May 1 - May 17: Goodbye UK

Friday evening, May 1 and Anders, Colin and Ian left Cardiff Bay in the 7.30pm lock as planned. A drizzly start to their journey to Lagos and very little wind so it was on with the engine.

Passed Ilfracombe at 0420 Saturday morning and Long Ships lighthouse at Lands End at 22.30 the same evening with a course of 205 degrees for Cabo Finisterre. There was drizzly rain during the night and lots of trawlers and cargo ships nearby.

Sailing in the sun all the next day, moderate swell Force 5 and running with the wind - it was Biscay at its best said Anders. His 3 hr watch was accompanied by a small bird sitting on the guard rail for a good half an hour - I wonder where he was en route to? Moonshine and a clear sky on Sunday evening listening to Leona Lewis and Bread on the ipod rolling gently along at 5 knots.

On Monday morning the sea was a little confused over the continental shelf. A shoal of dolphins were following the boat in the afternoon. Started to motor sail to make up time. We made contact with a large container ship which warned of a gale in north Finistere. We are now halfway between Lands End and N. Spain with 3500 metres of ocean beneath us.

On Tuesday the wind turned to the east and we took in a reef on the main sail as the sea started to build. We decided to set the storm gib and I have been continually drenched on fore-deck for the last hour battling with the fore sails. We are surfing at 7 knots in brilliant sun and a white crested sea.

The wind increased to Gale Force 8 with a heavy swell. The mountaineous waves following the stern are racing after us but Moonshadow's long aft ship lifts us just in time to prevent the crest tipping into the cockpit.

Arrived at La Bayona lunchtime Wednesday for a good rest and a meal out. Cast off at 0920 the next morning after re-fueling in a southerly that kept us motoring along the Spanish coast. At 1340 we passed the last Spanish town before Portugal and the Spanish courtesy flag came down to be replaced by the Portuguese flag.

Little wind kept us motoring along the coastline. There were lobster pots everywhere. We can avoid them during the daytime but can do little to avoid them at night. A rope cutter on the propeller may help to save the day if we get too close.

We calculated we would reach Lagos by mid afternoon on Saturday - it turned out to be later than that as we hit another Gale Force 8 just west of Cabo de Sao Vincente, the most westerly point of Europe. We double reefed the Main and reduced the Genoa by 75%. The engine failed to start and Colin diagnosed a loose starter motor connection. I took on the repair work and battled in a hot engine room where it was difficult to tell up from down in the heavy swell. Following that I managed to serve up a cooked dinner which surprised Colin and Ian, but not least myself!! Gradually the wind started to slacken as we headed for Lagos finally arriving at the guest pontoon just after 2330, mooring alongside a 54ft ketch of Germans on a delivery trip to Majorca.

After 987 nautical miles, 8 days and 4 hours, it's time for that well earned bottle of champagne!!