Its very pretty harbour no high-rise, that is off in the distance where walls of patio lights from apartments built up the side of the cliffs shine towards us.

We tidy up the boat, adjusting mooring lines and rigging a return line so we can pull the dinghy to shore and back the 4 metres that separate us from the dock and a ladder that’s a good metre short of the water at low tide and creaks alarmingly when boarded !

A quick G & T to steady the nerves for the trip ashore and that ladder, then we explore the area to find the restaurant of choice for the evening meal. The return trip is less fraught, maybe because the tide has risen and is now above the bottom of the ladder or perhaps the few glasses of wine at dinner have built a little confidence.

05112010 Friday Day 19

A bright sunny day the wind has dropped and there is just a gentle roll which sets “Dawnbreaker” pulling itself back and fore between her mooring lines. Our neighbour is a 75footer probably weighing around 50tons and her lines set up an ominous creak as she rolls back and forth.

Breakfast the the hunt for the Fereteria (Ironmongers) and the continuing mission to find a replacement for our empty gas bottle. In the process we all manage to lose each other, I find a supermarket with English newpapers but evidentally  they are all Sun, Express or Mail readers, no TG, and a car rental establishment. Lars calls and we agree to meet back at the boat though on my return I bump into Anders and Connie and we call him to meet us by the beach.

All safely gathered we head for the car-hire shop and take a days rental as we go in search of a big Mercadonna. We stop in the town of Puerto Rico and drive down to the  Marina where we find the Chandlers who have the right gas bottles but they are out of stock until Tuesday. Fortunately for us and another customer in the same plight, the owner takes pity, tells us to come back in an hour and he’ll head off to his supplier to sort out our problem.

We take advantage of this lull in proceedings and while Lars heads for the Marina office we repair to the bar. He returns with news that there is no room for us in the port. Back to the Chandlers and while picking our bottle ask directions from the Danish speaking Japanese lady assistant (The are many strange things ashore) to the nearest Mercadonna.

Despite her endoubted language skills, map reading is definitely her forte as she directs on route that ends up in the middle of nowhere with a set gates across the disappearing road.

We try a bit of logic,i.e.if you going to build a giant supermarket where do you put it ? in the desert or in a large town .. we head for the nearest big town on our map, ask a resting taxi driver in my best Spanish if he knows of such a place and lo and behold back to the roundabout, turn right and there it is. Armed with two trolleys we head for the booze department. 16 cases of Beer, 10 two litres plastic containers of Wine, Gin, Tonic, Brandy, Rum and some fruit juice and were done and we couldn’t have got any more in the car boot if we tried.

Heading back we stop for lunch on the way. On arrival back at port it’s low tide and the ladder hangs uselessly above the water. So into the dinghy and off to a neighbouring pontoon where we unload the car onto the dockside. A couple of trip and its all done except for the problem of where to stow all this stuff ? beer disappears into the anchor chain locker, booze goes under bunks and into the bilges. But whats this! Lars and Conny have gone ashore again to do more shopping !

An hour later they reappear, another ten cases of beer, some eggs and two shopping bags full of pasta, we now have over 400 tins of beer onboard ! The new arrivals are left on deck overnight awaiting some reorganization in the morning when they will be suitable stored. But this is not the end, Lar’s brother has emailed a list of requirements including some wine that comes in bottles ! sounds a bit posh.

During his unloading Lars incurs the wrath of the Marinaros, apparently they had picked him up on the CCTV committing the cardinal sin of driving onto the dockside. They photograph the car and finally let him drive off, which he does .. straight back to the hire firm to dispose of the evidence.

We dine at the furthest restaurant from the boat and having established our nationalities (so we get menus in the appropriate language) the lady of the establishment asks if I’m from Cardiff and then produces a Teatowel with a map of Wales and I’m able to point out Newtown which is one of the town marked (this trip gets stranger by the day).

Having spoken to Keith tonight he tells me that Wales are playing Australia at 2pm on Saturday, so on the way back from dining I found the inevitable Irish Bar where they confirm they will be showing it.

06112010 Saturday Day 20

Lars has been ferreting away since early morning and yesterdays purchases have disappeared into the bowels of the boat.

Disaster, the Harbour master appears and says we must leave the mooring as soon as possible as the boat that had booked this berth had arrived. But what about the Rugby ?  You might well ask. Despite tears and cries of anguish he would not be moved (he might still have been a bit sensitive after yesterdays car incident) be gone, out of my Marina he said, and so we left to search for a new anchorage.

After battling the elements, wind on the nose and rising seas we find a sheltered anchorage at Aguinaguin in warm clear water so in we go. The water is 24C and the air is 30C so its quite refreshing The Conny produces an excellent lunch of Hamburger, fried potatoes with spicy Chorittso, Egg washed down with a fine bottle of  Mercadonnas best “Plastic” red. A lazy afternoon with the odd swim to cool off then “Happy Hour”, a shower on the stern and were ready for town.

During dinner we get into conversation with three Norwegians on the next when the wife comments on my English and proceeds show of here knowledge with a great “Cor blimey “ accent. The Husband and Wife in their late 60’s and female friend in her 70’s depart.

As we make our way back to Dinghy and hear music coming from the Fishermans social club. There’s a dance on with a live band. Its an odd sight with the bands boys looking about 20ish and the girl singer about 12, the club members seem to be about 70ish but they are all dancing like good ones.

We roll up to the bar via a side door to avoid paying for a dance ticket and find the Norwegians have already established themselves and are dancing with great gusto but of course they are a man short. No problem we volunteer Anders to the delight of their single companion who seems to have taken quite a shine to him.

He explains that due to a medical problem he is unable put his beer down and we do the decent thing, drink up, wish them goodnight and beat a hasty retreat.

Back on board and the trauma seems to had a severe effect on all of us and a considerable number of nightcaps are consumed while Anders suffers a cruel ribbing.

Aguinaguin Anchorage Position 27.45’.6 North   15.41’.1 West

07112010 Sunday Day 21

0830 and everyone is overboard swimming to wash away the cobwebs from the previous nights revery. Breakfast and its off into the teeth of a  25Kt headwind and motoring for the next 8 hours. It’s the usual bouncy passage with the spray from our bowwave being picked up by the wind and blown into the Cockpit. Conney take the easy option and retreats to his bunk, Anders isn’t too good but remains on deck.

Lars reads his yachting magazine and I try to catch up on old TG Crossword I appear to have missed.

The Sun is hot but theirs a nip in the air as we battle our way to the north of the island and Puerto Las Palmas where we have to pick up our new crew who are due to arrive from Gotenburg this afternoon.

The port is enormous, full off all kinds of ships and shipping. Ships for drilling, LNG carriers, Containers, Cruising, Research and Naval. Added to this are two Marinas one has been taken over by and is full of boats preparing for the ARCS race across to the St Lucia in the West Indies which we gather has just been hit by a hurricane. Outside and between the two Marinas is very nice sandy beach and the water here is full of yachts of all sizes at anchor including us.

Our two new members Uno and his wife Viola have already arrived and are waiting to be picked up from the beach. This is done and pleasantries and introduction dealt with and beer produced. Anders Conney and I are dispatched ashore to go shopping for “Breakfast” for 9. The first problem is finding a pontoon that has an open gate as security seems very tight and finally we have to run onto the beach through the Yellow bouys which marks the prohibited area for boats for the protection of swimmers Fortunately is late enough and there are very few in the water.

The next problem .. where is a supermarket, and its Sunday. Luckily over the road we find a little 24hour shop that has everything we need plus three tins of beer for the journey back.

@lantisarna