The real story
04 July 2010
Jane
We've been in Europe for 36 hours. Just knowing we could hop on a train from the Lagos marina and go to Paris is exciting. What was really thrilling though was our "ride" here from the Azores. Well the last 15 hours of it anyway. The weather started getting rough, the tiny cat was tossed.... As the wind started building we put a reef in the main. Then the gusts started getting stronger, up to 25 knots, so we put in a double reef and reduced the jib. Then the gusts started getting over 30 knots. The seas built up. We were bashing and enduring sonic booms in the boat which feels like you're in a car crash every few minutes. It was also pitch black and too cloudy to even see a star. We used AIS to see if there were any other boats coming our way - there were. The big ship brigade started at about 10:00 pm and lasted until 3:00 am. Dodging ships in rough seas when you can't see and are exhausted is not enjoyable. We were up all night and as the sky started getting lighter and finally we arrived in Lagos. Remarkably, the boys slept through everything. We are now docked at a marina, enjoying the amenities like showers, pool and a plethora of restaurants. It's a major tourist town, but it's quiet in the marina and the town is fun to stroll on the cobblestone walkways. The weather is wonderful, sunny and hot and a soothing sea breeze. BTW - of course Rodney feels the last day of sailing was just another day on the water. Happy 4th!