The following morning, we waited for a squall to pass before moving into the marina with the assistance of the friendly marina staff. We checked in with Customs and Immigration which was all very straightforward and efficient and parted with €60 a day for marina fees, which reminded us that we were definitely back in Europe. We had to pinch ourselves that we could actually walk ashore to find a bank and supermarket and to have lunch on the front overlooking the marina. What a fantastic feeling! To add to our euphoria, we had a message from Tom to say that he had decided to fly out for a short break and so we booked a hire car for a week.
We spent the next few days catching up with all the washing and generally cleaning up the boat. We collected the hire car and drove around to Camara De Lobos, where Churchill liked to paint. We had a couple of beers just sitting there, people watching, and it was just wonderful to do nothing and be totally lazy. Once we had collected Tom from the airport we decided to drive up in the hills behind Funchal and down to the waterfront at Machico before returning to the marina where we had lunch at a restaurant where we cooked clams and steak on a stone which was absolutely delicious and Tom's treat to us.
After returning Tom to the airport, we decided to go for a drive around the island with its amazing scenery and high mountains. The north of the island was particularly scenic. Before long, it was time to return home for a short visit so on my birthday we caught a flight to Gatwick. We spent a lovely couple of weeks visiting with the children and grandchildren and going to Charlotte Rees’s wedding, before I returned to Madeira to bring Moonbeam home via Lagos, where Sarah would join me.
I left Funchal on the morning of 26th May with a relatively good forecast: a slack pressure gradient for the next three days but with the wind in the North, so it was down to the engine to push me towards Lagos. The first day's run of 158 miles was followed by the second of 163, by which time I had started to see several ships on radar and AIS, and I started to pay much more attention to ensuring that Moonbeam remained safe. By the third day there were ships all over the place, so sleep was in short supply. Nevertheless, even though exhausted, I was rewarded with a remarkable and outstanding sunset with a double green flash. I think that it has only been the fourth occasion throughout our trip.
By 29th May the AIS was tracking ships all over the place but, at last, it appeared that they were following the traffic lanes. After 493 miles I arrived on the waiting pontoon off Lagos and then moved into the marina a little later. It had taken me four days using 560lt of fuel to run the engine for 72 hours. So much for sailing!
Meanwhile Sarah had arrived at the wrong terminal at Heathrow and only just made it to the correct one, to arrive in Faro on 30th May. Tom arrived on the first day of June to spend a few days over his birthday, and we were able to dress ship on 2nd June for my sister’s birthday and in celebration of HM Queen Elizabeth’s 60th Jubilee.
So now it was time to move on, and we left Lagos on the 8th of June having returned our car and stocked up at the supermarket for the trip. Essentially it was an uneventful 456 miles sail northwards, other than the staysail halyard parting and the staysail handed and stowed below. Our arrival in La Corunna followed an exhilarating last 50 miles along the North Coast of Spain with the wind behind us and Moonbeam surfing along at over 9 knots. The sun was out, which always cheers the spirit, and apart from avoiding fishing boats sailing haphazardly all over the place we came round the point at last to see the recognisable approach to the harbour with the tall H building of harbour control. We observed the large new marina, which was fairly empty, and as we knew it was a long walk from the town, we decided to berth in the marina in the main town. We were welcomed by a boat boy who directed us to a pontoon and helped us tie up, and where we collapsed for a 24hour sleep!
After a day off, it was time to celebrate Sarah's birthday on the 13th of June. We were delighted to have telephone calls in the morning from all of the children and Annabel and Gemma were supported by the grandchildren in the background.
We spent the morning trying to thread a mouse so that we could replace the staysail halyard with me going up and down the mast, but to no avail, as something was preventing the mouse to fall far enough down the mast. We gave up and unbent the sail and stowed it below, all in glorious sunshine. A job for another day! We went out to lunch after a glass or two of fizz to La Petite Bretagne brasserie on the front amongst the arches, before having a lazy afternoon.
