Relaunch in Portugal

Pearl of Persia
Andrew Lock
Mon 11 May 2015 14:21
Finally got the boat back in the water and to our surprise most things
seemed to still work. Left Lagos early afternoon and went up the coast just
a few miles to anchor behind the breakwater at Portimao. After considering
the options decided to make a straight run for Gibraltar next morning, a 24
hour sail and left at 0600 in a fresh wind which by 1000 had dropped to a
near calm. Slow progress and then, out of the blue we were battered with 25
know winds right on the nose. It all felt too familiar, we had hoped for a
gentler reintroduction to the sea but it was not to be, so we battled all
night against crashing waves and both felt exhausted. By five this morning,
still dark, the winds were up to 35 knots and I realised we would need to
find some respite, so we are now huddled at anchor in the shelter of Tarifa,
the most southerly speck of Spain jutting out in to the Straits of
Gibraltar. The wind is whistling around us.