Back to where we know

This next leg was quite meaningful for Yanula Blue – as it was taking her back to where we had bought her in Lanzarote! The Canaries are also islands that we know quite well as we spent a lot of our holidays on various islands as well as learning to sail with Endeavour Sailing

This was to be a mere 3 day passage (oh how we have changed!) and we were also intending to stop in the Salvagen Islands, a small nature reserve manned only by Rangers and an eccentric English man!!

We left at 0754 local time with lots of cruise ships milling around including Britannia which was just arriving.  Eventually the gennaker (light weather sail) was flying and we were peacefully sailing along. We got straight into watches and Chris was snoozing with Jenni watching. All is well!

Chris had the fishing line out and caught a Mahi Mahi – yummy dinner that night as the sun went to bed.  We lost the wind again late in the night / early in the morning so had to put the engine on again.  It was very murky and drizzly and eventually the wind appeared and the sky cleared and the stars came out.

The Savage Islands

It was very changeable for a long time as we debated motor on or off … and was that a squall on the horizon or just cloud.  But bacon butties for breakfast kept our attention and we kept making slow progress. We arrived in Salvegen in the afternoon as light was starting to go and swell was starting to arrive.  Interesting dilemma, to stay or carrying on?

We radio’d the Rangers and they advised we were too late to do a tour, but we dropped the anchor and waited to settle and see. It was quite disconcerting that we were in the middle of a small bay, with a mooring ball and trailing line in the middle and waves breaking over cliffs to each side.  We could also hear the anchor and chain under us grinding against the rock plates.

Jen did her usual risk assessment and eventually made the call and said ‘no’ so we quickly raised the anchor and carried on. We also knew there was more wind forecast to come in, potentially too much, so carrying on meant we may be able to stay ahead of it.

It certainly was bouncy as Jen made dinner and we tried to start on watches again – but given we only had one more night we didn’t feel proper watches were right so we just did what we needed to and slept when we could.

We also had a crazy incident where we were trying to furl the genoa away and the sheets were blowing and wrapped around the guard rails creating a crazy knot. Chris rushed into action and managed to free it and do a temporary fix to the guard rail that would get us safely to land. Hero!

Land Ho!

We were heading for La Graciosa, a small island off the northern tip of Lanzarote.  There is a small marina there, but we were heading for the anchorage which had a good reputation for a good holding sandy bottom. Our next challenge was to get there in daylight – would we or wouldn’t we make it?  We popped the engine on to give us a helping hand and carried on, arriving just as the last of the light disappeared – phew!!

La Graciosa’s main anchorage is Playa Francesa and it was indeed beautiful against the backdrop of a volcano. However, we discovered that with the southern climate came another expected consideration – flies and mosquitoes!! Before we left the UK we had bought the materials to make a fly screen for the companionway (entry to the boat) and now seemed like a good time to make it.  This would definitely be a joint endeavour as we measured and designed – with Chris cutting the materials to size and Jenni sewing on her 1960s Singer sewing machine bought during Covid from a lady who was given it for her 21st birthday present! Such a great machine.

We were really pleased with the finished item which fits perfectly and does the job so well.

We did hike up the volcano one day but other than that very rarely left Yanula Blue.

Old & New friends

There was another boat in the anchorage that we knew was doing the Viking Explorers Rally with us so we got in touch and went for drinks (non-alcoholic) with Thankfulness II.

When we were onboard Jenni happened to look up and saw our dinghy being towed by another boat. She shouted to them, initially thinking it was stolen, then realised it had drifted off and they were trying to find the owner. That was lucky! But which Boy Scout tied that knot then?!

After 4 days it was time to move again – we had booked into Puerto Calero marina, a place we know very well as have done many milebuilders with Endeavour Sailing who are based there.  We had also decided to invest in a Hydrovane, given the ongoing issues with the autopilot (which incidentally didn’t ever break again – so far!)

The Hydrovane was being shipped from the UK, and Stephanie and Keith, who run Endeavour Sailing, had been kind enough to let us use their address and VAT number to help it get there safely.  It is well known that it can be difficult for items to arrive safely in the Canaries and we were incredibly grateful for their kindness.

When we were in Puerto Calero Jenni happened to get a text from one of her oldest friends, Lizzie, with a picture of Playa Francesa!  What? How? It so happened Lizzie was on holiday in Lanzarote and had spent a couple of nights on La Graciosa… after frantic texting and arrangement making we managed to arrange for Lizzie to come and visit us, with Al her partner and son.  We had a fun night catching up with lots of chatter and fizz – only Lizzie can be on board for just 10 minutes and manage to cover the whole boat in pink prosecco! Love her so much!

We also met other new friends in Calero – Markus and Tina from Mira Cariba were also doing the Viking Explorers Rally and were also in Puerto Calero. We got to know each other over an Indian meal and they kindly invited us to a tour of the Park National Timanfaya Lanzarote volcano as they had hired a (tiny) car – funnily enough even though we had been to Lanzarote many times this was something we had never done and it was a lot of fun!! On the way back from the volcano tour we stopped at a vinery for a cheeky glass of very nice wine!

Darling Daughters Descend

We also had some very important visitors arriving as Maisy and Freya (Chris’s daughters) were coming to visit us! It was so lovely to see them!

After a few nights relaxing in the marina and eating out and catching up we wanted to get back to an anchorage and show them the real side of sailing life.  We left after a lazy morning with only 9 miles to go and sailed in quite lively conditions to Papagaya anchorage for a few nights – but gosh it was rolly!! We read afterwards about some unusual conditions across the Canaries that were creating rollier than normal seas and we felt it!

