Now been in the marina here at Madeira for a few days. Mark Thorpe flew back to UK for an interview and we have effectively been waiting for him to get back (tomorrow). Graham and Tracey have gone off and do stuff for a couple of the days while I have worked on the boat.
Our generator has never worked and there is now a general consensus that the head gasket has blown so I stripped it down and reckon we were right after what I found. Anyway it is now awaiting parts which we have ordered from the UK and which will be sent to the Canaries. Amazing how helpful people are: we spoke to the company back in the UK and they have emailed us out a tech handbook (effectively a free version of the Haynes manual) as well as sorting out the delivery of parts and providing advice.Went into Funchal again and explored a bit last week. It is surrounded by hills with a cable car that takes you up to an old part of town. Looked around the gardens there and old church and then came down on a sledge down the steep roads; apparently the thing to do. Yesterday we took the walk around the cliffs at this end of the island that we had planned a few days ago but which the weather prevented. Pretty dramatic scenery and lovely clear weather.
Mr T arrives back tomorrow. I am off in the morning to the nearest town as they have a whale museum there which is worth a see apparently. Graham is off back to Funchal to get a permit for our next stop: the Salvagem islands which lie between here and the Canaries are
uninhabited and which form a wild and remote bird reserve for which you need permission to visit. Google them for more info.
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