Gran Canaria
'Sarf & West mate, Sarf & West'
Pete Bernfeld
Mon 3 Nov 2008 11:22
|
This last week has been spent at anchor outside the
Pasito Blanco marina. The anchorage has been a little rolly at times, but
despite a couple of 'frights' the holding has been good. The weather has been
generally pleasant, if not always sunny. There was a depression which tracked
north of the Canaries about mid-week, which produced fairly strong westerly
winds and an uncomfortable swell, but it only lasted about 24 hours. I
hired a car for three days (sharing with Peter & 'Boris' from Moonshiner)
and have managed to see most of the island. Lots of photos were taken and a good
couple of lunches consumed.There is still a lot of building work in progress,
but the island seems to be fairly quiet in terms of visitors at the moment. I
don't think the hotels are full. All of the marinas on the south coast
seem to be full of small, locally registered motor boats. As opposed to 13 years
ago, the available anchorages are very well populated with cruising boats
.There is virtually 'no room at the inn' for visiting yachts, so it looks like
I'll be in Las Palmas from the first week of December until the 'big off-ski' on
Jan 2nd, unless I can get into Puerto Rico.
I'm expecting to move on the middle of this
week. The (very) rough plan is to anchor off Mogan (the last reasonable
anchorage on the south coast of Gran Canaria) for a night, then day sail to
Teneriffe (about 50-odd miles). Over-night in an anchorage there then on to
Gomera (round about 20 miles) for a few days or even a week if I can still
anchor in the harbour. From there it should be possible to head north west to La
Palma, where I'm told there is room in the marina at 'reasonable rates'). To get
back to Gran Canaria from la Palma I basically have two options, either a
100 mile beat to Santa Cruze in Teneriffe, then a reach to Las Palmas or a broad
reach from La Palma to the south coast of Teneriffe, a reach to the south coast
of Gran Canaria and a night-time 'creep' up the eastern coast of Gran Canaria
(against both wind and current) to get to Las Palmas. We'll see!
Incidentally, Vanessa, aka Boris decided on
'International speak like a pirate day' that she needed a more piratical
nick-name. 'Mad Mary of Moonshiner' it is then, but I'm not convinced of
the concept of having two glass eyes!
 |