Monday 14th November 2011. Time zone: GMT. Madeira – uninhabited islands discovered by the Portuguese in 1417. Biggest obstacles were lack of water and the steepness of the mountains. Water channels were constructed (levadas) to bring water from the rainy north side across to the dry south side, and terraces built which are still in use today.
We are in a small, new, marina nestled under a towering dark brown cliff covered in seabirds, the only other visitor is a Dutch boat (Perfect Day) with no one aboard. The marina is so new that half the buildings are still under construction and the road is a pot-holed dirt track. The staff are helpful & the showers are good but it is a long way from any other buildings. A south-westerly wind and swell makes the boat surge continually, so the ropes groan loudly all the time as the boat rocks around. The prevailing winds are NW’ly so the marina is perfectly protected from those. John hired a car to collect us from the airport and yesterday drove around the island on roads winding around the mountains then suddenly diving through long tunnels. We drove up to the highest point, 900 metres, and we walked along the levada –Beautiful, cool forest walk with precipitous drop and views of a magnificent rainbow beneath us. The continuous rain defeated me first and when Harry & John got back they were soaked & shivering. Soon steamed up the car with the heater and bowled down the tiny track to find hot food.
Sunday 20th November. Porto Santo 33 03N 016 19W
We sailed across to Porto Santo, the next largest island, on Wednesday – good wind, more rain, hand steering as auto pilot has gone doolally, but this island though still rising steeply out of the sea has a long sandy beach on its south side. We are sheltered behind the sea wall at the eastern end of the island and as the wind has been increasing, up to 40 knots, from the west we have been continually sand-blasted! 4 other boats here, from France, Germany & Switzerland. To go online we sit on a bench outside the marina office & try and protect the laptops from the sandstorms. But- we have waded into the sea, Harry has swum, we have eaten fish stew and chewy bread and are slowly getting the boat tidied and clean again. Have successfully fished for bedsheet that blew off the rails and promptly sank in 5 metres of water – and John has mended the autopilot.
John installing the new wind generator in Porto Santo
