Canary Isles Mile Builder Feb 2014

Mile Building Cruise

Canary Islands to Morocco (rtn)

February 2014

Looking for some winter sun, an activity holiday and a chance to do something different we were attracted to the mile builder cruise offered by  an  RYA accredited sailing school which I will refer to as C.S. from their base in the  San Miguel at the south end of Tenerife. The advertised trip was approx 800nm in length and took in the other Canary Islands and crossings to Morocco and the Salvage Islands. 

The dates suited my scheduled work rotation and after some smooth talking with the Regional Council where she works, Kathleen managed to “carry” some holidays forward into 2014, so with our diaries free we signed up for what we hoped would be an exciting and interesting trip.

Day 1

Friday 7^th February 2014

A Scottish connection

After flying from Edinburgh to Tenerife (South) on Easy Jet’s afternoon flight we took taxi from the airport to the nearby San Miguel Marina arriving there just after 6pm local time, which was surprisingly the same as UK time! Our taxi driver was a man possessed and we were sure he was trying to get back to collect the people immediately behind us in the taxi queue as we hurtled though open countryside and built up areas at warp speed paying absolutely no attention to the posted speed limit nor to any road signs or road markings. Arriving at the marina thankfully without being part of a major car crash we found the C.S. cabin and after introductions we were shown to our yacht.

We would be sharing the yacht with a skipper, who we will call (“Skippy”) and two other “guests” – Dr. C a retired doctor from the south coast of England and Alexis a retired something or other from somewhere in Russia. Alexis’s origin seemed to change every time he was asked so all we really knew was that he was a Russian and that he had travelled around a bit during his career which seemed to involve doing everything from farming, designing boats, designing nuclear reactors and many varied things in between.

Alexis

During the trip, Alexis’s many unusual and either interesting or traits came to light much to everyone’s interest, amusement or annoyance. But more of them later!

“Skippy” our skipper for the next two weeks appeared briefly to introduce himself and to explain that the yacht’s provisions were not on board yet, but he had left some basics for breakfast the next day. After briefly saying hello “Skippy” left us to our own devices as he wanted to go home. Our yacht familiarisation and briefing would have to wait until the morning.

After dumping our bags we joined the C.S. team and some other guests for welcome drinks at their office before going to a local restaurant for dinner.

Miles sailed 0

Day 2

Saturday 8^th February 2014

Saturday morning dawns in San Miguel

As we all were eager to go sailing an early rise was in order so that we could have breakfast before “Skippy” arrived. After looking at the basic provisions which consisted of 4 enormous packs of cheap bread and margarine, children’s cereals and milk, a walk to find a local shop and something  better to eat was called for! 

 

Breakfast Day 1 - Just back from the shops

The area around the San Miguel Marina is a new build golf resort which appears to consist of either 2 story housing developments or large apartment blocks or hotels. There is a distinct lack of local character and it is hard to see why anyone would come to it unless they wanted to play golf or stay in an apartment for a week. The local restaurants are OK but are limited as are the shops. Luckily we found a shop selling freshly heated bread which, while not the best was certainly much better than that on board.  Bananas were also added to our shopping the basket for breakfast.

 The marina facilities were basic to say the least. While I cannot report on the condition of the ladies toilets, I am happy to have survived the men’s toilets and showers without catching anything deadly – they were by far the worst of the shore facilities that we used during the trip with the exception of those in Morocco, which in fairness were there to serve the local fishing fleet. While the toilets in San Miguel which were kept locked and were for the use of the boats moored on the pontoons and paying overnight harbor dues, the free public toilets at the other end of the marina were fine, but unfortunately we did not discover them until our last day there. I suspect the toilets we had to use were actually locked for public safety!

“Skippy” arrived around 9 am by which time we were ready and waiting for him as we were keen to be underway. The provisions for the boat were stored in C.S.’s office and had to be brought down to the boat, so everyone got stuck into carrying numerous bags and boxes down to the boat. Once everything was on board we started to unpack it and pack it away in the boat’s lockers.

Bearing in mind that our trip was not a cheap last minute week in the sun deal we were dismayed at the quality of the food that had been purchased. Everything was obviously the cheapest on the shelves at the local discount supermarket. Bearing in mind that we anticipated being in a marina probably every second or third day there seemed to be no consideration at all that fresh food could be bought on a regular basis. As we unpacked more and more tins of cheap tinned meat, tinned vegetables and snacks it was obvious that we were not on a gourmet cruise and that eating out whenever possible would be required to avoid eating what was on board.

Clive on the wheel as the sun sets

Having  stowed the food away – most of it hopefully not to be seen again, “Skippy” announced that we were still waiting on  further supplies, fuel, oil and paperwork so we would not be able to go anywhere until later that afternoon. This was meant to be a sailing day!

Food stowage was followed by a safety briefing and a run-down of the boat’s rules. By mid morning we were as ready as we could be and with nothing left to do Kathleen and I went for a short walk around the immediate area. Returning to the boat later in the morning  we were informed that as we were still waiting for oil  and for missing paperwork we could either sail late afternoon / early evening or we could postpone our departure until early the next morning. 

“Skippy’s obvious preference as skipper was to leave the next morning which would allow him another night at home, we would soon learn that “Skippy” did not like being away from his wife overnight as he would remind us regularly throughout the trip. Discussing things between ourselves we all decided that setting out on a night sail when we had not sailed together or when we had not sailed on this yacht was probably not ideal. We had expected to be setting out on Saturday morning and by now should be well on our way. With the decision made to leave early the next morning Kathleen and I set off for a longer walk as we had the rest of the day to fill.

