Tenneriffa - Gran Canaria

Dawnbreaker
Lars Alfredson
Fri 5 Nov 2010 18:46
Fredag den 5'e oktober
Pos 27:48.984 N 15:45.856 W
 
Fotos är från Gomera, Tenneriffa med Tejde och Puerto Mogan på Gran Canaria
 
Bob in English below as usual.
 
Avseglade från San Miguel kl 09.30 och precis som förutspått så fick vi rak motvind på mellan 12-15 meter och grov sjö. Det blev revad stor och motor för att hålla någorlunda höjd och vara framme innan mörkret. Det blev mycket vatten över båten och obekväm segling men vi var framme 18.30 strax innan solnedgång i dis.
Nu återstod vår chansning med att få en båtplats i hamnen i Puerto Mogan och slippa rullningen som ankring på utsidan innebär. Precis när vi kom fram så gick det ut en gigantisk segelbåt på c:a 100 fot och där ökade hoppet. Vi hamnade i någon form av kö framför hamnkontoret och inget hände så Lars kallade upp dem på VHF'en och efter en stund kom ett positivt svar, det fanns en (1) plats för vår stora båt (som ju är på 64 fot). Lättade gjorde vi en lyckad tilläggning inför en stor publik, mycket turister här som strosar i hamnen och väntar på att få se något spektakulärt.
 
Efter en sen happy hour blev det middag på en kaj-krog.
 
Fredagen startade med båttvätt för att få bort allt salt på båten efter gårdagens flumeride-segling.
Nu börjar Lars bli lite orolig inför kommande strapatser och planering av proviant för 5-7 personer att räcka i 4-5 veckor framåt. Då räknar han med at de skall vara framme i Brasilien.
Så då hyr vi en bil och letar efter shoppingcentra för att hitta bra priser på proviant som kan handlas redan nu. Vi kommer hem med en fullastad Renault och stuvning av diverse drycker följer, det blir en hel del för så många personer i så många veckor. Men vi skall hämta ett lass till ikväll.
 
Lars har varit och charmat en tjej på hamnontoret och fått klart med ytterligare en natt här så nu är planen att segla till Las Palmas och ankra där först på Söndag, då kan nästa besättning åka den mycket kortare vägen från flyget.
 
Varma hälsningar från(nu kl 18 är det 26 grader)
 
Bob:

03102010 Wednesday Day 17

 

We contact the Car-Hire people who can get us a car by 11am. Armed with maps and a full tank of petrol trip we head off to scale the dizzing heights of Mount Teide at 3150 Metres and tour the island. Rising up from sea level we gradually make progress leaving the arid lands and their cactii on the coast, up through the vineyards of the cooler and wetter mid highs and into the forest area, though not thick as on Gamora.

We finally reach the heights passing through great fields of lava with the flows ending in  rock walls of twisted rock 3-4 metres high. The mountain is enormous even at our level of 2000 Metres it continues to rise in a perfectly pointed cone. A scar on its side shows a later eruption with a river of jagged lava that had run down its slopes.

 

We reach the Cable car at 2500Mtrs with the inevitable queues of people waiting for the ride. Having calculated that as there were only two cars carrying 15 people max and divided it into the number of people waiting we decided to continue our journey and for Puerto de la Cruz on the north coast.

 

Info time; In the 18thC it was the trading capital of Tenerife, where fast schooners from Salcombe loaded soft fruit and through much of the islands wind was exported. However problems with prevailing winds and seas caused it to lose out to Santa Cruz.

It was the first Tourist resort on the island though now overtaken by the Los Cristianos and Playa de las Americas.

 

When we arrive a massive surf is running pounding the beaches and rocks with just a few hardy board surfers in the water, and the harbour problems are quite obvious.

 

Lunch on the front and we continue our way back via the motorway until we reach “Mercadonana” and stock up on their excellent pastic bottles of red wine and some eadible things.

 

Tonite it’s the Irish Pub, for some to watch Chelsea hammering the Spartak for me to make use of their Wi-Fi having failed to connect to the Port and the those great delights of the British Pub system .. Karokee and a Quiz. Fortunely neither we or the rest of the clientel had had enough to drink and the Karokee was shortlived, and dispite some diabolical questions we managed a passable 6/20

 

 

04102010 Thursday Day 18

 

0800 Breakfast batten down the hatches and by 0900 were away heading for Gran Canaria. There’s a brisk Northeasterly blowing as we “Spring” ourselves off the dock. As we pass the headland the winds shift a enough for us to hoist a reefed main and motorsail, though the seas are starting to steepen. All this means I abandon my blogging as the keyboard disappears from under my fingers, so its one word and a dozen corrections….

 

Up and down we go charging the advancing army of waves. Then a bigeee as we climb a 4 metre wall of water and come crashing down the other side. The ship judders as we slam into the solid mass burying our bow and sending two massives bow waves of spray which caught in the wind are blow across the cockpit sending us scurring for the shelter of the wheelhouse. A tsunami of water rolls up the deck and is sent speeding towards the stern as the bows lift to take on the next attack.

 

 

All this action slows our progress as we go from 5kts down to 2 and back up again as crash our way through. The wind picks up to 28kts so we can cut the engine and are now making 7+ kts though the seas are even bigger. I’m standing on the helmsmans seat and sitting on the aft rail handing on to the stainless steelwork. Its very exhilarating, like riding a surf board, except this one is 65feet long and weights 30tons, some surfboard.

As we near the island the seas become confused coming at us from all direction making us corkscrew our way forward. Then we get into the lee of Gran Canaria, the seas calm and the wind all but disappears and were motoring our way into Puerto de Mogan.

 

We advance somewhat apprehensively as book advises “It is one of the best know and most popular Marinas in the Canaries as a result its 216 berths are usually full”, but the gods are on our side and as we approach at 25m Mtr racing yacht is just leaving and we manage to take the only slot big enough to take and right next to the tower, Wi-Fi at a full five bars !

 

Its very pretty harbour no highrise, that’s off in the distance

 

Position 27.48’.985 North 015.45’857 West Air 30C water 25  

 

/@lantisarna

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