Gran Canaria
Caramor - sailing around the world
Franco Ferrero / Kath Mcnulty
Mon 1 Dec 2014 20:10
Mogán - a walk to the Cruz de Mogán
Sport climbing in Fataga
The rock is volcanic so quite different to the sport climbing on limestone we are used to. I found it hard for the grade or as Franco puts it "not so much 'ard as funny", quoting Ron Fawcett a famous Yorkshire climber.
The canyon leading to Fataga
Fataga sport climbing cliff
Franco leading the way
Kath nearly at the top
Roque de Nublo (1813m) - a fabulous day walking
Gran Canaria heartland
Franco with Roque de Nublo in the background
The valley below Roque de Nublo
El Teide on Tenerife 65 miles away
Rock formation
Franco above the village La Culata
Pinacle
Another pinacle
El Teide floating in the clouds!
Moya on the north coast
We came here for the climbing, unfortunately it had rained heavily in the night and everything was soaking, instead we drove back home across the middle of the island, gradually the vegetation changes from lush to arid and then after Ayacata (just south of Roque de Nublo) it becomes desert-like.
Lushness in Moya
Life on a boat isn't all play. During our time in Gran Canaria, Franco has done some serious work for Pesda Press.
'Canoe Camping' by Tim Gent is available for sale from today!
'Ski Touring' by Bruce Goodlad is at the layout stage and will be available by early spring.
Franco is now working on Pesda's next sea kayak guide - the southeast of England and the Chanel islands.
We have also been busy on Caramor: engine anode checked, stern gland greased, batteries watered, both the mainsail and the spare genoa repaired (downwind sailing takes its toll), spare halyard (the red one) shortened, spliced and fitted at the top of the mast, gas bottles refilled (what a relief! - the DISA plant near Las Palmas was able and willing to refill them).
We also installed a new gas alarm, the one we had has been giving false alarms (usually around 6 am!) just about once a month, each time we have had to change the sensor, an expensive exercise. The company has been helpful but we haven't got to the bottom of the problem, it seems it is sensitive to just about everything: dust, fried veggies, paint, bad smells (harbour mud or fungi growing in Caramor's bilges) as well as gas. Our only expectation of a gas alarm is that it alerts us to a gas leak.
Gas alarms (new one on right)
We finished our new sun awning, we will be able to keep this one up when we are under sail, essential for the tropics.
Sun awning
Lucky Caramor has brand new blue lazy jacks (they help contain the mainsail as it is lowered) and we used water pipe to cover the shrouds which will hopefully reduce wear to the mainsail.
Grey water pipe on the shroud, blue lazy jacks behind
The new block we fitted in Tenerife to reef the genoa has made furling the sail much easier and we revisited the idea of sailing with two genoas when going downwind (hopefully the wind direction we will get on the way to the equator) so Franco has ordered a new spinnaker pole.
New genoa furling block
New spinnaker pole on the deck
Franco installing anti rub tape on the spreaders
We also did something slightly odd; we turned the liferaft the other way up. Steve (Franco's brother no2) and Julie (Steve's wife) pointed out that water would get into the small drain holes that were up the top. These are now down below however the big hole where the trigger cord feeds into the container is now up top. Never mind, I'm sure it will be fine.
Kath
P.S. Did I mention that I have a new camera?