Date -
Position | Heading
Made Good | Daily Log Comments
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Sat, Oct 1
41:11N, 08:42W
Leixoes Harbor, Portugal | Hove, England | 0745, clear and bright, mid 60s. Coffee and a shower to get started. Took another pain pill as back is still a little cramped. Off the web I booked a flight on Iberia from Gatwick to Porto, £100, leaving Monday at 1340, arriving 1555. Spent all day upgrading and debugging Anne's computer with XP Pro and making duplicate program disks. Sent another email to Burl about crewing. Received package from Casey. Mailing him £20. Anne baked me an apple dumpling so we could have apple dumpling ala mode as a late desert.
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Sun, Oct 2
41:11N, 08:42W
Leixoes Harbor, Portugal | Hove, England | 0745, clear and bright, high 50s. Slow day, tinkered with computers, got email and Wells balance, updated domain and sent emails to the list. Bought a new pair of reading glasses, £19. Made autorun disk of domain for Casey. Downloaded Norton System Works to help in debugging and fixing errors. Worked at it until 2300. Anne washed out my shirts and socks.
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Mon, Oct 3
41:11N, 08:42W
Leixoes Harbor, Portugal | Hove, England | 0645, clear and bright, high 50s. Woke early with gut ache, too much Indian hot sauce on dinner. Coffee and pipe load. Packed luggage. Woke Anne at 0745 and continued checking her computer. Checked email, uploaded to domain. At 1030 Anne and I caught bus to Brighton and I got on the 1105 to Gatwick. I am going to miss her, great lady and companion for the last week. I got off the bus at 1200 at the wrong terminal, took the shuttle to the north terminal, and checked in with an hour to spare and waited in the smoking lounge. Boarded at 1350, flight delayed, off the ground at 1415, landed in Porto at 1605, taxi to harbor by 1630. I was greeted at the dock with news that there had been a small accident by the Sport Club de Porto, one of the sailing students ran a boat into the stbd side of the Windwalker and rammed a hole in the ama in the same area that the fiberglass was hydraulic delaminated when I was dismasted near Bermuda. Luis came out with me to show the damage and then we returned to the Club where I met the manager Tiago. It will be repaired this week. Spent evening unpacking and trying to get NSW installed and cleaned up. Harbor busy, 5 ships left, 2 entered, a lot of wakes.
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Tue, Oct 4
41:11N, 08:42W
| Leixoes Harbor, Portugal | 0645, clear, wind ENE force 3, low 60s. Pilot boat wakes woke me. Much harbor activity this morning. Ran engine for an hour until daylight to charge batteries. Checked the cabin bilges and they are dry. I put 5 gallons in water tanks from a jerry can and will fill them when I go in the marina for repairs. Bird shit and diesel smudge has dropped all over the deck while I was gone. Rice and cinnamon for breakfast. After inspecting the damage again I doubt that a satisfactory repair can be made in the water or any of the facility here. Wood has to be replaced down to the waterline and the boat should be hauled. I went in and apprised Tiago and Luis of this and they are contacting the insurance company and yards with a marine railway. I returned and visited an 85 ft Swedish training vessel, the Prolific, John Thomas captain, with 17 young men and girls as cadets. Link http://www.maritima.gymnasiet.seglar.nu . The Rich Harvest left for Gibraltar at 1445. I spent a couple of hours debugging this computer reloading selected portions of the programming to get the DVD drive working better, without much luck. Luis and the repairman came out about 1845 and looked at damage and proposed a satisfactory fix. I went to the Prolific at 1915 and had a good meal and excellent company, returning about 2245.Fiddled with the CD drive until midnight, it has crapped out.
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Wed, Oct 5
41:11N, 08:42W
| Leixoes Harbor, Portugal | 0900, clear, wind calm, low 60s. Harbor is quiet, the Republic Day holiday in Portugal. Tried CD drive again, no go. Will get it replaced tomorrow. I can use the UCB memory stick until then. Took part of a ream of printer paper to the Prolific as they were leaving at 0900, they had none. Spent the morning studying Casey's works on common sense and making notes. He must simplify, simplify, simplify, and substitute the Stake of all mankind for his personal stake in the process and presentation. Cooked a bait of potatoes, onions and sausage for lunch and dinner. Before sundown I unsnarled the second anchor rode, tied a fender to it and cast it off. I tried hauling it from the dinghy, no way Jose, it is buried. I will retrieve it tomorrow after I haul the main anchor and winch it up. CD drive with a little coddling still read a DVD, so watched a movie while charging batteries.
