Postcard From the Voyaging Thomasina August 05

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Postcard From the Voyaging Thomasina August 05

Left Funchal, on Madeira, and made the decision to go straight across to the Ilhas Desertas, which I had a permit to visit from the national parks office. It’s actually on the way to the Canaries as is the the other Island national park Ilhas Salvagens, 150 miles on from Desertas. They broke the journey nicely.

Madeira I have really enjoyed, fantastic mountain walking, lush scenery, bus drivers that make every trip an event! and the capital Funchal that is both laid back and bustling at the same time, it has a lot going for it as a holiday destination and a nice line in cake and wine to. So, 21 miles to Desertas Grande, and it was F7 all the way with Thomasina galloping along on a close reach. The very small bay where the wardens have a hut was ‘interesting’ getting into, with 45 knot gusts coming down off the 400 metre cliffs and, thank goodness, there was a mooring there for the wardens' transfer boat.

The wardens gave me a warm welcome and a memorable day. There are three islands in a long line separated by small breaks of sea. They are narrow and shear out of the sea to a max of 500 metres. There is a small colony of Monk seals which are quite rare. Ricardo and Phillipe took me in their inflatable to see the sea caves which are mighty impressive and made more so by the large swell that was running.

On the way back Ricardo spotted a big male Monk seal in the swell, it was larger than I expected, about 2.5 metres and - even better - they had not seen this one before. They recognise them by the scars from fighting and mating and know all of them by name. The new one is now officially listed as Norman. Appropriate - Monk seal, Norman baldy head!
Their hospitality was special and we finished the evening by polishing off the Glenmorangie (cheers Andy). I left the next morning for the Ilhas Salvegens 150 miles away with a post card and large bottle of wine to deliver to Ricardo and Phillipe’s colleagues there.

The sail was the best, F6 NEasterlies all the way getting me there for 12.30pm the next day. I caught a tuna with my new octopus lure. I had not really thought the fishing bit through, and it was hard fighting both tuna and the boat on a fast run, it all took a bit of sortin. Worth it, though, it made very good eating; but the bloodbath in the cockpit was another matter altogether.
The remote island of Salvegen Grande has a fantastic anchorage. I shared the guided tour around the island with a Dutchman, Rude, and his Armenian wife Ibrack. Later we had a meal with our shared German friends Michael and Annick who had just sailed in. A very pleasant evening aboard their huge catamaran with Rude on his birthday.

I left in the morning for the Canarian Island most east in the chain, Graciosa,135 miles away. After a good passage, with F4-5 all the way on a close reach, I caught a really big Tuna, which took 20 mins to get it to the boat, but I put it back as it was to big for me to eat and I don’t have a freezer just a chiller.