Coruna to Porto Santo - Break on Through

"Mañana" rarely means "tomorrow". The most accurate translation seems to be "not today". So in the second week of the engine installation, we gave up trying to predict our departure date, but agreed to be ready to leave as soon as the work was done.
And so it was that we slipped lines on Friday, the 3rd of October. Leaving the new engine turned off, we sailed out of the marina and continued in light winds past the waterfront we had had so much time to explore. A NWly flow promised headwinds from Coruna to Finisterre, but fast sailing South after rounding the north-western corner of Spain. By early Saturday, we headed a few miles offshore, found the sudden right wind shift where the flow diverges around the mountainous mainland, tacked South, and by evening we were reaching along the rhumb line at 6-7 knots with a building breeze behind us.

Weather forecasts offshore

Aurigas SSB receiver - with space
 for a smartphone on top

Our recent passage from La Coruna to Porto Santo took just over a week. Even the best pre-departure weather forecasts can hardly be relied upon over this time period. Receiving weather information at sea allows us to re-evaluate our route planning, ensuring a fast and safe passage.
But what are the options? Mobile networks only help within a few miles from civilization. The forecasts received using our VHF radio can only be heard up to 40 nautical miles from the shore. After that, additional, and, typically, expensive equipment is needed: either a satellite phone (or modem), or a long-wave radio receiver. The choice is bewildering. Moreover, one has to consider whether one is content with text-only forecasts (like the shipping forecast), or looking for more detailed wind weather maps (like the Metoffice pressure charts or Passageweather wind maps).

For Auriga, we where looking (as usual) for a reliable, redundant, power-efficient and affordable system.