Madeira to La Palma

Sweet Dreams
Roz Preston /Ed Phillips
Sun 16 Oct 2022 18:13
So, after 42 gruelling hours travelling across an empty stretch of ocean between Madeira and the outermost of the Canaries, La Palma, we arrive exhausted in the Marina La Palma to find we are in party town! There is a massive sound system set up outside one of the (eye wateringly expensive) bars not 100 metres from our berth, blasting euro pop across the marina, not quite drowning out the sound of the squeaky pontoon a similar distance away, or the chatter of neighbours who think SD’s bowsprit is a handy place to hang onto while they chat to the people on the opposite boat. All we want to do is rest!

Just when we thought it was all going so well, the Asymetric sail which would have been great in the conditions out there, light winds from the Starboard quarter, seems to have seized up and won’t unfurl. There is another tear in one of the downwind sails, the autohelm motor tried to go walkabout in the Lazarette and had to be bolted back down again, which involved emptying said Lazarette’s contents and half its structure into the cockpit, and a bit has fallen off the end of the main sheet traveller. I guess we had it coming, it’s all been too smooth so far. And problems, like buses, prefer to come mob handed.

Ah well, a couple of beers and a pizza in the promising looking old town were welcome after a frustrating trip. And I suppose the party animals will have to go home at some point. Meanwhile, there’s always more laundry and boat washing so we’ll make the best of being here while we search the charts for our next, and hopefully quieter anchorage. It’s not all glamour, this sailing business.

Until next time, Sweet Dreams out.

Ps a dog fight has just broken out ashore! Add frantic barking to the sound picture.

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