We had intended to sail from Lisbon to Sesimbra on Saturday and Sines on Sunday before setting off for Lagos at midnight on Sunday. However after setting, we were enjoying the sailing so much with a gentle beam wind of 6-10 knots in a gentle sea giving us good boat speed, that we decided to sail straight to Lagos. The wind a conditions were also predicted to worsen later in the week and one of the lessons of the trip is carpe et diem. Out came the emergency meal and we pushed on. The nights are getting longer as we go south and the summer moves on, it was dark by 9:45 and did not get light until 6:45 the next morning. Initially we had the moon giving a silvery sea and the the Milky Way to keep us amused during the night. However the highlight were the dolphins. We were generating phosphorescence trails from the stern which are sparkling greenly white trails which are mesmerising. Suddenly streaks of phosphorescence were zooming around the boat as a pod of dolphins played with us for half an hour. It was like multiple torpedoes which go at twice our speed. Eventually the wind died and we motored to Cape St Vincent and the picked up a small breeze to take us East to Lagos. Lagos is a complete shock, all the British tourists and restaurants serving English breakfast and tour boats to the rocks and dolphin spotting!
However the wind and sun are here so we are enjoying ourselves.