Playa Grande with Montana Roja in the background

Walking northwards along the coast we followed the clearly marked coastal path. One great thing about the Canary Islands or at least the islands we have been on is that new developments seem to have to maintain a access between them and the coast, so the path along the coast lies between any development and the shore. Where developments have sprung up the path tends to be formalised, but elsewhere it is just a well-worn dirt track. Our walk took us through the nearby village of Los Abrigos which was pretty characterless and consisted mainly of low rise flats built around an older but redeveloped small harbor. Still following the coast we reached the long open beach the Playa Grande which is the longest natural beach in Tenerife and the haunt of a number of naturists who are well past their prime and who really should not be running around naked in public!!

Top of Montana Roja

At the end of the beach is a dramatic red coloured hill called the Montana Roja which offered us a great view of the coast line from the top. Unfortunately the visibility was not good enough to allow us to see across to Grand Canaria which can be seen on a clear day so we were told.

Walking back we watched a number of yachts enjoying the ideal sailing conditions although my eye was drawn to a massive French ketch which came into anchor off Playa Grande.  All in our walk was just over 12 miles which was probably far enough in Flip Flops!

We ate dinner at a local restaurant. Of the eight or so that were open all were virtually empty apart from one, so based on the principle that not only did the menu look OK but that presumably everyone in it has some local knowledge we went with the herd and managed to get an inside table. Before the smoking ban we would have chosen to sit outside, but who wants to sit at a table surrounded by other tables of smokers when they are eating?

To our surprise the menu was exactly the same as the one we chose from the night before. It turned out that the restaurant was the sister to the previous one. The meal  was at best OK but the service was very poor – no tip was left!

Miles sailed 0

Day 3

Sunday 9^th February 2014

Passage to Puerto De Mogan on Gran Canaria 

8.30hrs to 17.30hrs

Sailing at last

“Skippy” arrived early and after quietly slipping our moorings in as still unawake marina we headed out to sea at last. Unfortunately there was very little wind so the motor remained on all day. With the mainsail up to balance the boat, “Skippy” went down to  work out our course, not as I had expected by consulting charts or tidal flows, but just by putting a coordinate into the chart plotter. While I suppose there is nothing wrong with this as we got to our destination, I did expect that navigation when sailing with an RYA accredited sailing school would have been a bit more formal. When I asked if we had a tidal atlas on board as I was interested in plotting our course on the chart myself I was met with a completely blank look. For the next two weeks navigation consisted of “Skippy” inputting a destination into the chart plotter and the yacht sailing on the given course. Every now and then the course would be adjusted if the tide or current or wind had taken us off in a different direction.

The other criterion for navigation was that C.S. rules do not let any of their yachts sail in less than 50 fathoms of water!!!!  Whether this is an actual rule or not we had no idea but “Skippy” was adamant that we could not go within the 50 fathoms or 300 feet line, which would lead to some bizarre situations later on in our trip, especially as the 50 fathom contour off Morocco lies circa 7 miles out to sea!

Grand Canaria in the distance

Our yacht was fitted with radar which is something that neither, Kathleen or I had had on board before. While undoubtedly radar has it place, especially when sailing at night or sailing in poor visibility, we were surprised at the extent it was used by “Skippy” when sailing in good conditions with near perfect visibility. Rather than simply keeping a watch for shipping during our crossing, “Skippy” spent much of his time below deck watching the radar and appeared to be overly concerned at shipping that appeared at the extremities of the radar’s range of 24 miles.  Throughout the trip “Skippy” would continue to spend as much if not more time below decks with the chart plotter and radar as he did above deck which along with his fixation of staying out with of water shallower than 300 feet may have been a sign of insecurity on his part.

During the day “Skippy” announced that we would be unable to sail out to the Salvage Islands as the sea state would prevent us anchoring there. This was fair enough until he added that to date C.S. had not managed to land on them  despite numerous attempts and  it being a prominent part of the advertisement for the trip. He also advised us that even if we did go there the landing pass he had been given was for another yacht entirely and he was not sure if we would be allowed to land.

So for 51 miles we plotted towards Gran Canaria under engine, had we left the day before we would have been able to sail all the way, but I suppose that would have involved us motoring somewhere else today.

 

During the crossing we saw the first of the many Dolphins that we would see during our trip much to Kathleen’s delight

Approaching Puerto De Mogan

Pre dinner drinks

Arriving at Puerto De Mogan  late afternoon we were soon tied up stern to against the harbor wall. After a quick walk with Kathleen to find the marina’s toilets we returned to the yacht before setting off again with Dr. C to find a cold drink. With most of the nicer bars / restaurants setting themselves up for diners we were lucky to find some seats in one near the water’s edge for a late afternoon drink.  Just as we were about to leave Alexis arrived and ignoring the waiter’s warnings that he was seating dinners only he joined us at our table, for his brandy and coke.

Dinner saw us all eating at a local restaurant which offered a fairly mixed menu. It was here that we began to realize that Alex’s diet was somewhat unusual as no matter what was on offer  he would generally only eat soup along with a rum or a brandy and coke each night.

Sunset over Purto De Mogan

Miles sailed 51

Day 4

Monday 10^th February 2014

Night passage to Morro Jable on Fuerteventura

Depart 18.30 hrs.

As “Skippy” had planned a night passage to Fuerteventura we had most of the day alongside. After a leisurely breakfast Kathleen and I set out to explore and went for a walk through the town and along the coast road to an elevated corner that gave us good views over the marina and surrounding area. 

