Monday was a pleasant sunny day and the clear sky and flatter sea lifted the spirits of the crew with the sea sickness all but forgotten. Stephen was reluctant however to relinquish the black rubber bucket suspended at his bed head as a constant reminder of ‘the bad times’. There was time for Stephen and Barry to play chess while Bob and I washed the decks with sea water which only seemed to replace the dirt marks with salt streaks. As evening descended Stephen was delighted to see a whale breaching off the stern and continued to scan the horizon with the binoculars for a repeat performance with no success.
Lunch of cold meat and cheese salad accompanied by Barry’s homemade bread rolls was followed in the evening by a corned beef hash with baked beans – gourmet dining!
We spent a quiet night under engine with no traffic to worry about, the full moon reflecting off the waves and bathing the yacht in an eerie glow. The lights of Porto Santo provided a focus for the night watches while Madeira emerged from the gloom and the outline of Ilhas Desertas loomed dark and menacing off the port bow. We closed the easternmost point of Madeira as the sun came up and Quinta do Lorde Marina was tucked just around the corner, a welcome haven after our passage of over 500 nautical miles. Picture shows us approaching the marina with our escort.
Stephen writes:-
A very pleasant day’s cruising (now there is a phrase I did not believe I would be writing a few days ago) and relaxing day at sea enjoyed by all. I was lucky to see a whale breach about a mile astern but alas no repeat for the rest of my crew mates. On the night watch (apologies to Jon Snow) it was magical to watch Madeira arise from the horizon the sodium street lamps making it appear to be broiling with lava .
Medical Officers report: Crew in fine fettle and for those of you on tender hooks about the state of the skipper`s great toe I am glad to report progress is being made so I have replaced the surgical saw in its box, however I should add that I did notice a tinge of disappointment on the crew`s faces at this juncture.
Bob writes:-
A massive passage for me certainly, and for some of the other crew members. All accomplished with the minimum of fuss and few calamities! Great fun and a welcome ‘dirty beer’ awaits!
Barry writes:-
Not sure if he can!
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