Fuerteventura to Gran Canaria

We were a bit sad to leave Gran Tarajal as we felt we were starting to get to know the island and we did quite like Gran Tarajal for other reasons than the cheap marina! But, deadlines are looming as we have to be Tenerife by the seventeenth of October at the latest. We therefore planned an overnight passage to Las Palmas on Gran Canaria. The wind was forecast to be quite light so we made a ten AM departure expecting to get to Las Palmas around six the following morning. The wind had other ideas though. We had very little to no wind round the east of Fuerteventura but then met a steady force 5 in the fifty miles that separate the islands. This would have got us in around 0300 but the idea of anchoring in a probably crowded and busy commercial harbour at night didn't appeal so we hove to for four hours.

There are lots of inter island ferries and this beast passed us as we were moving along the far southern end of Fuerteventura.

Heaving to is usually used as a storm tactic. It involves sheeting the jib to the wrong side of the boat so it is aback. You then lash the tiller to leeward. This has the effect of stalling the boat. The backed jib tries to pull her off the wind but then the rudder steers her back into the wind. You have to fiddle with the main a bit but it very effectively stops the boat except for a bit of forereaching and whatever current might be at work. As a storm tactic it is one of the best so long as you have a boat that will heave to well. We do have a boat that will heave to well though full keeled boats do it even better.

Anyway, the tactic worked and after four hours we got back under way at 0500 and arrived off the breakwater at 0830 to anchor an hour or so later. We had been given to understand that the anchorage was a bit rolly but it is not really that bad. We have even cleared in with the marina and can use their showers for the princely sum of €1.50 a day. The charge is calculated on a length times beam formula. We are 30.5 meters square.

This is a very different place from the harbours we have visited so far in the Canaries. Las Palmas is quite a big city and also a large port. As we were entering we shared the entrance with four other ships including a very large oil tanker and two ferries came out. The anchorage is very crowded as berths in the marina are at a premium because of the ARC which effectively blocks out the entire marina. Still we are happy enough here though we will only be staying for four days. We will be moving onto Las Gallettas on Tenerife on Wednesday to meet some friends next weekend. Although we are really looking forward to this it has forced the pace a bit and we feel that 200 miles covered in one week is pushing it a bit for us. We should be able to slow down again though and even get back to Gran Canaria for a longer explore before heading further west to La Gomera and La Palma.

The cruising guide gives you a bit of warning about the marina and it's pests. They are described as having two, four and six legs. Outboard theft is a bit of an issue and you are advised to lock up your dinghy and engine to guard against the two legged pests. Sadly, these tend be other yotties funding their cruising with crime. The others consist of rats and cockroaches. We should be safer from these at anchor as it is easier for them to board boats tied up to a pontoon rather than swim out to here. However, we will have to be careful about packaging to ensure no cockroach eggs get smuggled aboard.

As ever, finding good wifi has been a challenge so there are only a couple of pictures here but there should be a chance to improve on that later in the marina or one of the bars around it. Also, for those of you who find my inexpert oenophile ramblings amusing there should be a chance for us to sample some Gran Canaria wine and I am looking forward to trying the wines from the Orotavia valley in Tenerife!