Maderia to Tenerife via the Salvagens Islands
Mandalay
Robin & Jenny Martin
Wed 6 Oct 2010 21:32
Departed Porto Santo on Monday last week and arrived in main island Madeira after a 4 hour motor sail, highlighted by the passage through the gap between the rocks, see photos of before & after.
Quinta do Lorde marina turned out to be a very sociable place, which is just as well as it's location is somewhat isolated. We arrived the same day as Steel Sapphire and Amokura and were followed a few hours later by Catou. We had our first party on board with 8 of us for a BBQ when we cooked more of Robbie's tuna.
John, Robbie's cousin joined us after a couple of days when we hired a car to tour the island. Thankfully John did the driving as living Switzerland he felt quite at home with Maderia's many hairpin bends, which would have given us vertigo. Great sights of the terraced farming and the damage caused by the flooding earlier this year. The windward side of the island was quite different, more lush much steeper cliffs and wilder coastline.
Robin and John spent time sorting poles for the double head sails, whilst Jen went off snorkelling with Steel Sapphire & Amokura.
Sunday the weather looked promising for a decent sail to the Canaries via the Selvagens Islands. A permit was granted to us to visit this remote outcrop of islands for 48 hours, if the weather was settled we planned to stop and visit the nature reserve which is inhabited only by the wardens.
Day 1. 173 miles covered. av. speed 7.2, max speed 9.5kt/hr
Departed 11.30 hours. Beam reach in 15 - 20 kt winds with 2 reefs in the genoa. Only one vessel seen on passage, which was on collision course, alteration in heading taken by both of us. Closed in on Grand Salvagens 12.00 next day. Sadly far too much swell to anchor let alone row ashore!
Night watches much easier on us with a third person, 2 hours on and 4 off worked well.
Day 2.139 miles covered reefed to slow down to plan our arrival in daylight.
Wind north westerly and swell a bit lumpy so decided to make for Tenerife and a comfortable passage. Priority now to get refills for the gas as all effort so far have met with failure. Pilot books advised best chance to fill 7kg cylinders are in larger ports of the Canaries. Arrived Santa Cruz 11.30 after a 48hour passage.
Public marina fees expensive for short stays because of government taxes, we paid €70 for the first night (€48 tax & 22 marina fee) and €22 for the 2nd night, the tax covering a 10 day stay has to be paid up front. On the positive side we did get the gas bottle filled. That involved a taxi trip out of town to deliver it and the same again the next day to pick it up.
Wonderful lunches to be found and enjoyed. Highly recommended by those aboard Maymio is La Hierbita in Calle Clavel.
Photos.
Before the gap , then after the Gap!
John & Robbie at Pineior Golf Club.
Quinta do Lorde Marina.
