Madeira: End of this sailing season

We left Santa Maria on Wednesday Sep. 14 early morning and sailed along the western end of Madeira still in the dark on Saturday morning Sep. 17. Given we had to take what we get, the wind situation wasn't so bad. At the beginning a solid northerly pushed us some 100 miles in the first 12 hours, before it started to die out. The middle day was virtually no wind and motoring at slow speed, but for our last sailing day, Neptun had chosen to spoil the crew with a light north-easterly, so that we were gliding along silently, not even heeling. Not fast, but at around 6 kts, faster than we usually run under engine on long distances.

Finally a sight seeing trip along our beloved Madeira to the marina at Quinta do Lorde on the eastern end of the isalnd. An the work, work, work, to get the boat ready for the haul out on Monday. It was a bit tricky to get the sails off and folded, with the permanently strong wind out in that marina, but we managed.

On Monday we had a last 3 mile trip to the airport and into the little harbor owned by the sea rescue. Several folks from the new shipyard were already waiting to take our lines, and after we had removed the two fore stays, a careful and skilled travel-lift operator lifted us out of the water. Now Taniwani rests under the huge runway with some protection from sun and rain. And we now have the possibility to look after the boat and do some maintenance work when we are in Madeira in the winter months.