Well well well...we did rather enjoy z lil music festy! First night Francis (bens unc) led us through the busy lil town and along the river to where he'd been promised lay the best bar! It did not disappoint ..2 lil terraces, the back one on the rivers edge with a homemade tiny white sandy beach to the side which is apparently heaving in the summer. Tonnes of slim cats wandering around waiting for ya scraps. Got talking to a couple (Scottish and Irish) who were good fun and knew one of the bands playing -also Irish...and i dooooo love me an Irish! They rambled in later and looked liked they'd defo lived a life-proper old school hippy rockers. Music was a bit chilled in the tent at 10pm so we karked it, saving up for the next day.

Had Fiona and Francis over for pancakes and went to the library to find the book swap...got meself 7 new tales to enjoy! wahoooo! Made a cake as raining most of the day (good excuse for some more munching) played some cards and met F+F in the music tent. Most people were sitting down at the tables pretty chilled. Met Tom and Anne again, the couple who owns a boat in Faro we looked at before buying babs. The urge for a dance was getting stronger and there was old school rock being performed so plied with rum i grabbed a man (about 70 years old) who was walking past as i thought he was heading to the empty dance floor. Turns out he wasn't but he still came with and that was all ppl needed to start filling the dance floor for the last band (The irish lot).

Next day i was predictably hungover so spent the morn watching d'vincis demons. (very good if anyone wants a winter series to snuggle down to) Ben talked me into a walk on the Spanish side (only if we could get chips was the bargain 😜🐷) so we trundled up a hill to a castle with bloody grand views over the river and countryside. Took Radagast (our Dinghy named by me obvs) over to F+F and they cooked us a lush dins and had social time on their cozy boat.

Left at 7am motoring through the mist downriver and did a few chores in the mouth of the river. Slow sail back to Faro the next day. Benny boi went to pick up Fiona who had traveled overland from Alcoutim- we had dins before some shut eye. Fiona left early the next morn for her plane back to z glorious homeland. Put new seals on the shitter and met Tom and Anne in a small boat marina (you have to go under a railway track to get in and at high, big tides its proper sketch..3 of us fully laying down and nearly scratched the top of the outboard) T+A very kindly drove us into the next town so we could fill up our English gas bottles which we'd been struggling to do. Anne is mega chatty and friendly, great to meet her as she was in England when we first came out. They invited us back to their new motor boat which i enjoyed nosing around. Picked up Joshuuuuua and got an earlyish night. Josh joined me in my sporadic morning exercise before supping and dingoing to the beach town. We went real fast with the tide then attached the sups to the dingy to get up the tide as we turned the corner in search of a wavy beach on the other side of the dunes. Caught me first (tiny) wave standing up on me sup-rejoice!

Rainy morn let me enjoy me booky wook but josh had itchy feet so was fishing off the side of the boat in da rain! lolz. Cleared by the arvo so chugged to town and met T+A ad Bruce (mate from the boatyard) for cheap chicken and chips and finished with coffee (DECAF!) in the sailing club (proper yachtys now ya 😁)

Had a reeeeal good flat water sesh on me kite so that made me happy and tried kite supping with all 3 of us on a sup being pulled along by a kite...was hillair! Ben and josh kited back to the boat and left me to bond with Radagast 😊 Cards and book reading to finish da day. Went and achored back near Faro's entrance and attempted to kite the next day but couldn't find decent waves and i struggled in the lagoon with up n down winds. Traveled back up and found a new anchorage. Payed a new card game called slam which was pretty enjoyable and started on the gin waiting for daddykins and Val to arrive. Me n Ben went to meet them at their hotel a bit later than expected as they'd got lost creating a tipsy Manning (amy) 🙈 but they seemed in happy chappy form so we went and found some cheap grub n booze. That grub was the possible reason Val was sicky suzie all night and the next day or possible bug from back home but it left her bed bound for her only day in faro (felt proper bad for her) Ben n Josh went to find some waves the next day so i had dad to meself to hear about his theory's on aliens and the moon etc...was great fun! wandered around Faro seeing the old town and enjoying lifes treats 😁🐷 Dad went back to check on val and we all met him later for more chicken n chips! Said goodbye to Dad n Val the next day ....sooo enjoyed seeing him and grateful they made the effort to get over to Faro. Felt pretty knackered from all me boozing, not so healthy munching and socializing so took Tom and Anne some port to say thanky for all their help and advice. Then moved the boat nearer lidl to do a big shop for the crossing to the canaries. finishing with a film night.

