The Canaries – HandsOnDeck

Gran Canaria – Friends, family and gas bottles

We were headed to Gran Canaria for two reasons only. We are members of the Ocean Cruising Club (OCC) – an excellent organisation for long distance sailors which gives us access to training, support and friendship around the world. In fact, it was through OCC we had met Ruffian as well as many other wonderful people as we add miles to our journey.

OCC have Port Officers located in popular cruising destinations around the world. The Port Officers are volunteers who are usually experienced sailors and share a passion for meeting like-minded people. Agustin is the Port Officer, based in Pasito Blanco on the south coast of Gran Canaria. He had invited all visiting OCC members to a BBQ at his home at the end of October. In addition to attending the party, my sister, Bea and brother-in-law, Andy, were joining a friend’s boat in early November to sail across the Atlantic with them, so were flying into Las Palmas, the capital of Gran Canaria, a few days after the BBQ. We looked forward to both events with equal excitement!

We had a great sail in 15-20knot winds and, for once, proved to Ruffian that Cerulean has pace when the conditions are right. Two boats on the water at the same time is a race after-all and so far Ruffian was beating us hands down! With perfect conditions for us, we sped away from Tenerife, putting a reef in the main just before the acceleration zone caused the winds to increase by another 5-10knots and then fade to nothing as we came close to the land in the SW of the island. We spent the first night in a quiet, anchorage before heading further east towards the more touristy bays of the island.

Iain led us on, what had become, a regular adventurous morning walk, usually involving climbing steep hills, finding hidden pathways with the promise of spectacular views at the end. We had fun discovering new places, meeting interesting people along the way and generally getting hot and sweaty as the late morning sun beat down on us! It was nearly November and yet the daytime temperatures were still in the mid to high 20’s and we had seen no rain since arriving in Porto Santo six weeks earlier.

Anchorages and marinas were getting very busy with boats preparing to leave to cross the Atlantic as boats from all over Europe converged on the small island. The annual Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) was leaving from Las Palmas, the island’s Capital in the north, with the first fleet of over 70 boats due to leave in less than a week, so Gran Canaria was becoming the main hub for transiting yachts from around the world. Considering all this, we were surprised we managed to find space in the small, friendly and lovely marina at Puerto De Mogan for a few nights. As we waited to get clearance to enter the marina we practiced reversing in the bay outside the entrance as Ruffian alerted us that we would need to use Mediterranean mooring – a first for us. This involves reversing into a tight space between two boats, fixing two mooring lines from the stern (back of boat) and picking up two lines at the bow (front). Cerulean does not reverse well, particularly if a gust of wind catches her, and I had avoided reversing into tight spots but now had no choice. The reversing practice went well with Cerulean, and me, responding well to the test course Steve instructed us to follow! By the time we entered the marina I was feeling quite confident and luckily we had been allocated a space with plenty of room for us to swing around and approach the berth straight on in reverse. We had executed our first Med Mooring and nailed it!

We hired a car for a day and this time, with me driving, the fearless foursome set off to explore our third island together. It did not take long until we were out of the built up tourist destinations and back in the hills, to discover the beauty of the inner part of the island. It seems that all the islands we have explored so far, have an unspoilt inner landscape which is very different to the towns on the edges of the island. Gran Canaria is no different with roads that twist around high mountains and sheer drops on the other side. With me driving I had a very different experience this time, not wanting to drag my eyes away from the narrow roads as my happy passengers exclaimed wonder and joy at the vistas they were able to view as I negotiated buses, tight corners and other hire cars while driving a manual on the right side of the road! Having said all that, it was still a wonderful day. We went from sand dunes in the south east to the high rocky hills of the central north, visiting mountain villages and walking through beautiful terrain.

On the way back to the boat we stopped at a large supermarket and loaded up the car with as much food and supplies as we could fit, before Fi and I returned for a second shop after dropping off the boys. We bought enough tins and non-perishable items to fill almost every storage space in the boat, stowed everything carefully and felt confident we now had sufficient stocks to last us until the end of January.

