Porto Santo – Madeira
22/06/2024 – 42 Nautical miles
Porto Santo was a much-needed stop after rolling for four days, but the feeling of leaving for Madeira was one of excitement. We set off on an eight-hour trip and arrived in Marina da Quinta do Lorde, situated on the Far Eastern peninsula of the island, just before the local café closed. The voyage was fairly uneventful until the end where we reached the high-speed record of the trip thus far at 9.3 knots (I was at the helm by the way). It seems that coming into Madeira was almost as challenging for us as it was for the pilots landing on the nearby runway, infamous for its geography and wind sheer. Unfortunately, our engine failed us again shortly after bringing the sails down. With the marina in sight and at least being in the lee of the land, we bobbed for about thirty minutes while trying to get the engine started again. After successfully getting it running, we made haste towards the entrance of Quinta do Lorde and docked on the first available berth, fearing the engine would act up again

Our stay in Madeira was plagued by trying to figure out once and for all what was wrong with the engine. I made the most of my free time and did lots of hiking in the local area. We rented a car for a day and toured the island, visiting what we could. Myself and another crew member climbed up to the highest point on the island, Pico Ruivo which stands 1862 metres above sea level.

Madeira is an extremely geographically diverse island. From the lush tropical forests that reminded me of tracking gorillas in Uganda, to the dramatic mountainous landscapes from the foothills of the Alps. Madeira has so much to enjoy, and I look forward to returning during my current trip, as well further in the future with friends and family.

On top of engine problems, the boat’s toilet was still misbehaving. After splitting the crew into teams of two, one pair in the engine bay and the other pair opening up the plumbing and cupboards of the head, we decided that a raw water valve was probably at fault. For now, we just had to carry on behaving as we had been with the toilet. As for the engine, we ended up calling a boat electrician to come and have a look. All he did was replace a faulty wire and insert a new ignition bulb. However, as if by magic, the engine started and maintained life. After buying and returning an alternator, a new regulator and almost buying new batteries, the problem seemed to be far simpler than we believed. In fact, it seemed far too simple considering all the different problems we had experienced in the previous weeks. Even before the trip had started, we had experienced fluctuations in battery output, but the signs presented to us after the electrician’s visit were positive.
