Vila do Porto

Mystic of Holyhead (successor to Lynn Rival)
Rachel and Paul Chandler
Sun 11 Jun 2017 21:18
36:56.68N 025:08.86W

Lynn Rival safely moored in the marina at Vila do Porto on Santa Maria island.

Rachel ensconced in the Hospital do Divino Espirito Santo at Ponta Delgado on the nearby iusland of Sao Miguel.

We had a very good passage, as you will have realised from the blog entries, making our landfall on Saturday morning at Vila do Porto on the island of Santa Maria.  But not quite as uneventful as we hoped.


Rachel's new home - 600 beds, opened in 2007

On Friday at mid-day, just 110 miles from our destination, we had an accidental gybe and Rachel sustained a broken arm and some cuts and bruises.  Paul managed to do the necessary first aid, following Rachel's instructions and reading the books.  Most useful accessory of the day was the inflatable arm splint.  Second most useful was kitchen roll - to mop up all the blood.  With R on a bunk popping paracetamol P sailed on to destination.  Port manager was most helpful - arranged ambulance, helped moor Lynn Rival, saw us through the local hospital process.  All the staff were very jealous of the inflatable splint.  Everybody was helpful (especially when they realised that it was not a case of wife-bashing, as the injuries might have suggested!), but after X-rays the local doc declined to set the break and arranged for us both to be ambulanced and flown across to the next island, Sao Miguel,  EHIC cards worked a treat.  Spent the afternoon at the Punta Delgado hospital where a team explained the options (although it appears to be a clean break they recommended surgery), repositioned the bones and constructed a cast.  On Monday we'll know when they can do the op.  Meanwhile Lynn Rival is safe in the marina on Santa Maria being looked after by Armando the port manager.