Landfall in Lanzarote
DecaDance's Web Diary
Chris White and Jeanna Coleman
Tue 28 Dec 2010 12:20
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Position: 28:55.05N 013:42.03W
- Puerto Calero, Lanzarote
Yipee! We made landfall at 5:30 yesterday afternoon
after gingerly motoring at slow speed (with a full genoa even though there was
practically no wind) for the last 10 nautical miles or so with the fuel gauge
showing well and truly empty. After 664nM, 4 days at sea, Force 7 winds, a
huge swell, sea-sick crew, the loss of the majority of our fresh water, and
Father Christmas arriving a day late, we all prayed we didn't fall at the final
hurdle - and we didn't.
It was absolutely idyllic sailing down the coast of
Lanzarote through the day, and Rob caught a blue-fin tuna, making it England 1 -
Australia 1. He filleted it (his first time ever, and he didn't have the
best of filleting knives as he'd thrown it oveboard by accident with the
guts of the fish), and I cooked it with crunchy vegetables for lunch. On
the approach to Puerto Calero, Rob's reel whizzed again and Chris helped
out to battle with what was looking to be a whopper. Indeed, it
was huge, it was a yellow-fin, and it was writhing just above the water,
(and I just missed the shot with my camera) when it escaped back into the sea
taking the fishing hook with it. Only now do I understand the
significance of the phrase "the one that got away", especially when you're
already licking your lips in anticipation.
Conditions were so calm on arrival that the most difficult
aspect of the approach to the reception and fuel pontoon was remembering to say,
"gracias" rather than "obrigada" after spending so long in
Portugal.
You cannot overstate the pleasure of a long, hot
shower after several days at sea, and three very squeaky clean, and very
happy sailors set off to the strip of shops and restaurants along the marina
front. I was so looking forward to a final night out in Rob's
company before he went home, but the nagging headache I'd had all day
turned for the worst with the strong lights of the restaurants thanks to not
wearing 'sunnies' during the day. It was so bad I had to leave
the boys enjoying pasta and pizza, and I went back to the boat and
scoffed a packet of Tuc biscuits in the dark. Hardly the landfall
party I was looking forward to!
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