Cascais anchorage, Nr Lisbon
Thursdays Child
Robin & Joanna Minchin
Fri 24 Oct 2014 21:20
009:24.775Wwe
A chilled out day on board in Cascais anchorage, Nr Lisbon, and photos attached from our journey from Leixois.
Much discussion between us all about the future plans, but turning into The Med is making more sense by the hour. The Canaries option and the trans-Atlantic option both involve long legs which are too risky for Bol, he was fine from Leixoes to here but there was a short period after we had done the blog/weather forecast that he felt queasy despite the sea state 'slight' with beautiful downwind conditions. He took a 'Bonine', kipped and felt better, but it just confirmed that we really do need to keep the sailing legs short.
We have been chewing over this for many weeks now but decision-time is now just 120 miles away ~ by Lagos in S. Portugal. The main problem with over-wintering in the Canaries is not the getting there (we could potentially have a third adult) but it is getting TC back from there in May to the UK. Canaries/Azores/UK is hard into the wind (the Pilot says the best way from the Canaries to the UK is via the Caribbean!) so Bol would rather ask someone to help so he and the children fly home ~ a totally unacceptable option to split the family up. As long as TC can fit through the French canals, the Med option keeps Team Minchin together throughout this wonderful year by enabling short day hops, so it is becoming increasingly attractive. We will find wifi in town over the next few days and do some research.
We have broached the subject with the children many times but today we confirmed that the trans-Atlantic / Caribbean option is now not happening. They were pretty devastated, as are we, but we tried to paint a rosie picture of the Med, and also said perhaps we can fly to the Caribbean one day as 'Daddy wont get seasick on a 747".
Later the four of us dived over the side to scrub the hull for the first time in about three weeks, a distressing amount of weed had grown, particularly whilst in Leixoes Marina. Luckily it came off with a sponge and shouldn't take too many days to return TC to her sparkly condition. We (Bol and brother Rich) put "Copper Coat" on her hull last summer (2013) and so with scourers and some patience, we are able to remove the slime relatively easily. The children did some fishing off the bow and Isabelle used her birthday fishing rod for the first time, plenty of fish jumping nearby but none lured onto their hooks. Much excitement this evening as the children are sleeping in dens built in the cockpit.
