March 9th we sailed from Bilbao to Santander Spain. It was a breezy day and a couple gusts hit 32 knots. With apparent winds in the 20's we set a double reef on the mainsail and furled to 1/3 Genoa out and the boat handled it nicely. We saw a pair of dolphins swimming around and lots of gulls. Ship traffic was minimal and only saw two other sailboats. About a 45 mile jaunt.
We have been plotting our route along the way on the marine navigation chart.
The catamaran is very stable in the higher winds as long as you follow the guidelines for when to reduce your sail area based on the apparent wind angle and velocity.
At the mouth of the Santander harbour we sailed past this huge palace.....
So the next day we biked across town to take a tour of the Palacio Real de La Magdalena. It was built between 1909 and 1911, by popular subscription, to house the Spanish Royal Family. Built by the architects Javier González Riancho and Gonzalo Bringas Vega, is located in the place where the old Fort of San Salvador de Hano was, which protected the entrance to the bay.
according to wiki - Construction of the palace was initiated in 1908 by the local government of Santander for the purpose of providing a seasonal residence for the royal family of Spain. Funding was provided via popular subscription of the local populace.
The design and construction of the palace were overseen by architects Javier González de Riancho and Gonzalo Bringas Vega, with construction completed in 1912. King Alfonso XIII and his family first arrived at the Palacio de la Magdalena on August 4, 1913, and returned annually to summer at the palace through 1930. The royal family used the palace as a base for numerous recreational and sporting activities, and the king sometimes also held government meetings at the property. The annual trips ended with the proclamation of the Second Spanish Republic in 1931.
Working replicas of the early explorers sailing vessels that were built and used to re-trace the routes. The Quitu Dmazona.
Our new EOVOLT bikes are the best way to quickly get to all the sights and pick-up provisions (wine) for the boat. The saddle bags and carrying rack on the back make the bikes even more practical. The EOVOLT is a French made bike that has 7 gears and 5 electric motor speeds that provide peddle assist when needed and we can easily get to 25 kilometer speeds. The disc brakes are more effective than the traditional rubber squeezy pads on the rim.
Pretty cool to see palm trees at a latitude of 43 degrees North.
Beer'a Here'a.
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