28/1/15 to 29/1/15
Sailing onward for these next few days. the wind was variable, but generally between 18 and 43 knots all on the starboard tack. It's down to eating , sleeping and doing your watch's.......all good though everyone in good spirits.
30/1/15
Porton Santo was spotted at first light on the starboard bow in thick mist/cloud.
We press on and soon see Madeira. I'm on watch and the land becomes fields and houses...............then the sun comes out..............ahhhhhh lovely.
The new airport runway comes into viz...................quite a structure, all on piers out over the coast.........very impressive.
A local navy corvette shadows us for a while then gives up bored !!!
We try in vain for an hour or so to contact Funchal marina. Eventually we get a response and find they have a space for us. In we go, the space is somewhat awkward . as we end up rafted to a local national park vessel (gaff rigged)............they are re varnishing their decks ......great ...........we can't walk across that, we will take wet varnish onto Call of North. Luckily the guys on board put down some cardboard sheets, which makes it easier for us.
The park vessel is very hard to get off mind you and numerous occasions we have to wait while the tide alters to get ashore.....even thoughthere is only about 1.5m of tide here it makes a differnece.
Work on the boat, look around Funchal and take on provisions.
Andy and i also fixed the seat on the rib................it had pulled the screws out of the seat, a major job as we had to undo all the staples to get at it. Excellent job when finished though............nice one Andy dude !!!!!
1/2/15
Day off............yyyehhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.
Kevin has hired a car, so we are off around the island for a day.
Points of interest including.........
the steepest roads in the world...............bar none.............you can tell they never get ice here !!!!
viewpoint at...
Porto Mozin
then a swift run back on the "rapida" to Funchal.
A grand day out .......................thanks for that Kevin.
2/2/15
Shopping in the morning and fixing stuff on the boom, preventers and other bits and bobs
Made supper...........lemon chicken coriander................surprise ....surprise !!!!!!!
3/2/15
Kevin is having endless problems downloading charts for the Caribbean, he spends most of the day on the phone & wifi trying to get it set up on the chart plotter.
This is all a bit of a blow as we were hoping to set off tomorrow, that's looking unlikely now!!
Andy and i have a look at the "Outhaul" carriage on the boom, it ran very badly on the way from Gib. The carriage has a series of "Torlon" bearings in it...........it sounds as though a couple may have collapsed. We decide to take it down and have a look.
Well, i say have a look at the boom, in actual fact we disassembled the carriage and tried in vain to fix it. We wondered if a few bearings had collapsed, as it sounded so rough, however, they were all in good order, so we just cleaned it. Sprayed the track with PTFE spray and then the big moment, put the carriage back onto the track. Now, this here carriage is a Harken design and i have to say, not particularly brilliant, the bearings will go for a wander about and jump out of the holder just by looking at them. So, here we go...........Andy holds a basin under the carriage, i climb up the vang, sit on the boom and offer up said carriage to track...................yes you've guessed it ...................all i hear is plop.....plop.........2 bearings make an escape attempt...........1 succeeds and ends up in the dock, Andy saves the oher.............bollards, i hear you say..............well i said a lot worsererer !!!!!
We tell Kevin and he say's the same as i did................then he announces, try the Chandlers over the road........well that flippant off the cuff remark is akin to saying, "pop to the Ford garage and see if they have a Bugatti Veyron in for a test drive"!!!!
So,Andy and i meander over to the chandlers...........................unbelievable !!!!!!!!!!! he has 50 !!! at £1.00 each.....we purchase 36 + 1 half a set plus the misssing one................really pleased with ourselves we hurry back to the boat. Kevin is dumbfounded...........i can't believe it, i thought we might have to fly some in from Gibraltar...................they are even the correct size, though Lewmar make......................i'm sure they are probably all made by the same manufacturer..............what a result..................so off we went to find a Ford garage.......:-)
The carriage is soon fixed and running luvely .............
4/2/15
Big shop getting ready for the off tomorrow and basically sorting the boat out ready to head to the Caribbean.
Sailing in between Madeira and the Desertas Isles
Rainbow..................nice
First signs of Funchal
Amazing structure for the runway at Funchal airport
And a plane takes off as we speak
and flies over head
some of the property coming into Funchal
blimey Kevin !!!!!!!!..........we've taken a wrong turn .................we're in Rio !!!!! ;-)
Funchal at night from the boat
We hired a car for the day, this is Curral Das Freiras.....................i think !!!
There was a church service in the village below........we could hear the music flaoting up the valley...........very moving, i must say......noice.........:-)
road shot
Kevin and carolyn admiring the view
Panorama's from the top viewpoint
spikey orange flower..................any ideas what it is anyone ???
There's a prize !!!!!!!
Bananas growing along the road to Porto Moniz
Again, i think i'm right here...............this is Praia da Calheta. Clearly they have had big plans here...............there's a half finished block of flats at one end,,,,maybe a victim of the global crash in 2008 ???? Who knows ????
brilliant little port / marina though
Porto Moniz
natural rock pools
my new deck shoes.........mmmmmmmmmmmm.....................i look like a brain surgeon in them !!!!
