We safely tied up around 09:15 am 22nd October - one hour after sunrise. The last 9 hours found us trying to dodge storm cells, with strong winds invisibly shifting and driving Angel Louise in acceleration with mighty gusts on her head sail at times. The worst squalls happened sometime between 01.00 and 02.00 as we were off Porto Santo - inside of the 20 mile radar and vision of the lights and loom of Porto Santo.

Black dark 5 foot seas from behind the beam off the left rear corner without anything in water visible except our snow white wake next to the boat, and whitish spray blown (or more accurately shot) parallel with the wind at 90 degree angles off the bow was illuminated for seconds by the bright green reflection off our 3-mile LED Hella Nav lights as the spray shot off with the wind to the right.

BUT YOU AND WE ARE ALL NOW SAFELY HERE ON THE NORTH EAST ROCKY SHORE OF A RESORT MARINA ON MADEIRA.

ANGEL LOUISE PERFORMED WELL
We were severely thrown off balance from time to time as Angel Louise ably dealt with all that was thrown at her between 01.00 and 04:45. Wind seemed to usually be blowing below white-capping speeds around 12 to 14 knots except when wildly accelerating and accelerating again and again, the dropping and shifting. The highest gusts we saw, when not handling urgent tasks of navigating and managing sails, were 38 knots. But they likely got higher as it later sounded much higher when we damaged our headsail.

I ONCE SAID I'M NOT SMART ENOUGH TO OWN A BOAT
A lot of times that is accurate. At least I feel that way when I hurt Angel Louise. So it was again! One sail damaged. Sue thinks it was between 02.00 & 03.00 that we had one of the worst of blows. We were dodging, sometimes less successfully - various cells by using radar to highlight them and attempting to steer around and between the brilliantly colored splotches on the screen. It had been working well in the early morning hours and though challenging was also exciting as we had our large genoa all out and overlaying the smaller jib beneath it working quite well (both on the front groves of the headsail furler). The winds were well harnessed and accelerated Angel Louise faster with the noisy gusts as we would handle one isolated cell after another. Sue was later steering admirably between them while I handled sail trim. But then newly revealed or developing cells materialized and we were in the thick of it.

THE MAINSAIL SHEET LET LOOSE.
We had put on new sheets, but while I was temporarily over at the left command station overlooking Sue at the chart-plotter in attempting to interpret echos - WHAM & Loudness... The right side of the boat got our attention as the back of the headsail thrashed wildly. The fully loaded Genoa Sheet had come loose. Now it was going crazy as Murphy's Law Took Effect. (MURPHY's LAW: THE WORSE YOU FEAR WILL HAPPEN - and a corollary to it is: IT WILL HAPPEN AT THE WORSE POSSIBLE TIME ... still another observation - and my favorite is: MURPHY IS AN OPTIMIST!)

DAMAGE WHILE GETTING CONTROL BACK
Sue steered and I attacked the now tangled mess of thrashing lines. I found the furler line - got it around the huge power Harkin windless and stepped on the electric power button. Slowly the headsail furler was turning and slowly starting to roll up the two thrashing sails as Sue eventually turned and we made way toward the wind with full power from the two 39 hp Yanmar diesels as we later progressed...

BUT SOMETHING WAS WRONG IN THE DARK AND WIND.
The line to the furler was getting impossibly tight and sail was not moving onto the roller furler. I yelled over the roar of the stormy wind, "is the line on your side free?" Sue said it was free. I did not know she was just talking about the little bit back by the helm. I ground further and clearly something was tearing. It - the port side sheet line - the lazy line at the time - was NOT free. Sue yelled stop simultaneous with my observation and stopping and observing the line being held taught and wind and pressure tearing it. We continued on for minutes and I made my way forward out of the left side of the cockpit. I found that four feet in front of the left helm, where the sheet had gone through a snatch block that the block had turned and caught a loop of the line and held it fast. After clearing the snag it ran without problem, and in the continuing scream of wind and flapping I made my way back to the winch and finished rolling in the furler till all was rolled up where it sits as I write you.

ITS ALWAYS THE SECOND MISTAKE AFTER THE FIRST THAT DOOMS YOU
I have found from reading aircraft accidents that it is never the first mistake that caused the problem. It's the mistake you make when you incorrectly respond to the first error that causes you damage. So it is with boats too. You can recover but the forces of nature are unforgiving of additional neglect or improper action.

SO NOW WE HAVE A SAIL TO GET REPAIRED
We have a sailmaker coming aboard Thursday evening. Right now, as the sun has risen at 08:20am we are going to the front deck to take the sails off the furler and survey it.

Thanks to Norm Kulow for keeping us out of bad weather. He sent me a picture in port of some of the last of the weather he helped us stay out of the worst of.

We slept for 12 hours last night.

Have a wonderful day. More later after we continue fixing stuff and restoring order! Got the sail down. It could have been worse. We will be here 30 days!!

Ed and Sue, on Angel Louise, lying Marina Quinta do Lorde, Madeira