Our Atlantic circuit is complete. I have copied a screenshot from our chart plotter that shows our route. From Gibraltar up to Rota on the Portuguese coast, from where we set sail first to Porto Santo, then onto Madeira. From there to several of the Canary Islands before reaching Gran Canaria. There we met up with our fellow Viking explorers – 20 or so boats and many friends – with whom we crossed the Atlantic in two passages, to Cape Verde then over the ocean to the Caribbean, making landfall in Grenada.
we explored the Caribbean for two seasons, seeing many wonderful places across the windward and leeward islands. Finally, in May this year the Caribbean adventure came to an end, and I began the return trip with two crew: Peter and John. Setting off from St Martin, we started with a long passage to the Azores, dodging difficult weather systems with the help of a meteorologist. From the Azores we were due to sail direct to Gibraltar, but we worried about the increasing number of Orca attacks in the strait of Gibraltar, so diverted to Vilamoura on the Portuguese coast, where we made landfall.
Peter left us in Vilamoura, so for the last few days John and I have been sailing around the coast, hugging the 20m contour line (Orca attacks are much less likely in shallow water).
Starting early on the 17th, we sailed first to Mazagon, a rather soulless marina, but a good point to stop and rest for a night. The next morning’s sunrise was the highlight of that stop as we got off to another early start for a passage to Rota. This was altogether a better experience, with a stroll around the town and a lovely meal in the Marina restaurant. Rota was the place where we had met up with John almost two years previously for the start of our offshore passage to Porto Santo.
The next day, another stop, this time in Barbate, another soulless place, but perfect as a launching point for our final passage. Again, we were blessed by a beautiful sunrise.
We were most nervous about our final passage, from Barbate to Gibraltar, as the seas along that coast are the main risk areas for Orca attacks. In the event, the conditions were perfect and, keeping to shallow waters, we had no encounters. Arriving in Gibraltar at around midday, we had time to fill the boat’s diesel tank, then parked in Queensway quay marina, which will be Merryn’s home for the next month. Just in time for a celebratory lunch!
This blog marks the end of the Atlantic circuit. Tomorrow I fly to meet Cate and spend some time in our place in France. Merryn is getting an electrical refit here in Gibraltar, so there will be much to look forward to on our return in about a month’s time. We will then be setting off into the Mediterranean, aiming to reach Sardinia by the end of the Summer… and there will be a new blog to record our travels…