I'm sending a short greetings between Lisbon and Tenerife, Canaries. Just now, I'm watching the stars. They are so bright, probably because it is so bloody dark. Some of the stars I used to see in the northern hemisphere is getting lower and lower here on 29 degr north. I'm now 30 degr. south of Norway by now. We are 6 days out of Lisbon, Portugal bound probably for St. Cruz, Tenerife and would be there in 2 days according to our GPS. The 2 first days is always tiring and as usual my apetite is under zero, before my brain get used to the movement of the boat. After two days I'm eating like a bear and sleeping like a mule. We have changed the watch to 3 hour on and 3 hour off in the night and 4 hours watch in the day. Its working ok. It looks that as long as I get minimum 3 hours sleep I could go on forever.
The windstrenght is 3-4 (beafort that is) og mainly from north, thanks to Portugese trades and the stable highpressure system over Azores. This leg is usually easy sailing with not more than 1/2 to 1 % chance of gale-force winds.
Lisbon was just a dirty hole. I stayed there for 14 days which is 13 days too long. I used to much time trying to find all the bits and pieces you always need. As always in big cities. Everything exist but it takes forever to find it. At least most of the portugese people I met spoke english, compared to Spain, but I liked the spanish people, mabye all citypeople seems rude. I don't know.
I could write a book about the immigration rules for Portugal. First you must visit Policia Maritima to fill ut 5-6 pages. That will occupy 2-3 officers for half an hour. The question is somethink like type of engine, size, rig, how many sails onboard, beam, length and draft of boat. Gross and Net-ton and all other stupid things. Everything is ok as long as they smile, and we all think it is stupid. It is always good to have some official papers.
We sailed passed Madeira because I had good winds. I'll rather visit it later. So my plan now is to find a place to leave OMNI for a couple of months and fly back to Norway for cristmas instead of waiting for the end of the hurricane season in Canaries.
Arrezife 22.10.97
Ahh. at least I found an internetcafe. I have to fix my acoustic coupler so I dont need to look for all these internetcafes. I have been in Arrezife, Lanzarote for almost 3 weeks now. The preparation for the crossing has started and there is a lot of thing to do. I'm also looking for a place to haul the boat for painting. Hempel paint I got in Norway is not very good where the water is warmer. Some real poison is better. The leg from Portugal and down here was peanuts. I used 7 days on 700 nm. My first 24 hours was 147 nm. Not bad for a 27 feet boat. All the marinas and places to drop anchors around here is full. It must be hundred of boats waiting to cross the atlantic. Andreas and Rikke on SY Impetus, some friends from Norway is here and another big norwegian boat. All the other norwegian boats is still in Madeira.
My plan is to sail to Tenerife (Los Cristianos) and haul up OMNI there. Ahh. here is Andreas. I have to run. We are going up to a welding company to fix something on his windsteering. See you.
Best regards, SY OMNI Jonny Birkelund