 

On the return walk, I bought a watch as the batteries in my own watch had gone flat and I wanted to have them properly replaced when we returned to the UK. Having worn the same watch for the last 17 years, I thought I would indulge myself with a second watch – one with amongst other features a barometer and a light.  Luckily I found one in a sale in a department store in town that was one I had been looking at home. As it was in a half-price sale I soon had it on my wrist! I am not sure Kathleen was impressed when I showed her my purchase as she never wears a watch at all and fails to understand the need for one. Perhaps that is why I tend to be early for everything and she is either fashionably late or very rushed!

Puerto De Mogan is a nice enough small town. The marina is a purpose built development which has worked pretty well. The houses, shops and restaurants which surround it are all based on similar architecture and are painted in a variety of well-chosen colours but with white being the base colour. The planting of numerous shrubs and flowering plants bring lots of bold colours with the climbing plants that are trained over the narrow roadways being particularly pretty. Outside the marina the original village retains some character despite it now having a tourist buzz, but the newer developments which stretch inland bring nothing to the town at all and some are a real blight on the landscape. Further along the coast we saw numerous massive developments of hotels and apartments that are built into the hillsides. These looked particularly horrible and detract from some really impressive scenery. Hopefully we will never have to holiday there ourselves!

Flowers added a lot of colour

Late afternoon saw us heading again out to sea running directly offshore to reach the 50 fathom line before we could turn our head  to the wind and start beating north westwards towards Fuerteventura.

Sunset as we leave Gran Canaria behind us

 

Beating into the wind in a fairly large sea meant that the passage was a harsh introduction to living on board a constantly and violently moving boat. A watch system had been drawn up which saw everyone being on watch for 4 hrs. and then off for 6 hrs. As Kathleen and I were the least qualified (Day Skipper) and as we had the least experience of yacht sailing – although not necessarily of sailing, we were allocated watches where we would not be on together. 

Kathleen on watch

As night fell I went below to try and sleep around 9pm before my watch , while Kathleen was on watch (6 to 10). I would then come back up for my own watch which (12 – 4). The motion in our cabin which was situated in the bow was violent and undressing was made more challenging by being airborne every few seconds. Having managed to get my wet weather gear off without injury, I wedged myself against the edge of the bunk and tried to go to sleep. While not enjoying the best of sleeps it was not improved by Kathleen coming down after her watch. While putting the light on to take her outer layers off could not be avoided, her waking me up to tell me that she did not feel well really achieved nothing as far as I was concerned. But her seasickness and the accompanying moans and groans meant that before my watch which was due at 4am I was more than ready to get up, in fact I was looking for any excuse to do so.

Miles sailed 40

Day 5

Tuesday 11^th  February 2014

Ongoing passage to Morro Jable

Arrive 14.15

So at 2am I was back in the cockpit and feeling better for being back out in the fresh air and away from my ill wife. By this time we were some 22 miles off course – no idea why, but then “Skippy” was trying to follow a course given by the chart plotter which was directly into the wind!

With “Skippy” and Alexis on watch “Skippy” decided that it was time to go about. Going about is a fairly basic sailing maneuver and one which should have been a walk in the park for a pair of Yacht Master Ocean qualified sailors.

As this was a simple 2 man task I watched as at attempt No 1 “Skippy” turned us into the wind and just through it in no more. Alexis seemed to have forgotten what to do with the jib sheet and as he stood immobile with it in his hand the yacht was pushed back though the wind by the unbalanced power of the mainsail and the power of the waves. In sailing things do not always go to plan so another attempt was made to go about. Having learned nothing from attempt No 1 the same thing happened again during attempt No 2 although this time Alexis did try to pull in the sheet, but as the boat was turned into the wind by “Skippy” and not through it, he was unable to get the jib across quickly enough before we were once again pushed back. This was getting embarrassing!

For attempt No 3 I took the helm while “Skippy” took control of the Jib sheets -= this time we actually managed this basic maneuver!

With “Skippy” on the winch the sheets were tightened again until they slipped on the winch drum, however no sooner had he put the winch handle away then the strop at the head of the jib snapped, dropping the sail onto the deck.

As “Skippy” / C.S. have a rule that no crew are allowed on deck at night “Skippy” went forward to rescue the sail. Despite wearing a harness he did not bother to clip on – this impressed no one as anyone working on the deck at night in these seas if not clipped on is a liability – skipper or not!

Without the jib we could not effectively sail to windward so he motor was started once again. With 50 miles to go plus an additional 10 or so to make the ground lost by being off course we plodded onwards Morro Jable.

Tied up after our night passage

Arriving at the Marina at Morro Jable at 14.15hrs (log time) we were allocated a berth beside a finger pontoon. The boat in the adjacent berth was too large for the berth which combined with it being poorly tied up meant that there was insufficient open water to allow us to berth. Having been dropped onto the pontoons at another empty berth I a managed with the help of two locals to move the yacht concerned sufficiently to allow Brego to be berthed.

The Marina at Moro Jable is part of a working harbor which caters for a few fishing boats, large inter island ferries and an assortment of craft that take paying tourists out on the water. The center of local village is reached via a steep path over a small coastal hill which has been covered in low rise housing. The village itself was nice enough and gave us the impression that it was there to serve the locals more than tourists.

My first time up the mast

Better viewed from a distance!

As soon as the boat was secured and sorted out, Kathleen, Dr. C and myself went off to explore and to find a chemist to restock on seasickness pills. The assorted pills that Kathleen had brought with her were obviously not doing any good. “Skippy” had recommended a particular type which we managed to buy without any problem. These proved to be very effective and for the next few days while the sea state remained everyone on board took them – required or not. To give him his due “Skippy” did know about seasickness pills.

Later that evening we all returned to the village for an excellent pizza at a local restaurant. Art from Alexis who had Brandy and soup.

