Having spent the night in Quinta do Lorde, where the building of a new resort meant that the pile drivers, cranes and lorries were going until 2200, we decided to anchor in the nearby quiet Baia d’Abra. We left our blue Calor Gas bottle with Catia (very nice) to have it filled for Monday morning.

The Baia d’Abra was remote, but on a very popular tourist walk. Fortunately these walkers were up half a mountain and never really bothered us. The wind whistled over a saddle in the hills and we were quite often buffeted with 25 knots. This slewed us sideways onto the swell and we rolled. After rocking and rolling until 0100, Saturday, Jeremy decided to use the new flopper stoppers. By 0200 they were deployed, but careful reading of the instructions by head torch showed him that 5 flopper stoppers were needed on EACH side. As we had only bought 5 the rolling decreased, but did not stop. In the morning Jeremy took the dinghy and stern anchor(first use) and deployed it and about thirty metres of anchor line (rope). This kept Sal Darago straight and normal service was resumed.

We kept threatening to have a barbeque, but all these exertions meant that Jeremy was less than enthusiastic to land the dinghy through the surf for a damp barbeque. We had steak onboard that evening.

Following a good night’s kip, we both decided to join the walkers to see what the attraction was. Mostly, when we got halfway up the mountain, it appeared to be a view of …Sal Darago. No… it was most interesting and after an hour or so we returned to the boat, through the surf. We prepared a barbeque – those of you who have been on one from Sal Darago will know the list ;-) and set off for a small inaccessible (by land) stony beach. We swam, lit the barbeque, had a wonderful time with lizards running over our naked torsos – well Jeremy’s and watched them – the lizards fighting over the carrot skins.

The following morning we had to return to Quinta do Lorde for the gas. There was over 20 knots of wind. We buoyed the stern anchor. We recovered the bow anchor. We then recovered the stern anchor at the bows. It would not have been possible to recover it at the stern in the wind without a resuscitation unit close by. It was nearly midday. The marina had not got our gas yet, but we were to tie up and use their facilities without charge. Kathy had a shower and Jeremy tripped while carrying the stern anchor from the bows to the stern. The anchor fell through the sprayhood causing a long rip, fortunately along a seam. By the time the gas arrived Kathy and Jeremy had (together) repaired the sprayhood (one outside and one “inside” pushing the needle back and forth).

We left at 1730 and our only option for the night was Machico. In the harbour, there were two French boats at anchor, plus they had lines ashore from the stern. Jeremy decided to anchor between them. The French did not immediately realise that there was enough space between their boats, but Sal Darago was suddenly there. Kathy stayed aboard to fend off the port side French boat with which Sal Darago was clearly intent in getting more familiar, whilst Jeremy rowed ashore with a long line. Afterwards the boats lay quite cosily. The second French boat suggested we might put out a stern anchor to try to avoid any more close work with the first boat. Jeremy used the stern anchor for the second time. It was then that we noticed that there were lorries on the “beach”… see photo. They stopped at 2300 and began again at 0800.

The French boats decided that they had been in Machico long enough and at 0400, they left. They were quite noisy, but luckily Jeremy had not fouled their anchors so they left without disturbing us more than in the “normal” way when one uses an outboard on a dinghy to recover a rope 50 metres away from one’s boat. In the morning, we went shopping and then had to report to the Capitao Maritima (Harbour Master). He needed to register all our details. After that the stern anchor, the mooring line and the bow anchor needed to be recovered. We left Machico after midday and enjoyed a fast sail under genoa alone up to Funchal. (Up to 7.3 knots on the log). Here the wind died away and then came up on the nose and we motored all the way to a very pleasant, quiet marina at Calheta, not a digger in sight.

Tomorrow we return to Funchal and hopefully will avoid a predicted South wind, by anchoring in the harbour. We hope to gain a permit in Funchal for the Islas Desertas – about 20 miles south of Madeira and if the wind behaves as predicted we shall set off for the Canaries, via Islas Desertas, on Saturday.