After several months of land-based activity in Madeira, Amoret has finally moved on. Paul, Jayne and Mike joined on 21^st Feb, had the inevitable long walk on 22^nd, then on 23^rd we sailed for the Ilhas Selvagens, an offshore island group inhabited by three wardens and two lighthouse keepers that belongs to Madeira

but is actually much closer to the Canaries. We hoped to anchor and go ashore on Selvagem Grande but the swell into the anchorage was unacceptable and landing would have been impossible so we reluctantly carried on for the Canaries. However, the main birding aim was achieved as we had very close-range views of lots of Fea’s petrels, a rare bird that breeds on the Selvagens. Throughout this part of the trip we have had lots of dolphins visiting, the odd whale and a couple of turtles – and always within sight are one or two Cory’s shearwater, the most oceanic of birds that play the albatross role in the northern hemisphere.

From the Selvagens the most convenient port of call was Santa Cruz on Tenerife. This is a busy but fairly dull town, or would have been if our arrival after two nights at sea had not coincided with the grand finale of the Carnival – the funeral of the sardines! Loads of women of all ages were dressed in fancy black clothes with splendid hats, all determined to mourn for the sardines (that presumably would get eaten during the Lent fast).

Another overnight passage on 25-26 Feb brought us to another Santa Cruz – this time on La Palma. The marina was similar to its namesake – at the top end of a long commercial harbour – but this one was very new and almost unoccupied. The town is charming, with narrow, cobbled back streets full of cafes behind a fairly noisy sea front road. And the evening was – guess what – the funeral of the sardines. This included a noisy procession right past our dinner restaurant, including a band dressed in Gilbert and Sullivan-type Chinese clothes, a float with a huge fish following a sardine skeleton, and a large wagon on which befy men were cooking sardines and handing them out with wine to anyone who held a hand up.

We surprisingly managed to get away soon after 0700 on Sat 28^th to make a day passage to San Sebastian on La Gomera' with amazing views in the latter part of the snow-covered summit of Teide on Tenerife standing above a layer of cloud.

 The marina is very attractive and well managed, and mainly filled with a large rally of assorted yachts (mainly German, British, French, Dutch and Irish) who were dressed overall in honour of – guess what – the funeral of the sardines. We found a great restaurant, booked a table while we went for a beer, had our meal then went back to the front to admire the cheerful mayhem (which at midnight still included lots of tiny kids in fancy dress). Today we are recovering with the intention of leaving tomorrow morning (2^nd March) for the passage of six days or so to the Cape Verde Islands off the coast of Senegal, where we plan to cruise for a month or so.