Agustin, the local OCC Port Officer, is a wonderful, helpful, patient and generous man. He recently retired from a long career in the airline industry and is now preparing his boat to fulfil a dream to sail to Tonga. Agustin had offered to help us try to refill the gas bottles we had failed to fill in Lanzarote and collected us early one morning to drive us to a gas depot close to Las Palmas. The facility was only open to the public between 9 – 11am and the drive was 40 minutes so we woke early to make sure we did not keep Agustin waiting. On arriving at the facility we had our gas bottles taken from us and placed outside a portacabin while we were told to wait. We waited and waited. In fact we waited for over an hour without the bottles being collected or anyone taking any notice of them or us. Eventually a big truck arrived and loaded our two empty bottles into the cage at the back before disappearing round the corner for about 30 minutes. When he returned he handed us the gas bottles and explained through Agustin that he couldn’t fill them as they were all out of date. It appears that when we last swapped our empty bottles for full ones in the UK we were given bottles that had not been tested for over 10 years and this was the reason we were unable to get them refilled in Spain. Feeling disheartened, frustrated and embarrassed that Agustin had just wasted half a day driving us around for nothing, we returned to the boat.

A few days later we met up with Agustin again, this time at his lovely home overlooking the marina at Pasito Blanco when he and his wife hosted a great afternoon BBQ for OCC members. There were about 40 of us who gathered and we spent a wonderful afternoon talking, getting to know each other, hearing fascinating stories and learning of plans and past adventures. It was a very special afternoon in the company of inspirational, well travelled and interesting people.

We decided to stay for a few more days in Pasito Blanco, welcoming the arrival of Take Five, the boat my sister, Bea and Andy were joining in a few days. We farewelled Iain and Fi on Ruffian as they headed off to the lava flow of La Palma while we socialised with some of the other boats in the bay and waited for Bea and Andy to arrive.

The anchorage became a little rolly, so we moved further west to the most protected anchorage on the island at Anfi Del Mar. Surrounded by big swanky hotels and sandy beaches, we were able to continue preparing the boat for the next passage and explore nearby Puerto De Arguineguin which had a surprisingly excellent hardware store which came in very handy when one of our toilets needed repairing!

Bea and Andy arrived and we joined them on board Take Five for dinner to celebrate. It was fantastic to be with family again and we enjoyed spending time with them, Suzi, Emmanuel, Michael and Candice on board their beautiful 59ft Beneteau, complete with piano in the main saloon! The evening was over far too quickly but, with strong winds forecast, we were keen to make an early start to leave Gran Canaria and head towards our next island. We had managed to secure a marina berth in a popular harbour and did not want to risk losing it as we had spoken to a number of other sailors who said they had been trying to get a berth but with no success. I was ready to leave Gran Canaria for the next adventure, but saying goodbye to Bea and Andy was much harder although there was a chance they may join us at the next island if all went well.

Tenerife – The power of beauty

We left Lanzarote with a forecast of 15-20 knot winds and hoisted the sails with one reef in the main, even though the winds were well within our range to have full sails up. Each of the islands has a well documented acceleration zone where the winds can increase by up to 15knots, so can make a pleasant sail very uncomfortable, very quickly! We always try to take the cautious route and Cerulean still goes well with shortened sails.

As we made our way south and out of the shadow of the land, the wind increased during the afternoon and we steamed along at 7-8 knots with Hilda, the hydrovane, doing a fantastic job, keeping us on course and moving nicely with both jibs out. The night passed quickly with excellent sailing under clear skies and a bright moon lighting the seas around us. At 4am the wind had dropped and we slowed down to below 5knots of speed, so the reef was shaken out and we continued at a comfortable rate. As we approached the shipping lanes at the top the north east corner of Tenerife, traffic increased but we easily slipped through a hole between two large cargo ships, calling one on the VHF radio to let him know our intentions. We were amazed to see the huge amount of light pollution from Gran Canaria when we passed to the north of the island, which glowed from miles away. As the sun came up we were close to land and enjoyed a lovely sail hugging the coastline as we watched the landscape and terrain on Tenerife unfold infront of us.

