LAS PALMAS!
Pgroshni
Sun 25 Oct 2015 19:00
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> Here we are in Las Palmas Marina having arrived on Friday, the start of the Arc place. I’ve finally, after much nagging, worked out how to use the mail a sail blog and will try and amuse the few of you who visit with some anecdotes, humour and whinging from the boat while aboard, sailing or while in harbour.
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> After setting off from Puerto Mogan on Friday 23rd expecting a boring motor sail W then N to Las Palmas; once we got clear of headlands, a helpful Southerly breeze came in at around 20kn which pushed Roshni along nicely. Thankfully I got this passage trip record away from Ali through (quite frankly) superior helming at 11.6kn. Coming up to Las Palmas the heavens opened up properly and vis dropped to around 100m - aiming into the port we thought we were heading at the light house shown on the chart but at closer inspection (a bit too close meaning another b gybe for me to winch) it turned out to be a ship with a big drill rig thing on it!
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> Still after trusting the charts and being hooted by a ship (no manners some people) we came into the harbour to take the sails down - sadly I managed to put my back out yanking down the main which is probably the most consistently pain in the arse job ever. Having heroically managed to park perfectly while whinging about the pain at point G44 we were ferried to the very helpful marina office; the rather delightful Sheyla called her own physio and made me an appointment. The chap was very good and extracted some worrying cracks and accompanying groans from me ! Anyway I can still walk and have some pink straps on my back which gets me some strange looks while swimming at the beach.
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> The beach next to the marina in Las Palmas is definitely to be avoided; aside the outlook over the container terminal, after a quick swim both Ali and I came out covered in some browny coloured slime which took a bit of removing in the shower :(!
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> Boat jobs are in full swing; Ali has done a superb job fitting the cockpit tent (tent pit cock - it’s now renamed - sorry Susan); he did manage to spin it out all day while I ‘lived the dream’ cleaning pumps and swabbing out the bilges…:).
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> We roundly blamed ‘purser’ Nigel for not being able to find any spices to cook with so the kitchen is now redone too - (sorry Nigel).
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> Looking forward to tomorrow when I feel a visit to customs to retrieve the now infamous jib stick and other packages will take a whole day aside a visit to the helpfully expensive chandlers !
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> Hope all well at home, email suggestions and texts always welcome - particularly recipe ideas for ‘not stir fry again’ Ali.
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