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Thur, Oct 6
41:11N, 08:42W
| Leixoes Harbor, Portugal | 0745, clear, hazy, wind calm, low 50s. Woke at 0630, laid in sack until 0745, chilly. Harbor dredge ship Manzanillo II worked all night. Hot washcloth, coffee and breakfast. Removed the bridle and hauled the main anchor at 0945. Retrieved the second anchor rode at 1000. Went into Sports Club to find out where to tie up. Waiting on insurance agent to inspect damage. Went back in and got on the web in the office, uploaded, answered email and printed letter to Casey. "Irish" Pat G. on FIR had 20 years yesterday, WELL DONE, Irish, love you!!
At 1600 I hauled the secondary anchor and re-anchored with the primary 200 m closer to the wall in 23 ft at high tide. Cleaned and stowed the secondary and rode. A Canadian boat "Maritimus" from Montreal came in, anchored, and when I told him the dredge boat was working the area, did the same. Insurance adjuster showed about 1630. Work will start tomorrow and I am told it will be finished by Monday. To make sure they had enough rode and a plow anchor set in case it blows I visited with Luc and Diane aboard the Maritimus for an hour at sundown.
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Fri, Oct 7
41:11N, 08:42W
| Leixoes Harbor, Portugal | 0815, clear, hazy, wind calm, low 50s. Woke at 0430, made coffee, read for an hour, then laid in the sack half dozing until 0815. It is cold. Harbor busy this morning, keeping the boat rocking. Waiting to move to the marina for repairs. FreeCell 200 straight. Sun hasn't warmed the day, high overcast has moved in. Batteries low, ran engine an hour. Moved into the marina at 1045 to the Sports Club pontoon. Damn but the boar is dirty, birds and ships have covered it with filth. The repairman vacuumed five gallons of water from the ama that had splashed in, and proceeded with the repair. One stringer section between stations 13 and 14 was broken and was removed. Layers of 4mm plywood have been diagonally epoxy laminated on the inside, a plug fitted to the hole and the original outer laminations are being replaced with new wood. By 1730 the first outer lamination was in place, and they left at 1815 after moving the boat to another dock. The whole area, about 10 sq. ft., will be re-fiberglassed tomorrow and painted Sunday. Email from Burl, will probably be a few weeks yet before he arrives. I will probably be anchored with the Phils and Rich Harvest in Porto de Sotogrande by then, about 10nm up the Spanish coast inside the Med. Top ramen and tuna for dinner, then went to the marina shower. Damn that felt good, nice ending for a productive day. Studied Casey's work again, cogent, coherent, well researched, needs editing, until I fell asleep.
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Sat, Oct 8
41:11N, 08:42W
| Leixoes Harbor, Portugal | 0700, overcast, wind calm, mid 50s. Coffee, rice and cinnamon. Tonio and helper started work again about 0830. I went to town for tobacco. Walked all over Matosinhos before I found a tobacco shop with pipe tobacco, bought 4 packs of Captain Black Royal. Tonio ground out and gel coated about 1400. Another gelcoat and final sanding in the morning. As soon as I paint it, hose off the boat, fill the water and fuel tanks I am good to go. Short on Euros, but some until I get to Lisbon, and some quid and dollars I can convert if necessary. Luc and Diane stopped by at 1400, nice chat and exchanged email addys. Ran engine from 1500-1600 while I watched about 30 kids and sailing dinghies get launched and sail out into the harbor. Went out and visited Luc and Diane. A Norwegian boat Breeze with Kgeitel and Elizabeth came into the anchorage nearly out of fuel. I guided them into the fuel dock. Tonio came back about 1700 and put filler on the patch so it will be ready to sand in the morning. Retrieved a little girl's soccer ball from the water. Put beans to soaking. Potatoes, onion and corned beef for dinner. Engine again from 1930-2030.