Miles sailed 59

Day 6

Wednesday 12^th February 2014

Depart 08.00

Day and overnight passage to Tarafaya on Morocco

Leaving the marina at 8.00hrs we once again headed way off shore to reach the magical 50 fathom contour but this time we were under sail. Our planned destination was Puerto Deportivo El Castillo further up Fuerteventura. With a good wind we enjoyed great day’s sailing until late afternoon when it became obvious that we were not going to make our destination before darkness and as “Skippy” had not been to this marina before he was understandably keen to get there in daylight. 

 

A mile or so from the marina “Skippy” contacted them by radio only to be told that there was no room for us to berth there. This threw the cat amongst the pigeons as “Skippy” had no idea what we were going to do. It was only after it was suggested to him that we headed east to Morocco that a plan was pulled together and “Skippy” reverted to the Chart plotter to get a course. After first announcing that we would have a 122 mile passage, he shortly after changed this to a 70 mile passage – well what is 57 miles amongst friends.

Unfortunately with the sails back up we were sailing too fast as having announced that he had not been to Morocco before “Skippy” understandably wanted to arrive in daylight. It did though make us realize that apart from Puerto De Mogan on Gran Canaria  and    Morro Jable on Fuerteventura  our skipper had not been to any of our planned destinations nor did he seem to have any knowledge of them. 

 

Reading the pilot book entry for Puerto Deportivo El Castillo, the port that we had just been refused entry to, it highlighted the fact that it was a very small harbor with limited spaces and that yachts planning to visit there should book in advance – so much for passage planning!

So under a star filled sky we headed generally eastwards towards the African continent

Miles sailed 80

Day 7

Thursday 13^th February 2014

In port in Morocco

Arrive 06.50

We had a pleasant night crossing to Morocco during which I was entertained on my watch by Alexis’s observations of fishing boats working on the horizon. The boats which had their work lights on were a good number of miles away and were sailing away from us, which we could easily prove by their changing bearings. Alexis  though was not convinced and found the work lights confusing as he thought that they were navigation lights!!! After waking “Skippy” to ask what the lights meant, he finally accepted that we were not going to be run down, something that was born out as by this time the lights were well behind us and beginning to disappear over the horizon.

By 02.00hrs when Dr. C came up on watch the lights of Tarafaya in Morocco could be seen on the horizon and as we were entering shallow water – 70 fathoms!!!, “Skippy” asked us to slow the boat down further. By 06.00hrs when Kathleen came back on watch, we were within sight of land and were met by the local fishing fleet heading out for the day.

The local fishing fleet is made up by numerous small open boats – probably about 15 feet long, and powered by smallish outboard motors of varying age and condition (but not new, nearly new or anything like new). The boats had high bows and carried a crew of 2 or 3 people.  A number of boats came near us and the crews  who were all smiling and friendly asked us for whiskey.

Fishing boats in Tarafaya

Ongoing construction

The harbor at Tarafaya  was in the middle of some significant reconstruction with new breakwaters and sea defenses being constructed by the placement of thousands of large three legged pre cast concrete units. A small jack up barge and 2 dredgers were also working to deepen the harbor. These works had we were told been ongoing for the last 7 years and it looked as though they still had a way to go. 

Our mooring options were limited as the only pontoons were reserved for the local fishing boats and there was only one ladder set into the 20 foot high harbor wall. We did have the option of mooring alongside other commercial vessels but “Skippy” was not keen on that and would rather have left the harbor again than do that. Luckily the ladder was clear and we were soon tied up alongside. We had decided that we were going to stop in Tarafaya with or without the skipper!

Ashore in Tarafaya

Once our gear was stored and breakfast had been had, Dr. C and “Skippy” went to find the port office to register our arrival. While Kathleen and I went for a short walk around the harbor area. Soon Dr. C and “Skippy” were back. The port police having retained our documents for processing with the promise to give them back the next day when we wanted to leave.

Alongside

With a day in port Dr. C, Kathleen and I set off to explore the town itself. Alexis did his own thing and “Skippy” did not want to leave the yacht. In fact “Skippy” did not leave the yacht for the 1½ days we were in port even when we were on board. Obviously visiting different places is not his thing.

 

 

Tarafaya is not geared up for tourism. Having once been a ferry port and home to a small airport it was now simply a small fishing town as the ferry which used to sail between Tarafaya  and the Canary Islands had ended up on the beach in 2006 and the airport which had been built in the 1950s now had little traffic.

 

Our first stop was the bank where we waited patiently while being ignored by the most inefficient banking staff known to mankind. Eventually by standing directly in front of the teller we managed to change 50 Euros into local Dirhams. Whether this would be sufficient to make a significant difference to the local economy or not we were unsure.

Our next task was to buy some fresh fruit and veg. Walking along the main street we had ample opportunities to have our tyres fixed, or to sit and have tea at a local café, but there was no sign of a fruit market.

Dr. C spoke to the occupants of a car which had stopped at the kerb in front of us to ask directions. Rather than give directions, the driver told us to wait where we were while he dropped off his mother nearby. He would then return and take us to the market which was only a few minutes away. I was keen to just walk there and was reluctant to get involved in going by car as past experience in Morocco  suggested that this would involve money changing hands, but Dr. C thought we should accept the offer so reluctantly Kathleen and I got into the car for a journey that must have been all of 200 yards. Surprisingly no money was requested which was I must admit a surprise to me. Good call Dr. C!

 

The market was a real local affair with piles of fruit and veg displayed on stalls of varying construction and state of collapse. For a coastal town surrounded by desert, the produce displayed was impressive. I decided to take some film while Kathleen and Dr. C picked what we wanted. Shopping was simple, you take a basin and just pick what you want. You then take the basin to stall owner (or the man taking the money), who then sorts things into piles and adds up what you have bought. I suspect he then looks at the customer and sees “tourist” before multiplying the cost tenfold. What we paid for the fruit and veg must have made his day, but it was still not too expensive  and everything tasted great. 

