Alvor, Portugal. Fishermen blasting with 20+ knots through an anchorage within several meters

[Sojourner]

I have a fairly short fuse for idiots, especially those who endanger lives, double especially my or my partners lives. That said, while I would personally consider some of the more morally ambiguous suggestions ethically fine, I'd be very careful. If you damage anyone's property, especially local fishermen, there will be large problems, especially if you're not a local. If your actions hurt one of them, you will likely go to jail. I've seen local water taxi drivers here in greece slash dinghy painters by the dozen, and heard about worse, like even mooring lines. Locals always 'own' their places, and the police are usually their cousins. If you're gonna leave in a while, ignore it and keep yourself safe as best you can. If you're staying, best make friends somehow. A few cold six packs of beer when they're sitting around fixing nets sometimes is all it takes. Not to be sexist, but even better if the wife brings it with a smile and a polite request. It'll work for a while at least.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Munoz

Granted, it's been 2 years since I was last in Alvor, but I've spent a fair bit of time on the hook there over the years. There has always been one or two yahoos who got a kick out of weaving at high speed between the anchored boats and the shore, but the vast majority of the fishermen and tour boats always stuck to the main chanel, admittedly at high speed, but it's the best part of a mile down to the breakwater, so no way they are going to do all that stretch at hull speed. From time to time some yacht would go anchor slap bang in the main channel, at which would generally result in verbal abuse and the boat been buzzed by the fishermen until it moved on, that's not what is going on in this case is it?

PS: as you are probably aware, Alvor is administered by the Portiamo harbour master, yes the one who was giving fines to anchored boats a few years back on any minor pretext they could find in order to "encourage" them to patronize the local marina instead, me thinks you will not find much joy going down that route...

PPS: "Cruisers a major contributor to the Alvor economy"... Really? Have you even been ashore in Alvor? Have you seen the number of Irish bars in that place? You think it's cruisers who are keeping that economy afloat? The only thing we have going for us is we are too insignificant to bother with, go ask the locals if they miss all the campervans that used to blight the place, some how I don't think the fishermen would be that upset if the cruisers want the same way....

Just about sez it all..
Doubt there'll be much if any sympathy for some well heeled transient cruisers bitching about some locals trying to feed their families with dwindling catches...
The first boats out are usually the first boats back and they command the best prices.. so yes they'll get out fast to reap their nets and pots then return as fast to beat their rivals..
Lotsa hungry holiday makers to feed who bring around €1000/week per room all told to the economy..
Not many yachties can meet that...

Talk to some of the liveaboards, they'll tell you.. Its just a part of life..
Suck it up or move on.

[Franziska]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Just about sez it all..
Doubt there'll be much if any sympathy for some well heeled transient cruisers bitching about some locals trying to feed their families with dwindling catches...
The first boats out are usually the first boats back and they command the best prices.. so yes they'll get out fast to reap their nets and pots then return as fast to beat their rivals..
Lotsa hungry holiday makers to feed who bring around €1000/week per room all told to the economy..
Not many yachties can meet that... [emoji3]

Talk to some of the liveaboards, they'll tell you.. Its just a part of life..
Suck it up or move on.

Suck it up or move, just what we did. Nice quiet spot far from the crowd now...

[boatman61]

Portimao or Faro/Olhau lagoon..???

[Franziska]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Portimao or Faro/Olhau lagoon..???

None of these...

[singlespeed]

Talking to the harbor master and city officials is pointless. They will always side with the citizens. Start talking to the owners of the businesses that yachtie's frequent. Tell them that you won't be back unless this situation is brought under control and you will post it on every cruising and sailing form you can find. Get as many of your fellow cruisers in the anchorage to accompany you. A complaint by local business owners is much more likely to bring about a positive response, without the threat of revenge.

[FlyingScot]

There are no easy answers and any one way may not work all the time.

One time I had a speedboat go flying by our boat within a few meters. I grabbed a couple of cold beers and a bottle opener. Jumped in the dingy and followed them into the closest fuel dock. Cracked the beers open and asked them nicely to give more space. From then on, they waved from a safe distance away.

I have found that making enemies is rarely the right answer.

[Terry107]

Originally Posted by leecea

A bit of Googling found comments that the anchorage gets overcrowded and the local fisherman don't like the yachts being there.

Simple solution when you see them steaming down close to you just trail a rope so the run over it and foul their prop cut the rope and look innocent!!!!!

[ramonex3]

Originally Posted by Franziska

Hi,

I accept that there is perhaps no solution to this, but I still wonder what would be options to remedy this. Maybe someine has some clever ideas (except the obvious one, just go somewhere else, which we may do).