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Sun, Oct 9
41:11N, 08:42W
| Leixoes Harbor, Portugal | 0500, overcast, wind E force 2, mid 60s.A wake surge in the marina jarred the boat and dock, waking me. Got up, looked around, made coffee, wrote this and went back to bed until 0730. Rest of dinner for breakfast. Entered waypoints in GPS for route to Gibraltar, about 480 nm. Tiago will take me to the bank Monday to get Euros. Fuel dock is out of diesel until Thursday. Walked to the store and bought €21 groceries, 2 mile hike. I have hiked more in the 2 years I have been on the boat than I did in the previous 30 years. Engine 1530-1730. A downpour hit at 1645, first rain in two weeks, helped wash the deck.
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Mon, Oct 10
41:11N, 08:42W
| Leixoes Harbor, Portugal | 0700, overcast, wind SE force 1, mid 60s. Cold shower first thing, no hot water. Re-stowed gear in ama.
Rode the bus into Porto and back to get euros, drew e300. Waited at the wrong bus stop for an hour, finally found the right one, 3 1/2 hour round trip, but saved €20 over taxi fare. The Portugese must have a thing about cobble stones, most of the streets and all the sidewalks. Side walks made of gillions of 2" cubes set in sand or clay, and the streets 4" cubes and 4x4x8s, gillions of them. Some of the sidewalks are in black and white geometric patterns, most of grey granite like stone. It is two years ago today that I motored up the Richelieu River out of Canada into the US to Rouses Point on Lake Champlain, 10,000 miles under the keel since then. The wind at 1800 is S force 3. I hope it veers to N or E by tomorrow so I can get out of here. Raining hard at 1930, not looking good.
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Tue, Oct 11
41:11N, 08:42W
| Leixoes Harbor, Portugal | 0830, raining, wind S force 3, mid 60s. Slept in, no point in getting started. Not going anywhere today. Diesel will be available after 1030. Tiago is late this morning and I will need his help getting to the fuel dock in this wind. Also need the computer in the office to check the internet, upload, get email and the 5 day weather forecast.
Tiago showed about 1345. We printed the forecast. Wind will veer N late tomorrow with good wind to Foz and Lisbon. I will fuel tomorrow morning. Started cooking the beans. Went to Tiago's home for dinner with he and Aude. She fixed an excellent pasta and a chocolate mousse that was out of this world. We returned to the boat about2200 where I gave them a quick tour through Barefoot's World. They left at 2115 and I sacked out after typing these last sentences for the day.
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Wed, Oct 12
41:11N, 08:42W
| Leixoes Harbor, Portugal | 0700, raining, wind S force 2, low 60s. Dark damp morning, will be glad to end daylight savings the end of the month and when I have moved farther south. Breakfast and read until Tiago arrived. Payday, I checked my Wells-Fargo balance, $969.50, and with the $ US, Brit £ and Euro currency in hand my available funds total about $1400. I moved the boat to the fuel dock with Tiago's help about 1430, fueled, €68, filled the water tanks, €5, and hosed off the deck. Then I motored out to the anchorage and dropped the hook, ready to sail south at first light tomorrow morning. Tiago came out to visit after I had anchored, a wonderful lad with a dream of cruising. He can do it if he keeps focused on the goal. I still have a water tank leaking, damn. Typed a letter to Judy and Spyder to be posted in Lisbon. As predicted the wind is veering west and north for leaving in the morning. I pumped the water tank bilges before sacking out at 2200. I will know which one is leaking before I leave.
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Thur, Oct 13
41:11N, 08:42W
Noon
40:55N, 08:46W | Leixoes Harbor to Foz
65nm | 0745, clear, wind N force 3 gusting 4, mid 50s. Too cold to sail early in the dark, so laid in bed until good light at sunrise. Coffee. Removed engine and bailed the dinghy. Installed Otto von Helm. Pulled the hook at 0900, setting course for Figueiro do Foz. Motor sailed at 2000 rpm until 1130 to charge batteries, on genoa and light air making 5 kts. Seas running 3-6 ft. Otto is holding course 194m. parallel to and about 2 nm off the coast. The wind is still chill at noon. Making 6 kts downwind on genoa. The seas have built to 8 ft at 1600 and Foz is 24 miles ahead around Cabo Mondego which can be seen. About 1630 a big-assed breaking wave pooped us and about 3 gallons of water came squirting under the cabin door. I bailed and pumped it out. Another big wave got the dinghy and broke the bar in the stern bollard. Couldn't recover it. Made the entrance to Foz about 1945, slowly explored for an anchor spot, went aground on a sandbar in the south channel about 2045. Set the anchor and will rest in the mud. The harbor police came to tell me I couldn't anchor on the sandbar ... LOL ... I am here. It is low tide so should lift off in 3 - 4 hours. I will clear in to the port then. Heated some beans, ate and went to bed. The boat lifted free at 2330, moved to the yacht reception dock across channel and cleared in. Rigged proper lines and went back to bed by 0045.
