sailing to Madeira

Sarah Grace goes to sea
Chris Yerbury and Sophy White
Mon 12 Sep 2005 15:35
Lisbon to Madeira, 9th to ??? September   
Hello all, we are in the middle of our biggest sail yet, on day three, having averaged about 125 miles a day since leaving Cascais, Lisbon.   We dithered around not sure when the moment to cast-off was best, first no wind, then fog, and finally we just left willy nilly, albeit packed to the gunnels with food and water, on Friday evening.   Mimi was sick for a day or so but then recovered and wolfed down a bowl of fried rice, and the rest of us have been ok (very slightly green improving to fine after day two).
There is a lot of sea around us, we are running downwind, with a northeasterly behind us, making between four and six knots.  Chris and I are taking a six hour watch each at night, and splitting the days into shorter bouts.  The sea is quite phospherescent, and we leave a starry wake, mirroring the milky way above.....Flushing the loo in the dark is much more fun too, with whizzing glowing green flashes when you pump!
 
Otti says,'Once you've got over the tummyache, it's just a bit boring. Mum's got us these cool DVDs.  Mimi had a sleepover in my cabin'.
 
Mimi says,'It's a bit annoying and a bit tummyaching on this long sailing journey, and I haven't seen anything yet apart from waves, and I hope you are all doing good in England, love from Mimi'.
 
Chris says,'Everyone doing very well, obeying orders, no mutinies yet.  It's the first time that I haven't felt seasick at all on a yacht passage, yippee!  We hope to be in by tomorrow evening (Porto Santo, Madeira)'.