Saturday 6^th October – Sines - Lagos

37:06.638N 8:40.454W

A quiet day on board; Richard did some admin and I caught up with some reading.

Pyxis, however, assisted by the autohelm, passaged 78 miles to Lagos in the flattest sea we have seen to date on the Atlantic coast; no wind, no fishing pots, and no shipping (which was why I was able to multi task being on watch and reading a book).

We set off from Sines at 6am; it was still dark and we went slowly as we couldn’t see that there weren’t any fishing pots.  Just as dawn broke, we had our first pod of dolphins as escort.  An hour or so later, we had our second pod of dolphins arrive as escort. 

Everything, including breakfast, stops when the dolphins turn up.  You see them off on one side and you find yourself with a broad smile, feeling like a big kid, and very privileged.  They spot you and turn, as a group, and charge you like a squadron of fighter pilots.  You wait for the thud as they hit the side of the boat but of course it never comes; they simply de-materialise and you look around wondering where they are.  You then realise that below the surface you are surrounded and then they start surfacing all around you.  One of their favourite games is to come charging up the side of the boat, sub-surface, like a torpedo and then leap, in twos and threes at the bow.  We will never tire of them.

At about 14.30, we passed Cabo de São Vicente (the bottom left corner of Portugal) and turned the corner towards the Algarve and the Med.  In keeping with tradition we dipped our ensign to Saint Vincent, who according to legend keeps a watchful eye on sailors who pass; we thanked him for giving us such a smooth passage around the notorious headland – with calm conditions we were able to cut in tight to the headland for a closer look. 

The weather today has been hot and sunny, with a thick band of cloud keeping its distance offshore all day.  As we turned the corner around Cabo De São Vicente, it was like entering a furnace and I was actually pleased when it clouded over slightly and I was able to cool off a bit (it was 28C down below!).

We arrived here at Lagos just in time to get through reception, through the bridge, and onto a berth before the marina closed for the evening.  Shattered, we will have an early night and explore tomorrow.