On departure from Marina Rubicon, Lanzarote on Monday 7th conditions were light with a gentle 10 knot northerly breeze pushing Fathom towards the Cape Verde islands, 886 nautical miles to the south. Within a couple of hours a small tuna took the lure which made for a very nice dinner that evening. Once Fuerteventura had been passed the wind increased to 15-18knots but the 2 to 3m swell made life a little uncomfortable onboard as the boat began an excellent demonstration of rocking and rolling.

Bye bye Lanzarote

By lunchtime on the second day the wind was hovering around 20knots allowing good boat speed and encouraging progress. 124nm from noon to noon. Before dark I decided to gybe and head away from the African coast as our course would have put us very close to the shipping lanes which run north to south. During the night the paddle of the self steering gear popped up out of the water on two occasions resulting in Fathom heading off course and a trip on deck required to reseat it. Hanging over the stern trying to position the paddle with the boat hook in a decent swell is not my idea of fun! Very frustrating when I was all settled down below and trying to sleep. I have put this problem down to a washer becoming unseated slightly in its housing and I’ll investigate further when in port. The air temperature suprisingly cool and I had been wearing a jumper on deck and sleeping under a blanket.

The batteries were starting to get low during Wednesday as the solar panel couldn’t keep up so I deployed the towed generator. This is a 60cm metal propeller and shaft attached to 30m of rope which is towed behind the boat and spins a generator mounted on the pushpit . It puts in about 5amps of juice at 5knots of boat speed and is very effective despite the disadvantage of slowing the boat slightly. I dare not deploy the fishing line at the same time in case it all ends in a massive tangle! Daily run of 126nm so again great progress. Excellent nights sleep setting the alarm at 1.5 hour intervals to wake me so I could check the compass and that we were still on course without leaving the bunk. Complete faith being put in the AIS and radar alarms to warn me of any collision risk with other vessels.

Thursday morning was pleasant and I took the oportunity to practise some celestial navigation and went on deck at local noon to take a sun sight with the sextant subsequently calculating our latitude within 3 miles of the GPS reading. Just about respectable but the noon site is the easy bit! Throughout the afternoon the wind increased and by evening was hovering around 25 to 27knots. The swell was also building and I estimated the waves were up to about 4m by sunset making life uncomfortable onboard and performing any task down below increasing difficult as the boat rolled up to 30 degrees one way to 30 degrees the other. Daily run from noon to noon 134nm the best ever for Fathom and I beating the previous highest by one whole mile! Thursday night I was on deck at 02.30 and again at 04.30 firstly to drop the mainsail and then later to completely furl the Yankee and hoist the staysail as the wind hit 30 knots with big seas and I wanted to make life as easy for the self steering (and me) as possible.

Staysail only with the wind around 30knots

Sailed through the whole of Friday with just the staysail up as the wind was still at 30 knots. In moments like these I often ask myself why on earth I am doing this! I gave some thought to our destination and decided to head for Mindelo instead of Sal. I was always going to end up at Mindelo before crossing the pond but as it is the best place for provisioning and best anchorage in the Cape Verde decided to head straight there and relax for a week or so rather than moving from island to island beforehand. Despite the conditions I got a good night sleep.

Wind and swell started to reduce during Saturday and I hoisted the mainsail again during the morning. Most the day times were spent either listening to podcasts or reading books on the Kindle. I never used to be a fan of the Kindle preferring a proper book but it comes into its own on a boat when space is limited and it can hold hundreds of titles. Daily run of 114nm.

During Saturday the towed generator was hauled in and the fishing line deployed alas no fish were interested. Noticeably warmer and for the first time lots of flying fish darting about as they try and avoid capture from their enemies in the deep. Daily run of 122nm.

On Sunday I realised at our current rate of progress it would not be possible to arrive in Mindelo during daylight hours on Monday and I never like to arrive in a new port during darkness. Therefore decided to slow down with the aim of arriving on Tuesday morning.

Wind dropped to 10 knots on Monday morning with a much calmer sea. Decided we better not slow down too much more otherwise we wont arrive until Wednesday! Full sails up and full speed ahead. Monday night marked the longest time I had been at sea at one stretch on my own and also the closest the moon had been to the earth since 1948. Sailing under this super moon was quite an experience. It was so bright that I could easily have read a book without a light at 3am in the cockpit.

