Day 5 on Elinca! Refreshed after our brief stopover in La Coruna we set off for some champagne* sailing off the Spanish coast and hoisted our brand new Kukri cruising chute. After a top bit of grub we enjoyed a good old sing-song round the hypothetical camp fire (cockpit locker), with Jonny strumming away on the ship’s guitar, as the sun set out to sea (1 owl, 13 pussycats, and a 67ft pea-green boat). Night watch brought a stiff breeze and an exciting bit of sailing; Elinca pulling a solid 10 knots upwind, creaming through the Atlantic swell.
Cape Finisterre loomed as morning broke, marking the end of the UK shipping forecast areas, as we plunged deeper toward the Portuguese coast.
Shamefully we must admit that none of us know where the Spanish Armada left from – answers on a digital postcard please!
AK and the crew
*for ‘champagne’ read perfect winds, sunshine, and a relatively flat sea – not the drinking part
adventure2013 
It left from Lisbon.
May 19th 1588 from Lisbon and reached English shores late July because of storms. Hope the storms stay away for Elinca and all of you.
Glad to hear the journey is progressing well.
Ref the Spanish Armada
(With thanks to Royal Greenwich Museums for data)
Around 138 ships (with approx. 25,000 men ) ships left Lisbon in late May 1588 – but bad weather forced them to scatter and they took refuge at Carunna for repair in late June. They left for the channel on the 22nd July.
Sighted on the 29th, of the Lizard, first engagement with the English fleet did not take place till the 31st off Plymouth. Over the following week, and more, the fleet was engaged at a variety of levels (including attack by Fire Ships on the 7th and a major battle at Gravelines (north of Calais) on the 8th. The fleet was pursued up the North Sea till they reached the Firth of Forth on the 12th – at which point the English ships abandoned the chase – themselves being short of munitions and other provisions.
The return journey was worse for those that survived – they had to go up the North Sea, around Scotland/Orkneys and back out into the Atlantic and around Ireland – severed storms resulted in around 19 ships being lost on the shores of Scotland and Ireland ( and survivors not coming off too well if the got ashore). The fleet arrived back in Spain in September 1588 – with only 67 of the original ships remaining and with the loss of more than 11,000 sailors and soldiers. The Spanish was continued till 1604 but the threat of invasion had been averted.
Good luck for the rest of the Voyage
Dennis (Jonny’s Dad)
sorry “the Spanish War continued”
Mostly from Lisbon – some from Cadiz. 425 years and 4 months ago you’d probably be sailing through them right now.
I knew that history degree would prove useful one day – its only taken 40 years for the right question to come up.
John
Well I can’t compete with that! This is really to wish James a belated happy birthday, and the best year yet. All sounding pretty good and I am now wired into the blog on a daily basis. Enjoy the Pasteis (custard cakes) in Portugal…you prob know them anyway, but worth seeking them out.
Fanny
For Jonathan – at his request – the Lyrics of Starman
(Where shown … extend the phrasing)
Goodbye love
Didn’t know what time it was the lights were low …
I leaned back on my radio…
Some cat was layin down some rock n roll lotta soul, he said
Then the loud sound did seem to fade…
Came back like a slow voice on a wave of phase…
That weren’t no D.J. that was hazy cosmic jive
(Chorus)
There’s a Starman waiting in the sky
He’d like to come and meet us
But he thinks he’d blow our minds
There’s a Starman waiting in the sky
He’s told us not to blow it
Cause he knows it’s all worthwhile
He told me:
Let the children lose it
Let the children use it
Let all the children boogie
I had to phone someone so I picked on you…
Hey, that’s far out so you heard him too…
Switch on the tv we may pick him up on channel two
Look out your window I can see his light…
If we can sparkle he may land tonight…
Don’t tell your poppa or hell get us locked up in fright
(Chorus 2x)
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la (12 x)
Though those of a more mature age might like…
Sloop John B
We come on the Sloop John B
My grandfather and me
Around nassau town we did roam
Drinking all night
Got into a fight
Well I feel so broke up
I want to go home
So hoist up the John B’s sail
See how the mainsail sets
Call for the captain ashore
Let me go home, let me go home
I wanna go home, yeah yeah
Well I feel so broke up
I wanna go home
The first mate he got drunk
And broke in the cap’ns trunk
The constable had to come and take him away
Sheriff John Stone
Why don’t you leave me alone, yeah yeah
Well I feel so broke up I wanna go home
So hoist up the John-B’s sail
See how the mainsail sets
Call for the captain ashore
Let me go home, let me go home
I wanna go home, let me go home
Why don’t you let me go home
(hoist up the John-B’s sail)
Hoist up the John-B
I feel so broke up I wanna go home
Let me go home
The poor cook he caught the fits
And threw away all my grits
And then he took and he ate up all of my corn
Let me go home
Why don’t they let me go home
This is the worst trip I’ve ever been on
So hoist up the John-B’s sail
See how the mainsail sets
Call for the captain ashore
Let me go home, let me go home
I wanna go home, let me go home
Why don’t you let me go home
Cheers and enjoy the sing-song…
Of course that last verse should say “this is the best trip”…