2016 La Palma Charco Azul & La Fajana

20th September 2016 drove north to visit the beautiful Charco Azul, literally "Blue Pool"

 

The walk down from the car park

 

One of the rock pools

Close to high tide

 

Mike was actually washed into the pool by a breaking wave

 

Superb fresh fish lunch overlooking the second pool

 

Then drove further north to the lighthouse

 

The road meandered through vast plantanas ( type of banana) plantanos

 

Faro de Punta Cumplida

 

Continued westwards along the north coast to La Fajana, another rock pool where we had another swim followed by ice cream at the cafe

 

 

 

2016 Hike La Palma, Fuentes de las Brenas, Rothers nr 5

Via http://carflexi.com/ we managed to rent a car for just €80 for 14 days from Orlando at the airport on 19th September 2016. Caught the nr 500 bus from behind the marina at 1425 hrs to the airport to collect the VW Polo car.

Having picked up the car we drove to the nearby San Pedro to do the Fuentas de las Brenas hlke, nr 5 in Rothers walking guidei 

Started the hike around 1600 hrs and had a pleasant walk through the forest on the side of the hills with good views of the coast below

 

 

The walk took us past several springs, as the name of the hike suggests

 

 

 

A pleasant hike 

 

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.

2016 Hike Artenara to Cruz de Tejeda, Gran Canaria

0730 hrs left D/L on 8th September 2016 and walked to the Telmo Bus Station to catch the nr 220 bus to Artenara via Terror. Passed 100s of people (pilgrims) walking to Terror for the Fiesta del Pino. The road to Terror had been converted into a one way road for the occasion.

(The below maps are from the ViewRanger app)

 

The central Caldera of Gran Canaria

 

Arrived in Artenara at 1030 hrs and had 11'ses at a cafe before starting our hike to the Parador at Cruz de Tejeda

 

Artenara village with Roque Nublo in the background

 

 

 

 

 

Arrived at the Parador in Cruz de Tejeda at 1530 hrs where we relaxed while we waited for the 1715 hrs nr 305 bus back to San Mateo where one changes to the nr 303 bus to Las Palmas.

 

 

View from Cruz de Tejeda over the Caldera to Pico de Teide on the neighbouring island of Tenerife, some 50 nautical miles or 90 km away

 

2016 Sail Santa Maria to Gran Canaria 1 August 2016

The weather forecast looked good for our 730 NMile sail from Santa Maia  back to Las Palmas - wind direction mainy from the NE starting off light as the Azores High was centred over the Azores, increasing to a 4 Bft with the chance of a 5 Bft after a couple of days.

 

 

So we left Vila do Porto Marina, Santa Maria at 0845 hrs Monday 1st August 2016 in calm seas in a light ENE1 Bft wind. 

 

Shortly after leaving we noticed that reef nr 1 was not properly rigged so Mike corrected this

 

The wind remained very light but slowly increased as we motored at 5 to 6 knts out of the Azores High. 

At 1645 hrs the next day (2/8) the wind had increased to a NNE3/4 (around 10 knots) and we unfurled the Genny and started sailing on a beam reach on course 137 deg at 5 knots SOG.

 

 

The sunset around 2030hrs - beautiful sky just before dark at 2123 hrs

 

The wind strength steadily increased during the evening to 16 kts and at 2240 we furled the Genny to the first reefing point.

At 0530 hrs 3/8, dawn was breaking

 

By 1400hrs the wind was 16 to 18 kts from the ENE , sailing 60 degrees to wind at 6 knts 

 

 

 

Via our Satellite Iridium phone/redbox equipment, we downloaded the latest Grib Files from   Which indicated that the wind would increase further during the next couple of days

 

So we put 2 reefs in the mainsail and 2 reefs in Genny - had a mishap in lowering the Mainsail resulting in snapping the starboard Lazy Jack line - briefly motored into the wind to rerig it.

Sunset 2150 3/8/2016, Sailing in NE 4 BFt making 5 to 6 kts

almost cloudless. seas getting choppier

 

Wind steadily increased during the night gusting upper 20's with the sea becoming rough with waves breaking over deck and sometimes water coming over the sprayhood into the cockpit.
The wind increased further during the morning of 4/8 gusting 34 kts {7 Bft} on the beam so put in the3rd reef and furled the Genny to a very small sail. Waves 2 to 3 meters, sun & cloud. Speed 5 to 7 kts course 136 deg.

Had another rough night 4 to 5/8 with wind often over 32 knots from NE and 
at 0330 hrs wind suddenly dropped  and then headed us.

We finally got sailing again with autopilot on 50 deg app wind setting as Track setting would not handle it. We were sailing with 3 reefs main in  a 6/7 Bft 25 to 34 kt ENE wind and small genny making only 4 to 5 knots - any faster and Dutch Link behaved more like a submarine with waves 3 to 4 meters high and white 
horses everywhere. Waves occassionally breaking into the cockpit.

At 0415 hrs 5/8 reached for the Genny reefing winch and felt something slimy - turned out to be a squid that had come on board with one of the breaking waves!

 

The wind stay in the 6/7 Bft range until around 0420 hrs 6/8 when the world changed for us.

Mike gat a call from Jeannette who had the watch, to say that the mountainous waves had miraculously 
disappeared and the  wind was down to a pleasant 4 Bft.
So 3rd reef out (only 2 in now) and gradually unfurled Genny we were saiing 
at 55 degress to a nice NE 4 at 5 to 6 knots with hardly any water over the deck and could 
almost stand up in boat without holding on - wonderful.
Mike went to the forepeak to retie the anchor which had become a bit loose.

Time to relax

 

Ship ahoy

 

Las Palmas's La Isletta in view

 

Just about to enter Las Palmas harbour with an almost Full Moon to greet us

 

 

21.30 hrs moored in our berth at the Club Varadera , Las Palmas having covered 731 nautical miles in 5.5 days, average speed 5.5 knts , sailed 4 days, motored 1.5 days