 

"Home Delivery?"

Our third and final task, or as I should say Dr. C’s task was to find a souvenir for “Skippy” to take home to his grandson. As “Skippy” obviously did not want to come ashore he had asked Dr. C to find an article of clothing suitable for a toddler that had Arabic script showing on the outside. This was no easy task as the few shops and stalls that we found were all selling fake European designs – obviously they were considered a better item of sale than local fashion (if there is such a thing). Eventually we found a Moroccan football strip the quality of which was reflected in the price – about 3 Euros or so.

Having successfully completed our shopping Dr. C announced that he wanted to find a postcard to send home. This was real optimism, but to give him his due we ventured into a number of likely establishments and a few unlikely ones in search of a card; but without success.

 

On the way back to the yacht we had a look over the sea wall behind where we were berthed and found that we had easy access to a fantastic unspoiled beach, so after quickly dropping off our messages and changing into our swimming costumes we braved the cold water for a quick dip. It is worth mentioning the sand dunes which had been formed against the harbor wall and which provided us with access. The sand which was very fine and had not compacted. Stepping on it resulted in you sinking up until your knees, a very unusual experience.

Swimming

While we were out shopping and buying fresh fruit and veg, “Skippy” had cooked a dinner which he thought  we should eat in the middle of the afternoon. The dish that he had made was corn beef hash – potatoes tinned corn beef – honestly! Not surprisingly nobody showed any enthusiasm for this so we settled for bread, cheese and fresh fruit instead. 

 

By midafternoon it was time for a walk again so Dr. C, Kathleen and I set off southwards from Tarafaya to walk to the hulk of the former Morocco / Canary ferry that we could see on the beach. Leaving the village we passed a splendid building surrounded by a well-kept wall and garden. The building had lots of interesting rooms and extensions as well as domed and elliptical roofs and canvas shaded areas. We wondered if it was the home of a rich local.

A house?

Rather than walk along the road, I suggested  that we head across a narrow section of scrub land to the beach which would be nicer to walk on. Unfortunately the beach turned out to be a rocky shoreline and unsuitable for walking so we headed back to the road, but not before walking through the local dump. So much for that idea!

 

4 miles or so later we reached the ferry which looked fairly intact despite having been aground just offshore for the last 8 years or so. Admittedly it could have done with a coat of paint!! Having been given up as a total wreck many years ago, I am sure it has been stripped of everything of value and will remain there as a monument to what? For the foreseeable future.

On the way back to the yacht in fading daylight, we took numerous photos of the sunset which was a particularly good one.

 

Dinner was potatoes, cheese and cold meat. Dr. C did try the corned beef that “Skippy” had left out. Dr. C proving himself to obviously be a better team player than Kathleen or I.

Goats

While were in Morocco there was an ongoing issue / paranoia regarding our passports and getting them returned. While Kathleen and I were not involved in any discussions with the local harbor police, a bottle of whiskey was exchanged with the chief of the port police to get our passports back the day before we left as this would allow us an early start. Whether this was necessary or whether the concerns were genuine or not I cannot say but the matter was resolved without any issues, albeit with “Skippy” promising never to go back there again, which as he did not actually go ashore will I am sure be a great loss for Moroccan tourism!

Miles sailed 39

Day 8

Friday 14^th February 2014

Motor sail from Tarafaya (Morocco)to Puerto Calerno (Lanzarote)

Depart 04.30 arrive 17.20

With the forecast promising  high winds over the next few days we wanted to head back over to the Canary Islands rather than be storm bound on the lee shore in Tarafaya, so with no wind forecast for the day I got up at 4.30am to help “Skippy” take us out of harbor as we would have to motor all the way. As soon as we cleared the harbor entrance “Skippy” set the auto pilot and went below to check the chart plotter, while staying on deck I thought it more prudent to disengage the auto pilot and steer away from the numerous fishing boats that were also leaving or which had been out fishing overnight and which anyone down in the cabin would be oblivious to. 

By daylight we were all on deck, enjoying the sunshine and calm seas, but not the nose of the motor. Yet again we were entertained  by many dolphins which came to play around the bow. Dolphins were proving to be pretty common but that did nothing to lessen their magical appeal. Later on we were visited by some pilot whales heading southwards

Early in the afternoon Dr. C suggested a swim and was given permission to stream a buoy behind the yacht. By holding on to the rope Dr. C  followed by Kathleen and then myself were towed slowly along behind the boat. Disappointingly for Kathleen no dolphins were in the area when we were swimming and I can see that swimming with wild dolphins is going to be added on to her “bucket list”. 

As we dried off after our swim, a brown object was spotted off the starboard bow. Dr. C proclaimed it to be a drowned rat, but just as he said this the turtle raised it’s head and gave him a withering stare. Obviously comparing a turtle to a rat is offensive to a turtle!

By early afternoon Lanzarote was clearly seen on the horizon and by 17.30 we were berthed in Porto Calerno but not before Alexis had livened up our initial arrival by falling off the boat onto the pontoon outside the harbor masters office much to the amusement of himself and everyone who saw him. I hope I am still able to sail when I am in my late seventies!

As Tarafaya had no on shore toilets other than the hole in the ground used by the local fishermen we were all looking forward to the toilets in Puerto Calerno. Having been there before Kathleen and I had already sung their praise so we hoped that they lived up to everyone’s expectation. They did and much time was spent showering and re showering in a clean environment under the plentiful supply of hot water. To be fair the shower on the boat was good, but it could not compare to the showers in Puerto Calerno

For dinner that night we went to a local Mexican restaurant which was awful – possibly even worse than potato hash! Future note – avoid the Mexican Restaurant in Porto Calerno.

