32:44.5 N 16:42.7W

So, no food or drink for 72 hours & lying in a dark bunk does take its toll on you…….I discovered. After visually hallucinating on Friday morning due to lack of water (I had spent most of the journey accompanied by 1920s music – but musical delusion is quite common due to the noises made by the boat), I finally managed to keep a little bit of water down & wasn’t quite so dehydrated when we reached Porto Santo, but had to be helped from the boat as my legs were weak & it took the next 12hrs for my eyesight to return to normal & my focus finally came back…….a little bit scary & I am glad we weren’t doing a longer crossing. I was also incredibly frustrated – to sail all the way from Torquay to fall at the final hurdle was so disappointing, especially when I have managed to get a handle on my sea-sickness in the past few years! But what can you do? Be grateful my trousers are a little looser, I guess…..

After a few jobs in the marina (getting some more fuel & chasing down a runaway fender) we went into Porto Santo for dinner, at which the wine took affect quite quickly on Bob, Ed & Diana (after having had such little sleep) & we ate quickly & headed back early to bed. I can’t tell you how grateful I was not to spend the night curled up in a ball fending off various items flying towards me as the boat heeled…….I know everyone else was grateful for a good kip too.

Saturday morning arrived & we were ready for our very final leg (for now). There were jokes about me catching the ferry over to Madeira – but those of you who know me well enough should know I do live by the motto “if you fall off a horse, you get right back on “ (which actually happened in Cusco earlier this year!) – so there was no stopping me, thank you very much! And what a lovely passage; beautiful NW winds & sunshine meant we sailed the whole 4 hours over to the larger island – there were a few little squalls on the way, but that made it even more exhilarating! It was a joy to see Ed sail towards his final goal…….am so proud of him for making this dream a reality & getting Aardvarc to its destination…..a magnificent achievement! *I raise my G&T to you*

On the way over we enacted a burial at sea of a tooth, accidentally included in a jiffy bag delivery of spares, from Ocean Canvas of Plymouth

In his 1:50 euro T shirt from Morocco...

Our destination was the small marina at Quinta do Lorde, on the east of the island. This is a relatively new harbour, which is at the centre of a small new development built into the steep cliffs, the rest of which is due to open in December. Ed had found it when he was on the island last year with Charlotte, Granny & Granddad & had then decided that was where he wanted to keep the Aardvarc during its stay here. It’s incredibly reminiscent of “The Prisoner”, especially as there is no-one around at the moment, it’s a bit eerie. However, the marina team are very friendly & incredibly conscientious, so it seems like the perfect place to be based for a while.

Quinta do Lorde Marina and complex

It’s been an amazing experience, a completely different way to travel, which can’t compare. Even after my 3 days of “hell” I would jump back on-board in an instant (ok, as long as we had enough hands for a long passage!) & hope to do exactly that once the skipper decides on the next  journey & despite the fabulous draw of Madeira, I get a funny feeling that won’t be too far away in the future………..

Thanks Heather….

Also a very big thank you to everyone who has helped me achieve this journey, in particular:

Sailor V, Bear Lee Competent, Neil Lee Competent, Monkertron, Daisy Kipper and King Neptune.

Also Bruce Buckley for his expert weather advice and AnnieDav for looking after the home and the hounds.

Yours saltily…

Loup de Mer.