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Gomera Måndag 1'a November
pos 28:05.317 N 17:06.520 W
Bob will comment below
Anlände La Gomera på Lördagen den 29'e vid
17-tiden efter en jättetrevlig segling i lagom vind. Bara 45 distans den
här dagen.
Lördagskvällen avnjöts på en trottoarrestaurang med
lokalt vin. De pratar nästan bara spanska här trots att det börjar bli lite
turistiskt.
På Söndagen bev det en vilodag med en kortare
promenad och därefter bad på den svarta sandstranden. Lite konstig känsla att
bada på en svart sandstrand. Lunchen blev svensk sillunch med sedvanligt
tillbehör och därefter vila för övriga matroser, undertecknad sover ju bara när
det är mörkt.
Sedvanlig Happy Hour vid 18-tiden och sedan middag
på lokal Pizzeria.
Hyfsat tidig sängläggning då vi planerar att segla
till Tenneriffa idag Måndag.
På måndagsmorgonen träffar jag en holländare som
berättar att det är väldigt ont om båtplatser på Gran Canaria, Las Palmas lär
vara stängd för alla som inte deltar i ARC-seglingen till Västindien. Han
berättar också att Los Christianos på Tenneriffa kan vara stängd. Vi har
tänkt att segla via Tenneriffa till Grand Canaria och vara där senast på
fredag
Vi skjuter upp avgången och går till ett
internetkafe och får kontakt med Marina San Miguel, som ligger lite längre bort
än Los Christianos på Tenneriffa, vi ringer dit och får bekräftelse på att vi
kan få en plats imorgon Tisdag. Det får bli en dag till här på La Gomera, det är
kanon här så det blir bra.
Varma hälsningar
Bob:
28102010 Thursday Day 11
Midnight, the moon
is up thought its disappears occasionally in the cloudy
sky the air
temperatures is 22C and were still making good time though
winds have come
round a touch and decreased. Lars points out a ship on the
AIS which we can
just see on the horizon and departs.
I spent half and hour cooling out in the
moonlight, there's something
magical sailing along under a starry sky with a
moderated sea and just the
music of the water as the boat slices its way
through the seas and hum of
the wind in the rigging. Then time for a
read, head light on light looking
like a Cyclops but they are
great.
Anders takes over at 0200 and when I take my watch at 0800 I
suddenly see
what looks like land ahead, in the mist and clouds on the
horizon. Were
still 30nm off but the binoculars confirm my sighting just
before it
disappears into the clouds again.
The island of La Palma
slowly rises out of the sea until we can make out
details of houses the
observatories on top of the mountain and then as we
get closer, the many
banana plantations. 1400 sees us entering port, we are
greeted by the marina
staff with the toilet key and most importantly the
key to the Wi-Fi link.
Nothing is happening until 5pm as now were in Spain
its siesta time so its
off to the Pizza Café on the dock for a beer or two
and something to eat, a
check of the facilities which are the best I.ve
seen and back to the yacht to
try out the Wi-Fi connection and catch up
with E-mails
I can't get a
signal so return to the Café where with five bars (signal
that is not drinks)
I make contact with the outer word and clear the spam
out of my box then have
a go at uploading some pictures to my facebook page
having read comments from
my nephew Tom .. thanks Tom I am living the dream
!!
Lars report into
the Marina office at 5pm and that when we learn that the
Marina only opened
in July, which explained the empty berths and the
pristine appearance of the
Facilities which even had toilet paper !!
Almerimar please
note.
SS& Shave and were presentable enough to hit town and look for
a suitable
restaurant.Very clean and very nice verandahd buildings line its
cobbled
streets, unlike Funchal in Maderia its not over crowded with
tourists, how
refreshing but consequently there are fewer
restaurants.
In our search for a suitable eatery, we find the Yacht Club
located in a
fine old building with a great carpeted staircase leading to
libraries and
lounges, a restaurant and bar. We decide we'ed prefer to dine
outside and
find a very nice restaurant on a small square complete with
fountain. Along
with a fine meals of Duck, Steak and Fish, several bottles
are sampled
including the local wine which is quite distinctive. On the way
back to the
boat and having passed a closed paper shop I pressed my nose to
the window
see a Telegraph on its rack inside and make a note to revisit
tomorrow.
