OCTOBER 27th, 2016
I started writing this in Peniche, after doing the dishes out in the cockpit in the glaring sun on Tuesday morning. The sweat was dripping off me as I looked out at the perfectly still ocean. There was not as much as a whisper of wind in the air. After lunch the weather changed suddenly. The fog closed in quickly and within minutes we weren't able to see more than a few meters off the boat. We'd been in Penich for four days and experienced that the weather was likely to change and the forecast likely to be wrong.
Every day in Peniche, we planned to leave "tomorrow." Saturday morning, we postponed leaving till Sunday morning. Later that day, our friends at the German boat Mila texted us that they would arrive the next day, and we happily postponed leaving till Sunday night. We got to know Mila in Porto, her home port is Berlin, she is sailed by the couple Teresa and Lucas and they are aiming to spend the next three years circumnavigating more or less along the same track as us. From Porto to Penich, they were also joined by their friend Moritz.
Sunday morning we contemplated going out to Ilha Berlengas to meet Mila. However they told us they were not able to get to land because of the swell. That made sense as we were watching the swell break with amazing force outside the marina. Elise suggested we should go up on top of the pier to look at the waves and to look for Mila. We enjoyed watching the breaking waves. We went furter out on the molo, AS Milas mast approached. Long story short, some minutes later, we ran back towards the safety of dry land. Dripping wet. Shortly after, the harbor authorities closed the whole area.
After Mila arrived in Peniche, we enjoyed spending time with them. One night we walked about, finding mostly dark beaches and closed bars. Another day we spent exploring the beaches and swimming in the waves of the Atlantic, I even got to play with my drone. We had some very pleasant dinners and breakfasts, Paloma pizzeria being everyone's favorite. Elise undoubtedly makes the best pizza of the sailing community, and this rumor has started spreading amongst our sailor friends. Although this particular night, the oven wasn't exactly cooperating. The whole ordeal seemed more like a four hour workout, than baking pizza. Tuesday and Wednesday our friends started arriving in Peniche. We feel so lucky to be a part of a group of young sailors, most of whom are sailing around the world like us. We truly enjoy their company.
Thursday after lunch, we set out for Cascais and Lisbon. The sun was shining, but the winds were nowhere to be found. Elise's parents and my sister was expected in Lisbon the next day, so we needed to head south. After a night at anchor in Cascais, we motored the last few nautical miles up the river into Lisbon. We had forgotten all about currents, and were surprised by to knots working towards us. Eventually we got to the marina, and it was so nice to see family again.
During the past week we've combined city exploration with socializing with both friends and family. Vilde lives in the boat with us, and will be sailing with us for another two weeks, so she goes where we go. We have a never ending list of to-do-s, so there is always something to do. Last night we said farewell to mainland Europe for all foreseeable future, and we did so with a late night pool party that turned into a beach bon fire. Such a great night with our new friends.
We are currently setting our sails for Porto Santo and Madeira. We're expecting the crossing to take approximately four days, so we'll hopefully get to the anchorage on Monday evening.