October 18th 2021
We left Los Lobos at 2pm and had a fabulous 20 hour sail to Gran
Canaria. The wind did exactly what it was forecast to do; setting off in low
Force 4 and getting up to 18-20kts during the night before dropping back down
again in the morning. We had a comfortable nightsail and watched as the
twinkling lights of Las Palmas turned into the impressive industrial port as
daylight broke. Huge cranes and container ships dominate the port and dwarf the
massive marina with the sprawling backdrop of the city behind it. I don't think
either of us realised just how massive Las Palmas is; or how much shoe leather
we were about to use over the next couple of days walking miles and miles
around the chandleries, hardware stores, shops and supermarkets of what we now
know to be Spain's 4th most important port; and the biggest in the Canary
Islands.
As we
approached Gran Canaria just as it was starting to get light and Jamie was
below having a couple of hours off watch the waters around Hamble Warrior
suddenly became alive with a huge pod of small dolphins with distinctive
speckled underbellies which I later learnt were called "Atlantic Spotted
Dolphins"; they were swimming alongside us and diving down under the keel
playing with Warrior and seemingly enjoying my clapping and cheering them on. I
enjoyed the show they put on for 5 minutes and then called Jamie up on deck so
he didn't miss out. By the time his sleepy head appeared through the
companionway they had raced off towards Las Palmas leaving me well and truly
with egg on my face!
We dropped anchor
in the large and busy anchorage managed by Las Palmas marina and after a few
hours relaxing we rowed into the marina to check in; present our papers, pay
our dues, and as it turned out they had a berth available for us for just a few
euros more than the cost of anchoring - so we booked in for a couple of nights.
The marina here
is the start line for the famous ARC rally and ARC+ rally.... the transatlantic
rally of hundreds of boats that crosses each year. We have seen a lot of boats
flying the ARC flag since arriving in the canaries but now that we are here
literally every boat in the marina is getting ready to cross the Atlantic...
and all of them apparantly are doing it as part of the ARC rally! It's very
exciting being around other boats all getting ready for their transatlantic
trip although I am quite glad that as we are going independently of the rally
we can leave when it suits us (the ARC notoriously leaves very early; 21st November
this year, which is before the trade winds are properly established, in order
that the fleet arrives in the Caribbean for Christmas). I have only been a
little bit jealous of the ARC fleet once so far and that was when I learnt that
the rather sizeable fee for participating allowed them a 10% discount in the
local chandleries! It's amazing to be here though and see all of the local
shops and businesses set up ready for the ARC boats.... danbuoys & diesel
cans piled high in the Rolnautic and a complex of temporary structures being
put in place for ARC administration and events.