Tenerife is shaped like a triangle and is the largest island in the Canaries with a population just short of 1 million. Santa Cruz is the island capital, as well as the shared capital of The Canaries, and the large city could be seen from far away. One of its claims to fame is being the location where Nelson lost his arm during a failed attempt to take the city by storm in 1792.

The entrance to the harbour and marina is marked by a striking modern entertainment complex, Auditorio de Tenerife which some say resembles the Sydney Opera House – it is white, with a curved roof and has an acoustic auditorium but, in my humble opinion, this is where the similarities stop!

As we approached the entrance we radioed the harbourmaster on ch12 and requested permission to pass through the port to the marina. They answered immediately and allowed us to proceed while we attempted to radio the marina on ch09. After numerous failed attempts to get a response, we entered the marina and waited along with a French boat, not knowing where we had been allocated a berth or what side to put the fenders and mooring lines. Eventually we saw two men waving, directing us to a very narrow berth next to a large and expensive looking yacht with the owner on board. By this time it was about 2pm and the afternoon breeze had kicked in, producing strong gusts that were 90 degrees to the direction of the berth. I started to steer down the channel leading to our allocated spot an, the owner of the boat we were to be moored next to, looking on with more than a casual interest. As we started to turn into the berth a strong gust of wind hit us and caught the back of the boat, pushing us past the berth and in danger of pinning us up against other boats, so I decided to bail. With much confusion and more handwaving from the marineros (marina boat handlers), I ignored all the shouting and reversed out of the channel, back into the safety of the large entrance, insisting they find us an alternative berth with more room. Fortunately they did and we happily settled into it feeling satisfied with our decision, particularly when we discovered later that several other boats had refused the first berth offered them too as the space was too narrow for their boat and they were silently applauding as they watched us reverse out and demand another place!

While in Graciosa we had received a phone call from the people we had bought the batteries from. The price of the batteries included free delivery anywhere in the Canaries and they had agreed to deliver them to the marina, which was only about 30 minutes drive from their office, so a good deal for them! I had insisted that we needed them on Monday, when we arrived in the marina, as Iain from Ruffian had kindly agreed to help remove and fit the new ones on Tuesday and we had arranged to hire a car with Ruffian on Wednesday so we could tour the island. During the phone conversation a few days prior, it transpired that Tuesday was a public holiday and the delivery driver informed me he was taking Monday and Tuesday off, so asked whether they could deliver on Wednesday instead. After a lot of confusion that involved us accosting a waiter to ask for help translating, it was agreed the batteries would be delivered on Sunday, or at least that’s what I understood. We arrived at the marina on Monday, fully expecting the batteries to be waiting for us. No sign of them. The very helpful team in the marina office rang the battery company who informed us they would be delivered on Wednesday. I was not happy and insisted they deliver them now or tomorrow morning, as agreed. After a lot of discussion they agreed to deliver them on Tuesday and we left the office, not 100% confident with the outcome!

Steve set to work removing the old batteries – not an easy task as they were squeezed into the most inaccessible places and each battery weighed 65kg. It was hot, heavy, slow and frustrating work and Steve worked tirelessly. On Tuesday, much to our relief and (if I’m honest) surprise, the batteries arrived as promised and were heaved onto the boat, one by one. Iain from Ruffian, came and worked with Steve lifting the old batteries out of the boat and the new ones in while Fi and I went in search of groceries and other essential supplies. While searching for a pressure cooker in a large department store, we had a giggle when we noticed the big store directory at the entrance listing what was on each floor of this enormous shop (see photo).

