Current position "32:12.93N 16:49.68W". We set off from Funchal, Madeira at 09:30 hrs this morning, after refuelling, bound for Las Palmas, Gran Canaria. We got lots of jobs done yesterday from booking various fixes in Las Palmas to finding a solution to the generator which had had an electrical problem, to cleaning the boat up, re-provisioning, various boat fixes such as putting bungee cords across various cupboard openings so that when they’re opened at sea while the boat is at, say, 30 degrees, everything doesn’t fly out across the cabin (as we’d been experiencing!).

 

Again we have somewhat of a weather window to meet with rather light airs to start with but there’s a front developing between a High pressure system off N Africa and a developing Low West of Portugal. This will bring strong winds to the East as well as to around Madeira in about 24 hours – so by getting away now we are ahead of those and should avoid them.

 

Pics below show Clearlake II in harbour just as we’re setting off this morning. There’s also a pic of Graham just about to tuck into a late breakfast of bacon and egg sandwich, with the beautiful Funchal behind, and finally the guys talking over a small glass or two of the local drink last night! I also put that pic in to show our clothes-hanging set-up.....

 

Finally, I checked my Just Giving account yesterday and was really pleased to see that we are just short of the £1000 mark in donations for the RNLI – so the next one or two people to give a donation will have the satisfaction of putting it over the £1000 point! Thanks to all of you who have donated; it’s going to a great cause.