We are anchored in a lagoon in Alvor Portugal. There are probably 50-100 boats at anchor here.
Accordingly there is also traffic of slow dinghies, SUP and the like going on.
The channel is not very wide but there is enough space to pass easily with leaving space to the anchored boats.
The anchor field stretches about 1/2 a mile from town.
The above seems to be the case for many years.

The local fishermen seem to ignore this and just foot it. Happens all the time. Just now we had a guy passing our stern within 3m going 20+ knots.
It even happens at night.
See here:
https://we.tl/t-C81KBervRA?src=dnl

It's a huge risk.
Eventually someone will die when being run over.

How could we get those guys to slow down the last 1/2 mile?
I understand they do their job. That's fine, but speeding like this in an anchorage is just really unprofessional.

Tricky part, if a single boat owner approaches them they are likely to feel some sort if revenge later.
Best would be to find a way to sort this amicably.

Suggestions?

That happens all the time here in Europe. I see them here in Barcelona coming in the main port at 12 to 15knts with a wake of 1.5mt. You have to remember This guys wake up at 2.00 or 3.00 in the morning, work all day probably in very rough conditions. They come back around 4.00 or 5,00pm they have to sort out the catch, clean up the boat etc etc and then go home all worn out to do it all again the next day. They certainly been doing it for 20 to 30 years when there were few boats in the channel. Get used to it, move along you are a tourist on vacation or retired. The HM is are not going to do anything abot it. We all want that fish on our plates by 8.00pm after all don't we.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Just about sez it all..
Doubt there'll be much if any sympathy for some well heeled transient cruisers bitching about some locals trying to feed their families with dwindling catches...
The first boats out are usually the first boats back and they command the best prices.. so yes they'll get out fast to reap their nets and pots then return as fast to beat their rivals..
Lotsa hungry holiday makers to feed who bring around €1000/week per room all told to the economy..
Not many yachties can meet that...

Talk to some of the liveaboards, they'll tell you.. Its just a part of life..
Suck it up or move on.

A1 boaty , remember why you bought a boat and not a caravan. As you say suck it up.

[Franziska]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

A1 boaty , remember why you bought a boat and not a caravan. As you say suck it up.

Regarding that, as noted above we found a much better place without those j... s.

I still see no justification for their behavior though, and the comment get a caravan if you don't like it, oh well, if that would drive me out of cruising I should have never gotten on a boat anyway.
Just the sight of stacked up caravans on a camping site (or to some extent boats in a marina), nononono, much nicer to be on the hook.

[southatlantic]

Originally Posted by Franziska

Regarding that, as noted above we found a much better place without those j... s.

I still see no justification for their behavior though, and the comment get a caravan if you don't like it, oh well, if that would drive me out of cruising I should have never gotten on a boat anyway.
Just the sight of stacked up caravans on a camping site (or to some extent boats in a marina), nononono, much nicer to be on the hook.

Franziska, I am glad that you managed to sail safely all the way down to the Algarve and happy also that you now found a quieter spot in which to anchor. By the way, nearby Marina de Lagos is very nice and fairly quiet (other than in July/August). Supermarket, chandlery and downtown Lagos all within very easy walking distance.

P.S. Once you decide to move on from your newly found anchoring paradise, please let us in on the secret!

[Adelie]

Leave google reviews indicating the town is nice enough but if you are coming by water don’t bother. Fishermen are passing uncomfortably and dangerously close to anchored vessels at high speeds. The town is not enough to warrant the risk and discomfort.

[dannc]

Originally Posted by Franziska

Regarding that, as noted above we found a much better place without those j... s.

I still see no justification for their behavior though, and the comment get a caravan if you don't like it, oh well, if that would drive me out of cruising I should have never gotten on a boat anyway.
Just the sight of stacked up caravans on a camping site (or to some extent boats in a marina), nononono, much nicer to be on the hook.

Agreed.

There are rude people no matter where you go. Fact of life. First time on a boat, anchored all alone with no other boat in sight, a sports fisher went between the bow of our boat and the anchor. We were hoping he would snag the anchor rode which was mostly rope.

No reason for that a.s hole to do what he did other than he thought it would be fun to f....k with the sail boat at anchor. The sports fisher had all sorts of room but decided to make that close pass on purpose. This was almost 50 years ago...

The idea that getting a caravan would solve the problem is daft. There are plenty of a.s holes in caravans too. One is more likely to run into a.s holes, whether they are in caravans or not, while one is in a caravan than in a boat.

Later,
Dan

[goboatingnow]

Don’t know why people get so worked up over a little wash as opposed to a 24 hour storm on the hook