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Fri, Oct 14
40:08N, 08:51W
Noon
30:50N, 09:05W | Foz to Peniche
67nm | 0730, clear, wind N force 1, high 50s. Left the dock at 0815, set the main and motored out of harbor on course 214° to Ilha Berlenga and Peniche. Set the genoa and motorsailed at 6+ kts on light offshore breeze, barely enough to fill the sails. Maybe losing the dinghy is a blessing, forcing me to make or buy a light hard bottom smaller boat that I can lift aboard easier. A 6 1/2 footer would lay nicely behind the mast. The only problem is getting ashore until I have another. I did get a year's use out of the $100 I paid for it. The breeze died at 1030. The WindGuru had forecast force 2-3 northerlies. Tea and a sandwich for lunch. Nothing out here today. I haven't even seen a porpoise since the passage to Leixoes. Otto is holding heading real tight, after 5 hours just 100m left of course line. ...unh?? ... I had no sooner mentioned porpoise than I went out to check the set of the sails and a pod of porpoise came to play for a few minutes. A little N wind has come up to help us along. Made Peniche bay by 1730, dropped the sails, entered the harbor, and picked up a mooring by 1745. Not enough room to anchor so big mooring balls are placed. I heated some beans and refueled my body. I only had a can of peaches all day. I'm pooped. To bed at dark.
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Sat, Oct 15
39:21N, 09:21W
Noon
30:50N, 09:05W | Peniche to Cascais - Lisbon
67nm | 0700, high cirrus clouds, wind S force 1, mid 50s. I woke half a dozen times during the night, one time from a seagull landing on the boat hook causing it to rattle across the deck. I took some aspirin for aches about 0500. I waited until 0745 sunup to check the engine, mounts and bilge. The shaft log stern tube is leaking again, 10 inches of water in the engine bilge. The pumps will stay ahead of it until I can replace or repair it. Everything else OK. The fishing boats are coming in from their night's work. Left the harbor at 0830. The first 3 miles out of the harbor was cluttered with dozens of dory fishermen. Otto has the helm at 0900 on a 197° heading for Cabo Roca and Lisbon. The seas now are empty and fairly flat except for a long slow swell from the west. Checked the engine bilge at 0930, the leak is 5 or 6 gallons an hour. At 1430 off C. Roca the wind has piped up to force 4 on the nose, choppy, south wind blowing against the current and swells. About 8 miles to Cascais harbor. In harbor and registered by 1645, €22 plus €25 deposit for gate card. Moved to slip and tied up for the night by 1715. Barely bumped the dock with the stbd ama where I had bumped it before, 10 minutes with fiberglass and resin will fix the scrape. The boat is a bitch to handle in close quarters and a cross wind. The lady in the office located a used dinghy at one of the chandlers here in the marina, €480. I hope to find a cheaper one. Wandered past the stores around the marina, looking for a market, none. Bought a chocolate ice cream, €1.80. Beans for dinner at 1900. The marina has fine hot showers, could have stayed under it all night, worth the whole €22. Had tea, watched a movie, relaxed and went to bed.
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Sun, Oct 16
38:41N, 09:25W
| Cascais Marina
50nm | 0800, clear, wind SE force 1, low 60s. Slept sound through the night for the first time in weeks. Had coffee and breakfast. I have to get a water hose adapter so I can hose down the boat and a step-down transformer so I can use European 220V power. Hung sleeping bags out to air. Located internet cafe, could not upload log page, and checked email. Cascais is just a few miles west of Lisbon on the Rio Tejo estuary. An old fort is perched above the marina. Found a market and bought bananas, cheese, bread and Snickers, €20. I think there is another internet cafe nearby. Wells-Fargo balance better than I thought, not in such dire straits. I have found a new 2 meter inflatable that I think I can afford. Have to think about it. Hosed off the boat, it doesn't look quite so ugly and uncared for. Walked another 1/2 mile over and back to an internet cafe, no internet on Sunday. All told today I have walked over 5 miles, footsore and tired. Last of the beans and 2 sandwiches for dinner.