Miles sailed 79

Day 9

Saturday 15^th February 2014

Coastal path

The promised high winds arrived and we were officially storm bound Puerto Calerno! As Kathleen and I had been in Porto Calerno when we sailed with Endeavor Sailing which are based there in 2013 we knew the local area fairly well. Our plan for the day was a relatively lazy morning followed by a walk to nearby Puerto del Carmen in the afternoon.

Dr. C decided to join us for the walk which although relatively short follows a scenic route along the cliff tops and offers good views of any boats sailing nearby. On reaching Puerto del Carmen we decided that a drink was in order which ended up as some tapas for Dr. C and an omelet for me. As it was early afternoon all the cafes and restaurants were fairly busy so we were lucky to find a nice table outside one which gave us seats overlooking the harbor. Unfortunately just after we had ordered the heavens opened and we found ourselves in an ever decreasing dry spot under an umbrella which eventually proved too small so we relocated inside to have lunch while the rain passed.

That evening we had booked a table at a local steak restaurant, which we had eaten at when we were here in 2013. The restaurant serves steak which is imported allegedly from Argentina. Having made our booking the night before after leaving the dire Mexican Restaurant, we were looking forward to a nice meal out. We had previously decided that “Skippy” would be our guest as although he had proven to be perhaps not the best or most competent skipper he was a nice enough guy.

Alexis, who had settled himself into a local bar earlier in the day and who had been drinking from late morning decided that he was not going to join us after all. It was a bit of a surprise therefor that shortly after having been seated at a table for 4 by the restaurants manager, we were joined by a slightly drunken Alexis and his camcorder (He was making a Russian disaster movie during the trip!)

As the manager had no idea what she was letting herself in for she welcomed Alexis with open arms and sat him along with us. However Alexis decided that his movie needed a restaurant shot so he thought he should film each and every customer in close up as they were eating, returning to our table between shots to film his napkin as he explained that filming the napkin would correct the white balance in his camera ! Do all Russian film crews carry white napkins?

Eventually we managed to get Alexis to sit down and order. Of course Alexis wanted soup which was not on the menu, followed by a number of other dishes which were not on the menu. After finally agreeing that meat was OK and placing his order it was time for more filming so another tour of the tables was called for plus some extensive filming of the chef in action.

Despite Alexis’s antics we had a great meal. No doubt we will eat there again if we are ever back in Puerto Calerno

Miles sailed 0

Day 10

Sunday 16^th February 2014

Church tower in Teguise

With the weather still distinctly unfavorable we were storm bound Puerto Calerno for another day. Our plan was to do a bit of sightseeing but slightly further afield this time and so we had hired a car for the day.

When Kathleen and I had been in Lanzarote in 2013 we had visited the house and gallery of Cesar Manrique. This is a stunning semi underground structure formed on a forma lava field and was somewhere we were keen to visit again. We suggested to Dr. C who was coming with us that this would be a good place to start our day out. The house and gallery did not disappoint and I hope Dr. C enjoyed his visit there.

 

From Cesar Manrique’s house we headed north to the small town of Teguise which was only a few miles away. Teguise is home to a large Sunday market and so we thought it might be worth a visit. Dr. C was keen to but a Moroccan hat, and having been unable to find a suitable one in Tarafaya when we were there he thought that there may be one to be had at the market.

 

The market itself consisted on numerous stalls all selling the same things. If you wanted to buy fake sun glasses, handbags, headphones or watches, look no further the market at Teguise as this is the place to go! Fortunately there were some stalls selling more interesting things and the local shops stocked some nice stuff, a lot of which was handmade. 

Local hat shop

In a side street Dr. C found a stall selling hats – while not strictly Moroccan, a hat was bought as Dr. C thought he would have many opportunities to wear it at home – really? Personally I cannot imagine a single occasion when I would wear a brightly coloured silk brimless hat never mind a number of occasions. Dr. C’s life is obviously more interesting than mine. So saying that the hat did kind of suit him.

A man with a hat!

The gale force winds that had kept us in port appeared  even stronger in Teguise due to its hill top position and much to the consternation of the stall holders the wind was wreaking havoc with not only their merchandise but with their stalls as well. As lunchtime had been and gone we looked for somewhere out of the wind to get something to eat, loosing Kathleen in the process when she stopped to take a photo and then went into a shop to look at something without telling us. 

FOUND!

Having found my errant wife we also found a fantastic little bar / restaurant  were we had a great lunch before resuming our day’s sightseeing. 

Which one is real?

Our next stop was the beach at Caleta de Famara on the north coast of the island. As the wind was northerly we hoped that there would be some impressive waves and a walk along the beach would allow us to burn off our lunch. The waves were pretty big and with a high tide the beach itself was barely visible. The beach patrol had closed the beach to surfers and swimmers and so disappointingly there was no activity on the water to watch, but we had a good walk along the edge of the dunes and then into the village in the other direction.

By now it was midafternoon so we had just time to take in the west end of the island as we completed our circular route back to Puerto Calerno. The east end of the island is very varied in terrain, with large flat windswept open areas, dormant volcanoes and vast lava fields.  We stopped again along the coast to watch the waves rolling into some seas caves which had pedestrian access ways and viewpoints.

 

We returned to Puerto Calerno in the late  afternoon / early evening by which time  darkness was beginning to fall.