The next day, with the battery installation complete, Fi and Iain travelled to the airport to collect the car we had hired for two days, while Steve and I headed to a medical centre to have our yellow fever and tetanus jabs in preparation for our planned sail to Gambia. With perfect timing, we met Iain and Fi outside the doctors after being jabbed and headed to the hills. Iain had prepared a full list of POI’s (points of interest) and we had added a few places we were keen to visit too. Off we went, full of excitement and merriment, glad to be sharing a car and adventures with team Ruffian again.

First we drove to Mount Teide, the highest point in Spain and in the Atlantic islands, at 3,715m. We negotiate crazy windy roads with shear drops on one side as deep green valleys unfolded in front of us, the roads taking us through low cloud. The views were spectacular as the road meandered around steep hills with jaw-dropping lush cliffs plummeting to wide valleys and deep gorges.

Over the two days we explored the whole of the island, watching the sunrise at two stunning locations one involving a long walk up a steep, rocky path which Steve negotiated in his trusty jandels again, enjoying a picnic breakfast as we watched the sun rise over the sea.

A real highlight for me was, not only stunning vistas from the many miradors (viewing points) but spending a wonderful afternoon exploring the old capital, La Laguna. The old town is where the islands university is located and is made up of beautiful 15^th century churches, monasteries and houses lining cobbled streets and I loved wandering the lanes discovering buildings and squares with old Dragon trees growing. Dragon trees are a symbol of Tenerife and are recognisable by their large trunk which divides into numerous branches that twist skywards with spiky evergreen foliage at the top of the tree. Sometimes, as I wander around towns, I wonder what it would be like to spend six months living there and immersing myself in the culture. This was a place I love to call home for a while – rent an old house, regularly visit a local cafe, play dominos in one of the squares, visit the local bakers each morning and talk to the locals, dreaming of life on a sailboat!! It had character, history, was not too touristy and was in a beautiful location, surrounded on three sides by high mountains.

It was another memorable, full and fun road trip of discovery with team Ruffian. Iain masterly negotiated the twisty, narrow steep roads and we loved being part of a shared adventure with them again, discovering another truly beautiful island.

After five days in the marina, stocked up with fresh fruit and vegetable from the fabulous Mercado de Nuestra Senora de Africa (mercado = market) we said farewell to new friends (Peter Lawless on Waxwing – Irish single handed sailor – who donated us a wedge of excellent Irish cheese and butter – and Robin on Zilveren Maan, who sympathised with Steve for having such a loud, talkative partner!) and headed to an anchorage in the north of the island called Bahia de Anteguera. It was a lovely anchorage protected by high cliffs and clear waters which we immediately dived into to clean the bottom of Cerulean again. In fact she was surprisingly clean, and the water was surprisingly warm so we enjoyed cooling off from the 27 degree heat in the beautiful surround. We had anchored behind another NZ boat called Tokomaru Bay and we went over to meet the owner, Hamish, a single handed sailor who was retracing his great grandfather’s journey to NZ in the late 1800’s, written about in a journal he had found. His 65ft yacht was stunning with sleek lines and spacious accommodation which will be quite different to the boat his ancestor sailed!

Our intention had been to sail to the other side of the island but on checking the weather forecast, we made a quick change in plans and altered course to Gran Canaria, the third largest of the Canary Islands and where we had been invited to a party with other long distance sailors as well as meet my sister who was flying out to join another boat to cross the Atlantic. It was a 46NM sail to the protected south of the island and with Ruffian nipping at our heels, it was time to see whether Cerulean could out pace them for a change, in conditions that were perfect for us! We were sad to leave Tenerife, where I could have happily spent another few weeks exploring. We loved the distinct characters of the island – the old cities on the east side, the rugged, mountains and valleys in the centre, dramatic cliffs to the south and lush fruit growing areas in the west. To us, Tenerife had it all and we left with great memories of a special time exploring.