The following day was overcast, and the forecast was not good, so we spent time wandering around the main square and having tapas in the narrow streets of the old town. Then on the Friday Sarah took a bus into the shopping centre whilst I serviced the engine, which when it was completed revealed a problem with engaging reverse gear. Once again it was necessary to take the gearbox out and strip it. It appeared that movement of the drive shaft due to insufficient shims was preventing the clutch to engage. New shims were inserted on the input shaft, but it was clearly badly damaged with significant swarf evident in the gearbox case. Even after the rebuild in Singapore it was clear that the gearbox needed a new input shaft. However, once it was reassembled, the engine was run, and the gearbox was checked OK, so we agreed a plan to depart next morning.
Sunday dawned overcast with the forecast indicating heavy rain after midday, but we decided that nevertheless, it was time to go. We motored around to the new Marina only to find that the fuel berth was occupied by a yacht with the crew fast asleep. However, the Marina staff were very helpful and woke them up and moved them so we could top up our fuel tank.
It turned out that the Marina had only been open for three years but sadly it looked as though it was going out of business as so few berths were occupied. At last, we were ready and departed at 10:30 into uncomfortable strong north westerly winds in heavy rain. Happily, the sky cleared slowly from the West in the evening and the wind abated so we were able to motor in a much more pleasant sea state. In the morning the sun came out with bright blue skies and a light wind. We discovered 2 seagulls sitting on our Bimini, catching a ride, probably having a rest from the previous bad weather. Twice during the day, we were delighted to have a visit, and be surrounded by dolphins. They are such a beautiful sight!
At midnight I recorded in the log that we were only 230 miles from Dartmouth, but when I stopped the engine to clean the racor and check the engine and gearbox oil, it would not restart as it appeared that the starter motor had failed. As the wind was light and variable, we just drifted for the rest of the night waiting for daylight so that I could take the starter motor apart and find out what was wrong.
Once the sun came up and a light north easterly wind set in, we flew the main whilst I took the starter motor apart. I stripped it down with the exception of the contactor (which of course subsequently turned out to be the problem), however, I was not to know this until much later. So, with no engine as I had been unable to start it by spinning it with a line to the main winch, it seemed sensible to divert to La Rochelle which lay 130nms to the southeast. We knew that La Rochelle was easily accessible, and the marina would be able to assist us if we needed it.
After an uneventful 36-hour sail, we were towed into Les Minimes marina by the Capitainerie, having called them to advise them of our problem. Moonbeam was to stay here for two months.
We flew back from la Rochelle to Stansted and hired a car so that we could celebrate Norlan’s 70th birthday and Marie Macleod’s wedding. We collected our new puppy cocker spaniel, Coco. The Olympics were being held in London and we were lucky enough to get tickets for the rowing at Windsor and volleyball at Horse guards, before I returned to Moonbeam to start fixing the problems.
Poor Moonbeam was showing her age. The inverter was no longer supported by Victron so a new one was ordered. The starter motor had a broken resistor which was revealed when the contactor was removed. Once soldered and repaired the starter motor was fine. The fridge/freezer compressor was found to be seized with no option but to replace it in due course. It would be necessary to rely on the electric bar fridge in the meantime.
So now it was time to complete the voyage. We had determined that Moonbeam’s home port would be La Roche Bernard, where Chrissie and Rory Macleod had settled with their Oyster 485, Barefoot. I set off from La Rochelle at lunchtime on 22nd August on a good forecast and anchored off Les Sables D’Olonne that evening. The following day was once again uneventful, but there was a strong wind warning, so I decided to anchor and shelter north of the estuary of the Vilaine river, where I discovered that the reverse gear was once again u/s.
With a forecast of a south westerly gale the next morning, I ventured into the Vilaine river and picked up a visitor’s mooring off Trehiguer, where I once again dismantled the gearbox. Once the input shaft was re-shimmed the reverse gear was operational, I set off for the lock to gain entry into the river. Once through, it was straight forward to arrive in La Roche Bernard, where I moored up alongside Barefoot.
Moonbeam was home now, set between two buoys in the river.
Our circumnavigation adventure was now complete. What a privilege to have been able to do it. 44500nms over 6 years, in one piece and still married!
The End.