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Mon, Oct 17
38:41N, 09:25W
| Cascais Marina | 0800, raining, wind calm, low 60s. Woke at 0100 to sound of rain on cabin. Had coffee, a smoke, and studied my finances spreadsheet. I can justify buying the new dinghy. Back to bed. Up at 0745. Drizzling, grey, filthy morning. Hard rain at 0900. Waiting for stores to open at 1030. Ordered the Honda inflatable dinghy, €580. It will be delivered this afternoon. Walked into town, got a €600 cash advance to pay for it, updated the log, and sent emails to Burl, Mike, Anne and Judy. Back at 1300, charged batteries for an hour. Sun came out at 1330. Dinghy on the dock, checked out and inflated. Pressure gauge doesn't work. Moved gear out of aft hold to check stern tube, shaft seal and rudder gland. The shaft seal needed adjusting. I will stay in the marina one more night. If the leak has stopped, I will vacuum all the water from the bilge and move on into Lisbon to try to locate Luc and Diane to copy his navigation program.
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Tue, Oct 18
38:41N, 09:25W
| Cascais Marina | 0745, overcast, wind calm, low 60s. Coffee and a banana. Showered and rinsed some clothes. Put dinghy in the water, cleaned, mounted and filled engine. Leak not stopped completely, a gallon or so during the night. Will know more as I motor to anchorage or on into Lisbon. Walked over to where I bought the dinghy to use his internet connection and see if Victor got the pressure gauge fixed or replaced. Bought new zincs for shaft and strut, €16. Victor brought me a gauge that works at 1515. Moved out to anchorage about 1545. Dinghied back into the marina to get 4 quarts of hydraulic oil for the steering. Met up with Tim Harvey and his partner Adamo from British Columbia and Seattle on the way back out. They are Around-n-Over and rowing across the Atlantic from Lisbon to Costa Rica. Their web site is http://www.around-n-over.org, which updates their position automatically. I taught Tim to tie a gilligan hitch to lash their load. They figure it will take them about 5 months to cross. Windwalker is sitting quiet at anchor at 1800. Located the leak. The stern tube plate has cracked and water is leaking past the stern tube bedding. The tube will have to be removed, replaced and re-bedded when I get somewhere to dry out or on the hard. Charged batteries for two hours.
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Wed, Oct 19
38:42N, 09:25W
| Cascais Anchorage | 0730, overcast, wind SE. worst direction, force 3, choppy 1 1/2 ft, mid 60s. What to do?? Coffee and wait until sunrise. Clearing to the south. Filled and bled the hydraulic steering pump. Re-stowed gear in aft hold. Nearly out of propane. Will have to look into rigging for European butane system today. Got in the dinghy and saw that the boat anchored ahead of me was the Maritimus with Luc and Diane. Tim and Adamo were rowing back to harbor to moor as wind and weather were against their leaving, and I went to help them as Luc and Diane were going into the marina. We went into town together after they tied up to find the pieces and do the internet. No success finding gas refill. Lunched at Mickey D's then went to the market for peanut butter and CD-RW disks. In our wandering we met a nice couple, Brigette and Terry from Dallas, TX. We talked for the better part of an hour. Back to the Maritimus where we duplicated Luc's navigation program and tried to update his computer, making a mess of it. Diane fixed a good dinner of pork and fish. The wind is South force 6 gusting 7 and the anchorage has swells to 3 feet. It was a little tricky coming out to the boat in the new dinghy, but drier than I expected. It will be a rough ride tonight. I let out another 30 ft of rode about 2100. Wind at 2200 seems to be slacking a little. Damn, damn and damn. I got up at 0130 to pee and check things. The new dinghy has broken loose and is on the rocky beach directly down wind from the boat about 200m away. The harbor police have located it. It can not be reached at present, maybe at low tide. Perhaps I can inflate an air-mattress and float to it at daylight. Too windy, cold and dangerous to do it now. Damn, damn, damn. Running engine to charge batteries. Watched it until 0530, back to bed, dozed a little, thinking, and not another damn thing I can do.
