First leg from Portugal proves both chaotic and calm
Sailing across oceans, exploring exotic islands and living a life away from the daily grind is the dream of many. A couple who I met through sail training two years ago bought a boat in Europe and got one step closer to this dream.
Over the last year, they meticulously prepared their boat Shanty to get it ready for a delivery across the Atlantic to the Canary Islands.
Last month, the owners and I met in Portimao, a sleepy town in Portugal’s Algarve region. The Algarve is famous for its rugged coast and steep cliffs.
We left the marina and headed out into the Gulf of Cádiz.
We steered southwest seeking more wind. The line between Cabo San Vincente on the Southwest corner of Portugal and Gran Canaria divided the zones of wind and no wind. The problem was that the line between calm and gale force winds was very fine. The winds picked up to a pleasant breeze during the first night and we turned the boat south towards our destination of Lanzarote in the Canary Islands. To our joy, the cloud cover broke and we sailed under a starlit sky.
During the second day, wind speeds reached between 60 and 70 km/ h, gusting to over 80 km/ h. Twice the boat wiped out, tossing everybody from one side of the boat to the other, and my heart jumped. Shanty, however, took it in stride and righted herself.
Finally, on the third day, the weather improved and we enjoyed beautiful sailing.
On Day 4, the sun rose over the horizon and finally: Land ho! The barren peaks of Lanzarote rose over the horizon some 60 kilometres to our west. A dozen or so dolphins appeared and escorted us towards land.
A beautiful end to our first leg across the Atlantic towards Grenada. You can follow our progress over the next two to three weeks while we make our way toward the Cape Verde Islands to catch the trade winds and onward to the Caribbean: share.delorme.com/simplysailing