Ryan & Liam

Land Legs in Lisbon – City Heat, Boat Checks, and a Bit Too Much Wine

Liam’s Take My legs didn’t work right. Not at first. It’s the curse of stepping off a boat after too many hours at sea—your body’s still on the water, even when the ground stays still. I stumbled through the marina like a drunk giraffe while Ryan walked ahead, smug and land-steady, as if his knees […]

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Leaving Porto – Heavy Weather, Tough Decisions, and the Long Haul to Lisbon

Ryan’s Take  Porto disappeared behind us in layers of mist and tiled rooftops, the Douro spitting us out into the open Atlantic like it was done with us. The wind was right, strong from the north, pushing La Sirena south without complaint. We trimmed the sails, cut the engine, and let the boat settle into

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15 Important Spanish Words for Sailing Around Spain

Liam’s Take Ryan has always been a smooth talker, but nothing tops his performance in Galicia. We were mooring up next to a local fisherman, and Ryan—wanting to be helpful—tried to tell him he’d tie up his boat. What came out instead?  “Yo te amo.”  Yep, instead of saying amarre (mooring), he told the guy, “I love you.” The

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Porto Ashore – Exploring the City, Navigating the Douro, and a Much-Needed Break

Ryan’s Take: Morning in Porto, and the city was stretching awake as we motored into the marina. The Douro barely rippled, the sky warming from steel grey to something softer. A few fishing boats bobbed near the quay, their crews already hauling in the morning’s catch. We, meanwhile, were barely functional. Liam slumped over the

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Into the Rías Baixas – Sailing Galicia’s Hidden Waterways and Wine Country

Ryan’s Take:  Leaving A Coruña was easy. No drama. No grand send-off. Just a quiet morning, ropes untied, engine humming low as we slipped away from the dock, another chapter closed. The Tower of Hercules faded behind us, and ahead—Galicia’s legendary Rías Baixas. Deep inlets clawing inland, half-river, half-sea. Perfect for sailing, if you know

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Into the Deep Blue – Sailing to A Coruña and Reuniting with Old Friends

Ryan’s Take:  Bilbao in the rearview, A Coruña dead ahead. Longer passage, bigger seas, proper Atlantic swell—the kind that slaps you in the gut and tests both your patience and La Sirena’s guts.  First few hours? Smooth. A rare thing. Sails full, Basque coastline slipping into the haze behind us. The kind of sailing that

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