Show off

Lots of time to read

Sailing under the supermoon

On the approach to Mindelo on Tuesday morning I was met by an excitable pod of dolphins. After spending 8 days talking to myself I took the opportunity to sit at the bow for 20 minutes and have a natter with them as they darted in the wake and dived under the bow. It really felt like they were responding to my voice and whistles or maybe it was just I had spent too long on my own and I was just imagining that. In any case it was a special moment and one of the highlights of the trip so far. An epic jump from one dolphin after I had encouragingly asked for an improvement on its last effort was the icing on the cake (see video).

The anchor went down at 14.20 local time on Tuesday and a cold beer was cracked open almost immediately! 950 nautical miles from Lanzarote in 8 days which I think was respectable and it was nice to see some familiar faces and boats in the anchorage. Watch the videos below (sound needed). Apologies for the messy cockpit! More on the Cape Verdes to come in the next post.

The last week has been spent moored in Corralejo, Fuerteventura. Corralejo is a lively town focused on surfing and kitesurfing and has a cool buzz about it. The harbour is government run which means the mooring costs are cheap at EURO 6.50 per day but the downside is that they only allow a max stay of 3 days. Fortunately the port captain was in a good mood when I mentioned to him mum and sis were flying out to see me and please, please, please could I have another 3 days.

It was nice to catch up with ex-colleague Sharon and her husband Ken in the sleeping town of El Cotillo where they own an apartment. Mum and sis then flew out for a few days and I stayed a few nights with them at the apartment which was great. Felt strange sleeping on dry land and not on a rocking Fathom. My impressions of Fuerteventura are that it is quite desolate and barren and there is not that much to see apart from the fantastic sandy beaches for which the island is best known. Would be the perfect place to learn to surf or kitesurf though.

sands of Fuerteventura

A low pressure system is currently passing just north of the Canaries and has resulted in some southerly winds and thunder storms this weekend. I’m back in Lanzarote as it was proving difficult to try and get a clearance stamp in the passport organised from Fuerteventura.  Fortunately I managed to get this done yesterday by visiting the port captain at Arrecife and am now just about set for departure to the Cape Verde islands on Monday. Productive day today ticking jobs off the list including going up the mast for a rig check and adding some anti chafe tape to the main sail. Important to minimise wear and tear with so many miles of sailing coming up in the next weeks. Tomorrow I need to sort out the stowage in the cabin and stock up on fresh food and water.

with mum and sis

with mum and sis

clearance stamp in passport

The forecast is showing a return to the prevailing north easterly winds on Monday which look quite punchy for the first few days at 25 to 30 knots before moderating slightly further south. Debated heading west to have a look at Tenerife and La Gomera but decided Cape Verde would be more interesting. The passage to the island of Sal is just over 880 miles and i’m aiming for around 7 day at sea. Currently experiencing the pre-passage emotions of excitement mixed with a touch of apprehension but ultimately looking forward to getting some more miles on the log. Will send a few updates via twitter while on passage and the tracker map should update at 4 hour intervals.

It has been a fun couple of weeks exploring the island with friends and catching up with other boats. After leaving Graciosa for the first time Fathom was moored in Marina Lanzarote, Arrecife. There are not so many places to anchor in the Canaries but the marina was cheap at around EURO 8.50 a day so not too painful on the wallet.

Papagayo at sunset

Highlights of Lanzarote have been:-

The César Manrique Foundation – Built in 1968 on top of a volcanic trail from a volcanic eruption that occurred in 1730-36. It uses in the lower level, the natural formation of five volcanic bubbles to make an unusual living space within a natural space. The outside of the house and upper level is an inspiration from the traditional architecture of Lanzarote.

Timanfaya National Park – Most of the volcanic activity here happened between 1730 and 1736 but there  is still some volcanic activity with temperatures up to 600 degrees a few metres below the surface. We saw this demonstrated by a chef cooking chicken using the volcanic heat and water being poured into the ground creating a geyser of steam. On the way up to the park we stopped and said hello to some camels who sit around waiting for the next bunch of tourists to get a ride on their backs.

