking forward to more, thanks

[@SailingKittiwake]

Aww thanks so much Al! What more can we ask for but such a nice comment? Hope you enjoy the next videos and our adventure into the Med next year - we're excited to share it with you!

[@almath9987]

Thanks guys appricate the time you take to make these videos and take us all on your journey.

[@SailingKittiwake]

Thanks a lot Al! We’re switching to 2 episodes x month, which will take a bit more time and effort, but should hopefully make it easier for people to follow our journey 😊 See you out there 😊

[@almath9987]

Sailing Kittiwake I hope so waiting on the kids growing up but our long term plan is to go through the canals to the med however you are showing the sea route doesn't look to bad, so far 👍

[@philipkenneth24]

You can get a fixed vhf from standard horizon with dsc gps and ais for less than 300 quid. You can then feed the ais info to a chart plotter via NMEA 0183. Paid for itself many times over on a foggy trip back from Scilly to Falmouth.

[@SailingKittiwake]

That’s exactly what we did 😁😁😁 We got it this winter. It’ll show up in a few episodes 😉

[@greghalliday4226]

Thank you for introducing me to some amazing music :-)

[@SailingKittiwake]

Glad you enjoyed it 😊

[@stevenpaul9259]

Very enjoyable video. Another couple of places to add to my list of where I still want to visit / sail to. Oh, and also you come across as thoroughly nice humans with a grounded attitude :)

[@SailingKittiwake]

Wow thanks Steven! 😊 Let us know if you need any tips on these areas 😊

[@mobymory-yoko6313]

SCULLING OAR!!!:):):) You guys should totally get/make a couple of long sculling oars for maneuvering marinas and such. Such a small boat, I would be willing to guess you two would be able to move her around in circles with a little bit of engine and an oar off one of the sides! Start practicing now and you will be so much closer to being less dependent on that smelly engine!:D

[@SailingKittiwake]

Haha. We'll put that on the maybe pile :) I did once think whether we could put in pedal drive in the cockpit - I know some boats on the race to Alaska had pedal drives off kayaks.

[@sherman6972]

I really love the music ..sweet sweet south..

[@SailingKittiwake]

Thanks Jer! We’re humming it as we sail today 😊

[@gerardcollins1767]

sorry non stop music even when talking has put me off,tell usmore about boai how do you cook,sail the boat,put sheets on wrong new chute did you fix it?at least is one best biscay passages,most interesting thanks

[@patricklaine6958]

Hello friends on Kittiwake. You make a good point about the breaking waves at the harbour entrance potentially closing ports in Portugal. I just lived exactly that experience at Figueira (but fortunately we were blocked in for 4 days, rather than the other way around). A few years ago, a German sailboat tried to enter with large breaking waves. It ended with tragic loss of life, including one of the rescuers trying to provide assistance. Your decision to just keep on sailing to the next port in that case was excellent, but fortunately you got in. Looking forward to the next video!

[@SailingKittiwake]

Hi Patrick, so nice to hear from you :) that's one of the things we were very cautious of. Thankfully we never faced any sketchy approaches in North Spain or Portugal but I've seen photos! Good to see you've got a new video out - We'll check it out later. Are you heading south from Figueira? Would be great to meet up if you come down this way. We're in Portimao for a while yet, especially with the wild weather we've been having! Watch out for the jump in wind speed coming around the headland into Cascais if you're heading that way. Fair winds, Elena and Ryan

[@brucestewart9547]

Thanks for the tip of the São Jacinto anchorage - looks dreamily calm but close to things. Will be there later this year, following in your wake.

[@SailingKittiwake]

Cheers Bruce! It's a super safe anchorage and we were very confident leaving Kittiwake there for 10 hours at a time. Sao Jacinto is a little weird - it feels like it's an abandoned ghost town, but the dunes are worth the walk through the desolated streets. There are a couple of mini markets hidden away in secondary streets (visibile on Google Maps). We highly recommend taking the ferry to Aveiro - this cute little town really took us by surprise. For Porto, if you visit from Sao Jacinto, it's a bit of a trek (dinghy, ferry, bus and train). For us, it was worth the peace of mind of not being stuck up in Porto in the pricey marina, in case the port closed. We didn't check, but it may well have closed down in those 30+ knots of wind. Wishing you the very best of luck for this season, Bruce. Elena & Ryan

[@brucestewart9547]

Thanks guys, same with your trip. And keep the videos up - they’re great!

[@Sailing9LIVES]

What an EXCELLENT episode!

[@SailingKittiwake]

Cheers!

