Liam’s Take:
San Sebastián, Gipuzcoa.
The moment we sailed into its harbour, I felt relief, pride, and a strange sense of connection.
This is the place where our Ma’ was born. Although she moved to Dublin when she was 12, this is where her story began, and where ours does too in a way.
The city is beautiful. Green hills and sparkling sea, golden beaches and grand buildings. “La Concha Beach” was one of Mum’s favourite places, and walking along it for the first time was surreal.
Our first stop was the house where she grew up, an old building in the Parte Vieja (Old Town).
Standing in front of it, I could picture her as a young girl running through the narrow streets, maybe stopping to buy fresh bread at one of the local shops. It was an odd feeling, being here without her, but feeling closer than I have in years.
The city itself is alive with energy.
The pintxos bars in the Old Town are buzzing, and the food—wow. We spent an evening hopping from one place to the next, trying things like jamón ibérico, fresh anchovies, and txangurro (spider crab).
It was a celebration of the Basque culture Mum was proud of.
Ryan’s Take:
San Sebastián wasn’t just a sentimental stop (don’t listen to Liam so much!).
We really needed to regroup and get La Sirena ready for the next leg of our journey. The crossing from Dublin to here had taken its toll on her, and there were a few things that needed attention.
The first priority was the steering system.
During the rougher parts of the Bay of Biscay, I noticed stiffness in the wheel, especially when the autopilot was disengaged. After docking at the marina, I climbed into the cockpit locker to look at the cables and pulleys.
The steering cables had started to fray where they looped around the quadrant. But thank God, the marina’s chandlery had cables in stock, and after a few hours of sweating I had the new ones installed and tensioned.
It was a messy job, but necessary.
Next was the starboard winch, which had started slipping under heavy load. I disassembled it on deck, spreading the parts out carefully so I wouldn’t lose any springs. A clean and re-grease later, it was working as smoothly as the day it left the factory.
If you’ve never rebuilt a winch before, I’d recommend watching a few videos first.
Lastly, we gave the rigging a check. The waves had worked a few turnbuckles loose, and a couple of cotter pins were bent out of shape. It’s pretty amazing how much wear and tear a few days at sea can cause.
We replaced the bent pins, tightened the turnbuckles, and gave the mast a check to make sure everything was good.
Liam’s Take:
While Ryan was elbow-deep in grease and cables, I took on a different task—cleaning up below deck.
After the Bay of Biscay, the cabin was a disaster. Books had fallen off shelves, pans had migrated to the saloon, and a carton of orange juice had exploded in the fridge. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was necessary.
By the time I was done, the boat felt habitable again.
Spending these days in San Sebastián has given us a chance to reflect on what we’ve accomplished so far and prepare for the challenges ahead.
What’s Next?
With La Sirena back in good shape, we’re ready to continue our journey along Spain’s northern coast. Next stop: Bilbao, where (hopefully) smoother sailing await us.
Thanks for following along—see you out there on the waves!
Ryan & Liam
The Ocean Bois
