Arrived at Foz
Bardeau returns across Atlantic
Robert Bard
Mon 3 Jun 2013 17:28
Sounds like something out of happy days. It's up a canal off Portuguese coast somewhere. Good day motor sailing when we did some unexpected sailing. The chief gauge watcher failed to watch...our newly expensively serviced engined gasped and stopped. I was awoken immediately cos we never sail anywhere. The silence shocked me awake..... I went outside and noticed we had run out of fuel. Technically speaking it caused the engine to cease. Luckily we had some cans left we got in the Azores from the mid Atlantic petrol station. Enough to make it to Foz without wasting time sailing. Man on fuel pontoon smoking offered me cig and I confess I took one. Not like England where I would have had to wear a crash helmet and be 50 km offshore to be allowed to ignite...but this is Portugal and there is definitely no elf and safety. So there we were standing by 200 tons of highly ignitable explosive substance puffing away discussing what an awesomely good sailor I must be to have crossed the Atlantic...I was doing the modest 'it was nothing' routine. Anyway, last night in pinesh no chinkies. Never seen one in their lives. So will try tonight in Foz. Yeh Happy days.....
Oh and it's bloody hot.....
Illustrious knackered smoked out drunk out skipper with 7am start ahead tomorrow for Porto
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