We arise at 6am to get everything stored away properly. (If it's not screwed down, it will hit you in the stomach, head...anywhere it can whilst you are at sea)!! I Place a bottle of wine with a thank you note on Hydaway before we slip away. It would be great to exchange sea stories further into our voyages.

First 8 hours of the journey are not too bad. Downwind sailing, genoa poled out, Goosewinging, preventer on. Of course there is a constant sideways rocking motion as we have a following sea but it's bearable because it's not a fast rocking and it's rhymical. Weather forecast is for more of the same...wind NE to E, Force 4 to 5. This is going to be OK I think, just so long as the wind stays North Easterly.

As darkness begins to fall I know this is absolutely NOT going to be OK! Wind decides to change direction to E and increases in strength. This causes a bit of drama as we have to get the pole down so we can set the sails on a port tack. Port tack also means the boat will now heel over a good deal to starboard. Both waves and wind are now abeam (directly on our side).

As the boat is lying uncomfortably to one side, the side to side rocking continues but there is no gentle rhythm now as we smash up and down as well. This is awful!!! Just to mix it up a little bit more, the ocean swell has also built up so we have to go up and down 3 metre waves on our side. Wind is 25 knots (Force 6), gusting 29 knots (Force 7). Each time a wave breaks on or under us, the boat's mast lurches closer to the sea on the starboard side, then the boat slews off course before heel is reduced to what it was before the wave broke.

I am terrified that it's only a matter of time before one of these waves will give us a "knock down" (push the boat so far over that the mast lies at 90 degrees to the water, just dipping under the waves before it springs back - worst case we could roll completely - still general physics says we will spring back up. Hmmm...that doesn't really help much when I am feeling this unsafe!)

Having to spend so much time below does not help with the prevention of sea sickness so I pop my head out of the cabin during the early hours to focus on the horizon and check for any yachts at regular intervals. Problem is, there isn't a straight horizon to focus on as we are being tossed about and the sea is a mass of bubbling black waves and foam crests with wave-shapes commandeering the skyline.

I think I might die of sheer fear. I get back down below. Some waves smash over the bow. Hearing this is not doing my nerves much good but actually seeing the water run over the glass hatches makes me gasp and hold my breath as if the entire boat might be swallowed into the murky depths at any moment. I don't get much sleep, no matter how much I'd like too as every creak and twang makes me nervous and then the AIS alarm goes off to warn of another large ship coming into close range. Time to be even more alert in case we need to contact it on the VHF to make clear it's intentions.

For the next day and night, we just keep going. There is no alternative. Wind stays at 29 knots but also veers from E to SE. Sea finally calms down around 5am on the day of expected arrival at Vivero, Spain. we berth at the marina at 15:00 BST on Sunday 21st September. We are both exhausted and in need of sleep but are still feeling the effects of all that adrenaline combined with the phyiscal tension caused by the effort needed to stay upright and function whilst underway.

Finally we get some rest. We'll sort out paperwork first thing tomorrow. We plan to stay here for a while to do small repairs on boat and explore the area.