Porto Santo, 650NM SSW of Aveiro
We again set up the poled out headsail for the night watches in order to be able to get further downwind and towards our target. Just an hour later, a 22kt gust came through, and the whisker pole buckled with a “snap”. We scrambled to roll the genoa in and to lash down the broken pole. Oops. Thankfully we carry a spare.
We carried on through the blustery night with just the full main and staysail. The night was quite humid, and so the light on Ilheu de Cima became visible only at around 20NM distance, shortly before sunrise.
With the brightening day, the mountainous island of Porto Santo itself appeared from under the horizon and the mist. Very different landscape than what we’re used to!
The marina didn’t answer on VHF. But as we had a contact to some sailors that had arrived earlier, we were able to learn that the marina and the moorings were all fully packed. So options were either the very tight anchorage inside the wavebreak, or the more spacious and scenic but very rolly anchorage outside.
This was another moment to be happy having a full-keel boat with a relatively shallow draft. We were able to squeeze ourselves to the far corner of the protected anchorage. This was made somewhat more exciting by the fact that our depth sounder wasn’t working. So we went old-school, scoping out the swing radius slowly and carefully with a lead line.
By now the depth sounder is already fixed, and it is time for some bubbly to celebrate the completion of this ocean passage. Tomorrow we can start exploring the island.
- Distance today: 78NM
- Total distance: 3899.3NM
- Dinner: Caesar salad
- Engine hours: 2.4
| Time |
Position |
Course |
Speed |
Log |
Weather |
Remarks |
| 03.10. 0:00 Z |
33°23'34"N
15°33'46"W
|
192°
|
3.8kt
|
7094.7NM
|
wind
9.5kt
24°
baro 1022 hPa
|
Watch change
|
| 03.10. 1:00 Z |
33°21'11"N
15°37'17"W
|
252°
|
3.2kt
|
7098.5NM
|
wind
11.2kt
18°
baro 1021 hPa
|
Hourly position log
|
| 03.10. 2:00 Z |
33°18'53"N
15°41'16"W
|
239°
|
4.3kt
|
7102.5NM
|
wind
12.7kt
15°
baro 1021 hPa
|
Hourly position log
|
| 03.10. 3:00 Z |
33°16'55"N
15°45'56"W
|
244°
|
4.8kt
|
7106.9NM
|
wind
18kt
25°
baro 1020 hPa
|
Hourly position log
|
| 03.10. 3:09 Z |
33°16'37"N
15°46'40"W
|
233°
|
3.5kt
|
7107.6NM
|
wind
11.6kt
29°
baro 1020 hPa
|
It would be possible in theory to see the Porto Santo light now, but nope.
|
| 03.10. 4:00 Z |
33°15'8"N
15°50'7"W
|
256°
|
3.1kt
|
7110.9NM
|
wind
11.8kt
29°
baro 1020 hPa
|
Hourly position log
|
| 03.10. 5:00 Z |
33°13'25"N
15°53'34"W
|
241°
|
3.3kt
|
7114.3NM
|
wind
12.9kt
36°
baro 1020 hPa
|
Hourly position log
|
| 03.10. 6:00 Z |
33°11'23"N
15°57'25"W
|
228°
|
3.2kt
|
7118.1NM
|
wind
11kt
55°
baro 1020 hPa
|
Watch change
|
| 03.10. 6:09 Z |
33°11'3"N
15°58'0"W
|
219°
|
3.3kt
|
7118.7NM
|
wind
12.5kt
26°
baro 1020 hPa
|
Positive id of Ilheu de Cima light ahead (3 flashes)
|
| 03.10. 6:37 Z |
33°10'4"N
15°59'51"W
|
237°
|
4kt
|
7120.5NM
|
wind
13.2kt
41°
baro 1021 hPa
|
Started seeing some mountain shapes in the mist ahead
|
| 03.10. 7:00 Z |
33°9'19"N
16°1'31"W
|
229°
|
4.7kt
|
7122.1NM
|
wind
12.3kt
40°
sea state 4/10
clouds 7/8
visibility 7/10
baro 1021 hPa
|
Portuguese cellular network, and some non-AIS fishing boats
|
| 03.10. 7:18 Z |
33°8'38"N
16°2'46"W
|
238°
|
2.7kt
|
7123.4NM
|
wind
8.3kt
47°
baro 1021 hPa
|
Back in Portuguese territorial waters
|
| 03.10. 8:00 Z |
33°7'9"N
16°5'28"W
|
242°
|
4.4kt
|
7126.1NM
|
wind
14.9kt
34°
baro 1021 hPa
|
Hourly position log
|
| 03.10. 8:49 Z |
33°5'45"N
16°8'58"W
|
241°
|
3.9kt
|
7129.4NM
|
wind
13kt
26°
baro 1022 hPa
|
Sails down, motoring
|
| 03.10. 9:00 Z |
33°5'17"N
16°9'47"W
|
235°
|
5.8kt
|
7130.2NM
|
wind
13.5kt
36°
baro 1022 hPa
|
Hourly position log
|
| 03.10. 10:00 Z |
33°2'38"N
16°15'22"W
|
250°
|
4.5kt
|
7135.6NM
|
wind
13.7kt
16°
baro 1022 hPa
|
Hourly position log
|
| 03.10. 10:56 Z |
33°3'41"N
16°18'40"W
|
297°
|
0.2kt
|
7139.4NM
|
wind
8.4kt
57°
baro 1022 hPa
|
Anchored
|
| 03.10. 11:18 Z |
33°3'41"N
16°18'39"W
|
351°
|
0kt
|
7139.4NM
|
wind
3.3kt
226°
baro 1022 hPa
|
Stopped main engine
|
| 03.10. 11:59 Z |
33°3'42"N
16°18'39"W
|
78°
|
0kt
|
7139.4NM
|
wind
1.1kt
281°
baro 1022 hPa
|
Filling depth sounder with 10W40 motor oil, was totally dry. Now it works again.
|
| 03.10. 23:13 Z |
33°3'41"N
16°18'40"W
|
33°
|
0kt
|
7139.4NM
|
wind
2.5kt
342°
baro 1022 hPa
|
Started main engine. Weird anchor alarm, so doing a pull test
|
| 03.10. 23:16 Z |
33°3'41"N
16°18'40"W
|
31°
|
0.5kt
|
7139.4NM
|
wind
6kt
120°
baro 1022 hPa
|
Stopped main engine. Anchor seems to hold fine.
|