28.07.53 N,  15.25.49 W

 

 

 

After all the laundry and cleaning and shopping, we managed one good snorkel/swim off the rocks just outside Marina Rubicon.  It is really clean water with a good fish population, but it has been too windy to inspire more than one swim.  On Friday, we had a rather exciting bicycle ride to go bird watching.  After a rough ride "short cut" to the main road down the west coat, the skipper's wife went off piste and sustained a nasty gravel graze to the left knee, enough to require a turn back to the Marina and thorough wash out with some amazing anti-bacterial wash supplied by Jane from Argentina.  After picking out little bits of lava gravel and with judicious use of medical honey and adhesive dressings and a settling night cap, we have an early night ready for an overnight sail to Las Palmas tomorrow.

 

We left the Marina in good time on Saturday, before the afternoon blow made departure a little too exciting and anchored off the entrance until 5.00pm.  With 19 to 20 knots, we set sail with reefed main and full genoa and wind just forward of the beam, making good speed towards Las Palmas, 3 hours on and 3 hours off.  It was a great night's sail, with wind on the beam and no other shipping until we reached Las Palmas.  We anchored just before dawn in the anchorage beyond the marina and had a bit more sleep before checking in and being allocated a berth behind the East wall.

 

Today has been a visit to the market, the usual cleaning and maintenance and organising laying up the boat when we return to England in August.  We have also met Tom, the skipper of Skara Brae and enjoyed entertaining him and his wife Shirley for the evening social "half hour" and some of their crew for what we anticipate and hope will be the first of many such occasions with other ARC participants.  They go to Fuerteventura tomorrow, while we try and engage with the sail maker for some minor repairs and a welder who can reinforce the track rod between the two rudders, which is now slightly bent! 

 

We have walked to the top of the nearest hill and eventually found a modern Church at the top of a series of wonderful waterfall gardens.

this is the view from half way up.

 

We are stern to on the harbour wall lost amongst the larger yachts!

 

The waterfall half way up.

 

Tomorrow Wednesday, we have an early start for Tenerife to meet the next set of family visitors, the last of this summer's.

 

Alcedo

 

PS Gravel injury looking good so far, fingers crossed.

 

Can’t  think who this handsome chap is?