Sopromar Yard in Lagos and New Forest
Posted at 6:09 PM, Sunday, September 9, 2007
We got Swagman lifted at the Sopromar Yard on Monday 3rd. The yard is located in the fishing boat harbour part way up the creek, 500 metres downstream from the Marina de Lagos.
Here's a shot of us waiting in the fishing boat harbour for the travel lift to come free. We're rafted alongside a grey coloured Hanse 400, and it gave me chance to check her out - having never seen one before. Like a smaller brother to Swagman really.
You can see Lagos town in the background of the picture below. The land on which this yard (and indeed the marina and Lagos Railway Station) are built, used to be sand and mud flats at the turn of the century. The town promenade now running up the west side of the creek, which you can just see in the back of this photo, at that time was the town quay and open to the sea.
It was from ports like this that Henry the Navigator sent out his students to explore and chart the world so many years ago........his school is still perched on the cliff tops to our west as Sagres....and we've seen several replicas of those old sailing barques at various places in Portugal. Scary that they sailed so far with so many people on such small craft.
It's a comfort that the guys here in the Sopromar yard appear to be super efficient. They ubnderstood immediately what we wanted done, took a lot of care in lifting Swagman, and within minutes of the boat being set into a proper steel cradle, they'd scoped the work and the keel guys got underway.
They cut away the epoxy surface covering which had begun to lift away from the port side of our keel, dried out the sub-surface, and then primed, re-glassed, filled and finished it off two days later so it was as smooth as when it was new. Interestingly, inside this part of the keel are the voids into the steel web through which the keel bolts fit - all looked to be in good order.
The Micron ani-foul we'd had applied in Turkey was still looking like new over the rest of the bottom, so we've only got to have the keel recovered, plus touch up a couple of rope 'burns' where we've collected some pots in the summer, and she'll be all done. The anodes look good for a further 12 months - so probably won't replace those just yet either.
Even the prop, which often gets growth upon it, suprised us by being smooth as. Before we slipped her back in Turkey we took a tip and really polished the prop with metal polish so it shone like gold. Pleasingly, it seems to have worked to keep the barnacles off - so we'll be doing that everytime from now on.
The eletrician and the engineer will start their work once we're off the boat - so it's fingers crossed that hte gearbox / clutch - which was giving us some trouble some time back - are not going to be big jobs. Still, if something is wrong, better they sort it now than us getting into trouble 1,000 miles from land.
Sopromar welcome cruisers to live on thier boats when in the yard. Guess it all increases security plus creates a nice 'community'.
Indeed they have guest showers and a relaxation area with soft drink / snack machines in their yard.
It can be a pain climbing up and down ladders to meet the call of nature several times a day - but it's been a bit like living in a tree house for three days - with a super view.
As this shot was taken by me standing in our cockpit, you can see the heights of other boats gunnels and gives you some indication of the differing keel depths we all have. These Halberg Rasseys (good long range cruisers) have less draft, but generally longer keels than we have.
We've met up here and in the marina with quite a number of other cruisers who like us, are prepping here for either the ARC in November, or the Blue Water Round the World Rally due to start from Gib in October, and others who are simply going it alone and heading off over the Atlantic. In fact, Robin Leigh our US pals are also due in here on the 12th to get their prep work done also.
There's a kind of buzz effecting all as each steadily exchange tips and kit to ensure we are all ready on time. We even found a welcome home for a huge pile of old USA and Caribbean charts very kindly given to us by ex cruisers in Turkey, and for which we've already got newer versions. It would have been a shame to bin them, and it's nice to know they'll be used and appreciated.
We've been lucky also to meet up with the two guys I did my SSB Radio course in the UK with. Son Leo, and parent Steve and Helen Sugden, are sailing their Moody 47 Johanem in the ARC alongside us. Been good to get to know them a lot more on the few nights out we've had together in town.
In the few days before lifting, we did not spend all our time on the beach. I acid washed all the stainless, serviced the watermaker, and generally sorted a few other minor things on the boat. Leo and Steve kindly helped me remove all the canvas (heavy stuff those sails) so it could be passed over to the solo local sailmaker Antonio Viegas for cleaning and repair.
So all that remained to do when we got here was to explain and direct the engineering / electrical work to the guys in the yard - and we can pick up on the rest when we get back late in September.
By Thursday, the yard work was all well underway, and with promises it would all be completed by our return, we left early hours to fly back direct from Faro to Southampton in the UK.
A tip if you ever fly from here. Lutz Cars in the town will hire you a car to get to the airport (and leave it there) at a rate cheaper than a cab!
Since arriving have caught up with several close UK mates - had a power boat run from Lymington over to Cowes to catch the end summer sailing shop sales - and spent a glorious few days here at Rob and Louise's place in the New Forest just chillin.
For those who don't know, the New Forest was set aside as a hunting area for William the Conqueror back in the 11th century. In fact his son King William Rufus was killed (assassinated they say) on a hunting trip maybe 5 miles from our house. The forest is located on Englands southern shores, with 30 mles between the cities of Southampton and Bournemouth and running maybe 20 miles inland.
The forest is a mix of open rolling heathland and woods and brushing the coast of the Solent so you get a mix of country and seaside, it is a truly fabulous place to live. It's remained somewhat special over the centuries due to old restrictions on what can and can't be built, and whilst living here is a privilege, you can sometimes feel you've stepped back in time.
Both we and Rob and Louise have houses in the forest - which is full of ponies, deer and donkey's that run free, plus at certain times of the year, pigs, cattle and some odd looking creatures that could cause a fright in your headlights at night. A 40 mph limit exists to reduce the road kill - but it sadly does still happpen.
Rob and Louise have their own horses, and they decided to enter Louise on Danny together with Sue and Spike, in to the Dog and Horse Relay Race in the local Sunday Gymkhana. Most of the competition was sub 12 yo's. Tough ones.
Spike seemed to handle it all quiet well despite being now 10 years old - but Sue did not keep up her pace for too long - especially over the jumps!
Once Sue completed her run, she handed over the baton to Louise to do the same 10 jumps on her horse, Danny.
With the time they got, we decided it was sensible not to wait for prize giving, but here's a shot of the whole team before they rode, and we walked, home........
Rob on Tich, Sue with Spike and Max, and Louise on Danny.
T'was a great family day out, and what a refreshing change from the life we've led over the past months. Lucky or what?
We aim to spend another seven or so days back here in the UK, have still to visit the Southampton Boat Show, catch up with some other Hanse owners, do whats required to obtain an International Certificate of Competency (just in case called for in Carib or USA), catch up with other local pals at a big BBQ this weekend, plus meet some family members not seen for years, and buy those spares we might need for our crossing.
Then it's back to Lagos on the 20th to re-launch Swagman shortly after, sort out local provisions, pay our bills - and move out for the Canaries.
Looking forward to it all.
Cheers
JOHN
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