Playa de Papagayo – picturesque white sandy beaches. Visited these by land and sea but when anchored off the swell and resulting waves were too high to take the dinghy ashore (see photo).

Jameos Del Agua – Amazing location where caverns and partially collapsed volcanic tubes have been transformed into a unique entertainment venue by the architect Cesar Manrique. The cavern includes a salt water lake and looks pretty special when illuminated at night.

Famara Beach – great beach and fun swimming in the big surf.

A quick visit was made to Isla de Lobos, a small uninhabited island just off the north coast of Fueteventura. The anchorage was calm and swimming from the beach and off the boat in the crystal clear warm water was top notch.

friends at Marina Lanzarote

just over 2,000 miles sailed together

Catch of the day!

sunset from Papagayo anchorage

sunset from Isla da Lobos

swimming at Isla da Lobos

swimming at Isla da Lobos

swimming at Isla da Lobos

Timanfaya National Park

Timanfaya National Park

cooking chicken using volcanic heat

Papagayo

Fathom is now moored in Marina Rubicon on the south tip of Lanzarote. There is some bad weather coming over the next days with strong south winds forecast and big swell so going to hide here before heading down to Fueteventura. I will take the opportunity to catch up on a growing list of boat jobs and go over the boat carefully in preparation for heading south on the 800 mile trip to the Cape Verde islands in early November.

It turns out the yacht I sailed in close proximity with from Funchal was called ‘Sturmschwalbe’ and owned by German couple Jule and Jan. Got chatting with them on the beach at Graciosa and realised I had seen them before at the anchorage in Cascais. Apparently they were racing me here too! I ended up spending that day with them and went back to their boat for drinks and dinner in the evening.

Graciosa – anchorage on the right, Caleta del Sebo centre top

The island of Graciosa is only 6.5km long and 3km wide and is mainly flat and sandy with four low volcanic cones. I walked up one of these on Saturday and it gave a nice view down onto the anchorage with the sheer cliffs of Lanzarote in the background. In the town on Saturday night was a music concert on the beach so I stuck around for that and was pleasantly surprised how good the Spanish Bob Marley was.

anchorage at Graciosa

looking down from a volcanic hump

view across to Lanzarote

Caleta del Sebo

Caleta del Sebo

Spanish Bob Marley

The anchorage at Graciosa is fairly busy and on average there have been between 15 and 20 yachts anchored. For the first time since Portugal there are more British boats around. Nearly all seem to include a crew of young children and dogs. It is a nice calm anchorage with no rolling which makes a change. The dinghy is left on the sandy beach and then it is a 30 minute walk along the dunes to the small town and harbour of Caleta del Sebo. This comprises of a handful of low white washed buildings, one shop and a few restaurants.  There are only 500 permanent inhabitants on the island but regular ferries from Lanzarote bring the tourists.

Aurélie and Olivier on Courlement are anchored alongside once again and together with another French couple I met yesterday and Jule and Jan there is a nice group of us between ages of 25 and 33 doing a similar route.  Leaving the anchorage later this morning for a cheap marina at Arrecife, Lanzarote for a few days. Time to do some laundry and also have a shower!

Fathom departed the anchorage at Funchal late morning on Tuesday and was soon sailing directly for Graciosa, 270 miles to the south east in a moderate north easterly breeze.  I decided to try my luck with the fishing line and sure enough an hour later pulled in a Bonito which provided a tasty dinner that evening. After making a mess of my shorts and most of the cockpit when trying to kill the last fish by knocking it on the head several times with the bilge pump handle my new technique is to squirt some cheap vodka from an old washing up bottle onto the gills. This seems to work nicely and quickly without creating a mess.

That afternoon I took the opportunity to try the towed generator for the first time. This was purchased from Ebay a year or so ago and although I had wired it up had never tried it. A metal propeller shaft is attached to 30m of rope towed behind the boat which when spinning powers a generator in a gimbaled ring mounted to the pulpit. I was pleasantly surprised how well it worked generating about 1 amp per knot of boat speed and not noticeably slowing the boat. Satisfying to be able to create all the electrical power I need with a combination of solar and wind energy.

