Kelly Peterson 44

The Hero award goes to Harry the @hydrovane

sailingemerald on 28 June 2022:
We’ve arrived in Porto Santo, 3 days, 1 hour and 45 minutes after departure. That gives us an average speed of 6kts. This was our longest passage, just slightly more than when we crossed Biscay in 2013.
We’re both good, other than being a bit tired.
Emerald is fine too, although she now has a liberal coating of salt and was gifted an enormous pile of bird poo from a Shearwater that crash landed. It struggled to lift off again, but thankfully made it.
Other wildlife seen was a squid that was left on deck by a wave. We also passed a turtle paddling away. Isn’t it amazing to think our paths crossed at that moment in the vastness of the ocean.
The Hero award goes to Harry the @hydrovane who valiantly steered us across, dealing with some big seas at times. It was our first time using it for a long passage and once set up correctly, we were very happy.
The Useless Waste of Space award goes to our engine, which failed to start on our approach to the island. Colin has tried everything he can think of to solve it, but unfortunately it looks like we’re going to have to find external help. We could be here some time….
We were able to sail into the anchorage, thankfully we had a huge area of space to choose from. It was a bit dicey at times as to whether we’d make it as the wind died away as we passed behind the island, before gusting back in the gaps just enough to blow us to a suitable spot.

Photos:
1. Emerald sailing towards Porto Santo
2. Harry working away at sunrise
3. Nichola on the helm, enjoying some sunshine
4. The sunsets were amazing
5. Helms person’s view
6. Emerald starboard view
7. The sea berth
8. Stowaway squid
9. Colin downloading weather GRIB files via SSB
10. Porto Santo from the anchorage

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