Lanzarote – black, white and everything inbetween

In the mid 1960’s an artist named Cesar Manrique foresaw the damage tourism could cause to his beloved island home. His influence on the architect is still apparent with low level, white buildings dominating the black landscape, creating a dramatic, beautiful and very unusual environment.

Our days exploring Madeira will remain a vivid and unexpectantly wonderful memory but the wind gods were talking and we had to listen! Madeira quickly disappeared from sight as we made our way south east and we were once again alone in the ocean with our buddy boat, Andrew and Traci on Walkabout, for company, visible on AIS and a comforting masthead light in the distance at night. Walkabout is a bigger, newer, lighter and faster boat than us so, with winds of between 10 – 15knots they were soon eight miles ahead as we ploughed through the building seas that they seemed to glide over! As night fell, we reefed the main and prepared for the forecast increased winds. Cerulean came alive as the winds increased to 20knots and we made great speed, shortening the distance between us and Walkabout. The wind was coming on our side, which is the perfect point of sail for us but the hydrovane was struggling to keep us on course. Normally it would not be a problem to let her wander off a little but if we didn’t adjust we would have been too far north of Lanzarote, so we decided to hand steer for most of the passage.

When I woke to take the watch at 3am, Steve had put another reef in the main as our speed hit over 10knots. I was so proud of him, doing it on his own and keeping the boat safe and on course. He has learned so much and is getting more confident in his decision-making and abilities. We had calculated our passage speed at an average of 6knots, which is why we left at 11am the day before, to ensure we would not arrive in the dark. Our average speed was over 7knots on this passage and we broke a new 24hour personal record, covering 157 nautical miles in 24hrs. We approached the southern side of Lanzarote with Walkabout beside us. They had completed most of the passage on jib only as the winds increased and with the knowledge that winds can accelerate considerably close to Lanzarote, we took the main sail down and proceeded under a reefed staysail only and we were still making over 5knots of speed! It was with relief and a small sigh of satisfaction, that we anchored at Playa Blanco, outside Rubicon Marina on the south side of Lanzarote which is protected from the Atlantic swell. We slept for a few hours before moving into the marina where we had booked a berth for a few nights – our first stay in a marina for over 90 days.

We soon settled into the relaxed and sociable environment at the marina which was full of boats from all over the world, most of whom where heading across The Atlantic. We were all drawn together by a common dream of sailing across oceans, and we shared the trait that we had all taken risks and were open to new adventures. Friendships between cruisers are made quickly and are either fleeting or last a lifetime. We met some lovely people and shared drinks, food and time with a number of wonderful folk that we certainly hope will not be fleeting acquaintances with the intent to see them again in another part of the World.

On board, we have four 220AH “service” batteries that are separate from our engine starter batteries. The Service batteries provide power for our electronics, lights, electric sockets and other equipment. Our solar panels charge up the batteries during the daytime, but we need to monitor how much we use and how well the panels are performing to make sure the batteries are fully charged each day to remain healthy. We had noticed a significant change in how our batteries were performing and we were having problems getting them to fully charge each day. As we had been monitoring them carefully, we saw there was a potential problem so while in the marina on shore power we were able to run some tests and establish what, if anything, we could do to rectify the issue. We discovered that one of our batteries had died and, in normal circumstances the obvious solution would be to just replace the dead battery. However, this is a boat and, because it is considered very bad practice to have batteries of different ages and also because we are a 24V boat so have two 12V batteries linked together, we decided we should bite the bullet and replace all four batteries. The other problem was the only place that could source the batteries we wanted was in Tenerife so we arranged for the batteries to be delivered to a marina in Santa Cruz (the capital of Tenerife) and booked a space in the marina.

