We were told this was a windy spot and it really is! 22 knots most of the time and gusting up to 30+. We had a predictably fast sail from Puerto Calero yesterday with 3 reefs in the main and full genoa. Once in the bay and sailing North West to the Marina, the wind arrived on the nose with fierce gusts so we changed the genoa for the staysail and were glad of the reefs. We motored into the marina at lunchtime and with help from the very charming marina staff, managed a difficult arrival on the reception pontoon. Regrettably, we did not manage our arrival on the allocated berth so well and with a slight miscalculation and a mean gust of wind at the critical moment, lost the bow and it smacked into the pontoon about 9 Inches above the water line. The marina staff were nearly as mortified as we were, they are really helpful and have made us feel really welcome here After a visit to the chandlery for a much needed chart of the Canaries and some repair kit, we are a fair way to repairing the damage but not our pride! Not for the first time and no doubt not for the last time either, our smart top sides are reflecting our learning experiences with regards to manoeuvring our kingfisher in tricky conditions.
We have now used the bicycles for the first time and explored the marina, the coast in both directions and all the local supermarkets, while we wait for a little less wind. David is also spending an enormous amount of time on trying to find a WiFi connection that works, while Sally is trying to get to grips with an elementary grasp of Spanish, with some help from Dan's emails.
The current plan is to go straight to Gran Canary, hopefully tomorrow when the grib files and all the locals agree that there should be a little less wind.
Buenas tardes
From Alcedo
Sent from my iPad
