26/09/2026
Back into Orca Territory as we beat our way North against wind and tide.
We departed the anchorage at Sagres at 6.30am and motor sailed to Cabo Vincent, this was the last chance to change our minds, do we turn to Port or Starboard?
Port was always our dream but the reality of 10 months away from home and business in a humid environment with sleep deprivation, crowded anchorages, and no way of getting back until at least May, is a big undertaking and was causing us to much anxiety when there are still so many things and adventures that we want to do north bound.
With one last look back to the Algarve we turned to Starboard and headed North.
We arrived in Sines anchorage, a jewel in the middle of an industrial port in time to take Lilly to the beach for a run and a poo, Lilly not us, before returning for sundowners and an early night, we set the alarms for another 6am start.
Next morning after an anchor alarm interrupted nights sleep we motored out of the calm harbout with a forecast left North wind and 1.2m swells, as we headed up to our bearing of 345 deg the winds increase to F4 gusting F6 and the swell to 2m, we pushed on in the hope the deeper water would reduce the swell, 100m deep and it was just as bad, we were cutting the corner across Setubal canyon (1200m deep) because there were no recent Orca activity we thought it would be okay , the swell was becoming alarmingly high so we change course heading back into the bay at 45 degs and into 30m water, Orkide took the waves much better this way and we settled down for a long motor sail.
About 11am Eric Jan van Putten messaged us to say there was an Orca attack south of Cabo Especial at 8.30 this morning, if we had continued our route we would have passed that very point at 13.00…. this made us feel better about changing course and we kept between the 30 and 20m depths as we didn’t know which direction the Orcas we traveling.
With the new course adding 2hrs to our trip we decided to head for an anchorage at Sesimbra, the seas were 1.2 and wind still N F4 but we were doing 6kts.
As we got closer to Sesimbra there was a temptation to cut the corner but we stuck to the 30ms, the water got deeper ahead where it meets the cliffs, we were in 60m when Av spotted some large dorsal fins ahead to Port, through the binoculars it was hard to see, there were small and large Fins in a group, we headed closer to the cliffs into 30m about 50m from the rocks, my now the sea had gone glass flat and the wind dropped to 3kts, as we arrived at the anchorage we saw it was a little crowded, with no wind and calm seas we decided to press on to Oeiras near Lisbon.
As we motored to Cabo Especial we had learnt the attack was in 700m of water in the Canyon, so going close around the Cabo in 30m seemed sensible, as we got closer we saw a pod of Dolphins going into the bay, they were in very shallow water, they normally ride Orkides bow wave like yesterdays pod near Sines but they looked like they were staying well clear of something.
As we rounded the Cabo the wind picked up as did the swell, so much for glassy sea, we wished we had stayed at the anchorage , we would have being on our second bottle of Cava by now !
We were staying close to the 30m when we were approached by a fast Rib, the crew said don’t be worried about the Orcas, they were now SE of Sesimbra and attacked another boat……… this was close to where Av saw the large fins…… We thanked them for sharing the news and pressed onto Oeiras Marina, we had requested a berth 2 days before for 2 nights yesterday but not confirmed, we hoped it was still available as the wind was N F5 and a bumpy anchorage did not appeal.
As we approached the Lisboa Traffic separation Zone we had to slow to let a Tanker pass in front of us…….oh and then a Cargo ship………and now a Cruise ship coming out…..by now it was approaching Low water on a spring tide, we were going 7kts through the water but only making 2kts over ground and its getting dark soon. It took over an hour to cross the Lisboa channel, glad we didn’t try and cut in front of the tanker….
As we approached the marina we called on the Radio and thankfully remembered us, they had reserved our berth, this was lucky as its quite a small marina and as we found out we had bagged their last large berth.
We had to past the entrance before turning as the 5kts foul tide would suddenly propel Orkide like she had being shot out of a canon, crabbing sideways ferry gliding I started the turn, off the engines we were doing 7kts, a little reverse helped with steerage, the marina entrance was the classic S bend and we had quite the audience watching and filming us on their phones, hoping we messed it up for their extra “likes” !
They were to be disappointed, despite pointing at the rocks, hitting the bouncing returning tide off the wall and then ferry gliding towards the sea wall Orkide bossed it and sailed through like pro into the marina straight, wait a minute……. why is there a half naked man in a small dingy wearing a sombrero choosing now to row across our path…… get your smartphones back out, now in reverse, a shout of encourage from Av and he moved over to the side, it was just in time as the winds gusted F6, we later found out we were on the edge of a squall that dumped a lot of rain in Sesimbra, now that would have watered down the Cava !
With the hammer head in sight the winds howled through moored yachts rigging, halyards clanking on masts like the bells of doom….. we were not on the dock yet. We were relieved to see the Marinaro waiting to take a line, we reversed into wind and got the stern line on, the bows were been blown off and we were pointing at the rocks, he struggled to shorten the line so we could use it as a spring, a blast of forward and opposite reverse and our stern quarter fender kissed the pontoon and he made good the line, we motored forward and the bows came in and Av expertly lassooed the mid ship cleat and the Marinaro secured the bow line, we were in and secure, I got off and shook his hand and the Marinaro said we had done very well, a low water spring entrance was the worst time to enter especial in strong winds……. we never do it the easy way !
Time for a pontoon poo……maybe not just for Lilly this time
Update: As we settled down to review the day with a sundowner it hit us as we let the realisation of just how close we were to the Orca attack (see poc of our route)as we then only went and found a report that the pod of dolphins included Orcas, all feeding together and the Orcas had just attacked another boat a few minutes behind us south of Sisembra marina.
This pod is what Av saw thru binoculars as we headed towards the cliffs for safety. Luckily, by the time we arrived at that point, a few minutes later, it was just dolphins left. At the time, Av was describing a huge frenzy of jumping dolphins and several very high black dorsal fins speeding thru the water that couldn’t possibly have been dolphin dorsal fins………...
