Tuesday 14th \ Wednesday 15th

Nenne
Wed 15 Nov 2017 15:13
25:51.523N 017:19.838W

Tuesday started with a quick run and then back to the boat to prepare for departure. Donald took the necessary documents and completed the check out formalities.

Before we could leave we had to move the yacht which was parked ahead of us forward on the quay so as to give us space to turn. It was during this process when Jeremy was hauling on one of the mooring lines with all his might in order to keep the 74 foot vessel close, that the crew member on the other end of the rope decided to let go of it. This resulted in yours truly, without anything to hold me up, staggering back, landing, not very elegantly I might add, firmly upon my posterior and other bits and coming to a halt in a heep precipitously close to the edge of the quay.

Alan, who helped me back to my feet (Thanks Al) assured me that he was ready to catch me if I had fallen over the edge into the harbour.

Once back on my feet I suggested to the gentleman who had released the line that he was "A very silly fellow", or words to that effect, and left the scene in disgust. Whilst I am sure that bruise on my buttocks will heal in a few days, I am not sure how long it will take him to recover his self esteem.

We left harbour at about at about 10:00 and headed south. The sea has been quiet with a light following wind of about 10 to 15 knots. It is a whole lot more comfortable than the conditions on the first leg. All being well, It should take us 4 days to reach Mindelo, Cape Verde. Unfortunately we have been unable to resolve the problem with our satellite connection so our comms are restricted to Donald's sat phone and we will be unable to post any pictures until we reach the next stop.

Donald and Richard have set up the fishing equipment and we are now trailing two lines off the back of the boat. So far, no fish have been silly enough to sample the strange things which are attached to the lines.

Supper from "Audrey's Kitchen", her Beef Stroganoff, was a great improvement on the "Burger King" offering and left us satisfied and ready to restart the daily routine of eat, keep watch, sleep, read, etc, etc, etc.

Duncan and I had the 2:00 to 6:00 watch (the dog watch I believe it is called). It was very quiet and the 4 hours seemed to take ages. There was no moon to speak of and, apart from the stars, the only light we could see was the glow from an unnamed settlement somewhere on the African coast.

Today promises to be much the same as yesterday, without any antics on the quay I hope. The current excitement revolves around preparations to hoist a very large bright pink genicker. Watch this space.

It was great for us all to make contact with family and friends while we were in Las Palmas. Thanks to you all, we are all well, positive and having a wonderful adventure.

Jeremy