Time zone UTC + 0.00
Local hour + 1.00
14.00 - Departure from Quinta do Lorde Marina in Madeira Island
Coordinates 32.º44’490N 016.º39’723W
Heading: 110 degrees
Wind speed: 6 knots
Wind direction: 12 degrees from starboard
Water temp: 23.7 C
Cloud coverage: 70%
Visibility: 90%
Sea state: swell
14.30 - Mainsail and Genoa hoisted, Hydrovane set
Coordinates 32.º43’432N 016.º40’387W
Heading: 110 degrees
Wind speed: 6 knots
Wind direction: 12 degrees from starboard
Water temp: 23.7 C
Cloud coverage: 70%
Visibility: 90%
Sea state: swell
15.15 - Furl Genoa, unfurl Code 0C
Coordinates 32.º47’399N 016.º32’304W
Heading: 060 degrees
Wind speed: 8 knots
Wind direction: 120 degrees from starboard
Water temp: 23.3 C
Cloud coverage: 70%
Visibility: 90%
Sea state: light chop
Changing to the Code 0C to try and catch the light winds from abeam.
19.30 - Furl Code 0C, unfurl Genoa (Dolphins)
Coordinates 33.º00’725N 016.º12’660W
Heading: 045 degrees
Wind speed: 16 knots
Wind direction: 115 degrees from starboard
Water temp: 23.4 C
Cloud coverage: 70%
Visibility: 90%
Sea state: light chop
Winds are getting stronger as the night approaches so we replaced the Code 0C for the Genoa. As we finished unfurling and trimming the sail we got surrounded by a pod of dolphins. Very shy, didn’t managed to get them on camera.
Adjusted the course to round Porto Santo Island.
01.30 - Confused light winds, started the engine
Coordinates 32.º28’987N 015.º50’356W
Heading: 015 degrees
Wind speed: 9 knots
Wind direction: 135 degrees from starboard
Water temp: 22.9 C
Cloud coverage: 30%
Visibility: 90%
Sea state: ripples
06.00 - Turned off the motor
Coordinates 33.º50’297N 015.º39’950W
Heading: 015 degrees
Wind speed: 12 knots
Wind direction: 115 degrees from starboard
Water temp: 22.7 C
Cloud coverage: clear
Visibility: 90%
Sea state: ripples
09.00 - Setting up Hydrovane
Coordinates 34.º08’818N 015.º30’950W
Heading: 015 degrees
Wind speed: 11 knots
Wind direction: 126 degrees from starboard
Water temp: 22.6 C
Cloud coverage: clear
Visibility: 100%
Sea state: large ripples
23.00 - Light winds, started the engine, genoa furled
Coordinates 35.º19’737N 014.º51’178W
Heading: 027 degrees
Wind speed: 7 knots
Wind direction: 070 degrees from starboard
Water temp: 22.7 C
Cloud coverage: 20%
Visibility: 90%
Sea state: calm
02.00 - Approaching the area where cargo ships align to proceed to the Gibraltar Strait entrance
Coordinates 35.º31’502N 014.º39’616W
Heading: 035 degrees
Wind speed: 4 knots
Wind direction: 025 degrees from starboard
Water temp: 22.4 C
Cloud coverage: 20%
Visibility: 90%
Sea state: calm
As we are getting closer to the area where all the cargo traffic seems to align to proceed to the Gibraltar Strait entrance there’s a lot more chat on VHF and activity on the AIS.
05.40 - Trying to sail upwind without wind and engine problems
Coordinates 35.º31’502N 014.º39’616W
Heading: 080 degrees
Wind speed: 11 knots
Wind direction: 030 degrees from starboard
Water temp: 21.6 C
Cloud coverage: 30%
Visibility: 90%
Sea state: calm
Engine problems since 4 am and we are in calm seas, this was a change in the situation. We usually only have problems in rougher conditions.
10.00 - Engine not keeping RPMs
Coordinates 35.º55’907N 014.º15’343W
Heading: 055 degrees
Wind speed: 6 knots
Wind direction: 010 degrees from starboard
Water temp: 21.9 C
Cloud coverage: 30%
Visibility: 80%
Sea state: calm
The engine is still not keeping the RPMs, we’ve opened both fuel tanks and release the fuel caps to release pressure. It didn’t change the situation so is not a pressure problem.
