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ATLANTIC LANDFALL LOG
                                                LOG CAMARINAS SPAIN                                                                                       WE HAD A GOOD TIME IN HORTA BUT BEING THE CROSSROADS OF THE ATLANTIC HAS THAT BITTER SWEET OR HIGH AND LOW ATMOSPHERE, FOR WHEN A FAMILIAR YACHT SAILS IN IT’S PARTY TIME IN PETERS CAFÉ WITH EVERYONE GETTING WRECKED. WHEN THEY SAIL FOR A DIFFERENT DESTINATION THEN YOURS MOST PROBABLY NEVER TO MEET AGAIN IT’S TEARS ON THE QUAY.                                                                     ONE DOES HOWEVER,   GET THE GOOD   FEELING THAT THE TOWN OF HORTA APPRECIATES THAT THE VISITING YACHTS CONTRIBUTE A GREAT DEAL TO IT’S ECONOMY, THIS ATTITUDE IS SADLY LACKING IN MANY HARBOUR TOWNS, ESPECIALLY IN ENGLAND.                                                                                                                                                 OUR SON, SAM AND HIS GIRLFRIEND FLEW OUT TO SPEND A WEEK WITH US AND WITH HIS HIRE CAR WE MANAGED TO SEE MOST OF THE ISLAND.                                                                         ON TUESDAY THE 28TH JULY WE CLEARED OUT WITH ALL THE OFFICIALS FOR PONTA DELGADA ON THE ISLAND OF SAN MIGUEL ABOUT A 150 MILES TO THE EAST. SO, WITH AN AUDIENCE AND THE BENEFIT OF THE WIND BEING OFF, WE HOISTED ALL SAIL AND SAILED OFF OF THE QUAY AND OUT OF THE HARBOUR WITH OSCAR WILDE’S QUOTE   IN MIND THAT ONE GOOD EXIT IS WORTH FIVE GOOD ENTRIES.                           AFTER AN OVERNIGHT MOTOR SAIL WE MADE PONTA DELGADA AT 1400HR IN THE POURING RAIN AND BERTHED IN THE NEW MARINA   AGAIN CLEARING IN WITH ALL THE OFFICIALS. WE WERE A BIT DISSAPOINTED WITH THE WHOLE PLACE IT HAD NONE OF THE ATMOSPHERE OF HORTA AND IT NEVER STOPPED RAINING THE WHOLE TIME WE WERE THERE WHICH WAS ONLY ONE NIGHT FOR THE NEXT DAY WITH A GOOD FORECAST I CLEARED OUT YET AGAIN WITH ALL THE OFFICIALS FOR MAINLAND SPAIN AND WITHOUT ANY OF THE PREVIOUS APPREHENCIONS AT BERMUDA WE SAILED FOR MAINLAND EUROPE. WITH AN INTENDED LANDFALL ANYWHERE BETWEEN LA COROUNA IN NW SPAIN TO TANGIER IN MORROCO FOR ONCE WE WERE ON THE COAST WE WERE IN FAMILIAR   WATERS.                                                     THE G.P.S. UNEXPECTEDLY TOLD US THAT CAMARINAS ON THE NORTH WEST TIP OF SPAIN WAS OUR NEAREST HARBOUR, SOME 850 MILES AT 70deg SO, THAT WAS THE COURSE SET, ALTHOUGH, WE NEVER REALISTICALLY EXPECTED TO LANDFALL THAT FAR NORTH, INSTEAD WXPECTING THE NORTH WINDS OF THE PORTUGESE TRADES TO PUSH US SOUTH TO THE VICINITY OF LISBON.                                                                                                   THE FIRST 4 DAY’S OF THE VOYAGE WENT WELL, WITH A STEADY SOUTH WEST WIND AND US MAKING A STEADY 5KNTS BUT ON THE 5TH DAY SEA FOG SET IN WITH 25KNT’S OF WIND AND WE HAD 2 DAY’S OF TERROR STANDING ON DECK IT THE FREEZING COLD WITH OUR IMAGINATIONS RUNNING WILD ABOUT SHIPS AND FISHING BOATS THAT WERE NEVER THERE AT ALL. THEN DURING A NASTY GYBE AT NIGHT THE GAFF SNAPPED IN HALF SO WE CLAWED DOWN THE MAINSAIL BEFORE THE JAGGED SPARS DID ANY DAMAGE TO THE SAIL OR US.   WE THEN HOISTED A JIB IN IT’S PLACE AND CONTINUED TO STRAIN OUR EYES INTO THE GLOOM.                                               EVENTUALLY THE FOG BEGAN TO CLEAR AND OF COURSE THERE WAS NOT ANOTHER VESSEL FROM HORIZON TO HORIZON .   SU AND I UNLACED THE BROKEN GAFF AND I GOT OUT MY TOOLS AND MANAGED AFTER SOME 6 HOURS TO SLEEVE THE TWO BROKEN PIECES OF SPAR   WITH THE DIESEL HEATER CHIMMNEY THAT WE FOUND AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BILGE.   CURIOUSLY, WHEN WE LOWERED THE JURY RIGGED JIB AND HOISTED THE MAINSAIL WITH THE REPAIRED GAFF OUR SPEED ACTUALLY WENT DOWN A LITTLE!                                                                                                                                                             ON OUR LAST NIGHT AT SEA WE HAD TO CROSS THE SHIPPING SEPERATION ZONE OFF OF CAPE FINISTERRE AND AT ONE TIME HAD 4 SHIPS ABREAST COMING DOWN UPON US, WE SURRENDERED, HOVE TO AND PUT OUR DECK LIGHTS ON, THIS SEEMED TO HAVE AN IMMEDIATE EFFECT ON THE SITUATION   WITH THE SHIPS STEERING WIDE OF US.   CURIOUSLY WE HAD 18 SOUTHBOUND SHIPS BUT ONLY 4 NORTHBOUND SHIPS DURING OUR CROSSING OF THE ZONE.   ONCE CLEAR DAYLIGHT STRUGGLED ABOVE THE BLACK CLOUDS THAT WERE OVER THE SPAINISH COAST AND I THOUGHT WE WERE IN FOR A REAL BLOW BUT ALTHOUGH DARKNESS SEEMED TO RE-EMERGE THE WIND STAYED CONSTANT AT 15KNT’S FROM THE NORTH AND WE HAD A GREAT BUT DISMAL SAIL TO THE RIA AT CAMARINAS DROPPING ANCHOR TO THE HOUR 7 DAY’S OUT OF PONTA DELGADA.   BARBAROSSA HAD CROSSED HER 5TH OCEAN NOT BAD FOR A BOAT THE SO CALLED EXPERTS SAID WOULD NEVER FLOAT!