Capt. Dave
We made it and even have a report of the boat making it to the Azores (see e-mail update attached to the end of this entry). In my mind keeps circulating the theme from National Lampoon's European Vacation. Two cars from Madrid to just short of Gibraltar; 700 Km of traffic circles with haggard drivers who even I.V. Starbucks couldn't help. Yet we made it here in daylight (only because it's light to 10:00 PM). Now two days later we are still staying up until 2:00 AM and sleeping to noon. Tonight we are going to bed early and try to turn our jet lag around. The apartment we rented for our base the first week is small but has all we need. It is just short walk to the Barrosa Beach. It is a gorgeous spot and out of the way of your average toursist crowd. Tomorrow we will venture on to Gib. and figure out where we will reclaim the Gone Native. Wes and Ryan are looking forward to seeing the Barbary Apes (don't feed the monkeys? yah, right).
Meanwhile it is good to decompress. I think I'll apply for "my license to chill".
Cheers, Dave, Desi and "the Sailing Twins"
e-mail update from our delivery crew......
Hi David and Desi,
we arrived yesterday evening in Horta. 22 days of easterly wind and calms. Had to run an engine for 260 hours in total. We had less than 40 hours of westerly winds on the whole trip. Hard to believe! Zig Zag across the atlantic. We got in on diesel fumes. The crew and boat are all fine. Only casualty so far is the trampoline which is still there only because we lashed it with those extra lines in SXM. Every slide broke, a slight exageration, only 120 of them broke, ha !!
I will try the iridium phone shortly after I leave here.
Vinnie
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http://homepage.mac.com/gonenative/PhotoAlbum3.html