las palmas muelle deportivo
Chaser 2
Yvonne Chapman
Thu 2 Nov 2006 19:40
How would you like to be a dustman? This is a
picture of the local refuse collectores in one of the Balearic Islands off
Spain's east coast. Nearly every port, marina and anchorage has one or more
of these rubbish collection boats patrolling the waters in the Islands and
mainland Spain too. Something that is sadly lacking here in Las
Palmas.
OK, Las Palmas port is large, a very large
commercial port which can handle cruise ships, naval and cargo vessels of
all sizes. Some spillage and rubbish is to be expected, all the more reason to
have refuse boats, but so much of the garbage is I'm sure from the smaller
boats either in the marinas or anchored in the bay. It is raw sewage,
nappies, everything floats around the waters when the wind is in the right
direction. This has the added effect of increasing the cockroach and rat
population I'm sure, we saw a dead rat in the water, probably drunk some
of it. So, although I believe the port authority should spend some euroage
on the sewage the boating community should control what they pump into the
sea.
We've been talking to friends in the club who need
work doing on the hull, this can be done underwater but none of us are keen
to enter the agua, for fear of catching something nasty, or bumping into
it.
The pavements too are littered with doggy poo and
chewing gum like you've never seen.
Nevertheless, Las Palmas, the Port and
Marinas are very nice, one has to remember also that we pay nothing to
anchor and something like 9 euros a night to berth our boat in the Marina,
cheaper still if you pay for long period, this includes all your electric
and water for your floating home, coupled with nearly all year round sunshine,
one can't complain too much. Compare this to our home port charges of 45 euros
per night, 100 euros in some Majorcan marinas and even more per night in
Valencia, one learns to accept some dirt (but not the deliberately
dumped.
Take a look now at the anchorage and beach
with our Marina in the background, and the Marina itself where Chaser,
centre of the picture, on pantalan 16 is currently berthed. How good does that
beach look!
I've always found during my working life that the
people that moan, winge and gripe are the ones with nothing to do. We had a
quiet day yesterday, so I'll shut up, jump up to the cockpit and enjoy a little
sundowner before going out for dinner, or maybe to the Varadero Clubhouse where
you can watch the sun go down and sip a Bacardi and Coke at 5 euros (for two!)
Isn't life a bitch, and we haven't started yet, only 24 days to go, can't
wait.
