Malua is at 33:22.67N 14:30.51W at 0600 on 9/10/2012 at sea

On Sunday we set off on the local bus for Machica which is down the coast from Quinta de Lorde Marine to find a levada – water canal.  I had first come across them in Portuguese Timor in the ‘70 when we were leaving Australia.  (The water still does not run up hill even today – note to friend).  We boarded a local bus which took us up into the hills behind the town.  The driver dropped us off at a point that the road crossed the levada.  These are water canals which start high up in the valleys and channel the water along the contour towards the sea.  Because they follow the contour they go into the smaller gullies and valleys, usually above the house line and below the tree line.  The trees generally give you shade as you walk along the path next to the canal which is only half a meter wide and about a meter deep.  While we where walking the levada was only half full.  Where is meets a river they have built a bridge for the rive which now flows over the canal with only a small inlet to add water to the canal.  There are openings closed with a stainless steel gate that can be raised to allow the water to escape the canal and flow down onto the fields below.  At many points the land owners had placed garden hose in the canal and syphoned water out of it to water their vegetable patch.

Our walk was 15 kn along the levada all at about the same level.  We stopped at a convenient bar for a refreshing drink just ahead of a 20 strong party of German trampers along with all the correct gear including walking sticks.  We left them behind drinking their coffee and discussing the merits of the walk.

Monday saw us get Malua ready for sea.  This time the boxes under the sink had been repacked so nothing rattled and all things put in its correct place – no cupboards flying open and boxes on the floor!  We headed out for the 510 nm trip to Rabat with a weather forecast of little wind and not in the right direction.

As night fell the wind had not come up and the sun set to a glassy night.  One could not distinguish the sea from the sky.  Pete at the change of watch pointed out a ship in the distance.  I watched as it rose into the sky – the planet Neptune in the NE.  At my change of watch the quarter moon rose and we could at last make out a horizon.  The Yanmar continued its beat right through the night.  At daybreak we had made 112 nm in 18 hours.  Still almost three days to go.