As Tuesday progressed the wind began to increase and by evening it was quite uncomfortable on board with a considerable swell running and a confused sea. Occasionally a large wave would cause Fathom to round up slightly into the wind which would then unbalance the self steering and she would struggle to bear away again back on course. A 2nd reef in the main before dark did the trick and we made good progress towards the Canaries at speeds between 5 and 6.5 knots. I had noticed another yacht leaving Funchal at the same time on Tuesday morning and throughout the day had been keeping a close eye on them via the AIS which indicated they were 33 feet. Both yachts were doing near identical speeds and remained within a couple miles of each other. It was obvious we had the same destination so my competitive streak made a reappearance and a race was on!

It proved quite difficult to sleep during the first night but I snatched some 25 minute naps. With the other yacht so close I didn’t feel comfortable sleeping longer and I had to turn the AIS alarm off as it was constantly triggered by the other boat. By 3am the wind had increased to over 20 knots and I went into the cockpit to make an adjustment to the self steering. At exactly that moment a large wave decided to deposit itself right on top of me and although I was clipped on I was only in my boxers so I received an unwelcome salt water wash! I hadn’t felt comfortable trying to pull in the towed generator the previous afternoon in that sea state but there was now a danger of overcharging the batteries. I was forced to turn on every electrical appliance I could in order to neutralise the power being generated by the towgen. Not only did I have the fridge on full blast the radar was on constantly and both my laptop and ipad were on charge and the chart plotter on full brightness!

self steering & towed generator doing their jobs

Bonito and Tuesday’s dinner

yacht on same passage from Funchal

yacht on same passage from Funchal

yacht on same passage from Funchal

By first light on Wednesday the conditions were beginning to moderate but the sea was fairly messy still. The other yacht were alongside and I managed to take some photos in between them disappearing behind the waves. Progress was good and Fathom charged on to the south east. 133 miles in the first 24 hours. I gave considerable thought to how to get the towgen back in. One option was to stop the boat to stop the rope spinning but instead I decided to cut a slit in a plastic funnel and placed this over the rope. Once it had slid down to the propeller it stopped the rope spinning and I was able to pull it in fairly easily. A problem with the electrics then appeared whereby every few minutes all power would go off then instantly turn back on again. This caused the VHF and chartplotter to turn off and restart each time. Thankfully I managed to find the cause which was a loose nut on the back of the battery isolator switch. Fathom began to make some miles on the the other boat and by evening were 5 miles ahead which was very satisfying :).  Cooked steak for dinner with potatoes and vegetables.

Sleep was easier to come by on Wednesday night as I was far enough ahead of the other yacht to turn the AIS alarm back on and the sea was calmer. I woke from one nap at 5am to find the wind had veered and we were sailing south west. The next hours were then spent sailing upwind in a dying breeze. By lunchtime on Thursday there was only 4 to 5 knots of wind coming directly from the south east so reluctantly the motor was used for the remaining few miles to Graciosa. On arriving at the anchorage it was nice to see Jan and Corrie on ‘Livingstone’ and a few other familiar boats from previous places. Overall the trip from Madeira had taken 51.5 hours which was good going and Fathom had beaten a larger boat (more on them later..). Well done old girl!

Relaxed few days at anchor in Funchal. Spent some time walking round the town but have been a little disappointed in it. Too many tourists and tacky souvenir shops geared to the cruise ship passengers which visit frequently. A highlight was taking the gondola up the hill overlooking the town and walking back to the harbour front through all the backstreets.

On the plus side this year the port authority has stopped charging boats at anchor and it is even possible to get a key for the shower block with a 10 euro deposit and no extra charge. The only downside with the anchorage is that it a little rolly and a relatively long half mile dinghy ride into the marina where the tender is left. A pretty sight by night looking at the lights of the town.

