Marvellous, Mountainous Madeira

Home from home?!

So after all that effort, we finally found ourselves safe and sound in the beautiful Quinta do Lorde Marina - right under vulva rock (yes, it really does look like that see the photo!).

At first I thought I was just super tired and my hallucinations were being guided by 20+ years working in O&G. Then my friend Lou texted me to ask if I had specifically selected the berth to be near a particular geological formation and believe it or not, there it was on Google Maps. And it even has a rating of 4.3 - although anyone rating enormous stone genitalia at less than 5 baffles me!

So that was our view for 2+ weeks – just can’t seem to escape obstetrics no matter how far I sail.

Bilge diving - again!

The first week was spent emptying the transom* so Dave could continue his new found passion (?!) for squeezing himself into ever smaller spaces with a screwdriver grasped firmly between his teeth in an attempt to repair the damage sustained by the auto pilot in Biscay. Lots of assistance from various Madeirese engineers and Google searches, confirmed we needed a new rudder senor. The sensor itself was an easy fix, just screw it onto the rudder mechanism and eh voila. However, getting the signal it generates to integrate with the electronics inside the saloon was a whole different matter!

There was already an electric cable in place from when Doris was originally built but this disappeared deep into her hull structure behind lots of lovely and completely unmoveable cabinetry! After several hours of trying to follow the original wire and discovering that wood glue is probably one of the toughest materials in the known universe, this plan was abandoned in favour of running a new one.

With girded loins the ‘bilge diving’ recommenced – 6, very long and hot, hours later a new line was in place and Dave had developed an appreciation for the £13.99 iPhone endoscope I had bought in a moment’s madness (or incredible foresight!). Ah the glamour of sailing to exotic places!

* *Transom: large space at the back of the boat filled with dinghy, paddle board, spare hoses, ropes etc. (which drives my OCD Dave mad) as well as the things we hope we NEVER ever use like a Jordan series drogue**

** Jordan Series Drogue: A heavy line with lots and lots of tiny parachutes on it that is thrown over the back to slow your progress through giant waves should we ever be caught in a hurricane – you can see why I never want to use it!

Our sweet but somewhat under-powered little car, parked under my favourite geological formation!

Magnificent Madeira

We did have a further week to explore the beautiful Island of Madeira but being stuck out at the very end of the island meant hiring a car - cue the Marina office putting us in touch with their local supplier - ‘Happy Car’. They only had one vehicle available, a little Fiat 500, which whilst it might have been ‘happy’ was definitely not powerful enough for an island which was literally blown out of the sea floor by volcanic activity and has never forgotten it. Tackling a 4 mile, almost vertical street in Funchal in 1st gear whilst wondering at what point I ask Dave to get out and push was a particularly memorable day!

We loved Madeira - the people were fabulously helpful and kind, the scenery was SPECTACULAR and the food phenomenal. Definitely somewhere I’d visit again.