Almost two weeks later... and all is well. The good news is that Richard has decided not to haul the boat! We have repaired the leak in the nasal from the inside by glassing in a solid piece of fibre glass to keep the water right at the very back. Now only 500ml comes in and it cannot reach the foamed area.  This really isn’t a problem as it is just like carrying a little water in one of your bilges.

We have also worked out how to replace the top gator on the stern drive while in the water. The bottom one is actually fine and doesn’t need to be replaced.  We will be able to use the dinghy and do it underneath the platform. The water maker is working, hooray! We were finally able to test it properly today and have good quality water. However, we won’t be relying on it for the crossing and will be taking enough bottled drinking water.

Last Friday and Saturday we had wind from the west blowing over 30 knots and quite a few boats came into the marina seeking shelter. It was a horrid 36 hours and the nights were very unpleasant, listening to fenders squealing as we all pushed against each other. Then suddenly it was over and we had to hose off the dust as this time the wind didn’t bring any rain. I am happy to say that our little beach which was washed away in the heavy rains the week before has been repaired and is back to normal. They were very quick to clean up the drains and roads too.

We have had a Danish couple next to us for the past ten days and they departed this morning. Ivan and Dorte came in after Fred left and they were also good company. Richard gave them fishing lessons and they gave us rope in exchange. We shall hopefully meet up with them and our other neighbours on the other side of the ocean some day.

We had a new experience with a French family and their aluminium yacht on the other side. They were only here for three nights and were very pleasant, but two of our fenders and the side of our boat were stained black from the aluminium! Fortunately we could wash it off the boat. A scourer and Handy Andy (SA product similar to Cif) got the fenders clean.

Last Wednesday we went for a long walk from the marina to Playa de Ingles. We bravely (or foolishly) clambered over the rocks and under the cliff on our little beach and then walked past the luxury hotels at Meloneras and along the beach past the dunes at Maspalomas. It was a beautiful sunny day and with a slight breeze on our backs it was perfect. After a snack and walk around town we caught the bus back. It is tourist season now and there were thousands of people but I must say it didn’t seem over crowded. However, we were still pleased to get home to our peaceful haven.

Surprise, surprise! I have to report that we haven’t managed to avoid the endemic pest on these islands... we have cockroaches! They are not new to us as we had them in Durban and in the Caribbean but we hadn’t realised they are so prevalent here. Initially we sprayed them (they were mainly in the warmth above the radio) and yesterday we went to the pharmacy to get boracic acid powder. We now have balls of condensed milk mixed with the powder in strategic places as this is our tried and tested way of eradicating them.  A funny story... we told Ivan and Dorte about the problem and advised them to get some.  At the pharmacy Ivan drew a picture of a cockroach to try and explain what he wanted to kill. The pharmacist looked at him in horror and said, ‘You want to kill turtles?!’ Needless to say I am grateful for my iPhone and Spanish dictionary apps.

We usually take two walks a day around the marina and the adjacent housing complex to keep an eye on things and are beginning to feel part of the furniture. We are still enjoying the sunshine and mostly just relaxing. We have booked a rental car from 13 December for four weeks and will then go out and about on the island some more.

Photos

1. Good Company right next to Zucchini, Kees's yacht. (See previous blog post) He used to farm zucchini and felt it was a good name as they helped pay for his boat! Also see our plank and rope to jump off the boat!

2. Looking along the beach past the dunes on our walk to Playa de Ingles