Return to Madeira

Persephone... Cruiser/Racer
Nigel & Karen Goodhew...
Sun 22 Apr 2018 11:30
Well, here we are again. After almost 7 months, languishing ashore, Persephone is in demand again.

So Karen and I, accompanied by Michael and Anna Robson flew out from Bristol last Monday and, after a slightly scary landing at the wonderfully named Christiano Ronaldo airport in Funchal, found Persephone in an advanced state of preparedness, where we had left her under the runway, last September.

The finishing touches to the antifouling needed doing, as well as some of the polishing and last minute cleaning by the guys in the yard.

On Thursday, after a further engine start, to test the new injectors and so on, we were ready to launch off. Persephone was picked up in the travel lift and gently placed in the water at Agua do Pena, and Michael and I motored her the 3 or 4 miles across the bay, back to Quinta do Lorde marina. Michael’s passage plan and subsequent helmanship was faultless. He used the dead reckoning and line of sight method favoured by coastal skippers the world over. We arrived safely after 45 minutes and were greeted at the marina entrance by Karen and Anna gleefully calling coo-eee! From the harbour wall. The excitement was difficult to contain! The engine seemed fine, though we found some oil in the bilge after the journey, but even as I write, I am unclear as to whether that was dropped from the engine, or left by the mechanic!

All good....but......

A check around the boat revealed another leak! This time, The water is creeping in under the bottom rudder bearing. Not much, but just enough to provide consternation, especially as we plan an upwind passage of some 600 miles to Gibraltar. Opinions have been sought, from experts locally and in the UK and the overwhelming consensus is to haul out again and investigate the cause.......

It’s an odd one, as the boat was bone dry when we sailed her down here from the Azores last September....

So we remain here until at least tomorrow. Not much inconvenience as, while the UK basks in a heatwave, we have the heater on at night and have very big winds generated by a deep low pressure system sitting about 150 miles to the east of us.

So the sailing would be challenging and likely very wet!




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