Last days preps and first 24hrs at sea
Juniper
John and Sally
Mon 25 Nov 2024 11:38
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26:16.251N 016:03.519W
The final days in Las Palmas saw separate
deliveries of dry, fresh, frozen, chilled and pre-cooked stores. We were
very well served by all suppliers, with each delivery arriving on the dock as
ordered. Considering there were some 180 boats doing the same thing, the
local suppliers rose to the challenge admirably. But the biggest accolade
must go to Sally: it was she who converted the crew's chosen menues (we each
came up with three) and associated ingredients into an orderly
grand shopping list, and then broke this down into the above categories for
the suppliers. Not only that, she oversaw the stowage on board, with Bill
building the all important stowage plan. A huge thank you Sally; without
your unstinting attention, we would be eating far less
adventurously.
Sally departed pm on Saturday; well done to Easy
Jet for getting her back to Bristol around midnight despite the worst efforts of
storm Bert. We now hear she's 'flooded in' due to the submerged lane at home,
and with no food in the house. Sally, we told you you should not be
leaving!
Sunday was rally start day (remember: it's not a
race!). The morning saw Juniper's top up of water tanks,
ditching of the last of the gash and a final secure for sea. Then it
was time to relax in the cockpit drinking coffee and enjoy the spectacle along
the dock as other boats attended to their own departures. Two starts were
scheduled before our 1300 off: catermarans at 1230 and the racing division at
1245. Along with the entire fleet we duly slipped lines and proceeded out
of the marina - quite a scrum as all obligingly formed a disorderly procession
out past the signficant crowd assembled at the breakwater lights. It was
as lovely send off.
The skipper promised to keep his horns at bay, but
it was not to be: as the final minutes counted down,
we joined the 80+ boats in our division jockying for pole
position - all the while on port tack - yes, port tack: the line was heavly
biased. Come 30 seconds to go we were closing the pin end of the line,
with enough space to luff up briefly to kill some speed before accelerating
just before the gun fired. We reckon we hit the line some 5
seconds later, and were the first boat across. Of course, it's not a
race...
A sea breeze from ESE got the fleet away, with the
boats furthest from the shoreline (including us) benefiting the most. But
by 1430 the local effect had died, and we made use of the cruising division's
allowance for the use of engines (hours to be submitted at the finish, with an
associated adjustment to elapsed time). By 1600 we were feeling the gradient
wind (SW 3), and the iron genoa was stowed. For the next 6 hours we
were on the wind, some 50 degrees off our ideal course (225); but as forecast,
the wind started to veer, and by 0340 on Monday morning we were able to lay our
planned course - making ground to the south of the rhumb line to avoid a
windless hole forecast just north west of us for the next few days.
According to Wiggy.
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