29102010 Friday Day 12
We start the day doing the
washing in the marina facilities putting out to
dry while we head out to
explore the Island. As is our custom we hire a car
and start the long
twisting drive to the rim of the volcano at 2350 Metres
and well above the
clouds as we discovered.
The roads are a continuous series of hairpin bends,
enough to make a
seasoned sailor feel sick. We are rewarded with breathtaking
views on the
way and especially from the rim of the Caldera from where you
can see all
the way down to the coast. The scenery is so enormous photography
cannot do
it justice
Having taken some three hours to get to the
Observatories at the top (The
British Isaac Newton telescope, remotely
operated from Edinburgh University
is here) we start our downward journey
until we come across a nice Bodega
where we stop for lunch.
We eventually
hit the coast some hours latter and stop for a Brandy and
coffee and watch
the works of a new massive harbour project that is going
on at Tazacorte on
the western coast. Then its across country back to the
marina at Santa Cruz
de la Palma just in time for a visit to the
Supermarket to restock on
essentials and for me to visit that papershop and
purchase yesterdays
Telegraph at vast expense.
We revisit last nights restaurant and return
to base
The Marina of Santa Cruz de la Palma is located at 28.40'.4
North 17.46'West
30102010 Saturday Day 13
Arising at a
civilized hour, breakfasting readying ourselves for the day,
we set off for
the island of La Gamora some 40nm away.
The island is a single volcanic stump
with an area of some 375 Sq Km and a
population of 18,000. It resembles half
a sphere with deep ravines, fertile
green valleys with steeply terraced
slopes and dense dark forests leading
up to the almost central peak of
Montana Garajonay at a height of
1487metres..
With its limited airport
most visitors arrive by ferry (Fred Olsen runs a
large car catamaran and a
small high speed passenger boat) from Tenerife.
Arriving around 1600 we
find the marina is choc a block and after some
discussion with the Harbour
Master we are directed to the only free
hammerhead and pontoon big
enough for us to tie up to. Its very pretty
marina and unusual in that its is
part of a living village not the usual
artificial development.
The
area has many carefully manicured gardens, flower beds and trees both
Date
Palm and some very exotic and ancient local forestry type trees in
the
square. Black sand beaches are to be found either side of the marina
with
clear warmish 24degree seas which we try out. The marina Wi-Fi is
blanked
out due to forest of masts, so we find a somewhat exotic café
sporting
marine trophies from visiting sailors hanging from nets that festoon
the
ceiling that has a free service for its patrons.
We dine in a
family run restaurant and are advised by the daughter our
waitress that the
wine is not what it says on the bottle but the product of
her fathers
vineyard and a very fine product it is !
31102010 Sunday Day
14
Everyone is up early .. the clocks have gone back ! all except mine
which
for some inexplicable reason I put forward. This causes some
consternation
whilst waiting at the marina office when a passing soul ask me
for the time
!!
Lars leads us on the inevitable walk which ends up at
the black sand beach
and swim, a halt at the café on the prom for a beer and
to dryout then more
walkies, I find a paper in a little kiosk in the square
and back to base
for my wallet and for Lars to pick up the empty gas bottle.
He heads to the
mini market where we espied some during our walk and I head
for the cash
machine to add my contribution to the kitty.
We meet a
little later, as for some reason the Shop won't sell him a bottle
and they
instruct him to another. I join him and another route march ensues
in a vain
search for the elusive shop .. in the end we admit defeat
and
return.
A magnificent traditional Swedish lunch of herring
in various sauces,
potatoes and crispbread intersperced with shots of
Schnapps .. Aqua Vite..
and Vodka watered down with the occasional
beer.
After a long lunch and little lie down ! its "Teatime", coffee and
a brandy
to revive the spirits and before you know it its "Happy hour" then
its time
to go ashore ... and people wonder if you don't get bored at sea
!
A pizza tonight and so to bed !
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