12.15 - Turned off engine
Coordinates 35.º57’452N 014.º06’051W
Heading: 070 degrees
Wind speed: 6 knots
Wind direction: 070 degrees from starboard
Water temp: 22 C
Cloud coverage: 30%
Visibility: 80%
Sea state: calm
We’re going to give the engine a rest.
07.40 - Tried to start the engine
Coordinates 36.º35’347N 012.º29’785W
Heading: 000 degrees
Wind speed: 11 knots
Wind direction: 065 degrees from starboard
Water temp: 21.9 C
Cloud coverage: 10%
Visibility: 90%
Sea state: chop
The engine isn’t starting
10.23 - Tried to change the course to Vilamoura and jury-rig the fuel tanks
Coordinates 35.º31’502N 014.º39’616W
Heading: 105 degrees
Wind speed: 7 knots
Wind direction: 055 degrees from starboard
Water temp: 22 C
Cloud coverage: 10%
Visibility: 90%
Sea state: ripples
We’re considering trying to get to Vilamoura but not sure yet. After reading Nigel Calder book Marine Diesel Engines: Maintenance, Troubleshooting, and Repair we came to the conclusion the engine problem must be what we’ve always said it was, fuel, bad fuel.
We are going to open one of the tanks and jury-rig the fuel intake in one of the spare fuel jugs we carry.
A Pan Pan was just broadcast over the VHF regarding a MOB (man overboard) not far from us. We can’t help but it’s nerve-racking to listen to it. another cargo ship is on its way to assist, they’re going to take a few hours to get to them.
12.15 - Jury-rigging the tanks, we’ve drifted back
Coordinates 36.º34’733N 012.º08’468W
Heading: 035 degrees
Wind speed: 6 knots
Wind direction: 010 degrees from starboard
Water temp: 22.1 C
Cloud coverage: 10%
Visibility: 90%
Sea state: ripples
Managed to open the fuel tank and disassemble the fuel intake, it’s full of gunk. Luckily the fuel intake rod has a protective mesh and maybe it stopped the dead fuel bug from getting in the engine.
The MOB rescue is still ongoing. We’re working in silence, tears in our eyes. It’s been 2h since the first message, if a huge tanker can’t see their MOB in these calm seas there’s no real hope.
14.30 - Engine started will try and get closer to shore north of the Cape Sagres TSS
Coordinates 36.º38’454N 011.º57’120W
Heading: 045 degrees
Wind speed: 5 knots
Wind direction: 020 degrees from starboard
Water temp: 22.3 C
Cloud coverage: 20%
Visibility: 90%
Sea state: ripples
The engine is now working but requires cleaning every 15-30 minutes. We ended up not jury-rigging it in the spare fuel jugs.
The cargo ship that went to the rescue arrived the coordinates, they found the MOB victim shortly after. He’s dead.
20.00 - Wind is back again, we will sail through the night
Coordinates 36.º57’000N 011.º27’828W
Heading: 060 degrees
Wind speed: 14 knots
Wind direction: 030 degrees from starboard
Water temp: 21.4 C
Cloud coverage: 20%
Visibility: 90%
Sea state: swell with strong chop
08.15 - start engine, our window of opportunity is closing
Coordinates 37.º36’451N 010.º04’854W
Heading: 035 degrees
Wind speed: 15 knots
Wind direction: 000 degrees
Water temp: 21.2 C
Cloud coverage: 21%
Visibility: 90%
Sea state: swell with strong chop
Our window of opportunity is closing, the weather forecast we have is no longer current and there was a storm forming near the Azores before we left, we don’t know how it developed or it’s direction. The decision is to motor through the rest of the way unless we can sail at good speed.
23.00 - Arrival to Cascais Marina
Coordinates 35.º31’502N 014.º39’616W
Total hours of the trip: 105h
Total hours sailing: 69h
Total hours motor-sailing: 33.30h
Total hours motoring: 2.30h
Distance: 608nm
Useful resources we use when at sea:
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