The conditions started quite boisterous. A force 6-7 Beaufort from the North. We went out on a leg straight out to the Atlantic. Swell was confused as we passed the shallow areas just outside Oporto. Sun was shining tough and it was warm. It became wet . She shipped in tons of litres of seawater across her foredeck, revealing some new hatch leaks. This time it was the smaller hatch over the passageway forward. Hans forecabin remained dry.

We enjoyed an excellent dinner courtesy as always by Hans with fried fish and rosemary potatoes and lots of vegetables. Being new to the swell and the conditions took its toll and neither of us felt optimal as darkness fell. Conditions remained similar through the night and we were on a tight reach. As always, difficult to get used to the heal and sudden movements of the boat.

The evening culminated in some 50, yes fifty, dolphins appearing around the boat with hundreds of seagulls in the sky. We must have past by a giant fish shoal. I have never seen so many dolphins in my life! This is a good backdrop for setting out on this trip.

position:41 9.7'N:9 32.4'W