20:17.88 S, 040:17.16 W

 

We are in the marina extension - hard too describe otherwise, there's a set of pilings and a rather tatty wall made of metal sheets bolted to the legs of the pilings enclosing another 100 x 100 m or so of sea round the marina - and we are tied up to this. We still will have to use the dinghy to go ashore. The marinerho has however been extremely helpful attaching us: it would not have been possible without his unstinting help so we have been made v welcome.

 

We have seen all manner of dinghy racing, from fast catamarans to Optimists, and think we are seeing some of the Olympic preparations. We also saw from afar the Olympic flame being carried through town and along the beach. We are only a bit further south than Salvador - although I suppose it's about the distance between Suffolk and Plockton - and it seems quite different, more civilised and certainly cooler.

 

About 100 hours under way to go 500 miles but the wind was quite light. Here are some photos of events en-route:

 

Improvised spray-hood for the switch panel

 

An Albacore – we think. The book says “Thunus alalunga. D1 arising over P base. Body scaled behind corselet. LL wavy, above steel blue, with at lest several long bands above lateral midline. D2 and A similar in height  to D1, but P greatly elongate, tip to opposite D2 and A finlets; D2 yellow. A finlets dark, C white edged. [max size recorded] 127cm. Epipelagic.” Seems clear enough! It tasted very good anyway.

 

Lash-up of mainsheet bottom block.

 

Sheared piece: OD 11.88 mm on bottom pulley.

 

OD 14.85mm on top pulley (and, on checking, on all other Harken blocks on board, even on single ones).

 

WTF were Harken playing at? An aberrant smaller and weaker component in a vital and possibly life critical application – a QA escape do you suppose? Shame on them anyway. Stroppogram being composed.

 

Finally, this was the chart-plotter screen on approaching Vitoria in the early morning. “Stand on, were under sail you know. They're supposed to give way...”