We have been in the Canary Islands for over a month now, and really enjoyed being here. In a post on our Facebook account, I noted that it felt like holiday. That’s because the trip down from Sweden was fairly hectic, we pushed hard to move and there was a lot of stress along the Spanish and Portuguese coasts to avoid the orcas. When we arrived in Nazaré, we stayed for several days and just enjoyed being tourists. That continued through Porto Santo and Madeira, and also in the Canaries.
The islands in both Portugal and Spain have been fantastic. We loved Porto Santo with it’s stark hills and volcanic rock formations, and were so happy to have the company of our friends Kent and Gunilla from the boat Aliara to share it with. The island of Madeira was lush, with the central parts of the island thick with vegetation. On our way to the Canary Islands, we stopped at Ilhas Desertas, a national park of small islands outside of Madeira where we were visited by curious fish when we swam under our boat.
Arriving in the Canary Islands, we stopped first at Graciosa, also a national park. We weren’t able to obtain a harbor spot, and the anchorage was very rolly, so we moved to Lanzarote and a harbor. The first day in Lanzarote, Jodi got sick, so we were able to experience the amazingly high quality of Spanish healthcare. We were treated so well, and as Europeans our Swedish insurance cards were all we needed to obtain care. Since we had decided to improve Lulu’s anti-fouling, the wait of 10 days for a spot in the boatyard was the perfect rest and recuperation.
Part of the benefit of being in the Canaries has been the ability to acclimatize ourselves to the weather somewhat. It has been pleasantly warm, with daytime temperatures around the upper 20-low 30 degrees C or around 80-85 F. Nights cool off, and we have a fan which moves air above our bed which helps a lot. Magnus has finished all the major projects on the boat, so now we are focusing on small jobs and maintenance; with a goal of having everything reviewed and serviced as much as possible before we cross the Atlantic.
After Lanzarote and the boatyard, we sailed to Gran Canaria where we stopped at Pasito Blanco near Maspalomas / Meloneras in the south. There we tried our anchoring skills and tested the watermaker, getting a feel for our future anchorages in the Caribbean. We kept to our anchorage and enjoyed the slower pace, as we will be spending almost two weeks on Gran Canaria before we leave. Next stop was the south of Tenerife, which turned into just an overnight stay as we decided to take advantage of good winds and sail to La Gomera.
Originally we didn’t know much about La Gomera, and friends had recommended it. Upon arrival in the harbor, we were enchanted by the beautiful cliffs and picturesque town, and we decided to stay and explore the island. It has been wonderful to take a slower pace, spending some days just hanging out and getting chores like laundry and cleaning done; but with the ability to pop over to the beach when warm. We have met other fellow sailors and had company on hikes and in the evenings. Additionally, we have been able to advance our preparation for the Atlantic crossing, buying fishing equipment and other small odds and ends.
Next we will sail back to Tenerife with hopes of having a little time to explore before we head over to our berth prior the the ARC (Atlantic Rally for Cruisers) on the 7th of November.
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