27 October 2013 – Sunday in Ayamote

A week on and we’re still here in Ayemonte…  plans change!  The wind has turned northerly and so favourable today but the consequence of the major storm that is about to hit the UK and N France overnight is that there will be high seas down even as far as S Spain.  So now the plan is to leave on Tuesday, and go directly down to the Canary Is.  The winds look good for the rest of the week and the tide on 29^th will allow an exit over the bar at a relatively decent hour – 9am in the morning, when it will be light.  Then, all being well, a fast passage down to Areceife – maybe as quick as 4 days! 

All the news of the weather in the UK (the forecasts are for hurricane strength winds along the English Channel) brings into sharp focus how great the weather is here.  The clocks went back an hour last night, and it was dark by 17.30UT.  Roger has decided to maintain the ship’s clock at UTC+1 hour – so effectively ship’s time is now Spanish time.  After the downpours of Thursday and Friday which led to ankle-depth puddles, it’s been bright, sunny and hot again: hot enough for our neighbours in the Dutch ghetto further up the pontoon to get their deck chairs out and colonise the pontoon.  It’s shorts and t-shirt weather: as I write at 7pm UK time I’m in the cabin (mosquitos started to attack Roger as the sun set) but the temperature is still 26C.

The decision to delay departure was made yesterday (Saturday) because of the forecast levels of swell.  Our American neighbours on a very splendid and very French new Boreal 47 SV Sila: Christopher, Molly, Porter and Jack decided today to do the same.  Once the decision was made, we decided to go out to supper, and returned to the wonderful tapas bar, La Puerta Ancha, in the main square.  Three exquisite courses, and a pitcher of Sangria, for €48.  In 3 months, this is the 12^th time we have eaten out, and twice in Puerta Ancha, and each time has been memorable.  We’ve used the time to make preparations that otherwise have been done further south: cleaning the builges; setting up the twin poles for the headsails; and taking on dry stores. 

Ayemonte is a great town and it is no hardship to stay here. It has a very good centre, with the full range of shops and good supermarkets. There’s a great chandlery, run by English and English-speakers, including a man in a polo shirt with “Admiral” embroidered on his chest…  Nautic Ayamar.  I’ve managed to get, for a very favourable price, a copy of the RCC Pilot “Atlantic Islands” so we’ve have been able to read up about Lanzarote, the next port of call.