Amongst stuff that has been sorted out, we have fitted a new starter motor to the engine as it appears that the old one is not working. Matthew has also brought his carpentry skills to bear on the cockpit grating. As the photos shows, we had started a garden growing in the bits that had broken up. Well, we now have cut away all the broken bits and substituted two lengths of pine. This is not ideal of course, but is much better than having it disintegrate under our feet and start to rot.
We even had a bit of something sprouting in it!!
We were also getting very fed up with the surge in the marina though. This surge was not a thing we could understand as the outer break water is very long, the marina is up the top of the harbour with another inner break water separating it from the main harbour. However, somehow the north westerly swell was curving round the south facing entrance of the harbour and then working into the totally enclosed inner harbour. It makes you wonder what it would be like in a heavy blow from the south which does happen sometimes in these islands.
Still, on Thursday, we took off for Tazacorte on the other side of the island. The wind, as well as being in the south was very light and we only managed a brief bit of sailing round the southern tip of the island but we are very pleased to be here. It is an excellent marina and also very social with lots of other transatlantic types waiting for the same weather change we are waiting for.
Highlight of the trip was being passed, very close, by a couple of what we think were Bottlenosed Whales. The were too big to be dolphins.
So far, we have only explored a bit round here and done a walk from Fuencaliente down past the two most recent volcanoes to the lighthouse of Fuencaliente (El Faro de Fuencaliente). The southern end is the newest part of the island and was subject to a volcanic eruption as recently as 1971. They have built a visitor centre outside El Volcan de San Antonio where you can walk round the rim of the crater. Audrey and I had visited it before by car but everything was fog enshrouded then. This time, we had clear skies and great views. The walk through the lava and ash fields of the Tenequise volcano was also fascinating though we didn't get time to explore the lighthouse at the bottom much as buses were waiting to be caught.
Being on the exposed west side of the island, the harbour has a massive breakwater and I am slightly proud of this picture of the northern end of it.
Although sunny yesterday - 06 December or St. Nicholas' day a dramatic rain shower pushed through leaving this dramatic view to the south.
Here are the long awaited views of the marks of the vulcanism to the south of the islands.
If the weather continues to hold we may try a more ambitious walk to El Pico de los Muchachos. There is a long ridge walk up round the rim of the Caldera de Taburiente and if it is not cloudy, we would get great views compared with the cloud and rain we met when driving up there the other day.
Looking ahead, the run of southerly wind looks like it might be ending by the end of next week which would allow us to take our departure for the Cabo Verde islands at last! Watch this space!
No comments:
Post a Comment