I have been surprised not to see more cruising yachts here. There were six in the anchorage when I arrived on Wednesday but only two now. In the marina are just a handful of visitors. Only seen one other British yacht since leaving Portugal several weeks ago. The majority continue to be Norwegian, Dutch and French. Nice to see Aurelie and Olivier again on ‘Courement’ they anchored next to me for a few days and I had them over to dinner on Saturday night. Yesterday at anchor I poked my head out of the hatch to see a large pair of red lips only a few metres away and bearing down on Fathom. Thankfully the cruise ship was only turning round before berthing but was slightly disconcerting looking up at the the bow only a few metres away.

last sunset in Madeira from the anchorage

cracking pair of lips

Leaving Funchal later this morning bound for La Graciosa, a small island and reportedly nice anchorage just north of Lanzarote. The distance from here is around 270 miles so should arrive within three days if the wind holds up. Looking forward to getting sailing again.

Some more hiking and great trails over the last few days. Spectacular views especially from Pico Ruivo, the highest peak on Madeira Island at 1862m . On reaching the summit I was surprised to hear my mobile ringing for the first time in weeks and noticed it was a UK number. So I answered and on the the other end of the line was a female voice that said “Good afternoon Mr D’Arcy, I understand you have been in a car crash and it wasn’t your fault….” Thankfully my Fiat Panda hire car has negotiated the windy roads of Madeira without hitch and it was one of those spam calls so I told her reasonably politely to leave me alone as I was trying to enjoy a very nice view.

Stunning view from highest peak in Madeira @ 1862m.

Yesterday I visited a viewpoint which looks down on Curral das Freira, also known as the ‘Valley of the Nuns’. The small village nestles between almost perpendicular mountains in the heart of the island. In 1566 the nuns from the Santa Clara convent fled from pirates attacking Funchal and found seclusion here. Then I went on to Câmara de Lobos for lunch. This small fishing village is the birthplace of the drink Poncha so couldn’t leave without trying one. It is made with aguardente de cana (distilled alcohol made from sugar cane juice), honey, sugar, lemon rind and lemon juice.

looking down on Funchal & cruise liner

highest point on Madeira

highest point on Madeira

highest point on Madeira

spectacular views

spectacular views

spectacular views

spectacular views

looking down on valley of the nuns

Câmara de Lobos

Câmara de Lobos

Leaving the marina tomorrow and plan to anchor outside Funchal and explore the city for a few days before heading on down to Lanzarote.

Well I did catch a fish on the way from Porto Santo! The lure Jean gave me worked as he promised so thanks Jean. The Dorado was big enough to provide me with breakfast, lunch and dinner for a couple days too.

On arrival at Madeira I anchored Fathom in Baia de Abra on the eastern end of the island. A very nice location and by taking the dinghy ashore to the beach, gave access to an excellent walk along Ponta de São Lourenço peninsular with fantastic views back to the anchorage. Two other yachts in the bay when I arrived were ‘Harry Z’ and French yacht ‘Courement’. On the second night in the bay a pleasant evening was spent on ‘Courement’ having some dinner and excellent French wine with Aurélie and Olivier.

Looking down on Baia de Abra from Ponta de São Lourenço – Fathom is the left most boat

I had not filled up with water since Sines so after a couple of days on the hook the water tanks were getting low and I decided to enter the marina a mile or so down the coast called Quinta do Lorde. The idea was to stop one night and then head down to the anchorage at Machico or Funchal and explore the island from there. But after giving it some thought I didn’t feel comfortable leaving the boat at anchor when heading off round the island for hours at a time. The marina at Funchal told me the only space they had was rafted on the visitor pontoon up to 8 boats deep which I also wasn’t happy with. So decided to stay at Quinta do Lorde for a few days despite it being quite isolated on the east of the Island. Luckily my cruising association membership gives me 30% off the marina fees.

The best way of exploring Madeira is by car so I have hired the cheapest I could find – a Fiat Panda. This has a ridiculously small engine which does not cope well with the steep and windy roads and I seem to spend most the time in 1st gear. Yesterday I drove to the west of the island and walked a trail which descends from 500m elevation down a crazy steep cliff face to a small fishing village. It was so steep my legs hurt walking downhill. I think i’m out of shape but I made it back up again somehow. On the way back to the marina a quick visit was paid to the Cabo Girão skywalk which is a glass platform suspended from the highest cape in Europe, 580m, and gives some impressive views.