Our second mission was to fill our butane gas bottles as we were getting very low on gas, which we use for cooking. We learned of a place in Arrecife, about 40km north, which filled bottles and, as there were no cars available, hired a motorbike for a few days. We knew the gas refill place closed early so we were not able to get there in time, but decided to head towards Arrecife and check out some other possible suppliers. We must have looked a funny sight, two 6ft foreigners on a 125CC motorbike, knees almost on our chests, going full throttle in second gear up the steep hills and still only making 30KPH! Once out of the marina the full barren landscape of the island became visible as we rode through the most incredible moonscape environment. Black earth had been planted with vines which were dug into a hole and half surrounded by a wall made from volcanic rocks to protect them from the prevailing, drying winds. Often, as far as you could see, there were fields of these vines, the landscape only broken by a white single storey building with an orange roof. Where vines didn’t grow, cactus did and huge specimens were on show beside the road. I was transfixed by the landscape. It was hard to comprehend what we were looking at sometimes as it was such a foreign sight.

Cesar Manrique was a celebrated local artist who also studied architecture in the 1960’s and his influence on the island is still very apparent today. Wanting to preserve the unique nature of the island, he somehow managed to convince the local council to write a condition in their planning regulations to encourage sustainable development and this is still recognised today with the lack of high-rise hotels and all buildings painted white. Set against the black soil, villages nestled in valleys make an impressive landscape of contrast with the volcanic hills and black terrain as a backdrop.

We arrived in Arrecife, the capital of Lanzarote, and managed to exchange one of our small empty campingaz cylinders for a full one. At least we now had enough gas for another month. As we could only carry one cylinder on the motorbike, we felt relieved we had fulfilled this part of our challenge. We headed back to the motorbike to find we had a flat tyre which may have explained the slightly wobbly journey there!

Next day, armed with a new motorbike, we returned to Arrecife, this time with two of our larger empty butane gas bottles (one on my back and one in the storage box), hoping to get them filled at a gas distribution unit we had been told was the only place on the island, and one of only two places in The Canaries, that would fill empty bottles. We negotiated the busy roads with me sitting on the back, clinging hold of Steve with one hand and the phone in the other, shouting directions as we were buffeted by the strong winds. Our elation of finding the refill station was short-lived when we were firmly told they would not fill our bottles, but the reason for this was lost in gesticulating arms and language barrier. Feeling disheartened we headed to the marina where we met Ruffian as they arrived in Arrecife. Iain swapped places with me and, with him holding their empty gas cylinder, Steve returned to the refill station. It was with surprise, pleasure for them, and (if I’m honest) a little envy, that they came back with a full gas bottle! Still unsure why ours were not able to be filled, we left Ruffian with their full supply of gas and headed to the hills. We drove back to the boat through the volcanic centre of the island, stopping regularly to take in the vast views set against deep blue skies. I loved it.

After extending our stay in the marina a few times and saying goodbye to Andrew and Traci on Walkabout, we filled our fuel tank and headed out. We motored into the wind to Playa Quemada, a short distance to the north and dropped the anchor in front of a small black sand beach which was only reachable via a steep long path. We sat on deck watching the people on the beach, watching us as we bounced around in the exposed anchorage.

The next day we motor-sailed into the wind, heading north and then rounding the top of Lanzarote. Our destination was Graciosa, a small island to the west of Lanzarote with no roads, a few hundred residents, four volcanoes and lots of sand! We had managed to get a permit to visit the island and stay for a few nights, although it appeared we were the only boat that had bothered to get permission and no-one came to check. Ruffian had already arrived and I joined Iain for a late afternoon walk which started with the intention of climbing one of the volcanoes but ended in a short walk to the nearest pub!

The next morning the four of us headed out, this time better prepared and more determined to reach the top of the volcano. The climb was worth it and we were rewarded with wonderful views across to Lanzarote and over to the west of Graciosa. We walked around the sunken crater of the volcano before heading back down the hill to find a good watering hole!

After three days exploring it was time to leave and farewell Lanzarote. The wind and weather looked ideal for the 160 NM sail to Tenerife and we were ready for another overnight passage to meet our new batteries which we had arranged to have delivered to the marina…… or so we thought!