The voyage has officially started! As of 3PM yesterday (November 12th), Canapesia with Gary, Neil & Keith on board set sail from Vilamoura.

They have been joined for this leg of the journey by a couple of other sailors, both with experience of the sail south to the Canaries.

The start date had been delayed by horrendous weather in Portugal - A month's worth of rain falling in just 48 hours and fierce winds off the back of Hurricane Sandy meant that the final work that needed to be done on the boat was delayed by a few days. With the extra time in hand though additional checks have been able to be made and by all accounts Canapesia is one of the most prepared boats heading to the start line.

Dan flies out to the Canaries on the 14th November (assuming the Spanish strike holds off), Canapesia should arrive by the 17th/18th November and Shane arrives on the 19th November. The crew will then have a week together making sure all is prepared for the crossing ahead of the official start on the 25th November.

Our aim will be to update the blog every couple of days whilst on land and every day whilst at sea. The next update should come from Las Palmas, Gran Canaria therefore.