28th September 07 - Oo Er - We're all in a Quandry.....
Posted at 7:26 AM, Friday, September 28, 2007
Should we stay, or should we go??
We arrived back from the UK to find all the major work completed, but in the week since whilst waiting in Lagos for one last small job to be done, the weathers turned form sunny to cloudy and wet, and instead of blowing from the normal summer N'ly direction, its taken a S'ly swing.
Plus have only just realised our insurance does not extend to the Canaries - so have had to urge them to get that sorted asap.
As Madeira is due WSW - and Canaries more or less due SW - heading off now in these conditions (even if it was nice and sunny) would result in a bash to windward the whole way. That's maybe 650 miles as the crow flies - maybe 1,000 plus if he had to tack back and forth.
Perm in that I've already planned to pop back to the UK for a few days mid October, plus Marina de Lagos is getting very full, and they say they've no space for us inside after maybe Monday........
So the quandry is, do we leave here (after insurance sorted) early next week and bash it down to Las Palmas? And I fly back to UK from Canaries in 2 weeks time at great expense?
Or do we hang out here (or wherever we can find two weeks worth of room) and inside that time fly to UK el cheapo from Faro, then risk sailing south on my return towards month end.
At this time we're tending towards the former as there is a greater risk of continual S'ly winds later in the month....but ****** me, who knows?
We'll decide shortly. Well, I think we will.
Either way, I'm pretty sure now with the way times going the way it is, we'll NOT make it to Madeira due to the UK revisit etc.......shame.
So. In the meantime, it's not all bad. You'll be pleased to know all the work done by Sopromars guys has been completed to a really high standard. We've used facilities from the UK to the far side of the Med, but have to say never had this combo of quality work and affordable prices. Really pleased. Highly recommended.
They re-launched Swagman a week back, and in the period since we've also had back the bimini, sails, sailstack and dinghy cover that Antonio Vegas (the local sailmaker) has been repairing for us. Again. Top job.
We've reset everything now back onto the boat, spent a cople of days cleaning and treating the teak deck with oil, fitting a new cupboard roller door over our below deck navigation instruments, and now are twiddling our thumbs waiting for a local chippie to finish off an extension work surface for the galley. It will give just that bit more workspace needed when one is cooking up a storm down below.
Once thats done, then there's nothing but the weather, and insurance, and our own decision making process, to keep up here.
Lots more ARC boats and fellow Atlantic crossers are arriving daily - so plenty to chat about over a beer or two whilst watching the World Cup (come on Ozzie come on) - so its not all bad.
Ahah. We've also sourced 8 x 23 litre fuel tanks which suprising us all, fit nicely shared into both the lazarette aft and the anchor well forward. Whilst its not best to add weight at both ends (as it may effect performance) it means we can now carry a total of 500 litres of diesel fuel and extend our range under engine out to 700+ miles without having to carry the cans on deck. Comforting if the wind drops half way over.
So we'll carry on monitoring the weather forecasts over the weekend - and if it looks like we will get a 4 day window of northerlies to allow us to slide to Las Palmas in a straight line early next week, we'll probably take it and spend more on the airfares.
If not, it looks like we're going to get to know this town even better and save ourselves a quid in flying back from Lagos to UK at circa £60, as opposed to Las Palmas to UK at £180 each way!
Cheers
JOHN
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