Safely tied up now with the promise of another storm passing over tonight.

We left Cascais first thing in the morning of Friday 28^th Nov with a fresh to strong Northerly, so got sails up fairly quickly and making 4 to 7 knots, without the engine! Although I did start the engine to avoid traffic (three Northboound one Southbound not leaving me much room in the middle)and sailed on until early morning  of Monday 31^st Passing the Monte Gettysburg which rises from 5000m to 25m below the surface, although I did not put a rod out a squid managed to get onto the boat! I originally started the engine to recharge the batteries which were down to 2% the main user being the autopilot, the wind gen did not have enough wind and at this stage we were not going fast enough for the water gen to help enough and to cap it off the sails were covering the solar panel.

Sunrise

First sight of Porto Santo

Closer with sea picking up

The batteries took about 6 hrs to charge by which time the wind had come round onto the nose and died, so we motored on by midnight of the 31^st the swell was building from the South West (on the nose) so we pounded on, Tuesday 1^st Nov was a matter of motoring on with force 1-4 on the nose; however by 4am  Wednesday the wind was 4-7 on the nose on a nasty short sea and a black night, by dawn we were well shaken up but with the prospect of being in port by lunchtime, however on getting to the headland and starting to think about what to look for the engine stopped, with the wind  SW (on the nose) 2-7 sailing was going to be difficult, so looked to engine again putting more fuel into the tank, it started and ran for about 20 mins and cut out again, had to be dirty fuel! Tried restarting and running at high revs to clear, still no luck maybe 15mins, all the time either being blown out to sea or towards the rocky headland, so I radioed the marina, the reply came from a skipper I had been talking to in Cascais, he managed to find by luck a guy who was training the local Maritime Police in search and rescue! Who came out and towed me into the harbour where the marina manager took over and put me on the end of a pontoon, where we tied up with the help of a couple of yotties from nearby boats. I think what has happened is that in the storm the fuel tanks were well shaken up and sludge has got into the filters and or pipes, so all fuel filters will now be changed, the engine is due a service now anyway, so might have to put off exploring here for a little while. Oh yes it was even raining when we got in although the wind is pleasantly warm.

Well the fates are not done with me yet, woke up with a jolt in the night to find I had blown up to the boat in front and the end of the pontoon I was tied to had sheared off, so with the help of the other skipper we pulled her over to the next finger and tied up with all available lines. Damage to Snow White is only scratches down the side and luckily the boat in front only had a slightly bent aft light mounting. So another sleepless night. Spent all of yesterday trying to get engine started, found dirt in all filters, crack in the bottom of one of the filters letting air in and one of the lines was worn.

Finally got it going this morning, and am taking a rest before changing the oil, she is due a service. The wind continues to blow maybe for another couple of days, maybe I will get into town this afternoon.