32:44.47 N, 016:42.73 W

 

We set off at a civilised hour around 9:30 which was as soon as the marina office opened and then the Guardia National Republicana (GNR) officer arrived to check us out of Porto Santo (it seems strange but although Porto Santo and Madeira proper are both in the Madeira administrative region, which is an integral part of Portugal, and hence 100% EU anyway, you have to go through a sort of customs and immigration process when moving between islands). However we have found that the GNR are charm itself, so it's by no means unpleasant.

 

This is trade-wind sailing! It was warm (shorts and Tee shirt sailing), and sunny, and the wind always 16 knots from the NE: really ideal and we soon covered the 30 odd miles between the island of Porto Santo and Madeira Grande where we are now. Quinto do Lorde is a modern and purpose built resort and marina complex, so quite expensive but actually really well done and does not (yet) seems too artificial and sterile. Tomorrow we'll hire a car to explore the rest of the island but this morning we chose to go running around the eastern end, which was hot work and steep at times but good fun nonetheless.

 

The day before leaving Porto Santo we hired mountain bikes for an afternoon and went most of the way round the island: I say most just because we didn't take all roads but there is no track completely round anyway, But we did a lot of climbing and descent. A surprising amount on newly tarmaced roads laid out for a yet to be built golf and housing complex but still mostly un-started let alone unfinished. Interestingly the developers have built several chapels with tree-fringed court yards before even starting the houses – In England it would be good if developers had to do the same (or at least make space for if not actually build pubs and primary schools before all the houses).

 

Porto Santo is either rather out of season or in decline / negative equity. Bars and restaurants were all empty and quite a few for sale signs hung above closed-down shops or bars. A pity because actually it could be really nice, and doubtless will bounce back eventually.

 

Porto Santo astern

 

There were 100s of dolphins in this pod, jostling for a turn in the bow-wave

 

Madeira looking W from the SE corner. It’s quite mountainous, and obviously volcanic.