After a good dinner on board which was made by “Skippy” we went for a wander while unbeknownst to us Alexis decided that the lucky diners at the steak restaurant would appreciate being serenaded by him playing his mouth organ while they ate – amazing what drinking all day does for your self-confidence! Whether the diners appreciated the gesture or not I have no idea and hopefully the owner will have forgotten us if we ever go there again!

Music man

Miles sailed 0

Day 11

Monday 17^th February 2014

Depart 14.30

With the weather moderating the plan was to leave during the afternoon and sail down the north coast of Fuerteventura continuing overnight to Las Palmas in Gran Canaria.

With the morning to fill we walked along the coast to the small and undeveloped village of Playa Quemada some 2 miles away. The village which is at the water’s edge consists of only a few houses and a small restaurant with an outside terrace. Here we enjoyed freshly squeezed orange juice before we headed back to the yacht.

Departing Puertro Calerno at 14.30hrs the winds although still blowing 25 to 30 knots were favorable and ideal for us to reach / run under genoa for most of the way.  However what we as crew had not foreseen was the skipper’s decision to follow the 50 fathom contour rather than sail a course that would allow the boat to reach as that would take us into 30 fathoms. This inflexibility meant that having sailed by the optimum course between Lanzarote and Fuerteventura we had to beat back up wind to pass between the islands. Ironically this meant that we had to sail in waters shallower than 50 fathoms, so his decision regarding the course taken was flawed from the start. 

Beating back upwind in 25 – 30 knots of wind with just the full genoa up was putting a lot of strain on the rig especially each time the bows buried themselves in a wave.

Shortly after changing tack, there was a loud noise from the rigging, signifying that everything was not all right. Upon looking upwards the top of the mast was bent at an alarming angle and looked as though it would snap at any moment. While “Skippy”  did not react at all apart from to openly wonder what had caused that, the crew let the jib sheets go, furled the  jib and got the engine started. This probably save our dismasting – no thanks at all to “Skippy”.

Looking upwards at the mast it was apparent that the top starboard mast spreader had collapsed allowing the starboard shroud to slacken

Its broken!!!

“Skippy” then decided that we would continue under motor along the windward coast of Fuerteventura. The crew disagreed and stated that we should find shelter and sort ourselves out as with the mast out of action, being so close to shore  we would be at the mercy of the seas if for any reason the engine stopped.

“Skippy” than decided that we should head to Rubicon for shelter, ignoring the natural shelter a mile or so away behind the tip of Fuerteventura (Rubicon being 4 miles away upwind) again the crew felt that this was not a good decision as a) heading back upwind into a lively sea with damaged rigging would not be good for the mast, b) “Skippy” was unsure if there were facilities to fix the rigging in Rubicon  and c) If the rigging could not be fixed then the boat would need to be motored to San Miguel Marina in Tenerife  so motoring in the wrong direction to Rubicon would be a waste of time when there were other marinas where we could stop in the lee of Fuerteventura.

Having decided in the face of the views of others to head for immediate shelter behind Fuerteventura “Skippy” went below to use the radio while I helmed the boat. Helming was challenging as we were running at an angle before a steep 3m swell which continually wanted to turn the boat.

The mast free of any load and still supported by the backstay, forestay, port shroud and lower starboard shrouds had regained it shape and with no load from the sails on it was in no danger of failure.

We were therefore amazed when the skipper returned to the deck and proceeded to remove the main halyard from the mainsail to use as additional support for the mast. While this had a degree of sense behind it, there was no immediate need to do it as a) The mast was secure and sheltered waters were nearby which would be a more sensible place to sort things out. b) The spinnaker halyard was readily available and could have been instantly used without the need to take the mainsail halyard. c) As the main sail was out of it’s bag, the only thing holding it down was the fact that the main halyard was led under a cleat further down the mast and tensioned to hold the sail down.  By removing the halyard there was nothing to stop the wind filling the mainsail and creating further problems.

By this time “Skippy” had lost all rationality and proceeded to work on deck without clipping on despite the sea conditions. Again making himself a liability to the boat and the rest of the crew. None of us were impressed!!

Too much text - picture to break it up!

Once sheltered waters were reached “Skippy” was in further communication with C.S. and advised us that he had been instructed to bring the boat straight back without further delay. We advised that we did not want to go straight back to Tenerife as we were on holiday and we wanted to stop off on the way back to enjoy the facilities on shore and to visit other places along the route. We certainly did not want to motor non-stop for the next two days and nights!

At this point “Skippy” told us that he was following company instructions and the boat would be going straight back. He also advised that we would be no doubt due some compensation.

It was with a somewhat angry and disappointed crew on board that the yacht headed back under motor to San Miguel.

Miles sailed 93

Day 12

Tuesday 18^th February 2014

My four hour watch was spent helming southwestwards as we headed back to Tenerife as the end of my watch at 04.00hrs approached “Skippy” stuck his head up from the cabin to give me a new bearing as we had more than enough fuel to head towards Puerto Mogan on Gran Canaria, so I was more than a little surprised when having been in my bunk for an hour I was woken by the yacht coming alongside the fuel  berth in Moro Jable at 05.30 hrs. It appeared that “Skippy” in one of his many moments of indecision,  had changed his mind about the fuel and we had changed our course back after heading towards Gran Canaria for an hour or so.  Even simple passage planning under motor appeared to be out with our capabilities.

As we had to wait for the fuel berth to open we did not leave Moro Jable until 07.45. After motoring all day we reached at Puerto Mogan in Gran Canaria at 22.45. Yet again we had not let anyone know of our impending arrival. When we were approaching the marina “Skippy” tried to raise them on the radio as he assured us there would be someone on call 24hrs a day. Obviously the pilot book must be wrong then as it says that the marina office closes at 21.00hrs i.e. . nearly two hrs. before we got there. Eventually after sailing into the marina we managed to hail a helpful security guard who told us that not only was the office shut - the pilot book  obviously being more knowledgeable than our ranting skipper – but also that there were no berths available, however he kindly allowed us to tie up where the ferry docked as long as we promised to leave before 09.00hrs the next day.