[@leefromsvpatchamie8607]

Another great video both ! Your now one of my favourite channels along with Rick from sailing sopisticated lady, Barry from adventures of an old sea dog and SV Delos. Keep up the good work I'm loving it your such an inspiration ⛵⛵⛵⛵

[@SailingKittiwake]

Wow Lee! What can we say? Being up there in your list of favourites, with SV Delos? And “an inspiration”? It’s a massive compliment. Thanks ever so much. Fair winds, Elena & Ryan

[@williamlewis8741]

Hello William from Lille, France. may i kindly suggest purchasing or finding a collapsible dolly/hand truck when you must venture out to find diesel with your Jerry cans. it will make grocery shopping and small ventures more enjoyable cheers

[@FitOutPost]

You guys are very nice. Thanks for sharing this video.

[@SailingKittiwake]

Aw cheers 😊 We love to share our experiences and what we learn. Fair winds, Elena & Ryan

[@rundown48]

Yes,, the fog will wear on your nerves when making passage in foreign waters .. or any time for that matter,, An AIS will help give some peace of mind ... I do enjoy watching real people sailing in the real world,,dealing with the issues that come up as they sail in a real boat... A bit of exploring is nice as well ... You both put it all together very nicely....Thank you. Good luck and fair winds ,,Cheers

[@SailingKittiwake]

Thanks you David 😊 Fog is always a little scary when navigating in waters with lots of fishing boats.

[@rundown48]

oh, I just want to add that i really like your choice of music,, perfect score.. imo

[@SailingKittiwake]

Cheers! We do love these tunes :) Not everyone will like them, but we've got to choose something and we'd rather use songs we like ourselves, rather than whatever's popular, hehe :)

[@ajax1137]

Great vid. Not sure if you want AIS TX/RX capability, but if you're happy with just receiving, the Standard Horizon GX2200 is VHF/GPS/AIS in one package. Worth every penny.

[@SailingKittiwake]

Thanks a lot. Yes, we since saved up and got the cheapest we could find: a basic B&G receiver.

[@motorstunter]

Another really nice episode!! Keep up the good work!

[@SailingKittiwake]

Thanks Egbert we hope you enjoy the next episodes! We really enjoyed putting them all together.

[@SailingShalom]

Nice video guys! We recognize a lot of it. Nice to see a different angle and we like the way you present it!

[@SailingKittiwake]

Thanks guys, glad you enjoyed it! Fair winds, Elena and Ryan.

[@OldFlatTopp]

Hi Elena and Ryan! Thanks for another great video. Watching your journey is very inspiring, especially as a young person with dreams of cruising. Wish you both the best!

[@SailingKittiwake]

Yay! You must be that 1% of young people we see in our stats. It's amazing to hear a young person is inspired by our travels. Thanks for watching and commenting Jake. We wish you to make your dreams come true soon. Fair winds and following seas, Elena & Ryan

[@symonsmith3497]

I'm looking at at 26 foot kat myself. but it needs a lot of work. i wish you all the luck in the world. your both young, so make the best of your life. NEVER GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAMS.

[@SailingKittiwake]

Cheer Symon! What a lovely thing to say. Best of luck with your boat search 😊 See you out there on the water.

[@symonsmith3497]

Yes you never know. see you out there.

[@KnotVikings]

Nice video guys! Oh contrast of sailing! I remember that fog when we sailed that coast as well horrible how it just rolled in from nowhere sometimes

[@meohmy7086]

Great video guys.

[@SailingKittiwake]

Cheers! Glad you enjoyed it :)

[@kendorsey4320]

Thank you both again for sharing a true look a what it means to go cruising. I was curios about the solar set up but you seem to have done a terrific job managing your power draw. Cheers. One thing that strikes me about Kittiwake is that I watch other channels and your boat seems to hold up, maintenance wise, better or at least as well as some very expensive alternative types of boats. I realize it has to do with Your ability to fit your lifestyle into Kitty and set some limits to your travel plans but I really have to applaud you both for your foresight and thoughtful planning of the whole adventure.

[@SailingKittiwake]

Thank you so much Ken :) We've been very lucky maintenance-wise so far (touch wood!). We try to keep things in order to avoid any issues. Kittiwake was built sturdily and she has gone through 40 years of life in the UK, so to be completely honest we trust her more than a brand new boat.

[@Silent_Joy]

Great video and music. Somehow the song San Jacinto from Peter Gabriel (ya showing my age here) was stuck in my head! Totally unrelated except for title. Looking forward to next video already!

[@SailingKittiwake]

Hi Watrworld, thanks very much! We’re looking forward to sharing the next videos with you guys :)

[@geremychubbuck3730]

Great episode, guys. Keep up the great work!

[@SailingKittiwake]

Thanks a lot Geremy, we're trying to improve the videos for next year and going to 2 per month to make it easier to follow along. Hope you keep enjoying them!

[@Wierdyum]

How do you have your Solar set up? How many Panels? What Panels? How many Battery's? What size Inverter?

