41:56.86N00857.35W

It's Thursday morning and we are rolling in a heavy 3.5 mt swell from the west going south to the Portuguese border at La Guardi. Our destination tonight is Povoa de Varzim some 40miles to the south. The wind has deserted us once again although the forecast offers a NW 4/5 which would be fantastic, but the sun is shining and the sea is blue and the crew are happy and we are all safe and well.

We arrived in Baiona yesterday afternoon at 15:30 and spent a very happy time exploring the old town and the magnificent Moorish castle that defends the city. Bayona or Baiona is the first port of call for Columbus upon his return from the new world and a replica of his ship the Pinta is moored in the old harbour.

Nick joined us in Camarinas and is settling in well, he got off to a bad start losing his spectacles over the side whilst going ashore. He seems to be o.k. using some prescription sun glasses and will try to replace the originals in Lisboa/Lisbon. I have offered him a white stick to tap around the boat.1Call on deck more ..........pot buoys/bobblers to avoide.They are as badly marked here as they are in England,  fisherman are the same the world  over.

Libertad is performing well giving us a comfortable home in port, but these rolling seas make life difficult on board at sea. I suppose we shall have to get used to it from Las Palmas it will be down wind all the way to St Lucia.

Tim and Jake decided it was party time in Camarinas and spent yesterday rehydrating!! I had a call from John on Ula this morning; they are in Pavia to pick up some extra crew before heading south once more. We are looking forward to meeting up again tonight.

We seem to settling in to the Portuguese trades with a south flowing current of 1/2 knots and N, NW wind.

Tim and Jake decide to sample the Paella last night and enjoyed the Galician cusine. We do manage to cook on board occasionally but the waterfront smells of numerous restaurants are hard to resist.

Tim has managed to book a flight home to Gatwick from Faro on the 21st August. We will take the boat to Largos and I hope he will be able to get a bus or train along the coast He has made a great contribution to the passage, he and Jake get on very well and I am sure Jake and I will miss him when he leaves, being able to share this voyage with family and friends is for me very important, I will look forward to his next passage with Sarah in the Caribbean.

Best wishes to you all Paul.