We packed up the van and headed off towards Portugal, stopping en route for a quick coffee and pastry before arriving at the marina in Lagos at just after 11. We called Marco and then went to look around the chandlery and, lo and behold, there was Marco in the chandlery!
We headed off to his boat Away Days and got reacquainted with the layout. We had a quick lunch of cheese and sourdough and then waited for our 2 o’clock slot when the boat would be lifted into the water for the first time in almost 2 years.
Marco and Dave stayed on board while the boat was winched up and subsequently driven very gently across the marina. I, meanwhile, was the chief photographer and managed to capture plenty of stills and video clips of the grand event.
We went for a quick trip to the supermarket just to stock up on the day’s essentials, i.e. beer, mineral water and coca-Cola, plus a few apples just to make a pretence of being healthy.
Once we were back in situ on the boat we restarted the early evening tradition of sitting at the back of the boat with a nice cold beer and some nibbles. We had a stroll around Lagos and then ate in a restaurant very close to the marina which had been recommended to us by John. I had swordfish belly, Dave had fresh tuna and Marco had squid, all washed down with a carafe of white wine.
We all turned in really early since all that fresh air and excitement had worn us out!!! 😃
