Jobiska is the first yacht after the harbour entrance.

The Porto Santo landfall after sunset is quite dramatic as the dry, sharp volcanic peaks are picked out darkly against the sky when approaching from the north east, they are not high but very distinctive. A pod of dolphins surrounded us as we closed on the island, it felt very welcoming and staved off our weariness. Rounding a huge rock that carries the lighthouse on top we came to a long sandy beach with the harbour in one corner under the dark peaks. After 509 miles having averaged a disappointing 4.68 knots in variable light winds it was 20:30 when we arrived at the anchorage.

There were yachts anchored outside the harbour walls but they were rolling with the swell. We speculated that perhaps there was no space inside but we went in and found a good anchoring spot in 7 metres, the anchor bit straight away and we settled Jobiska for the night. It was flat in there and we were pleased as punch, the boats were moving around their anchors quite a bit so one needed plenty of room but it was calm even with the arrival and departure of the Madeira ferry. Yachts have to pay for anchoring here although it is only 6 euros and makes no difference whether outside or inside the harbour walls. It does mean that the marina facilities are available so hot showers, not lovely but adequate, are on hand. Some of the long distance yachts we have met on and off have children on board and with the beach literally over the harbour wall it is a good place for families to hold up.

Walking into town there was little traffic on the long straight road skirting the 9 km long beach which together with the islands natural water source, said to be good for skin diseases and digestive ailments, contributed to its once being known as the rest cure resort. The town is lovely, full of whitewashed buildings and bouganvillea. The Largo do Pelourinho, a spacious triangle rather than square forms the town centre fronting the town hall, the parish or mother church of Nossa Senhora da Piedade, seats for contemplation and a few small restaurants, we had lunch there later.

We weren't expecting so much art work in Porto Santo. The church had beautiful paintings by Martin Conrad and Max Romer then in a gallery next to the town hall another artist from Madeira had a exhibition of her very different work on Porto Santo which was rich and bright with bold local colour.

Our main aim for the day was to visit the house which, according to Porto Santo oral history, was that of Christopher Columbus. Last time we visited Porto Santo town it was a Tuesday when the house, now a museum, is closed. Columbus is said to have lived here when newly married in 1477 to Felipa Moniz Perestrelo, she died just two or three years later giving birth to their son Diego. Felipa was the daughter of Portuguese nobleman Bartolomeu Perestrelo who was instrumental in the first attempts to colonize the island. Unfortunately the man released a pregnant female rabbit whose descendants ravaged and radically changed the flora of the island.

The Island's famous dragon trees once covered the landscape and provided wood for boats, red dyes from the sap and medicinal substances. They are still there but certainly don't cover the landscape.

An excellent guide showed us around the Porto Santo house/museum pointing out that information on Columbus is vague, even his reputed Italian ancestry is now questioned by historians apparently. Apart from his voyages which were well recorded, there is very little written evidence on more personal aspects of his life so he is something of an enigma. However, his house is very interesting with good information on his maritime endeavours and the history surrounding them. Amongst the range of artefacts on display were many very old coins from shipwrecks, most in excellent condition, some treasures such as a chino/japanese book rest with exquisite inlays and then some paintings which happily finished our viewing for the day. One unusual painting in particular was very special and representative of art at the time of the discoveries of Porto Santo and Madeira i.e. 1418. See gallery.

Outside we found the tranquil courtyard of Casa do Columbus finely decorated with the ubiquitous Portuguese black and white basalt pavings.

Taking an afternoon tour by open top bus enabled us to have a very good overview of Porto Santo, its smaller off-lying islands, the turbulent north coast, its peaks and valleys and its more recent human history such as its windmills. Even more recent additions to the landscape are the one runway airport which was opened in the 1960s well before the airport at Madeira, which sometimes has to close in rough weather due to its precarious location on a cliff side over the sea, and later still the golf course designed by the famous Spanish golfer Seve Ballesteros.

As sailors we were fairly amazed to see a smallish yacht anchored off Ilheu Baixo, a sizeable islet off Calheta in the south west corner of PS. We have experienced some extremely roly anchorages but this was beyond those with the sea going over the gunnels with each opposing roll. How could anyone stand this? We wondered if the person inside might be ill or exhausted, we saw no-one outside for the ten minutes of watching.

We passed Ilheu Baixo islet the next day en route to Madeira and the yacht had just started off for the anchorage we had left earlier - peace and calm, phew!

See gallery for Porto Santo album.