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Thur, Oct 20
38:42N, 09:25W
| Cascais Anchorage | 0800, overcast, wind S, force 2, choppy 1 ft, mid 60s. The Maritime Police have recovered the dinghy. It has some damage. Bad luck or no luck at all. Light drizzle coming on, but with a rainbow. Maybe a sign that things will change for the better? at 1030 moved to the reception dock, walked to Maritime Police, reclaimed the dinghy, motor busted off, one paddle broken and seat missing. The police hauled it to the reception dock, no fee for services. Walked to Luc and Diane's berth L30. Luc had located propane source and was filling his bottles. He and I took his dinghy to the rocks where the dinghy was beached and found the motor..full of sand. Back to his berth, hosed out all the sand and got it turning free. WD40'd it. Put about 4 or 5 kg propane in my jugs. Used Luc's dinghy to carry the motor and gas bottles back to Windwalker. Returned Luc's dinghy and walked back to the boat by 1500. Checked the weather and was anchored by e1600. I hooked up the gas bottles, made coffee and ate a Snickers. Fixed the pair of wooden oars for the dinghy and went to the beach to look for the seat. Found it near where the engine was found. A dog had dug it up looking for a stinking dead fish or bird. Now the only casualty is the engine mount casting which can be replaced reasonably or possibly welded when I get to Gibraltar. Had dinner, watched a movie and went to bed at 2100.
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Fri, Oct 21
38:42N, 09:25W
| Cascais Anchorage | 0645, overcast, light drizzle, wind W force 2, high 60s. Woke early rested. Rowed to the pier, walked to Luc and Diane's slip to return their lantern. Went into Lisbon on the train just to say I have been there. Will never do that again. Medieval decaying big city, wall to wall people stacked 10 deep. Walked 2 miles up steep hills to Castelo de St. Jorge. Bought tobacco, WD40, duct tape and a few groceries, got €200 cash. Checked internet, Windguru.com for weather south to Sines and Vilamoura, etc. Will be good westerlies and some northerlies tomorrow and Sunday. Raining all afternoon. McChicken Meal for lunch. It may not be haute cuisine, but you do know what you are getting...LOL... Back to the boat at 1700.
Wind has backed SW, force 4, and the anchorage is a little choppy. I am pooped after walking around Lisbon.
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Sat, Oct 22
38:42N, 09:25W
Noon
38:24N, 09:13W | Cascais to Sines
57 nm | 0645, overcast, light drizzle, wind S force 1, high 60s. Fell asleep reading last evening about 1830, woke at 0200. The cantinas on shore are still at it, loud and boisterous. Back to bed at 0300, read myself to sleep. Woke again at 0615. Raining hard. Back to bed. Up again at 0745, still raining. Had coffee and thought about it. Pulled dinghy aboard ready to leave. Anchor up and gone at 0900. Swell set from west, no wind, motoring. Switched to stbd fuel tank. Heading 165° until to seaward of course line. Sun broke through for half hour. At 1000 a sailboat 3 points off stbd bow on heading to Madeira. Now light drizzle. Cleared Cape Espichel at 1230. Heading to Sines 154°. Clearing some, but no wind. Anchored in Sines fish boat harbor at 1820, 37:57N, 008:52W, nice and quiet. Rice, chinese veggies, portugee sausage and tea for dinner.
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Sun, Oct 23
37:57N, 008:52W
Noon
37:32N, 008:56 | Sines to Portimao
82 nm | 0630, cloudy, wind S force 1, mid 60s. Slept through the night. Two cups of coffee and a banana. Anchor up at first light 0730. Cleared the last of the ships at anchor in the bay at sunrise 0755. Heading to C. Sao de Vicente 193°. Light air on the nose and east setting current. Another day of motoring. At noon it is like a mill pond except for swell, and Otto is holding a close heading. With no wind ETA at Portimao is after 2200. Set the genoa at 1500 in a little bit of westerly to add maybe a 1/2 kt. Fixed tea and crumpets at 1530. Made the turn at Cabo de Sao Vicente to the south coast of Portugal at 1730, heading 75° to Portimao. Wind has piped up a little more northerly making 6+ kts. The sea is flatter in the lee of the cape which blocks the NW swell. Made better time to Portimao, anchoring at 2100 in 20 ft of water behind the east mole, 37:06.7N, 008:31.5W. Two other boats anchored. Heated dinner, read my book, and in bed by 2200. Quiet except for occasional fishing boat wake.