[@SailingKittiwake]

Hi William, thanks for the questions. We have 6 panels in total, about 540 watts I think. The two little old ones that came on the boat, two 100w and two 140w. The pairs of big ones are rigged in series and each have their own mppt charge controller. We've got two 6v Trojan T105s - more would be better but they're heavy and our boat is weight sensitive. We don't use an inverter much as it's less efficient than using 12v directly so we have 12v chargers for everything except our drill. Hope that answers everything, anything else, fire away :)

[@josephmorrison2208]

Hi guys, I'm enjoying your adventures. Cheers

[@SailingKittiwake]

Cheers Joseph! Thanks for stopping by and leaving a nice comment.

[@tomsnow2009]

Another Great Video! Keep livin the dream!

[@SailingKittiwake]

Thanks Tom, and thanks for your email earlier!

[@thomasgregory9462]

I'll challenge anyone to find a sailing channel with a better sound track then yours, such good choices. As for AIS have a look at the Quark A026, all you have to do is plug a spare VHF antenna and a £10 GPS puck and you can get AIS on open CPN on your laptop. If you already have GPS on a laptop they do even cheaper ones, mine is an A022 and it's been fantastic and only £60!

[@SailingKittiwake]

So glad you like the songs 😊 There’s some great independent artists out there. Cheers for that. We didn’t know, so we saved up to get a basic AIS receiver.

[@haywood12]

Sailing Kittiwake you could also set up an ais with a rtl sdr usb stick. KZbin is full of info on it.

[@MethosFilms]

Love this video. Best wishes

[@SailingKittiwake]

Cheers! Fair winds 😊

[@glsmsmith]

I would get a radar over a AIS if you have a paper chart its a good backup if the GPS stops working especially in the fog. good luck love your channel

[@SailingKittiwake]

Cheers for the tip and the compliment George.

[@CarmeloAntonioTaboadaBeltran]

Hola, cómo estan? Cuánto tardaron en llegar a Portugal desde Inglaterra?

[@covinhas87]

Hello guys. Nice video! :) The anchorages around Portugal are free?? I love your channel because i'm always on a budget and you show good ideas for budget people. :D

[@SailingKittiwake]

Cheers Joao. Yes, all anchorages you see in all our videos are totally free 😊

[@Juzitaler]

Hi. Wonderful as allways. What is the name of the first song and who sings it? Keep safe!

[@SailingKittiwake]

Cheers Christian! The first song is by Freschard - Sweet Sweet South. Fair winds to you.

[@manfredschmalbach9023]

"Bimm" EP 9, uploaded 3 min. ago, 29 viewers yet. I'm a simple man, I see Kittiwake, I stop working and take a 13.56 break. 😄

[@SailingKittiwake]

Manfred, you're simply the best!

[@cesardias7579]

Welcome to my beautiful country (in my modest opinion) :) I'm from north of Portugal, born on that old and beautiful city of Porto and always lived around it! Also love that so refreshing town of Aveiro... and that lovely and quiet small "peninsula" of S. Jacinto... great memories and best time of my life where spent on that place! And where i try to return every time i can :) Aveiro, S.Jacinto and a little town a few miles north of S.Jacinto, called Torreira... great memories, quiet places and great food :) Even that old ferry boat, and the countless times i crossed the ria on it... is special to me :) All this to say, that your video made me somewhat emotive... seeing those places in one of your videos! Made to remember all those great times and dreams of my youth! Some of those dreams became true, others.. not really... but one that i refuse to give up, have a nice sail boat and time to sail around. Maybe not a so big adventure like yours... but who knows what the future holds ;) Following you both for some time now! Love the way you both document your adventure, and the way you both do it. Instead of a fancy and expensive boat, have a nice sail boat with only the indispensable gear and most of the time away from marinas :) That gives other romantic touch on sailing! I'm not referring to romance between you both as people, but between you both and the boat, sailing and sea. That we cant see on other channels :) Keep all that flowing! You both are doing a great job on that :) Regards and fair winds from Portugal, Cesar

[@SailingKittiwake]

Thank you for the very thoughtful comment Cesar. We’ve been in Portugal for 7 months now and love your country. We hope we can do its beautiful towns and coastline justice with our videos. Stay tuned for more Portugual sailing 😊 We wish you the very best of luck with your own dream. Elena & Ryan

[@cesardias7579]

I've read that you are in Portimão :) Not very familiar with that city, only by passing by, with small stop. All Algarve coat line is amazing, with lots of breath taking places, beaches, caves, cliffs and some kind of islands... almost only sand and beach, but islands :) My favorite city is a not so known, but much more quiet without those thousands of people in the street :) When relaxing on weekends or vacations i try to avoid over crowded places, so... on Algarve usually i do prefer Tavira City (old part of the city). Have you heared something about sand sculptures? :) Dont know when you leave Algarve, but there is a town very close to the sea where every year is organized a big event about sand sculptures! The city is Pera (East of Portimão) i've visited that exhibition in July/August some time ago, but i think it starts around May... i'm not sure! :( It's an exhibition that worth a visit ;) Now i've to open and see your most recent video :) Hugs and kisses, Cesar

[@SailingKittiwake]

Thanks a lot for the tips. We’ll be leaving soon because we want to be in the Mediterranean in May. The sand sculpture festival sounds cool though. We arrived in Portimão in October, so we never saw any crowds 😊 We don’t like crowds either, but we’ll probably find some this year. We’ll have to look for some secret places 😉 All the best!

