2017 Sail Las Palmas to Tazacorte, La Palma

Mid May we were ready to leave Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, to sail to the Azores. However, there was a weather window for only 2 days to sail in a NWerly direction so we decided to sail to Tazacorte on the North West side of the island of La Palma and wait there for a longer weather window to continue our trip.

 

Our route from Las Palmas to Tazacorte - distance 175 nmiles

 

At 0730 hrs Monday 15th May we left our mooring and motored northwards around La Isletta against a NNE3 Bft wind

 

The laid-up oil rigs in Las Palmas harbour

La Isletta - the NE tip of Gran Canaria

 

By 0915 hrs we were able to alter course to the NW and start sailing in a NNE 3/4 Bft wind on wind vane autopilot set to 50 deg to apparent wind with 1 reef in Mainsail and full Genny

 

By 1400 hrs we were sailing across the shipping separation zone between Gran Canaria and Tenerife

 

Gran Canaria still visible astern

 

 

We managed to round the Northern Anaga Peninsular of Tenerife before nightfall and sailed through the night beam to broad reaching in an ENE 4 to 5 Bft wind

 

By 0800 hrs the wind had dropped to a NE 2 Bft and we started motor sailing

 

La Palma clearly visible

 

 

By 0900 hrs the wind returned and we were sailing on a broad reach in an ENE 4 Bft wind

 

Getting closer - sailing down the west coast of La Palma

 

Puerto Tazacorte just becoming visible behind the headland

Puerto Tazacorte

The large concrete outer mole of Tazacorte Marina

 

 

 

By 1400 hrs Tuesday 16th May we were safely berthed in Tazacorte Marina - there was hardly any swell in the marina - perfect

 

 

 

 Total trip 175.6 nmiles in 30.5 hrs of which 24 hrs sailing and 6.5 hrs motoring.

 Average speed 5.75 knots.

 A very enjoyable trip.

 

 

 

 

2016 Sail Las Palmas to Arrecife

1500 hrs Saturday 3/12/16 we left our berth in Lasp Palmas and, after filling the diesel tanks at the fuel pontoon, 

 

we set off on our 115 nmile voyage to Arrecife on Lanzarote. We chose to start our trip mid afternoon so as to ensure that we would sail through the gap between Fuerteventura and Lanzarote during daylight - there are often wind acceleration zones in the gaps between the islands and it is much easier to handle these in daylight.

Passed close to a ferry boat

 

Sailed for an hour or so after leaving Las Palmas but the wind then dropped to a light WNW 1 to 3 Bft, so we had to motor for a few hours

 

Beautiful sunset

 

By 2345hrs we had cleared the shipping lanes between Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura

 

For some time, we had seen lights directly ahead of us but there was nothing on our radar nor anything on the AIS. Finally, when we were a few miles from each other, our AIS told us that the lights were from the cruise ship Mein Schiff 2 and that it was on a reciprocal course making 12 kts - all lit up like a huge Xmas Tree. So when we were 3 nmiles apart, we called them up on VHF Ch16 and they politely agreed to change course - we passed a mile apart at around 0030 hrs.

 

By 00200hrs the wind had increased to a pleasant WNW 4Bft so we unfurled the Genny and started sailing

Dawn breaking as we approached the gap between the islands

 

Broadreaching in 15 kts apparent wind making over 6 kts

 

Grip files showing also our position ( blue dot)

 

Entering the gap

 

Shortly before this photo was taken we entered one of the infamous accelleration zones with the wind speed increasing fronm 15 to 30 knts in a matter of seconds giving the autopilot a problem ( we had too much sailup for these gusts) requiring a bit pf hand steering. Luckily the wind soon died down again to its previous speed.

 

The south coast of Lanzarote

 

1400hrs entering Arrecife harbour

 

We moored in Arrecife's new Marina de Lanzarote on berth K16 with the help of the very friendly marina staff after a trip of 115 nmiles in 22.25 hrs of which 9hrs motoring. Average speed 5.2 kts.

 

 

2016 Sail La Palma to Las Palmas

At 0745hrs 29th September 2016 we saw off our friends Tom & Annie who left Santa Cruz marina heading for La Gomera. 

We then downloaded yet another set of Grib Files and decided that, after all, this was the best day to leave for the coming 10 days if we wanted to have a chance of sailing back to Las Palmas the most direct route north of Tenerife. 

 

So, Mike returned the hire car to Orlando in Los Cancajos, taxied back for €8, and we cast off our lines at 1215 hrs and headed eastwards for the northern tip of Tenerife,  90 nmiles away, course 084 degrees

 

Leaving Santa Cruz

 

 

The wind was a gentle NE 3 occassionally 4 and the seas quite calm. We tried sailing a few times but the angle was too tight for us to be able to safely clear the northern coast of Tenerife. So we ended up motor sailing most of the afternoon and night. In contrast to our trip to La Palma under a Full Moon two weeks previously, we were now at New Moon and the night was very dark.

We rounded the NEastern tip of Tenerife at 0700 hrs 30/9 and were able to sail more south. At 0740 we were able to sail at 60 degrees to the NNE 4Bft wind 

By 1030 hrs we had cleared the Traffic Separation Zone and could set course 117degrees for La Isletta, Gran Canaria and free off further, sailing with full rig on a beam to broad reach.

 

 

 

 

Around 1600 hrs the wind dropped to a NNE 3 Bft and with quite a swell running, our sails started to flog and progress was slow.  So,  genny furled and motor on .

 

At 1930 hrs we were moored back in our berth in Club Varadero, Las Palmas

Total distance 146 nautical miles in 29.25 hrs average speed 5 Kts. Motored 21 hrs, sailed 8.25 hrs

2016 Sail Las Palmas, GC, to La Palma

The weather forecast looked good for the planned 150 nmile sail from Las Palmas, Gran Canaria to Santa Cruz, La Palma

 

So, at 0800 hrs 17 September 2016, we left our mooring in the Club Varadero, Las Palmas and headed NW to round the NE tip of Tenerife.

After motoring north to clear La Isletta, we set course 329 deg to the entrance to the traffic separation zone between Gran Canaria and Tenerife and sailed with 1 reef in Maisail and Genny on wind vane set to 48 degrees to wind making 5 to 6 Kts SOG in a NNE 4/5 Bft wind.

 

 

After rounding the NE tip of Tenerife we freed off and sailed on a beam to broad reach in a NE4/5 Bft wind on a course of 269 deg to Santa Cruz making 6/7 kts SOG. 

It was a wonderful night sail under a full moon.

As we approached La Palma , the wind dropped to a NE 4 Bft.

 

 

 

Santa Cruz getting closer

 

 

 

 

Moored in Santa Cruz, La Palma marina at 1030 hrs 18/9/2016 after a sail of 147 nmiles in 26.5 hrs, Average speed 5.5 kts.

During the whole of our stay in Santa Cruz, there was quite a surge in the marina. Luckly there were quite a lot of empty berths so the helpful marina staff  tried to give every boat a double berth and advised us to moor on the upwind finger so that we would be blown off most of the time, saving our fenders.

After a neighbouring boat had a mooring line snapped and damage to its fairlead due to the surge, we put extra mooring ropes on Dutch Link including two lines over the vacant neighbouring berth to keep us off the finger when the wind dropped. We understand the marina is planning to modify the entrance to the marina so as to reduce the surge in the future.