Repair & Technical Serv=
ices
Acid Supplies; Butane Bottl=
es;
Chandlery; Delivery Dates; Divers; DIY on YOB;
LED Availabilit=
y;
Lift-out/Haul-out & Repairs; Propane Tanks; Safety Equipment Servicing;
Service Companies; Timber Supplies; Tradesmen.
Acid Supplies
You can try the various DIY and Hardware
shops, listed under “Shopping Etc.” for small quantities of the
more common acids and chemicals.
Alternatively, a good Builders’
Merchant is 1 km on EN 125, heading towards Portimão, on the right, =
just
past the BP garage. You may have to buy larger quantities, as it is aimed at
professional builders, but by using our VHF Net, you may be able to share it out among your fellow
yachtsmen.
Butane Bottles
Note that in
Portugal, LPG is GPL; Propane is Propano; Butan=
e is Butano.
The small, 4.5 kg., Calor Gas bottles can occasionally be re-filled =
in
Portimão. Ask for deta=
ils,
please.
We know of no way of getting the larger Butane bottles re-filled in =
the
Algarve – though we do know of one yachtsman who asked at a GPL (LPG)
garage for his blue Calor Butane bottle to be refilled - and received a fil=
l of
Propane. He lived to tell the tale!
Camping Gaz is widely available as an
alternative, both here and throughout the Mediterranean, and this is the
simplest option.
=
Chandler=
y
![3D"Sopromar](3D"Repair&TechnicalServices.htm_files/image002.jpg")
“S=
opromar”
boat yard carry a comprehensive stock aimed at the yachting market, and will
order in anything you want, from a range of suppliers. They also act as a
collection point for the servicing of safety equipment, life-rafts and fire
extinguishers.
“&=
Agrave;
La Rede”, behind the Bus Station, is slig=
htly
more angling and sports-boat oriented – but can be ![3DDSC03094.JPG](3D"Repair&TechnicalServices.htm_files/image004.jpg")
a useful
alternative source for “yachty bits”.
Located =
in
the prime pedestrian area in the centre of the old town - in Rua 25th<=
/sup>
April – is an old-fashioned “Aladdin’s Cave” type of
chandlers. He is well worth a=
visit
– if you can find him!
His shop has recently been renovated and has now lost the oil and pa=
int
adverts, but it is an imposing building and doorway. Like a lot of Portuguese shop-keep=
ers
and traders, he works on the basis that everyone knows where he is!
Delivery Dates
In general, remember you are in Southern Eur=
ope
and there is a different culture here. The atti=
tude
to business is still very laid back – and the people are so polite th=
ey
don’t like to tell you “it can’t be done in x
days”.
My son tells me that instead of working to UTC,=
BST
or GMT, everyone here uses PMT – “Portuguese Maybe Time”.
There
is a lovely sign in Xxxxxxxx’x
office saying:-
Advice for the avoidance of stress.<= o:p>
<= o:p>
It is better to be late in this world, th=
an
early in the next.
Seriously, though=
, a
genuine cause for confusion can arise from the Portuguese names for the wor=
king
days of the week.
These are Segunda-feira, Terça-feir=
a,
Quarta-feira, Quinta-feira=
and Sexta-feira, i.e. the Second-(market day) t=
o the
Sixth-(market day). The ̶=
0;feira” is almost always dropped in speech,
they are referred to as Segunda to Sexta and are written 2ª; 3ª; 4ª; 5&or=
df;;
6ª.
Conversely, the d=
ays
of the month are known as “day 1 of December” up to “day
31” – not the First to the Thirty-first. So, if something will be ready on =
Friday
– you may be told “Sexta” =
211;
and understand this to be the Sixth.
But if Tuesday is the Sixth of the month – you will turn up 3 =
days
early, and he will seem to be 3 days late.
If the date is
important, get out the calendar and count the days, together!
=
Divers
Ask at the Marina de Lagos office for Francisco
(aka Chico) who is one of the marina staff. He can do most of what you want=
-
check & change anodes, clear props, retrieve tools etc. for a very
reasonable price.
The professionals at Di=
ve
Time, the Marina Divers at the Pingo end of the marina, will also be able to
help with any underwater task.
DIY - on
Your Own Boat!
![3D"Barbara](3D"Repair&TechnicalServices.htm_files/image006.jpg")
While in Marina de Lagos there are no restriction on owners, c=
rew,
other yachtsmen and friends working on your yacht –
though your crew members and friends may well have different ideas.
Approved and insured tradesmen are also welcome within the Mar=
ina
– and none of those shown on our “Contacts” list has had a
problem.
Sopromar are happy for owners and crew to work on your own yac=
ht
– but if they have the requisite skills in-house, outside tradesmen a=
re
not allowed.
The staf=
f of
Sopromar are, however, very helpful and can even be prepared to give advice=
and
guidance – to help you get the best possible result. As the photo above shows,
Pedro’s instructions really paid off for Barbara, after we had
hand-painted “Selene”.