[@larswichmann8610]

great music!

[@SailingKittiwake]

Cheers Lars!

[@Sailingon]

I almost changed my mind about a heavenly twins and was going well with a monohull, then watched this video and I'm back to the HT.

[@SailingKittiwake]

Haha! What made you change your mind? And if you have any questions on the HT feel free to get in touch 😉

[@Sailingon]

how far you have got and seeing how relaxed you both are that it's not about the destination but the journey, I've been worried about the up wind performance but hey if the wind doesn't blow my way I'll just enjoy the wait

[@SailingKittiwake]

Thanks so much Samantha. That's exactly the way we see it. We've yet to meet anyone who ventures out against the wind on a monohull, unless they're on a deadline ;)

[@SuperLeGaard]

Like your videos but it would be better if you could turn off the music completely when your talking 🙂👍

[@SailingKittiwake]

Cheers! We'll turn it down ;)

[@smacksman1]

In my experience, ships are not the problem. Fishing boats are the problem - in fog or in good visi. A lot of the time they are busy fishing with no one on watch. I'm not anti fishing boats, they have tough life, but I give them a wide berth and expect them to do the unexpected.

[@SailingKittiwake]

Totally agreed on the fishing boats - we've had a first hand experience of that too. In this particular occasion, we could hear them motoring fast around us without blowing their fog horn, which was very concerning for us in 20m visibility. In terms of ships, we just think that not being on AIS and sailing a tiny boat doesn't help being seen by big ships. You'll see why in our next episode ;)

[@smacksman1]

When a ship is not too busy it is good for your morale to hail them on Ch16 and ask them what you look like on their radar. You may well be pleased to hear how well you show up on modern radar. Always assuming they have someone on watch!! :o)

[@SailingKittiwake]

Yeah, we may do that at some point. Our friend on a boat the same size as ours nearly crashed into a ship who didn’t see him on radar (they were on watch) in the Northern Atlantic. Watch out for our next episode to find out more ;)

[@magajojo]

Porto????Or Aveiro??

[@SailingKittiwake]

Sorry?

[@KayZee1957]

have you studied how large ships carry their lights? Their arrangement shows they aspect the ship is showing to you. When you first see the ship, look at the arrangement of the lights in relation to each other. If they don't change, again in relation to each other, you are on a collision course. You can also close one eye and use your finger to measure the distance the ship is in relation to a fixed object like a stay. After a few minutes, and while sitting in the same place, measure the angle again. If it's changing, you're safe. If the angle is the same, you're on a collision course. It's old school but it works. A group of us sailors were talking on a dock about dodging ships in the San Pedro Channel and how it sometimes feels like playing frogger. A fellow was listening in and started laughing. He excused himself and said, "You're talking about a closing speed of 20-25 knots max, right." He addied, I was a navy flyer in Korea and even then we had to do relative motion, by eye with a closing speed of over 400 knots.

[@SailingKittiwake]

Hi Kay, we have studied ships lights, of course. We use a hand bearing compass to make our calculations. However, we've found that trying to even see a fishing boat's nav lights amongst its bright deck lights is mostly impossible. It also doesn't work in low visibility. AIS has its limitations obviously, but we think it's a great tool and every cruiser we've met uses it and recommends it.

[@KayZee1957]

Ah, just so, the work/deck lights. I quite agree, in todays crowded waters it would be silly to not use AIS when available. Fair winds

[@SailingKittiwake]

Fair winds Kay 😊

[@evanofelipe]

- Y O U S O M U C H NE E D A I S - I have been recommending it for you ages, since you left The Scillies. You don't need to add to your anxieties. Best of luck, another great video - thanks for sharing

[@SailingKittiwake]

Hey Evano, we couldn’t afford one when we were on the move this summer. We’ve since stopped for winter, worked more hours, saved up, and finally got a VHF with AIS receiver. It’s up and running, now we just need the fishing boats to turn theirs on. Thanks for commenting 😊

[@evanofelipe]

I'm so pleased to hear it, you will wonder you ever thought about setting out 'over the horizon' without it. Great news and Best Wishes from EF

[@johnjcoxiii9401]

Suggestion: TURN OFF the background music while you are talking.the Old Coastie.