we chose the route east of Fuertoventura which was less exposed to winds and swell.

Slightly before midnight Las Palmas radio came out with a securité message warning for a 10mtr boat drifting freely south of Dora Mac (the position being where the cursor is placed on the chartplotter/picture). The boat had been used by refugees but currently empty, and with SSE winds in the area it was drifting towards the heading of Dora Mac. We estimated it´s "driftingspeed" to be around 0,5kts and if so we would manage to pass in front. To see a 10mtr boat without mast and sails in Atlantic swell is difficult on the radar and we needed to keep a sharp lookout.

In media you hear nothing about the refugee situation anymore (being one of the main news years back),but the Canary Islands receive 40.000refugees from Africa every year (it´s only 55Nm from Africa mainland to Lanzarote).

We made landfall at Mas Palomas , the southern tip of Gran Canaria at sunrise,and came into Puerto Mogan after lunch.

Just like Madeira there are few marinas in the Canary Islands and all of them are full. We managed to get a place in Puerto Mogan,but allthough being several months in advance,there were no places available on the floating docks. That meant making landfall on the classical pier of concrete all time exposed to the tide of 2mtrs. I´m not a big fan of Gran Canaria but Puerto Mogan is an exception with pittoresque quarters around the port and loads of nice restaurants just outside the boat.