Porto Santo, Madeira Group, Saturday 5 September, 2015.

From the log with comments.

After a few hot and rather lonely but contemplative days in the Parques des Nacoes, David Davis, an old sailing friend from Poole, arrived on the evening flight on 27 August and Terry Parker, from the Cruising Association the next evening. We spent Saturday morning checking the mast head fittings (me), topping up with fresh food and ice and catching up with the passage plan. Departed the marina at 16.00 on 29 August and motored down the river and out to sea with a strong south  going tide but little wind. Good visibility but engine on and off during the night . The wind came behind us the next morning and we deployed the Twistle rig. A bit tenuous and as the wind went round we pulled the sails together using a lazy sheet and they worked well upwind overnight. The wind went further to the south on Monday and we furled the Twistle and set the number 3 jib on the inner forestay after some hassle. It worked very well in 15 knots and we sailed overnight. Engine on and off the next day and Twistle up for longer. We rigged a second downhaul which kept the universal joint immobile and stabilised everything. However, only works well when the wind dead aft. Wednesday saw rain and sun with a full moon then engine off and a nice beam reach for the fifth day at sea. About 50 mile from Porto Santo I was in the cockpit when we went aground! That familiar sensation when the boat suddenly slews to one side and rises forward, so common in Poole’s mud. Except we had 10,000 feet of ocean under us. The next moment a huge fluke splashed into the water on the starboard side soaking me then a bloody whirlpool as the whale dived behind us and two companions swam by. We think we sailed over a pilot whale that was sleeping on the surface. Quite a surprise for all concerned and I hope the whale was not too hurt. An hour later we saw land and were tied up in Porto Santo marina at 6pm. 500 miles, 5 days and 2 hours after leaving.

My highlights.

Pisces hauled out for a wash and service.

Impeller cracked in several places!

David and Terry for lunch.

Twistle rig (with David)...

This is composed of two high cut sails in heavy spinnaker material (blue) hoisted into the two Furlex groves which allows them to be furled up for stowage and reefing. To deploy twin poles are connected to a ‘universal joint’ which is held by an uphaul and downhaul just in front of the mast. The poles  are attached to the sail clews with outhauls and the rig deployed by pulling on the sheets from the cockpit.

No 3 on inner forestay with Twistle sails furled on forestay. 

Dawn at  sea

Porto Santo by bus

Marina

Beach

Windmill

Madeira (port)

Pisces wall painting