What a trip. Day 1 was the best sailing we could have had. Got away from Quinta do lorde about 9.45, and it was sails up and game on all day. We left the Islas desertadas to port, getting a lift from the wind and avoiding tacking. Wind was F4 gusting 5. By 22.25 we had two reefs in the main and some headsail away. The wind increased until we reduced to the red reef and then due to being downwind, dropped the main and sailed under headsail. By 11.00 next day we were motoring in no wind but be afternoon we were happily broad reaching with full sail. There are islands between Madiera and lanzarote, the selvegans (translate as either either salvage or savage in English depending on which pilot you have). Anchoring is onto slabs of volcanic rock and you need to have a diver on board (they recommend) with a view to having to wrestle a jammed anchor out of clefts in rock. Needless to say too roughie toughie for me. Tim in his speedos wrestling 20kg of anchor is not a hernia compliant activity. We sailed past at some distance but expected to see lots of seabirds as it is a breeding sanctuary. Excitingly we saw black birds which we think were terns. Need to look those up. On day 3 we got a bit closer to a tanker than we perhaps should have. Cue heated discussion. However, soon forgotten and the log records more amazing sailing at 6 knots in the sun. We reduced sail overnight into day 4 to slow down, we arrived off playa Blanca at around 5 a.m. and made v slowly for the marina entrance waiting for daylight. As ever mini drama with a very high speed ferry coming out and passing too close. However, a well marked approach and into a big basin with admission pontoons. Met by marineros who are on duty 24/7 and took our lines. 9a.m the formalities of registration were complete and we were allocated our pontoon. The marina is really good staff very helpful. We wandered around and had showers etc. The marina is attached to a big complex. Could be residential, tourist or both. Fab swimming pool, lots of bars mainly catering for UK tourists of whom there are many. Main town a few miles away. Yesterday, we swam and slept and did little else. Got to get on today. We were able to buy the deck gland in Madeira so hopefully fix that now. It is so hot we need to get that done early as being shut in the aft end of the boat doing wiring in the heat would be a bit much. There is a good national park I would like to visit. All the volcanoes are apparently bubbling away 4m under your paws, yes metres not miles. Small world story. There is a boat on this pontoon Caitlin of Argyll. We last met her on the Mobill North Sea race in 1998. In stavanger the then owners invited us for lunch and produced massive plates of prawns, bread etc. It was fantastic as on our then boat (blue blazer) it was E numbers a go-go. Tim and the “Bombay bad boy pot noodle” is another story again. Anyway, on Caitlin lunch progressed. They had an aft cabin which was a novelty and bed linen and a duvet which was super fab. I must have got over excited as my last memories were of us, and the owner to be fair, diving down the aft hatch onto the duvet and then running up the steps...and repeat x100. Strangely we didn’t get asked back😊. Not sure if she is in the same ownership but she looks great. She is covered up and nobody with her just now. I think the then owner was at Silvers marine in rhu and built her but I might be wrong about that. Happy memories for us. Their memories might file us under “more nutters we met”. Behind us here in the marina are large volcanic mountains. I tried to capture the grandeur but failed. Photo of marina and what look like mini hills behind. Trust me they are very impressive.