Once we were tied up we quickly found the last remaining open restaurant where we had a passable meal.

Miles sailed 89

Day 13

Wednesday 19^th February 2014

My Birthday!

We did not make it away by 9.00hrs as we were 30 mins late in departing, but no one seemed to mind.

Heading out of the marina and with the our final destination set in the chart plotter  we set off to motor the last leg of our journey in frustratingly ideal sailing conditions.

As we grew closer to Tenerife the dominant mountain Teide gradually came into view. Unusually it was covered in snow, a phenomenon that is virtually unheard on in the canaries and a consequence of the weather system that had brought us strong winds and rough seas.

The events and our experiences during the previous two weeks had as can be imagined fallen considerable short of our expectations. We had advised “Skippy” that we wanted to meet with the director of C.S. to discuss the trip and that we would be seeking compensation / refund for the days that we were unable to sail. Skippy responded by telling us the director would be there to meet us when we got back or that he would be there tomorrow.

Motoring - The Salute!

We arrived back in San Miguel at 18.00hrs to find “Skippy’s” wife and family on the pontoon to welcome him home. As soon as the boat was secured, “Skippy” departed with his waiting family, leaving us to our own devices. No discussion took place regarding what was planned for the next day as the skipper’s abrupt departure was unexpected. There was no sign of the company’s director, however this was some misinformation that had been provided by “Skippy” as the director was not due to be on Tenerife until tomorrow

Back in San Miguel

Miles sailed 53

Day 14

Thursday 20^th February 2014

“Skippy” turned up at 10.00hrs and asked if we wanted to go sailing. As nothing had been planned it was 11.30 before we located everyone and left harbour. While we were waiting for Alexis to return to the yacht we asked again when the director of C.S. would be in San Miguel to speak to us.

Skippy then announced that he had only brought the yacht straight back to Tenerife as that was what we requested! Gob smacked and furious I walked away from this blatant lie otherwise I would have flung him off the yacht!

Reluctantly I joined the others on board the replacement yacht as it was too nice a day not to sail. Skippy, now back on his home turf wanted to do everything himself (not a team player) including going to the mast to pull the sails up using the main halyard. This he did without paying attention to what was happening in the cockpit where Alexis who was on the halyard there had to take in twice as much rope as “Skippy” did due to the main halyard being doubled above the sail. This resulted in the halyard getting wrapped around a mast light and becoming well and truly stuck.  Having just left the marina we had to go back in wile the idiot who had caused this problem went up the mast to free the halyard. Had we not been going sailing it would have been tempting to have left him there – up the mast!

Once out on the water we had a great half day’s sailing which was a good way to end our week.

Later after we had returned from our afternoon sail we met with the director of the company who listened to our complaint in a courteous and professional manner.

Having listened to our complaint we were asked to formally submit it in writing in order that it could be properly addressed, which we did when we returned home.

We were then asked to join the director as his guests for dinner at a local restaurant that evening. Having accepted the invite we had a nice meal where we were joined the crew from another yacht.

Miles sailed 24

Day 15

Friday 21^st February 2014

Our last day and Kathleen had a cold – no doubt given to her by me! While Kathleen may not give much sympathy to me when I have a cold, she was certainly suffering herself for the first time in years which may in the future invoke some sympathy for others! We had been asked to clear the boat by 10.00hrs as it needed to be cleaned for its next outing. This presumable would either be a motor sailing course or it would have to be postponed until the rigging was fixed.

Local flora

We decided that a morning walk to Los Abrigos for coffee was the plan for the day as Dr. C had to catch a taxi to the airport early in the afternoon. As our own flight was not until later in the day we could walk a bit in the other direction in the afternoon if we wanted to. 

Stark Landscape

Our planned coffee ended up being a light lunch at a small restaurant looking over the harbor. Unfortunately Kathleen did not feel up to eating which was a pity as the food was good and the helpings enormous.

Lunch

Traditional Russian farewell dance!!!!

Back at the marina we said farewell to Dr. C who had been excellent company during the week and with a couple of hours to kill we set off towards the town of Les Gelletas. A small coastal town a short distance to the south west of the marina. 

By this time Kathleen was struggling with her cold so we turned back just short of the town to make sure we were in sufficient time for our taxi at 15.00hrs. 

Smiling despite her cold!

Miles sailed 0

Total Miles sailed 607

Back in the UK

We did have an enjoyable two weeks despite the many sailing related issues. We were fortunate to have good company in Dr. C and interesting company in Alexis.  As for “Skippy” while I bear the man no lasting ill will, I will not be sailing with him again.

Since our return to the UK we have had further communication with C.S. which has addressed our complaints in a very courteous and professional manner and we have reached an aimicable resolution.

If anyone has actually read this far I would like to stress that the issues that arose during our trip  were mainly attributable as far as we are concerned to the skipper of our yacht who was clearly ill prepared and uncomfortable sailing out with the immediate area of Tenerife South.  The yacht itself had a number of relatively minor issues, the worst of which was the continual water leak in our cabin which soaked our bedding and filled both wardrobes with water to a depth of circa 250mm when the sea was anything but calm.

I have been impressed with the way our complaint was handled which proves that C.S. value their reputation and long term client base over a quick profit.

I am sure that a number of lessons have been learned from  our trip and hopefully the issuse which arose have all been addressed. Would we sail with C.S. again – yes, but with other trips already planned it will not be within the next few years