LED Availability
In the village of Ba=
rão
São João, there is a small electronics shop opposite the chur=
ch
(& bus stop). The local “A Onda” bus service goes there from
the Avenida, at the Marina foot-bridge.
The owner, Thomas St=
odder,
speaks German, English and Portuguese and he sells an impressive range of
keenly priced 12v LEDs. He is extremely helpful and is prepared to source a=
ny
item not currently on display.
However, the shop is only open on Mondays to Fridays from 1500 to 19=
00,
and on Saturdays from 0930 to 1300.
A visit to his sites, www.saveenergie.com or www.electrocomfort.com could prove fruit=
ful
and save a wasted journey.
Lift-out=
/Haul-out
& Repair Facilities
![3D"Sopromar](3D"Repair&TechnicalServices.htm_files/image008.jpg")
"So=
promar"
is a first-class boatyard and chandlery.
It lies
adjacent to the marina, with hoist access from the Doc=
a
da Pesca, the main fish dock. The hoist can lift up to 35 tonnes, so “Rosy”, shown left, at 23 tonnes and 49 ft LOA, was no problem.
Sopromar employ a full range of ful=
ly
qualified craftsmen and they can carry out any repair, modification or
maintenance – and the summer temperatures make osmosis treatment almo=
st
painless!
There is=
no
restriction on owners or their crew working on their own boats while in the=
ir
yard – and if you continue to live aboard, there are toilets and show=
ers
for your comfort.
It is ve=
ry
much a family-run concern, and we are delighted that the Dona Ercidia, Hugo,
Pedro and Sandra have hosted a BBQ for all yachtsmen at the start of the pa=
st
three winter seasons. This is=
a great
way for us to meet the management and staff who =
will
be looking after your “pride and joy” – long may their
generosity continue!
Propane Tanks - DIY Re-filling
Note that in
Portugal, LPG is GPL; Propane is Propano=
;
Butane is Butano
You should be aware that
carrying any LPG (GPL) cylinders in an ordinary car is illegal in Portugal.=
No taxi will take them =
as
luggage, and if you are stopped by the police and your car is searched, you=
are
liable to an on-the-spot fine of c. €120 – and perhaps more ser=
ious
penalties.
We have in the pa=
st
been able to identify a couple of local LPG/GPL garages who were willing to
fill your own cylinders, using their appropriate adaptors.
Unfortunately, these have either ce=
ased
trading or decided to stop providing this (illegal!) service. If we manage to find an alternative
source, we will publish the information on our web site, www.lag=
osnavigators.net.
Propane Tanks - Use of Local Cylinders
Note that in
Portugal, LPG is GPL; Propane is Propano; Butan=
e is Butano.
We have been informed that GALP Propane cylinders w=
ill
accept a Calor Gas regulator, though we are awaiting confirmation that this=
is
a safe practice. If safe, the=
n all
you need to do is “hire” a local cylinder for your stay, and re=
turn
it to get your deposit back on leaving.
Otherwise, if staying in Portugal for some time, you could change ov=
er
to a local supplier of Propane, buy the suitable fittings and rent a
cylinder. As well as Galp, BP=
and
Repsol are widely available here, while Repsol is also available in Spain.<=
span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'>
On departure, you could return your cylinder and sell the hardware to
another yacht – or donate it to Lagos Navigators to sell to a new-com=
er,
to raise funds for the Children’s Home. We look forward to hearing from yo=
u!
=
Safety Equipment Servicing
Sopromar, Bluewater Services and Wonder Ya=
chts
all offer a collect and delivery service for yachtsmen, using one of the lo=
cal
qualified agents. See the Con=
tacts
List for their phone numbers.
Orey
Technical Services, www.orey-technica.pt
Servi=
ce
Companies
There are a number of companies which will provide
Guardianage, Security, Cleaning and Maintenance of your boat while it is in=
the
Marina.
For more information and to check prices =
and
availability, please check our Contacts List.
Timber
Supplies
There is a good timber yard in Lagos, but
like many local shops and tradesmen, he doesn’t believe in adverts or
signage.
Go over the footbridge, turn right and go=
to
the first roundabout. Turn left, pass the winery, turn right up an alley, a=
nd
there he is. Spot the dust extractor on the roof!
He has oak, mahogany, pine and deal as we=
ll
as plywood, hardboard and veneers. He rarely has teak - too dear=
- but
may try to get some for you.
He will cut to size and shape - he made a=
20
ft. gaff in mahogany for one yacht - and even helped carry it back to the
marina. Not bad conside=
ring
he has very limited English!
![3D"Electrical](3D"Repair&TechnicalServices.htm_files/image010.jpg")
Tradesmen
There are
about 20 qualified, independent tradesmen, covering a wide variety of skill=
s,
who are available to assist the owner on any necessary work while in the
Marina. The photo shows Technician John Holloway, hard at work on “Selene’s”
electrics.
The contact telephone numbers for all these tradesmen, plus some oth=
er
related suppliers, are listed in our Contacts List. They are all based in Lagos, unless
another town name is shown in italics.