One of the main attractions on Madeira is walking the Levadas.  These are mini canals used for irrigation and carry water from the wet mountainous areas on the north of the island to the flatter and dryer southern areas. Some of these date back to the 16th century and in total cover a distance of 2,500km. The walking trails incorporate the maintenance tracks alongside the Levadas. Today I walked a trail called ‘Levada do Caldeirao Verde’ which is a total distance of 13km and which I chose because it is mainly flat. My legs are still recovering from yesterday. The route includes walking through 4 tunnels and ends with a small lagoon and waterfall.

a fish at last..

looking across at Fathom in Baia de Abra

Harry Z, Fathom and Courement in Baia de Abra

track leading 500m to the harbour below

Cabo Girão viewpoint

walking a Levada

walking a Levada

Caldeirao Verde lagoon & waterfall

Over the weekend I intend to hike a route which includes the three highest peaks on the island at around 1800m elevation. My body feels like it has been sat down on a boat for four months so it is great to be giving the legs a decent workout.

An enjoyable few days have been spent here on Porto Santo. Fathom has been anchored inside the harbour which incurs a small charge, as does anchoring outside, but allows access to showers and is much cheaper than the marina. Nice to meet up again with friends from boats met previously in Portugal. In particular with Eric, Britt and crew from ‘Harry Z’ who invited me aboard for dinner on my first evening in port. In return I invited them and the crew of another Norwegian boat ‘Careka’ back for drinks on Fathom the following day. 11 Norwegians in the cockpit and 12 people on board is a new record! The waterline wasn’t looking too good though with an impressive stern list and even water coming up the cockpit drains.

Porto Santo is very small only 9 miles by 5 miles and lies 27 miles to the north east of the main island of Madeira. The north of the island is mountainous whereas the southern coast has an impressive 9km long sandy beach. I hired a quad bike to explore which was a good fun and allowed access to some interesting offroad parts.

Porto Santo

The Columbus festival has been held on the island over the last few days. It evokes the period of the Portuguese maritime discoveries in particular navigator Christopher Columbus, who passed through the island and spent several years of his life living here. Columbus came into contact with Madeira in 1478 and ended up marrying the daughter of the captain of Porto Santo. On Thursday we watched a reenactment of the Columbus disembarkation.

11 Norwegians in the cockpit!

11 Norwegians in the cockpit!

Waiting for Columbus

Waiting for Columbus

Porto Santo

Porto Santo

Porto Santo

can you spot Fathom?

Mural

The harbour wall is decorated with murals and insignia from visiting yachts, just as in Horta in the Azores. So I found a little space and painted one today. Unfortunately the paint shop only had black, yellow and orange paint. I messed up the lettering and the boat looks nothing like Fathom but at least there is a record of Fathom’s visit here.

Heading to Madeira tomorrow and looking forward to spending some days exploring. You never know I may even catch a fish on the way!

I departed Sines early on Friday morning bound for the small island of Porto Santo which lies 470 miles to the south east. The weather forecast suggested two days of fresh north east winds followed by a 24 hour period of light south west winds and then a northerly wind returning following the passing of a weather front. Not a perfect forecast but decided to push on anyway.  In fact it was a mixed bag including two beautiful sunsets, some great downwind sailing, some tedious upwind sailing, some sun, some rain, a squall, several calms and a fish called Houdini. Below is a small summary from my log for each day of the trip. Scroll down for some video. More on Porto Santo later.

departing Sines

enjoying the sunset

another nice evening

checking the course

approach to Porto Santo

Day 1: Friday 9th September

Departed Sines just after 08.00. 15 knots of wind from the NE this morning allowing a broad reach and good progress. Must admit to feeling a little queasy for the first hour as there was quite a swell running but soon settled in to the motion and now feeling good. Just after lunch the wind rose slightly and the speed over the ground hovered around 7 knots for a few minutes. There is about 1 knot of favourable current so Fathom was pretty much at hull speed. Really great sailing.

Keen to clear the shipping lanes by sunset and early this afternoon the AIS collision alarm went off and I could see that a 300 ft cargo ship had a closest point of approach of 90 feet. A little close for comfort! Called them up on the VHF and the officer told me he would change course by 20 degrees and insisted on calling me ‘Sir’ which I thought was very polite. Trouble was with only a few minutes until the two boats would be at their closest point he still hadn’t altered course so I called the ship up again his reply being ‘i’m very sorry sir changing course now’!