Moved into olhao marina to fill up with water. Did a laundrette mish on me loaded bike in the dark and drizzle. Came back to a delish meal josh had cooked so allll good! Jo arrived late in the night to help us with the croosing. Wind vane controller has gone haywire so benneth has been missioning on trying to get a new one meaning we are having to run the engine every day for an hour or so to fill up the batteries.

Picked up some fruit from the market with jo the next day. Poor ol ben (i didnt offer though😉) had to jump in the coldish water to get rid of some weed trapped around the water speed log. Around 2pm we sailed out of Faro entrance. Back into shifts-me n ben taking the 3-7pm shift. So Josh has been MEGA keen on catching a fish (even though he dont like eating them but says he will if he catches one) Him and Ben bought a spear fisher at decathlon and a new lure they named Louie. Josh proceeded to dangle it off the boat at anchor, off radagast while motoring and finally off babs as we set sail to the canaries. We have been trailing a line most days when under sail however that first evening the rod started running and we caught our first proper fish! Possibly a bonito but pretty big! catching another one on the other line 10 mins later! we threw this back however as one was enough. Excitement soon gave way to sickness as i thought of the poor fish and it was filleted. The motion was pretty horrendous and as i tried to cook a fish curry i couldn't handle it leaving it to the guys. I laid down in me pit and was soon emptying meself from both ends-beauts! Had an uneasy night but some cereal and sugary type foods helped revive on our morning shift. Nice downwind sail-Harman says 'we are romping along!' Radioed a yacht behind us who looked like they might be in trouble but turns out they were surveying plankton and plastics in the water. Much better night- sooo good not to feel sicky suzie and to be listening to me music beneath the stars. Saw a dolphin the next day with an unusually long body, i reckon it was an inbred/hybrid as was all by itself but no one else agrees.Lots of book reading and cooking. Shooting starts helped me through my night shift and defo feel more alive today, getting used to the shifts. Helped put in a gybe and had a game of battleships with harmdawg. Nice sunny arvo with usual morning showers. Ran the engine and the boys showered while i continued to fester. Very dark night shift with no wind at some points creating a banging main sail. Lush sunrise after a groggy morn-real warm as we put the spinnaker up, pretty chill so read on the fore deck. Had another squid magically appear on the decks during the night. Jo made some bread and as we were chomping josh spotted a WHALE right alongside the boat ...ohhh ma gaaawd...sooo exciting. I've wanted to see a whale for so many years and this was my first evvvvvvver! Was giving lots of blows as it carried on its journey to the aft of Babs.. Anchored in La Graciosa after a 4.5 day sail. Looking forward to a full nights sleep.

Got moved on by the officials to the next bay as we were in a nature reserve. Amazing landscapes of arid volcanos and steep cliffs across the water on lanzarotte. Ben and Josh went supping on some waves while me and Jo walked the 40 min journey into town along the dunes for supplies and a look around. Pretty deserted, single story white washed buildings. Quaint with people congregating around the marina and restaurants. Stopped for a couple of cold beers before meeting back up with the others for a rum sesh aboard babs. Paid for it the next day.

Everyone got motivated around lunchtime and went supping and spearfishing while i book wormed it. They only caught another fish! Well 2 but one we read gives you hallucinations but the mullet was pretty tasty. Got me lazy arse up n out to wander up the volcano, brilliant timing as got to see the sun set and magical dinosaur esk views.

Fwucking grand not to feel hungover today! Motored outta the bay after brekki heading to Corelejo in fuerteventura (kite surfing capital) As i was steering the rod moved out of place from its lashing on the deck. Ben went to look and all 3 boys pulled in a massive tuna breaking the rod as they did it (sorry Tom-it caught us 2 decent sized fish thou) I really couldn't watch this one so hid up the foredeck while Ben and Jo prepared it. Freezed some and tried 3 different ways to season it in the eve. We all liked and was very grateful to the tuna as we were pretty much out of food. Attempted a game of cranium but ben refused to get into it and our general knowledge as a group (except Jo) is pretty poor. Few games of shithead and bedtime had arrived. Rolley anchorage with the fezzas going by but woke to a sunny day and plenty of waves for the swell lovers onboard. Hopefully winds gunna pick up and we can kite on flag beach this arvo. Tis a good life yo!

Big love to ya'll xx