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Mon, Oct 24
37:06.7N, 008:31.5W
Noon
37:02N, 008:25W | Portimao to Cadiz
110 nm | 0730, clear, wind N force 1, mid 60s. Cruise liner coming into harbor woke me. The usual morning wakeup coffee and log entry. Slow getting started this morning. Cleared old waypoints from GPS and double checked waypoint coordinates from here to Gibraltar. The route leg to Cadiz will be overnight or more. Hoisted main and hauled anchor at 0945. Motored to seaward for half hour to clear point of land and set course 110° to Cadiz. Outside the bay I was joined by a gaff rigged 60 ft Spanish galleon bound east along the coast. The force 1 breeze is veering south easterly, tacking 150° making 1+ kts. Wind dead at noon, sea flat, motoring on heading 110° to Cadiz. At 1700 an LPG tanker passed port abeam at 200 hundred meters bound west. Wind is slack, but still have the rags hanging. Stbd tank ran dry at sundown 1845, switched back to port to keep fuel to engine, then shut engine off. Making 2+ kt under sail in a light air westerly. Heated dinner and enjoyed the quiet. Ghosted through the night.
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Tue, Oct 25
36:44N, 007:09W
Noon
36:35N, 006:38W | Portimao to Cadiz
120 nm | 0500, clear, calm, mid 60s. No wind to make steerage so motored at 2000 rpm and 4+ kts, 40 nm from Cadiz. Got a few hours of dozing. Freighter to stbd 1 nm bound for Cadiz. Sea is bumpy from current chop and freighter wakes. 0700 easterly force 2 on the nose. Port tank went dry, added 10 gallons from reserve, 12 reserve left. At 0930 a Spanish navy cutter came alongside and warned that I was approaching an uncharted missle exercise area and to change heading to 130° for 7 nm. At 1045 I turned back on course to Cadiz heading 100°. Chop is terrible. I have been thinking through the night and morning, that with all the things that need to be fixed, needing a 2-3 meter tide to do the bottom and the stern tube, and with the other repair work, it might be a good idea to settle in Cadiz for a while. It also has a major airport for Burl and Anne to fly into. Cadiz in view at 1300. In Cadiz Bay at 1430. After checking three marinas and a bay I found a side slip at Club Nautica up the river a mile, tied up at 1715, 36:35N, 006:14W, and registered for two nights, €36. Checked email, reply from Burl that I will answer tomorrow. I am too pooped to pop. A can of peaches for dinner and to bed at 1830.
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Wed, Oct 26
36:35N, 006:14W | Puerto Santa Maria, Spain | 0715, clear, wind E force 5 gusting 6-7, mid 60s. Slept all I could but still feel tired. I will rest today. Excellent shower. After thinking some more, communication is the key, no one here speaks English, and Gibraltar has everything needed including a dentist, 70 nm, a day away. Will leave tomorrow, weather permitting. I walked into town a kilometer, found an internet cafe, posted the log, checked Wells balance, did FIR, no one in chat and walked back to the boat. Pumped the bilges. Fixed potatoes, onions, corned beef, and mixed vegetables for lunch and dinner. The east wind is still whipping force 5. Napped 3 hours. Played Hearts on the puter until bed time. Hell of a blow going on.
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Thur, Oct 27
36:35N, 006:14W
Noon
36:20, 006:12 | Puerto Santa Maria, Spain
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Barbate | 0700, clear, wind SE force 1, mid 60s. Pumped engine bilge, checked engine, started up, rigged auto-pilot, and cast off at 0730 first light. Cleared Cadiz Bay at 0830, heading 152° for Trafalgar, motoring with a force 3 southerly on the nose into 3 ft short steep chop. It is going to be a long slow day. By 1330 the wind is force 6 and the chop is 5 ft. Otto is working hard at holding heading approaching Trafalgar. It is a rough ride that the boat is handling well. Started drizzling at 1400.
