Cruising the Canaries

Sailing around the Canary islands has been amazing. After the 44℃ in the Med the 25℃ here is just in the goldilocks zone. It is sunny, the wind is great for sailing and the skies are pretty dark so the stars are good. I see why people come here in the winter. Even the sea is bearable for us nesh sailors.

After arriving in La Grasiosa, Lanzarote we had a few days exploring the local town and meeting our friends on the beach at sunset. The town had sandy roads and reminded the cook of Luke Skywalker's home.

One of the days was a wee bit windy and I stupidly suggested to the cook that I would drive him to Tatooine in the dinghy to save a 40 minute walk. Anyway I got soaked and he stepped off bone dry for some reason.

The cook and his mother made the best fish, chips and mushy peas I have ever eaten using some of the Mahi mahi I caught. Homemade vodka batter and mushy peas. It doesn't get any batter than this. 

We didn't want to leave La Grasiosa, such a peaceful place, but we had to drop the cook off in Lanzarote to get his flight home. So we headed off to the Marina Rubicon on the south of Lanzarote. On the way I caught a skipjack tuna, 39cm long, enough for a meal for 3 and a bit of ceviche.

Marina Rubicon, Lanzarote, is a massive marina with some enormous sailing boats. The staff are amazingly friendly and helpful and the sailor's bar do an amazing cheeseburger. It is integrated into Playa Blanca holiday resort. Very clean and tidy and quite beautiful when you get used to the lack of grass with the black lava and cacti.

We stayed 3 nights, cleaned the boat, washed some clothes, filled up the water and fuel. €1.17 a litre, cheapest diesel so far. Went out for a meal or two with the cook.

Left the marina to sit at anchor for 4 nights while Mandy worked, very pleasant except once an hour between 6am and 8pm a large ferry flew past and we had 30 seconds of major rollyness and have to hold on to anything loose. The fruit definitely fell off the table. Bearable though. 

The black hills looked like Mars at sunset. We went on a wine tour, with our fellow sailors, of 3 Lanzarotean bodegas. So complicated a process due to the lack of water, excessive wind and lava soil but still very pleasant and interesting. They've been doing it since the 15th century. The vines are kept in holes behind circular walls and don't exactly look like the vinyards of Provence. We bought a few bottles for Christmas. 

Great sunset up in the mountains to round off our trip. The night was finished off with a delicious English curry. Chicken Madras - Brits on holiday eh?

Our next stop was Puerto del Rosario, Fuerteventura, the next island along the chain. The capital of Fuertaventura, a large port that was deserted when we arrived but had 2 cruise liners, a passenger ferry and a cargo ship parked up when we woke up in the morning. I'd planned to see my Cousins but we also managed to see other friends as well. We got the bus to Correlejo in the north of the island, to see Russ and Leslie in their posh hotel. A very pleasant day by the pool and a good meal followed by a few cocktails and the usual lively conversation.

Back to Puerto del Rosario and the next day had a visit from Pricey & Gaynor. Great to see them. I didn't get a photo :-(  The next day my cousins paid us a visit as well. Gill, Angela and her husband Sam. I'd promised Gill we'd meet in Fuertaventura 2 years ago and managed to keep my promise. Sam may look miserable in the photo but he really was smiling inside. :-)

Early start the next morning. Sunrise start from Puerto Del Rosario heading 50 miles to Costa Calma at the bottom of the island drop the anchor for the night then nip across the 50 miles to Gran Canaria the next day.

Anchor up at dawn. Lovely, peaceful anchorage, no one else around. 

Some great views of the resort, mountains and moon setting. 

As we got moving I started taking pictures of the sunrise with my telephoto lens and incredibly I saw a green flash. Finally after 50 years of astronomy I see it. BUT......... Was it a lens flare or an optical illusion? Could've been. All I know is I defo saw a green flash. It was so quick I missed pressing the shutter it by about a millisecond. I know it doesn't count unless at least 2 people saw it but at least it will make us continue to look out for it every sunrise and sunset.

The weather did exactly as predicted, we motored for an hour then the wind arrived and we had an amazing sail with 20-25 knots of wind gusting to 30. A close reach and the sea was a little bumpy but wow, great sail.

We arrived in Las Palmas in the dark at 9pm. The busiest port we've ever been to. 150 other boats on AIS and they were the ones with their nav gear switched on. 

The marina was full of the ARC boats, due to leave in a few days. The anchorage outside was also pretty full. We dropped the anchor 5 times before we were happy with our position. A long day, 18 hours, finished off with a G&T watching the cruise liners rumble out of the port.

Mandy had to work for 3 days before going back to the uk. Terry and Sue came to say hello. Terry took this great clip from his boat of us leaving Pwthelli a year and a half ago. 

We were dying to see them as they where the last people we saw when we left the uk. They came to the boat on anchor, we had a chat and a few drinks then went ashore for a delicious meal. A great evening catching up.

Met them again the next night ashore for a few drinks. Lot's of engineering talk and great advice from Terry about my engine, generator and many other boat systems. He knows his stuff. 

Lots going on with the arc, quite an atmosphere.

Mandy went to the UK for 10 days, lots of things to do before our Atlantic crossing. Thanks for the fishing reel Russ. She left me on anchor in Las Palmas, a very busy port, all types of boats and ships coming and going. I could watch the boats all day long but I had jobs as well.

Day 1 - Bleed hydraulic steering

Day 2 - Re configure solar panels to get more power.

Day 3 - Full generator service.  Change oil, replace filters, replace impeller.

Day 4 - Replace leaking water pump seal on generator.

Day 5 - Jump in water and clean sugar scoop scum line.

Day 6 - Fit extra cooling fans on fridges.

Day 7 - Python programming to get AIS info.

Day 8 - Configure raspberry Pi as 12v wireless network.

Day 9 - Make water, go shopping and clean boat ready for Lady Amanda's return.

Next stop Tenerife to stock up with food, enjoy our second Christmas on the boat and wait for Nikki and Richie to arrive so we can head to Barbados.