37:57:03N 008:51:57W

Wind Charger
Bob and Elizabeth Frearson
Thu 16 Jun 2011 21:06
Haley did a great job planning our passage, despite Stuart’s attempt at
putting her into uncharted territory swiftly put right by Captain Bob!
Last night was a taste of things to come when we experienced the Atlantic
roll caused by a following wind. You rock one way, rock the other building
up, building up and then after a giant rock that tries to toss you out of bed
you go back to a mini mini rock for the cycle to begin again. Whatever
position you sleep in you find yourself tensing and waiting for the build up to
the big one and being thrown across the bed. We didn’t sleep much last
night needless to say.
The groovy cruising chute yesterday wasn’t enough to keep the boys happy
and so this morning they put up the spinnaker which proved to be just as loud
and garish, orange being the predominant colour. No wonder indeed that the
dolphins are nowhere to be seen, just a lot more lobster pots and the endless
blighting wind farms that cover every hill. Oh, and we saw another yacht!
The second at sea since our journey began.
After a serene sail under the spinnaker, under blue skies and going a
steady 6 knots we arrived at our next destination, Sines (pronounced Zinch) much
too early for dinner. Bob took the opportunity to do a whole snagging list
worth of jobs including starting the generator, which just to be contrary
started first time, and swapping over the wiring of the anchor light and the
tricolour so that we actually had the right lights on (how could Berthon have
got that wrong!) We are trying to imagine what the big boys out there must
have made of a wee yacht so called “anchored” in 500m deep waters.
Sines is not entirely inspiring. Someone has tried very hard to make
something of it, planting trees, modern but attractive seafront, but it has then
fallen back into disrepair with layers of graffiti. The saving grace has
been the castle that they are renovating, the sky full of shrieking swifts and
the friendly Portuguese, who once again are very limited in the English
speaking department resulting in Haley choosing totally randomly from the menu
this evening. She ended up with pork, nay half a pig. Dinner was
absolutely delicious but was somewhat late as Stuart decided to take us on a
short cut to the main part of town which involved climbing a mountain, walking
past the delights of a building sight and ending up at the dodgy end of
town after what seemed forever. Another foray into uncharted
territory!
Tomorrow we leave the sanctuary of tenderly hugging the coast to launch
ourselves across the ocean proper. Next stop will be Porto Santo, Madeira so we
expect to be at sea for four days.
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