£4..................Bargain !!!!!!!!!
couple of shots of Funchal from the Marina as sunsets
Sailing onward for these next few days. the wind was variable, but generally between 18 and 43 knots all on the starboard tack. It's down to eating , sleeping and doing your watch's.......all good though everyone in good spirits.
30/1/15
Porton Santo was spotted at first light on the starboard bow in thick mist/cloud.
We press on and soon see Madeira. I'm on watch and the land becomes fields and houses...............then the sun comes out..............ahhhhhh lovely.
The new airport runway comes into viz...................quite a structure, all on piers out over the coast.........very impressive.
A local navy corvette shadows us for a while then gives up bored !!!
We try in vain for an hour or so to contact Funchal marina. Eventually we get a response and find they have a space for us. In we go, the space is somewhat awkward . as we end up rafted to a local national park vessel (gaff rigged)............they are re varnishing their decks ......great ...........we can't walk across that, we will take wet varnish onto Call of North. Luckily the guys on board put down some cardboard sheets, which makes it easier for us.
The park vessel is very hard to get off mind you and numerous occasions we have to wait while the tide alters to get ashore.....even thoughthere is only about 1.5m of tide here it makes a differnece.
Madeira
31/1/15Work on the boat, look around Funchal and take on provisions.
Andy and i also fixed the seat on the rib................it had pulled the screws out of the seat, a major job as we had to undo all the staples to get at it. Excellent job when finished though............nice one Andy dude !!!!!
1/2/15
Day off............yyyehhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.
Kevin has hired a car, so we are off around the island for a day.
Points of interest including.........
the steepest roads in the world...............bar none.............you can tell they never get ice here !!!!
viewpoint at...
Porto Mozin
then a swift run back on the "rapida" to Funchal.
A grand day out .......................thanks for that Kevin.
2/2/15
Shopping in the morning and fixing stuff on the boom, preventers and other bits and bobs
Made supper...........lemon chicken coriander................surprise ....surprise !!!!!!!
3/2/15
Kevin is having endless problems downloading charts for the Caribbean, he spends most of the day on the phone & wifi trying to get it set up on the chart plotter.
This is all a bit of a blow as we were hoping to set off tomorrow, that's looking unlikely now!!
Andy and i have a look at the "Outhaul" carriage on the boom, it ran very badly on the way from Gib. The carriage has a series of "Torlon" bearings in it...........it sounds as though a couple may have collapsed. We decide to take it down and have a look.
Well, i say have a look at the boom, in actual fact we disassembled the carriage and tried in vain to fix it. We wondered if a few bearings had collapsed, as it sounded so rough, however, they were all in good order, so we just cleaned it. Sprayed the track with PTFE spray and then the big moment, put the carriage back onto the track. Now, this here carriage is a Harken design and i have to say, not particularly brilliant, the bearings will go for a wander about and jump out of the holder just by looking at them. So, here we go...........Andy holds a basin under the carriage, i climb up the vang, sit on the boom and offer up said carriage to track...................yes you've guessed it ...................all i hear is plop.....plop.........2 bearings make an escape attempt...........1 succeeds and ends up in the dock, Andy saves the oher.............bollards, i hear you say..............well i said a lot worsererer !!!!!
We tell Kevin and he say's the same as i did................then he announces, try the Chandlers over the road........well that flippant off the cuff remark is akin to saying, "pop to the Ford garage and see if they have a Bugatti Veyron in for a test drive"!!!!
So,Andy and i meander over to the chandlers...........................unbelievable !!!!!!!!!!! he has 50 !!! at £1.00 each.....we purchase 36 + 1 half a set plus the misssing one................really pleased with ourselves we hurry back to the boat. Kevin is dumbfounded...........i can't believe it, i thought we might have to fly some in from Gibraltar...................they are even the correct size, though Lewmar make......................i'm sure they are probably all made by the same manufacturer..............what a result..................so off we went to find a Ford garage.......:-)
The carriage is soon fixed and running luvely .............
4/2/15
Big shop getting ready for the off tomorrow and basically sorting the boat out ready to head to the Caribbean.
Sailing in between Madeira and the Desertas Isles
Rainbow..................nice
First signs of Funchal
Amazing structure for the runway at Funchal airport
And a plane takes off as we speak
and flies over head
some of the property coming into Funchal
blimey Kevin !!!!!!!!..........we've taken a wrong turn .................we're in Rio !!!!! ;-)
Funchal at night from the boat
We hired a car for the day, this is Curral Das Freiras.....................i think !!!
There was a church service in the village below........we could hear the music flaoting up the valley...........very moving, i must say......noice.........:-)
road shot
Kevin and carolyn admiring the view
Panorama's from the top viewpoint
spikey orange flower..................any ideas what it is anyone ???
There's a prize !!!!!!!
Bananas growing along the road to Porto Moniz
Again, i think i'm right here...............this is Praia da Calheta. Clearly they have had big plans here...............there's a half finished block of flats at one end,,,,maybe a victim of the global crash in 2008 ???? Who knows ????
brilliant little port / marina though
Porto Moniz
natural rock pools
my new deck shoes.........mmmmmmmmmmmm.....................i look like a brain surgeon in them !!!!
£4..................Bargain !!!!!!!!!
couple of shots of Funchal from the Marina as sunsets
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