Weigh anchor! “ Yes” our long pause had an end, finally on the morning of January 3rd, a gap opened up between low-pressure systems. A morning workout for everyone on board: the wind was flying on the anchor… 4 Shackles, equalling 110 meters of anchor chain are heaved up in 25 fast minutes flat. It might be a record. Everything here screams south of the globe.

The Biscay is calling! We shall happily answer her call: As we leave Duarnanez already the dolphins are seen cutting through the bow waves of the AVONTUUR. It feels the Ship itself is glad to finally move on.

The adrift trip begins, which leads us from time to time a little closer to the Canarias Islands, but on this odyssey, we are also rocked into different courses up to the northwest by up to three meters high swell. A real test of patience! A conspicuous sign of calm: And when a spider hangs on the rotor blade of the wind generator in the morning, there is probably no clearer picture of a total calm!

But then the wind is blowing again – will we have passed the test of patience so well that it is now pushing us the remaining 600 nautical miles to the Canaries? On the weather charts it looks almost outrageously good, the north-east trade wind seems to reach directly to the south coast of Portugal, up to Cabo Sao Vicente, which we are approaching. But only very cautiously we deal with this good view, after all, the last days it had looked quite good again and again, many forecasts were very promising but never held up.

There is a really good atmosphere on board, we are especially happy about the new power in the sails, because finally they don’t just flap around, but pull strongly forward letting us rush with more than seven knots towards the impressive cape, the north-western tip of Portugal! Heading south, towards the sun and the Canary Islands – on our way to the NEW WORLD!

-Matthias

* For more from Matthias check out his personal blog   www.klimasegler.de. 

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