Off the Leash. At Last

X-ing File #1_Lagos to Madeira

Lagos, Portugal

After weeks of staring over the edge of the precipice, it was TIME.  We woke to marina time (Whoops!  Should have been up an hour ago…) and after duly noting the 7°C temperature at 8.30am, it was indeed time to go.  We packed up and refuelled then left with an interesting land breeze from the north.  By the time we reached Cape St Vincent, it was indeed rather strong but at least there was little traffic in the shipping lanes to play chicken with, so we scraped across and headed for our destination – Madeira.  We had high hopes of reaching it in 3 days (72 hours) of comfortable cruising. 

The first day was a disaster as the swell and 25kt winds and waves buffeted WJ3 on the starboard quarter creating perfect conditions for mal-de-mer and the Galley Slave, noting this was not her preferred angle of sail, wholeheartedly succumbed, leaving the Captain to hold the fort, so as to speak.  It should be noted that he too, was a little queasy.

On the second day, conditions improved, as did the Domestic Level of Happiness.  By the third (and with land in sight) all was back on track, sense of humours returned, the Captain had had some sleep and the crew was discussing plans for the X-ing of the Atlantic.

Initially, we had intended to stop at Porto Santo, once home to Christopher Columbus - he married a hardy local lass from the island.  Given the conditions, and the fact we had a workboat shadowing us (for good reasons we decided), WJ3 was instead pointed towards an anchorage on the east coast of Madeira.  Under current conditions (insert – the conditions in the anchorage were untenable), we swiftly moved for a safer berth in the marina.  It took us two days to recover.