We still swam and ate and chatted and walked ashore – and Chris and Freya got up early one morning to hike the highest local peak.

It was soon time to move on again and we had booked into Rubicon marina – the place we had bought Blue of Hamble (as Yanula Blue was named then!) so we left the anchorage early in the morning. On arrival at Rubicon they weren’t ready for us so asked us to anchor outside, which we did and made a yummy breakfast.  Eventually they radio’d to say they were ready and we entered the marina.

Rubicon has a very clear, and also very rigid, procedure whereby you have to tie up to the fuel pontoon (and I guess most people decided to fill up as we did! Good sales technique!) and then go and check yourselves and the boat in.  They then show you to your berth which was a super pontoon in the middle and near to all the restaurants and showers.

More Fun with More Friends

Rubicon has a market twice a week which is always fun to walk around, and whilst we got ready for the girls to leave us, we also got ready for some more friends to arrive! Lynsey and Greg, more great sailors, were coincidentally staying very near to Rubicon and as the girls left, Lynsey and Greg arrived.

We had many fun nights in the Flagship Bar and eating at the Lucia’s snack bar, and went for a day sail around Isla de Lobos, anchoring back outside Rubicon for a lunchtime platter of meats and cheeses!

We also caught up with Sailing Yacht Viking, who we had first met in La Coruna, and had ended up in Lanzarote at the same time. Chris (the Viking Skipper) and his sons and nephew were learning to sail on their Halberg Rassy 46 which they had bought in Isle of Wight and taken all the way to the Canaries – they were doing very well!

Another Viking Explorers boat called Joyce Ellen, a Moody 33 sailed by Vince and Lin from UK, came into Rubicon and it was nice getting to know them.  Its such a social and popular place and if we wanted to have a more permanent base anywhere in the Canaries, Rubicon would be top of the list for us!  There were lots of “we are here on our own boat” surreal moments and looks of amazement between us for sure!

We also sat out a big storm whilst we were there, and as always with sailing, when the wind becomes favourable it is time to move on again… and time to check the Hydrovane that we had finished fitting in Rubicon!

The Hydrovane in Action

Our next destination was Gran Canaria – our final island before meeting up with all the Viking Explorer fleet and preparing to cross the Atlantic!

We left mid morning as knew this sail would not be done purely in daylight as it was around 140 nm and spent some time playing with the Hydrovane – or maybe we should say zig zagging as we over and under compensated with the controls – but we got it eventually!

We also had a leaving buddy boat as  Chris and the boys on Viking came hurtling up behind us to say goodbye (we later found out they were under motor thank goodness as they were so quick!) and it was funny as they all said goodbye with a ‘moon’!

When we were leaving it was very swelly and reminded us of an ill fated milebuilder we once tried to do on the same route – but this time we wouldn’t turn round and sailed all the way to Gran Canaria.

Gran Canaria

We had decided to come down the West side of Gran Canaria intending to find a nice anchorage, but it was so rocky and steep that there wasn’t anything very appealing and we carried on all the way round to Puerto Mogan. This is one of the few marinas in Gran Canaria that we hadn’t been to, although we knew about it and we found that it was very nice indeed! It is such a pretty marina with a hotel complex that is built in and around the marina and filled with beautiful flowers climbing along with walls.

We went into the town to buy bread, and ended up in a Tattoo and Piercing studio instead!  Chris wanted a new earring to continue his pirate transformation! We did eventually find a supermarket and stocked up on a few provisions, before moving on again to Anfi del Mar just down the coast again.

Joyce Ellen, our new Moody friends were also there and so we arranged to have a dinner and spent some time properly getting to know them (they have since become very good friends)!

Completing the Gran Canaria Cirumnavigation

We were heading up to Las Palmas earlier than Joyce Ellen in order to lift Yanula Blue to check and clean the hull and keel, so we said goodbye after a few days and as Joyce Ellen headed West to explore the Canaries, we headed East and North to the Gran Canarian capital of Las Palmas, the Viking Rally meeting point.

We were nearly in Las Palmas following an uneventful sail – when the fishing line started whirling and whirling and we knew that something large was caught.

Chris rushed to take control of the rod and Jen took the helm; the engine was already on and as the fish tried to escape it was taking the line around the starboard quarter, so Jen was trying to steer so the line was straight out the stern … not so easy as there was a massive buoy to port!!

Chris struggled with the fish and as it was brought near we could see it was a HUGE Mahi Mahi (or Dorado as they are sometimes called).  It was nearly landed when suddenly it made a break and was free!  Lucky fish, it was a beauty!!

Preparations in Las Palmas

We came to Las Palmas and radio’d to let them know we had arrived and they asked us to wait, so we slowly motored up and down. Another boat (American) that had radio’d after us obviously got tired of waiting and radio’d to say they were going in!! How very dare they!  The radio operator had asked if they were the ‘Viking’ member (which they weren’t!) and so we radio’d to say that we were and they asked us to follow them in.

Another process to go to the reception pontoon, take all your paperwork, and be allocated a berth.  This is a municipal marina and like most public bodies dramatically understaffed.

The poor marineros were dealing with VHF calls, people waiting outside, and all sorts.  Eventually they got to us and were very pleasant – one of the benefits of joining the Viking Explorers Rally is the preferential treatment, and they did their best to get us berthed in daylight – which happened, just! We were in … now for the hard work to begin!!!