Leg 1: Portugese Pirates
Kasuje
Stephen Rodwell
Wed 10 Oct 2007 07:02
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Current Position: ''37:07.26N
08:31.64W''.
Passage: Porto - Portimao
(Portugal)
Crew: Ron, Robert,Pat,
David, Roger.
We arrived back at Porto last Saturday to find
Kasuje safe at her mooring if a little dirty after her long stay in the
very oily and fishy port of Leixoes.
THE PORTUGUESE PIRATES IN ALL THEIR SPLENDOUR
     The evenings visit to Taylor's port wine cellars
proved to be an early indication of the week ahead with far to much good
food, wine and great company.
Saturday turned out to be particularly
successful with England beating Australia in the rugby world cup and our
visit to The Lodge of the Oldest Ally in Lisbon. A very long day, much
Guinness, culminating with Robert serenading us at the lodge
meeting.
Our passages down the Portuguese coast were
made particularly comfortable for our first time sailors by very slight
winds, clear sky's and smooth seas, although by the time we left Lisbon for the
overnight passage to Portimao we were greatly looking forward to a proper
sail and those lovely night watches. And we got that perfect sail with the sails
set fair on a steady broad reach.
THE FIRST OF MANY TURNERESQUE SUNSETS
 The darkness of the night over the sea is quite
spectacular. The stars in all their glory so clearly etched across the
heavens. Shimmering reflections glitter on the sea whilst fluorescent
lights rise up from the beneath like monsters from the deep. Words cannot
express this truly awesome experience.
As the sun sets over the Atlantic and Jupiter
rises bright and steady in the southwest, night descends and the mysteries
of the deep rise. A clear bright sky displays a myriad of jewels;
Orion, Cassiopeia, the Great Bear chart our course. As night recedes
Venus rises serenely in the east followed by a thin crescent of
crimson moon. The night is waning fast and, in a great flash of brilliance, the
Sun heralds in the new day. So ends the last sail of our adventure in the North
Atlantic.Firstly feeding Dolphins, then a Fin whale and, finally, playful
Dolphins guide us to our final destination. Then it's home for the crew but
for the skipper the adventure is just beginning.
Bon Voyage.Steve:
The Portuguese Pirates
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