It is a very strange feeling to be here in the Canaries, it seems to have been such a long time from home and yet such a short time to travel so far. This is were we are really begin the countdown, Chris has had a chance to see how things are working on Quicksilver and is able to alter and reinvent things as we go along, I am becoming used to living onboard, it is quite a change but it is starting to feel like 'home' I even have a Basil and Mint plant! Not very healthy looking but they never were in my kitchen! Thank you all who mailed me, it is good to keep up with what is happening and although some news was sad this time, (our love and thoughts are with Kirsten and Shona), it is nice to hear from you all.

To bring you up to date, after a couple of days on La Graciosa we moved South to Lanzarote where we have had a good five days at Porto Calero were the world sailing championship for the FC44 is taking place, very busy but not an intrusive marina. Fionna flew to France from here and we are sailing down to Feurtaventura in time to meet Maris on Sunday pm. We will then spend the rest of the days exploring and doing the final preparation for the crossing which is of course the 21st November.

Hope all is well with you and yours love from us both xx

I think Chris might have lost the plot!

First swim of the trip was in Portugal, first snorkel was in Maderia, I am getting used to this way of life!

Technology one Sharon Nil

Well I spent ages bringing you up to date while we were in Madeira, connection difficulties had been overcome and I manage quite a picture gallery! Now here at my next point I see it had not been published and I just hit a key which has deleted the entire section, it did ask if I was sure I wanted to make the changes and I was very confident as I said yes!

Anyway here I go again, good connection, no balancing at the top of the saloon stairs or sitting at the end of the fishing pier, we have all the mod cons in Lanzarote.

To get here we continued a pleasant sail down the coast of Portugal, rounding Cap St Vincent and entering the Algarve, where we had a couple of days in Lagos. Chris had his first 'proper' chandlers since leaving Cork, he is a very happy man! I was feeling quite good with the sailing seem to have beaten the seasickness and life was rosy, then we did the 455 mile trip from Lagos to Porto Santos north of Madeira, the first 16 hours were not good! Found it a bit depressing but dolphins on the trip and the island of Porto Santos and Madeira erased the bad memories! Madeira was quite exceptional, not at all what I thought it would be like, we took a couple of days to be tourists, thank you to Sean for the driving and Eamon for the dancing!

Tuesday 5th October we are moving on to the Canaries a 280 mile journey , we left Maderia late evening so I managed a nights sleep and woke without the dreaded sickness so maybe that is the answer. We arrived at La Graciosa on Thursday 7th October at 22.00 hrs, Canaries here we are!!