2nd August. Slipped for Terceira (again). Well it really was bumpy at anchor and the generator is now playing up (very intermittently—it must feel unwanted with all the attention given to the engine -hey ho what would we do with no boat jobs I wonder?
The sail was quite fast and with me now able to do a watch or two very exhilarating ! Although it was head winds all the way we did a very respectable 6 knots on my watch which pleased me no end! Of course Malcolm did all the hard work but this time was able to get some decent sleep. No whales this trip Arrived Angra de Heroism Marina in time for ‘teef.
Nice weather meant that we could scrub off all the salt and generally ‘spring clean’ the old girl. It is her birthday on the 14th so this is a start for the celebrations (if she behaves in the meantime!) We also welcomed another technician called Mr Carlos, he spoke excellent English having worked in the UK (Scotland). He listened to all that Malcolm had tried while scratching his head and muttering, then out came the Avo and he began taking readings (always a good sign)
Next he asked for the Service book and electrical plan. He was truly amazed that everything he asked for duly appeared with no fuss at all. Both he and Malcolm ‘ummed’ and ‘ahhed’ and then they tried disconnecting the built in battery charger (which isn’t used at all). Bingo ! The genny sprang to like as though nothing had been wrong!! We both had smiles across our faces and couldn’t thank the poor chap enough—Malcolm admits he would NEVER have found the problem. We paid the bill a token of 1 hours work because he likes working on boats so much now that he is retired. So now we are able to set off again with no problems (** watch this space!)
We spent a further couple of days having some fun. A trip to Praia de Vittoria for the last day of the festival and some more time looking round Angra. We were lucky enough to get seats at a folk-dancing festival and thoroughly enjoyed it.
12th August
After refuelling and paying the Marina we slipped for Graciosa. Just 50 Nmiles—so 10 hours expected. The trip began well with plenty of wind -so 6 knots of speed was very pleasing. But as usual the wind died and the engine went on. I had a quiet bet on that we wouldn't be in by eight o’clock. I wasn’t disappointed! The harbour turned out to be smaller than the pilot had suggested and there were no berths for us. The only possibility was a slippery wall. While Malcolm was sorting the lines out a local came by and attracted his attention to an electricity cable which connected 2 street lights and ran across the corner of the harbour—just where our fore stay sat! !!! This meant that we had to keep moving the boat back away from it as the tide came in or we would have been fried! Adding to the problem was a very choppy sea and the slippery wall ( which also had slippery steps) You can only imagine what terrific fun it was to be bobbing up and down while preparing and eating our meal and then trying to catch 55 minutes sleep before the alaruum went off to move the ropes . As soon as it was light we slipped (sic) for Terceira again
