Now in the Canary Islands

We made and overnight passage from Lanzarote to Gran Canaria, where we have met up with lots of friends, all heading in the same direction.

This was a great evening, with friends on other boats and listening to some music.

The 'Arc ' rally left here on Sunday and there were about 250 boats all crossing at the same time.

We waited to come in until they had all left and there was space again. The marina is now full up yet again and everywhere you look there are yachts getting ready to go across. There are also dozens of young people asking us if we need crew, but I think it's only the hippie-looking ones that are left!!

There are some strong winds forecast for the next few days, so we shall hang around here until the system has gone through and then off to Tenerife to pick up Lisa and Jay for the crossing. Can't wait to see them again.

Gib to the Canaries

Saying goodbye to the Mediterranean and leaving the 'rock' behind us, we motor west through the straits of Gibraltar. This can be a challenge with the currents against you, mini whirlpools stirring up the water, and dodging huge tankers in the shipping lanes. At times we were doing 2 knots, and can understand why it takes some small yachts days to sail out of the Med.

The second day out was gorgeous and calm, there was plenty of time for a lunchtime salad and a glass of wine! Maybe I should be on a motorboat.

The waves on this day were huge!

How come the horizon looks as flat as a pancake, when we were hanging on with gusts of 40 knots, and surfing down some waves at 12 knots!

Fine during the day, but hurtling into the darkness at night can sometimes be a little scarey!

And so here we are in The Canary Islands, home of the retired volcanos.

Looking around us, it is like a moonscape skyline and not hard to imagine these things erupting at any moment.

Here we are on the beach of Isla Graciosa. Each evening everyone gathers to chat, listen to some guitar playing, have a game of boule and last, but not least, enjoy a glass of wine or three!

Apparently there were 45 boats in the bay a week ago and the beach was heaving, last night there were about a dozen, so it was a more select gathering.

Gibraltar is a small rocky peninsula, attached to the mainland by road. Here is the boarder, where literally thousands of workers cross morning and night to work on 'the rock'. It is an expensive place to live and so the majority of the workforce live in La Linea, over the border in Spain.

This is the main road from Spain to Gib, which goes straight across the airport runway!!

When the lights change to red, the traffic stops and planes have right of way. I think it is rated the 5th most remarkable airport in the world.

Whilst in Gib, we have also worked on a fuel problem we had with contaminated diesel. The tanks were drained to get rid of a diesel bug that was growing in the tanks, a slimy brown residue was apparent in the fuel filters.

This also meant that both injector pumps and injectors had to be serviced, with was an expensive, but necessary job. Better done when safely tied to the quay though.

Here is Daryl fitting a new hatch. It was a nightmare to remove, sikaflex sealant is a lot stronger than the fibreglass! We have now fitted a stronger hatch and hope that will keep the saltwater out this next passage!!

Tomorrow morning we shall leave Gibraltar and head south to the Canary Islands. It should start to get warmer too.