Portimao, Portugal, scheduled arrival 08:00... So far the
Atlantic has shown itself from it's most benign side, but, the last couple
of hundred nautical miles before reaching THE CONTINENT at the lower tip
of the Iberian Peninsular, served as a reminder that we are after all on a
rather unpredictable Ocean.
Gale force winds rose last night, the sea built
up a steep and confused swell - good time for bed instead of dancing. Curled
up in my elegant bunk (speak comfort mattress bed) I was glad, that cruise
lines do not use satin sheets. Even with regular sheets it was a bit of a
stretch not to slide from bed side to bed side with each swell the Prinsendam
mounted and descended all through the night. Another night to curl one's
toes around the edges of the mattress in order to stay put. Of course everything
that could rattle in the cabin - did. I worried off and on about the fate
of the wine bottles lined up in one of the shelves, and the flower vases
on the desk - wondering when they would crash to the carpeted floor. However,
no sound of slithering from that department, so I forgot about them and concentrated
on remaining on my bed instead of underneath it.
At 06:30 the white cliffs
and beaches of the Algarve Coast of Portugal hove into sight. The ship had
stopped and rose and fell slowly to the swells. Through my binoculars I espied
the breakwater of Portimao, which flanked the river where our intended dock
is located. Gale force winds of course, the pilot boat making it's way over
from the harbour entrance was buried with each wave in green water and spume,
it almost disappeared in the heaving sea - it did not look too inviting at
all.
Portimao is located on the Rio Arade, which is not exactly a huge river. Prinsendam was and still is the largest ship that ever docked up river - in fair weather conditions, needless to say.
No fair weather conditions today, even the breakwaters were crowned with ever moving heads of spume and and crashing waves, and the wind did not show any signs of abating. The inner bight behind the breakwater would be too small to turn a large ship, and windage could very well push the ship ashore and aground.
I saw the pilot boat depart from Prinsendam and disappear into sprays of foam and crests of waves again - direction port. The "AHA" moment had arrived: no way we were going in there today. Portimao - veni, vidi, vici...arrived, looked and left.
And promtly the ship turned away from shore and we left the coast line and the city of Portimao behind.
As it was still before 'getting-up-time' for most of the passengers, the ship 's crew being painfully aware of the sensitivity of many poassenger to being woken up at some ungodly hour (anything before 10 a.m.) our alternative plans for today were not announced over public loudspeakers until somewhat later, when at least half of the passengers would at least half awake.
The day's plan: Skip Portimao and carry on towards Cadiz in Spain, where we will arrive at 18:00 (6 p.m.) today - 14 hours earlier than scheduled. Well, it may provide a surprise opportunity to 'hit the town' in search of a Paella...
None of the passengers seems to be put out to much with the unforeseen changes, most are seasoned cruisers on long cruises, and shrug it off. Between pirates, weather, steve-dore strikes, medical evacuations and whatever else can happen in a port - dropping or adding a harbour here and there on an extended cruise is part of the routine.
