Sorry for the hiatus in posting, but we have been a bit busy since arriving on Thursday morning. Firstly, we were busy sleeping! Then we were busy hunting down provisions for the crossing, food and then chandlery. Now we are busy doing stuff!

We left the customs dock about midday Thursday, and went to Captain Smokes’ Marina. Tis sounds good, but it is really only a concrete wharf with some lazy lines to keep the boat off the quay. There is one toilet and one shower, both in the same place, so one at a time please! It is about a 5 minute walk into the town, so it is handy, but at $70 a day it is not cheap. We planned to move out to anchor, but have not got round to it despite the docking of the sand and gravel boat 25 metres away, and all day unloading noises.

We needed to do some mast work, and it is easier to do alongside. Nobody was willing to come out to us over the weekend, so we ended up doing it ourselves - not my favourite job! Replacing the wind instrument cable (the one that delayed us in Las Palmas, and was repaired “temporarily”), and doing a rigging check was essential. It was also useful to discover that the rigger who fitted the double spinnaker blocks in Vilamoura had moused the shackles with monel wire – secure but untidy and raggedy, so our Parasailor snuffer has been snagging at the top of the halyard, and developing holes in the sock. We removed the monel wire and replaced it with plastic cable ties, which should sort the problem, and we have patched the Parasailor sock – it looks a bit spotty now!

We have just about finished the provisioning, except for last minute things like fresh fruit and vegetables, and bread. The freezer is full, the lockers are bulging, the laundry has been done (though the machine has developed an aversion to opening, and the emergency trigger has had to be used), the boat washed down (and then it rained this morning), the engine serviced and we expect our 2 crew here tomorrow, so are on countdown and weather watch.

Time for a walk and some deep breathing!

1,2,3,4,5……10

Watergaw