We are now heading South West towards Porto Santo rather than to our destination Lisbon. Where to start? We were under engine because there was no wind. There was no wind expected for the rest of the day either. At 10 am this morning, the engine just stopped. I was transferring diesel from the forward to the aft tank. The next six hours is a blur of diesel, bleeding engines and satellite phone calls to Anders. The problem was exacerbated by the fact that the generator didn't work which meant that we had no means of generating electricity which is not only necessary for say navigation, but also for lights, AIS etc to be seen by other ships. No wind, no working engine, not under command.

We started to bleed the engine, but realized that it didn't get diesel to the injectors only water. Hans rigged up an ingenious pumping system to drain the bottom of the tank which then produced some 80 liters of water before we got to any fuel. 80 liters of water ... ten buckets of dirty water contaminated with just a little diesel. We have no space to store that temporarily, therefore we saw no other option than to leave it behind in the ocean. Where did the water come from? Hadn't the aft tank of 300 liters been emptied and cleaned in Arrecife? Hadn't the Volvo Penta agents not detected any water in the forward tank, also of 300 liters? How did so much water get into the forward diesel tank? It seems unimportant now. Apparently, we have pumped water from forward to aft tank from which the engine takes its gasoline. After numerous times of changing filling up fuel filters with clean gasoline, venting the injectors etc, the engine started again. We had then turned back to head to the nearest port at the island Porto Santo, close to Madeira, some 80 Nautical miles in the wrong direction, to also drain the forward tank of water and get new fuel, and, hopefully, also a new primary fuel filter. After taking it away and placing it back several times the fuel filter is now leaking diesel which we carefully collect during our nightwatches. ETA for Porto Santo is 09h30 Monday morning Madeira daylight saving time.

Calmness had just been restored and we were bopping in the late afternoon sunshine and a very long, melodic Atlantic swell, when a little black bird was circling the boat. It took shelter in the captain's cabin. We have put some bread, apple, cashewnuts and water. Hopefully it can rest and gain some strength so that it can continue its voyage tomorrow.
It reminds me of the summer of 2014 when a little sparrow hitchhiked from southern Norway to finally emigrate to Vlieland. That bird stayed almost three days on board.

23h00 ... logwriting time again! I write: UTC 23h00, course ordered 213, log 968.7 NM, wind 4kt East, swell, clear sky, moon last quarter, good visibility, barometer dropped from 1025 to 1024, we are in position: N 33 48.2 W 015 50.8.