28:07.7 N, 015:15.5 W

 

In the end we didn't need to heave-to as the wind dropped and drew ahead so we arrived exactly on time at around 08:30 at the entrance to the Muelle Deportivo, aka Marina, at the large and extremely busy port of Las Palmas. We spoke to the marina on VHF and they told us to anchor outside and they'd call us in later. We did so, suspecting that later might mean tomorrow or even never, but true to their word we were summoned in after about an hour and directed to the reception berth. Whereupon we joined a queue, complete with ticket system like the deli counter at Tesco.

 

This took quite a time but the staff proved very efficient and patient and eventually directed us to a berth which proved rather challenging as it was stern-to between other boats, and a strong cross-wind had sprung up while we were waiting. Those who know boats with reasonably long keels will understand our trepidation, but we did get into position without damage done, albeit needing assistance from the marina staff in a RIB who acted as a 'bow-thruster' for us. The lines to the bows are already laid and we've ended up with a line to each bow cleat and crossed lines ashore from the stern. All tied up we then realised that we didn't have a gang-plank so getting ashore has been challenging as well.

 

We then spent a very hot 2 hours dismantling the boom to recover the broken first reef line that had parted while on our way here from Madeira. The reef line parted inside the boom and as it's a 'single line' system we had to play fisherman down the length of the boom to recover first the line and then the slider with pulley. We made various jury rigs of bits of fishing rod, a garden hoe and the fuel level stick (just a stick really but that is what we call it). However success eventually and it's now reeved once more. Fortunately it broke close enough to the end that we could simply cut off the ragged end.

 

The town is pretty large and the marina is on the main road to the hospital so we have ambulances passing by rather often but it is amazingly well supplied with yacht equipment and services, fishing tackle shops, dive shops etc. The chandlery has more and better quality stock, and considerably cheaper, than any we've seen in the UK and we've bought quite a bit in the way of shackles etc. There is more than one specialist engine and rigging shop and Scuba servicing and dive expeditions. And all people seem vey helpful and used to boats from all over the world but we've been practicing Spanish as much as they'll let us. It's also full of young men and women looking for a berth / crewing position across the Atlantic; we get asked many times every day what our plans are and are we looking for more crew.

 

The one thing lacking is WiFi: none in the marina and while the bars claim to have it we've so far not managed to get it to work (30 mins can go by while it fails to load the welcome page of Google).

 

Yesterday (Wednesday) we walked 5 or 6 km to a shop called 'King Hogar' in an industrial estate where we were told we could buy timber which might be suitable for a gang plank. We got there to discover an amazing Spanish version of B&Q or Trago Mills but with a chandlery section at the back full of the sort of large items that fishermen use and it's obviously where the locals go. But just little flimsy bits of timber (very like B&Q!). However while buying mosquito netting and a new jib sheet the man serving directed us to a large timber yard only a few hundred meters away where the manager was extremely helpful. We bought an enormous plank to be made into fender boards / gang plank: 2" x 8" x 4.8m long. We could have had it in several different woods and treatments but opted for Sitka spruce. Even so it weighed a ton but we got it home eventually, getting into a number of scrapes rather like Laurel and Hardy as the route home took us through the town centre. But It's now sawn to shape, edges planed off, holes drilled in the right places, teak-oiled and ropes spliced on and we have fender boards and can also get ashore and back aboard without hazard.

 

We've also cut a hole in the door of the vegetable cupboard and put in a ventilation grille as stuff goes off in this heat rather quickly. The local chandlery had a huge range of teak grilles in stock, as good as at the boat-show.

 

Fiona's notes on boat life. I seem to spend hours in the laundry willing the blasted driers to be hotter and get finished before my change runs out. I'm a Jonah here - the wretched power went out as soon as I took our fragrant pile to the Washeteria. Explaining in pidgin Spanish to the organiser of said machines was "fun", eventually I fell back on "Machine Kaput". Big smiles all round and they opened the fuse box and dealt with it. This has happened before evidently...

 

The Islas Desertas which lie S and E of Madeira.

 

A German cruise ship en-route to Funchal which altered course to come close to us. Every time we altered away to get more sea-room they altered again to come closer. We suppose just for a look and to be friendly.

 

View from the industrial estate: it’s quite a plain town (note that the marina is the other side of the bay,

 

which is why I’m proud of the smart new fender boards even if they are just planks).

 

Modifications to the vegetable cupboard.

 

The cockpit: why Fiona gets cross when the tumble drier doesn’t work!