Weather, more weather and Fare-thee-Wells,

Muxia has finally beaten the crew and their time has run out. What a shame that after such a great trip it kind of fizzled at the end. The initial weather system has run its course and has unfortunately been followed up immediately by another, so we have been bounced about by force 9 gusts and driving rain for three days now. The weather is not due to change until Sunday at the earliest and then it will take a day at least for the swell to die down. The only bit of excitement over the last couple days was when the bow thrusters battery decided to cook itself. Lots of sulphur smell on board which we finally traced to the battery forward under Sarah’s bunk. Unfortunately after an exhaustive search Muxia could not provide us with a new battery. I have therefore moved the generator start battery up front and we will have to live without a generator until we get into a bigger port. That’s not really a problem in the short term as we only plan to hop down the coast in 30 mile jumps for the next week or so.

Sadly due to the continuing bad weather Andy, Sarah and Steve have had to say goodbye and will be catching a Taxi to Santiago today at 1400. We decided to go ashore for a final meal together last night and so out came the crew T Shirts and of we set. After a few beers in the WIFI café we essentially went into the first restaurant we came to. First impressions were not good but just as we were about to leave the waiter turned up and saved the day. He was a bit like Uncle Fester from the Adams family and amazingly for Muxia could not only speak pretty good English but had a really dry sense of humour. The meal was excellent and towards the end we were joined at the table by a retired Dutch commercial skipper and the Port Capitanaire (the sleepy young man mentioned in an earlier blog). As I have already mentioned Muxia is a small place and the Port Capitianaire’s girlfriend was also the waitress in the restaurant. Anyway, good food, good wine and good company, a fitting last night for a great trip.  

Today we have the retired Dutch commercial skipper on board as he is planning a trip next year across the Indian Ocean and is interested in the ketch rig, our navigation and weather instruments plus anything else yachty. He has not spent much time on yachts but is planning his retirement, in the meantime he has just completed the pilgrims walk that ends in Muxia, so muncho respect to him for that. 

Andy, Sarah and Steve have been absolutely brilliant as crew, we have all managed to get along and above all keep laughing as we have handled all of the little niggly problems that you would expect at the start of a trip, what more could you can ask for? We are now even laughing about the day on the beach, the rudder coming loose, being weather bound for 4 days and St Elmos fire, although Sarah and Norma do have a nervous twitch or two when you mention the lightning. Steve will be re-joining us in November at Tenerife for the Atlantic crossing and Andy and Sarah are certainly welcome back anytime they want.

So that’s it, for the first time on the trip Spectra only has Norma and myself for company let the next stage begin, but first we still have to get out of Muxia!!!