Trying to make Trafalgar the wind backed and came up to force 7. I couldn't hold heading, fell of to 180. Engine bilge filling. 7 gal fuel left, enough to make Tarifa if the wind slacks in the next hour or to return to Cadiz if it doesn't. At 1700 I hove to until I got the engine bilge pump cleaned out and the bilge pumped. The pump was completely plugged. I can see by looking under the wing that the thru-hull fitting is partially plugged also. I have lost about 2 miles in drift away from Trafalgar. The wind has let down to force 3-4. Underway at 1830 on heading 82° to Barbate, making 3+ kts into wind and wave, 9 nm away. Anchored in harbor at 2315. Coming into harbor getting dock lines ready I slipped, fell against the cabin and did a number on my back. Couldn't see any reception dock, either on the fish boat side or the marina side. Hurt, I finally gave up and dropped the hook. There are no sailboats in the marina and it is calm in the harbor. Laid down at 2345, hope I can sleep. Took 3 aspirin for the pain.
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Fri, Oct 28
36:11N, 005:55W
Noon
36:20, 006:12 | Barbate Harbor
| 0900, clear, wind SE force 1, mid 60s. Pumped engine bilge every 2 1/2 hours. I don't know when I have ever been so hurt as now. I need help. The leak must be stopped. Tried raising Harbor Control on Ch 16. Nothing. Raised 2 English speaking boats at sea, Independence and Lady Loren. Leak is about a 1/2 gallon a minute. If my back frees up with movement and time I will try to make a fix of the leak and go to reception and the fuel dock. Cleaned the pump and thru-hull. 1100 have to lie down for a while. Ate lunch, didn't eat much yesterday and nothing last night. Checked my finances while eating. By my calculations, about $600 US available until the 9th. Laid down again. The wind died and it started drizzling at noon. I located the leak. It is the stern tube, split about an inch back of the shaft seal bellows boot. I put a real temporary bandaid on it, duct tape, silicone and a piece of bleach bottle held in place with cable ties. It should hold until Gibraltar and I can replace the tube. I have an idea that the shaft has been rubbing on it all this time. Will probably have to replace the prop strut as well. Damn I hurt, it was almost more than I could manage to crawl down in the aft hold to make the fix.
Checked it 3 hours later, not leaking. Went back to bed.
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Sat, Oct 29
36:11N, 005:55W
Noon
36:04, 005:44 | Barbate Harbor
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Gibraltar | 0700,overcast, calm, high 60s. I don't hurt so quite bad this morning, took some more aspirin. Pumped engine bilge for half a minute. Very little leakage overnight. Waited until first light, then adjusted engine mount jack screws to raise engine and shaft so it doesn't rub in the stern tube. It was all I could do to break the nuts loose with a crescent wrench and hammer. Needed a 25 mm socket and breaker bar. I must buy them. Raised the mounts 3 threads, about an 1/8". Everything tightened by 0900. Had to rest a spell before hauling anchor and going to the fuel dock. Filled port tank and jerry cans, 91 L, €91. Under way at 1000. Heading 145° for 10 nm, then 125° to Tarifa. Bandaid patch is holding, pumping less than a gallon an hour. Made the turn at Tarifa light at 1330 to Gibraltar coming to heading 072176;. And the wind is still on the nose. It is blocked by the mountains and follows the coast. Anchored at Gibraltar north of the runway at 1630. 36:09N, 005:22W. And I am going to lay down.
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Sun, Oct 30
36:09N, 005:22W | Gibraltar Anchorage | 0700 UTC, foggy, calm, high 60s. Back to standard time. Stiff, sore, and barely mobile. A day of more rest and some clean-up. The first hour I put the dinghy in and straightened on deck. The fog is lifting and it will be a nice day. I can see a yacht club farther in the anchorage. Noon, stiffer and hurt more, aspirin worn off. Rice and cinnamon for lunch, not up to fixing anything else. Put a heating patch on my back and laid in bed until 1600. Seems worse. Coffee and aspirin. Tried moving around a bit, helped some. Back to bed. At 1915 an intense squall struck the anchorage and a heavy ketch dragged anchor, missing the Windwalker by inches. It lasted about 5 minutes, a violent force 10.
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Mon, Oct 31
36:09N, 005:22W | Gibraltar Anchorage | 0700 UTC, clear, calm, mid 60s. A little better than yesterday, still hurting, bone bruises will take time. Able to do little or nothing except lay in my berth and not irritate the injury. Set the rode bridle before the afternoon wind picked up to stop the yawing when it does. Fixed a skillet full for lunch and dinner. Charged batteries.
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