At some point, one morning after breakfast, one just feels it is time to heave anchor. After all, we are cruising and thus don't want to find our boat on a cover picture of a local tourist brochure...

So, the 26th, last Monday, we moved the twenty-odd miles south to Sesimbra, where we just anchored for teh night. The dinghy deflated on deck, we didn't bother to go on shore. The Portuguese Northerlies are still illusive, so we motored all the way.

The morning after I woke up fairly early noticing a decent breeze making the rigging sing in a very promising way. Quick breakfast and off we went.

Close-hauled on a port tack we made 6,5 knots in the 10-12 knots of wind for an hour or so. The wind slowly decreased but we made decent headway until after lunch when the wind died. The last couple of hours we had to rely on the iron genny once again to enter Sines before dusk. Again, we anchored close by 'Zephyr' and shared a glass of wine with them in 'röde Orm's' cockpit before dinner.

Vasco da Gama was born in Sines, a very lively fishing port, and we'll go on shore tomorrow to see what kind of trace he left.

The winds will stay very light and variable o couple of days, but on Friday afternoon they will turn North and keep blowing at 10-15 knots over the weekend. To be experienced before believed!