Atlantic Ocean - First Taste for CARANGO
CARANGO AMEL 54 #035
PETER and VICKY FORBES
Thu 1 Oct 2015 16:18
The intrepid crew of Dr Tom Bigge, Richard Ferguson and Robert Barclay are well briefed on the assets of Carango, life jackets have been fitted and a full safety brief completed. Ready for the off - last minute very generous provisioning safely stowed.
This is the biggest passage that we have undertaken so far with Carango and I suspect the longest passage she has ever attempted. I suspect the previous owner the charismatic and charming Rudi Peroni of beer fame never travelled with Carango outside the Mediterranean.
We are well out to sea now and into our crossing to Gran Canaria. We had a very good start at 06.30 on Tuesday morning in the dark for Ocean Village Marina GIBRALTAR. Out past the legions of freighters and tankers anchored in Gibraltar bay and into the Strait. We stuck close to the southern Spanish coast to take advantage of the back eddy of current from the generally east going current into the Mediterranean. Reading the navigation instructions we learnt that the Atlantic end of the Strait is about 2/3 meters higher than at the Mediterranean end thus giving rise to a permanent eastbound current through the Strait. All the rivers flowing into the Mediterranean cannot make up for the evaporation.
We had a classic East wind and shot through the narrowest part of the Straight, about 8 miles between Europe and Africa, Spain and Morocco. We set sail in about 20 knots of following wind. We had an excellent passage and had managed to claw our way South of the intensive shipping lane by nightfall. We reduced sail and set Carango up for a night sail. Robert And Tom produced a delicious supper accompanied by fine wine and port. Ricard brilliant at cleaning windows and keeping all in order.
Night watches were briefed and we completed our first night successfully.
Since then the wind has dropped and we have had to motor-sail. We have supplemented our diet with a catch of three fine small TUNA fish and seared tuna steak has become a Carango speciality for the house.