We visited there 18 months ago on our way down to Gran Canaria and enjoyed it so much we thought we would go back again. It has the advantage of a large, sheltered bay where lots of boats can anchor safely, which is a good thing because the marina is regarded as one of the most expensive in Portugal!

What we noticed in Lagos was that there was a significant tidal range, especially as we were there during spring tides. Having spent a lot of time in the Caribbean and the Mediterranean we did not need to worry about this very much as tidal differences were small. With a tidal range of 3.0 metres in Lagos, it can be the difference between having 1 meter under the keel and 4 when you transit the small canal to the marina. One metre under the keel is doable but squeaky bum time! 

As we head further North into North West Europe tidal ranges and tidal streams will become much more important and can be the difference between making it into a harbour or not. I am going to have to pay more attention to it from now on.

Another consideration for this passage was the Orca threat. Over the last few years a number of boats have been attacked and some even sunk by Orcas attacking their boat. There are apps and Facebook pages to show you where the latest activity has been and hopefully we are now North of the main Iberian pack led by the matriarch of the pod, Gladys. 

One piece of advice to avoid them is to stay inside the 20 metre water depth line as they don’t like going too shallow. We have adopted this strategy and, touch wood, so far have not seen any. However, it does mean staying close to shore on passages which can add a significant amount of mileage to the journey. On this trip the difference between going straight to Cascais and following the coast is 30 miles. That is five hours extra added to the trip and more fuel burnt. 

The other problem is that 20 metres is the ideal depth to lay lobster and crab pots for the local fishermen! Dodging pots is a full-time business and requires a sharp lookout. This is fine during the day but at night it is potluck (if you pardon the pun), as none of them have lights and are very poorly marked. A lobster pot rope around your propeller is no fun either, especially so close to the shore, so we have a dilemma. Stay close inshore and avoid Orcas or go offshore and avoid pots. Having assessed the risks, we have decided to stay close inshore during the daylight hours and then head offshore when it gets dark, as by then we are pretty confident the Orcas will be well South of us (over 200 miles).

A final factor to consider is when to arrive in the anchorage at Cascais. Ideally it should be in daylight as wandering around an anchorage at night is fraught with danger. It is much easier when you can see where everybody is and how they are lying to their anchors. At the moment it looks like we will arrive some time between 0900 and 1000 tomorrow morning which will be ideal. Just in time for morning coffee!

Nigel the Navigator

Later… arrived in daylight; no orca sightings and safely at anchor with coffees and pasties.