It is now 21.00 and just put a 2nd reef in the main as wind is over 20 knots and I like to be conservative at night. Hasn’t really made any difference to the boat speed which is hovering around 5.5 knots.. Cooked spaghetti bolognese for dinner and appetite was at 100%. No fish today.

Day 2: Saturday 10th September

At night I sleep in 30 minute blocks and put my faith in the AIS alarm and the radar (which does a sweep every 15 minutes and beeps if it detects any other vessels within 6 miles of the boat). It does take some getting used to when the boat is sailing on by itself into the dark and I am trying to switch off and sleep below. Fathom has travelled 138 nautical miles in 24 hours since leaving Sines at an average of 5.75 knots so very happy with progress so far. Downloaded a weather forecast (GRIB file) and checked emails via the Iridium sat phone while drinking my morning coffee. Forecast still showing 24 hours of headwinds from later tomorrow so progress will slow.

This afternoon I really felt in rhythm with the sea and in good spirits. So good in fact I decided to cook for dinner a chicken leg I had in the fridge with some sage and onion stuffing, potatoes and veg. This evening the wind hovered around 10 knots and I sat on deck and watched the sunset which was very pleasant. Tried to take some video (see below). Still no fish despite using the lure Jean gave me which he promised always works. I have noticed that about 30 minutes after sunset each day the wind tends to increase by 5 to 10 knots.

Day 3: Sunday 11th September

Fathom really does like a decent breeze from aft of the beam and 123 miles sailed in the last 24 hours so no complaints. Despite saying I would refuse to use the engine I did so for two hours this morning when the wind dropped to 4 knots and the sails were banging about in the swell. I hate that sound! It did though allow some juice to be pumped into the batteries which were under 60% as the solar panel cant keep up with the fridge and radar running through the night. The towed generator will come into its own in the trade winds but not used it yet.

This afternoon I went on deck after a short nap and noticed our boat speed had dropped by half a knot. Looked astern and could see a big fish thrashing about on the end of the line. At last! Began to haul in the line but the damn fish did a Houdini and managed to free itself. Not a happy skipper for a few minutes after that.

One moment of concern this afternoon was after another short 20 minute nap I went up on deck and noticed a fairly large ship passing me less than a mile away despite the AIS alarm not having gone off. Turned out the ship wasn’t broadcasting an AIS signal which is illegal. I called them up to tell them but they didn’t answer.. Hope not to meet many like that again.

Wind has dropped to 7 knots this evening and speed over ground is down to 4 knots. Headwinds on the way tomorrow. Pasta and Pesto for dinner. 150 miles to go.

Day 4: Monday 12th September

Tired this morning as didn’t get any decent sleep last night. Was up on deck constantly adjusting the course and resorted to using the engine twice during the night for an hour at a time during two periods when the wind was down to 3 knots and the boat was rolling about in the swell. At least the batteries are charged. Skipper is a bit grumpy.

By 08.00 the wind had backed to the west as forecast and by 15.30 this afternoon our heading was due south. Don’t want to slip any further south so just put a tack in. It is now 21.00 and Fathom is sailing on a course of 300 degrees away from our destination. Waiting for the weather front to pass so the winds return to the north. At sunset Fathom has only progressed 25 miles towards Porto Santo since 08.00 this morning.

Day 5: Tuesday 13th September

Woken up at 03.00 by torrential rain. Wind suddenly rises from 10 knots to 25 knots then to 30 knots as the front goes through. Throw on my oilies and lifejacket and harness and on deck to put another reef in. 20 minutes later all is calm again, the rain has stopped and the wind has veered 90 degrees. Fathom can now head directly for Porto Santo again.

Swell is from the north but the 24 hour period of SW winds has made the sea very confused and Fathom is rolling about all over the place. Eat up the rest of the miles to Porto Santo during the morning sailing downwind in 10 to 15 knots of wind. The island appears at first to be a series of several steep and isolated hills but soon merges into one. Arrive Porto Santo 15.00 and call the marina who say they are full but anchor in the harbour which is preferable anyway. 470 miles covered in 4 nights and just over 4 and a half days. Now for a cold beer!