Conditions are visibly perfect, but I still check with the fishermen before heading out! – Everything is fine, so off I go towards Lisbon.
I sail far away from the shore; I don’t notice Nazaré and its monster waves and just think: do I really want to go into Lisbon? I know this city, have been there from time to time (and always surprised anew by its vitality and especially by the sweet offers in the displays of the bakeries…). But this city is huge; several harbours for leisure boats are ready in the bay, which one should I head for? – In any case, I would be far outside the centre, I would have my bike, but do I really want to do that now, just to be there again, where I have already been several times?
Finally, I ride into the port of Cascais just outside the city, fill up my tanks as a precaution, then decide how to proceed. Cascais is a posh chic place; the buildings around the harbour and along the coast seemed grand; splendour and bluff united. Park here and then off to the centre of the metropolis?
While refuelling, a smart young gentleman comes towards me, with a disarming smile, and immediately recognises what my ArgoFram must be about: “on expedition?” he asks. So we start talking… And soon it becomes clear that the best thing to do now, water-wise, is to continue on to Sines. The sea in the wide bay between here and Sines is choppy, but the wind is favourable: a long wave sprint for my ArgoFram, she will like that.
The young gentleman knows something about RIBs, I notice, and ask him where he got his knowledge. These are his profession, his hobby, his passion; his heart started beating when he saw me enter the harbour. So he jumped into his dinghy (like a cowboy on a horse) and drove to me.
His name is Felipe Diaz, he is the harbour master or boatmaster of Cascais, maintains a Facebook page on all aspects of RIBs, has thousands of followers, and now asks if he can introduce me, my ArgoFram and my project in it and share it with his community. – Sure thing; voilà:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/580962955672284/permalink/1288943124874260/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/580962955672284/permalink/1288289304939642/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/580962955672284/permalink/1288287191606520/
Finally, he hands me a sticker from his group, which I spontaneously affix in a prominent place. Then we go out together and he takes a few pictures from his boat – we wave to each other and I move on. Short and intense, this encounter; I’m not on Facebook, but I think we’ll keep in touch.
Soon I drive into Sines – another long day of driving. But OK, that’s how it is now. And as soon as I arrive, I jump into the water and swim criss-cross through the bathing bay, refreshing myself in this way, and soon climb up, past the statue of Vasco da Gama, into the winding old town and enjoy simple but good local food.
Back from the meal, I consciously walked past Vasco da Gama’s memorial this time – just remember… What he didn’t dare (and win): In July 1497, at the age of 28, he sailed south from Portugal as commander of three sailing ships, circumnavigated the Cape of Good Hope, climbed the east coast of Africa, tangled with Arab foreign trade posts (which dominated trade with India and especially the spice market), and thanks to diplomacy, promises of privileges and ruthless use of force, set sail for Goa a year later – the first time a European ship had reached India by sea south of Africa! He was celebrated accordingly in Portugal after his return.
With further extensive voyages to India (on his second voyage he took 21 heavily armed ships with him) Vasco da Gama laid the foundation for the Portuguese colonial empire in Africa and India.
Now, as I gaze out into the vast sea with this statue, I am overcome with a shudder of admiration – it is not up to me, or anyone else, to judge this achievement. He did what he wanted to do because he could do it! That was from about 500 years ago, you have to imagine! Some sailed westwards, discovered and conquered America, but he turned eastwards and conquered the market for and from India. And little Portugal, with cleverness, developed into a world empire.
On his fourth voyage, in 1524, putting a stop to the sloppiness of the Portuguese administrators on behalf of the king by radical reorganisation, he died in Cochin at the age of 55 – I visited his grave site a few years ago when I passed through West Indies/Goa during my world tour, studied his career and grasped the advantages of the Portuguese ocean-going ships of the time (which could sail independently of prevailing winds because of their sailing position) and novel firearms. And now I am standing here, looking out to sea with ‘him’ – and marvelling at myself.