You will remember that the plan had an element of contingency in it, some of which we used (windlass gearbox and motor) but most of it we didn't need. The contingency was put in to allow for bad weather, which apart from the Bay of Biscay crossing didn't really happen. What did happen was a lack of wind or the wind in the wrong direction. This meant having to motor much more than I had anticipated (with the subsequent diesel costs). Sadly this turned it into much more of a delivery journey than an enjoyable trip down Western Europe. 

Low points were the gale in Biscay, riding out a storm at anchor in Muxia, the berthing debacles in La Rochelle and Figuera de Foz and many hours under motor. 

High points were a better than expected stop in Roscoff, Belle Ile in France, a five day stop in Cascais and a five day stop in Porto Santo, neither of which were in the original plan! What that shows is being flexible can sometimes deliver better times than you had planned. 

We also had our best sailing towards the end of the trip between Cascais, Porto Santo and Gran Canaria.  

After 53 days and 2,500 miles we have learnt a lot about the boat and improved our knowledge in all areas. We now have 3 weeks to rest, recover and do all those little jobs that come with boat ownership. Thankfully nothing major (that we are aware of)!

We look forward to welcoming the ARC crew soon and getting into the ARC vibe as the rest of the fleet arrives.

Nigel