We have had a good sleep in Sardina Bay with no wind but a little swell gently rocking the boat. Overnight a third yacht has entered the anchorage but there is lots of room and so we are all away from each other.
Mariadz has danced expertly around her anchor and having had coffee and breakfast it is time to start heading over to the other side of the island. It isn’t a long journey and we expect to arrive mid afternoon. Our berth in the marina is booked from Sunday so we will anchor outside for a short time and get in early once we know our spot.
Yesterday we had some trouble with the engine start battery which seemed to be dead. We had done lots of short manoeuvres where the engine hadn’t been running long including vacating the fuel pontoon, moving berths, going for a lift out and back to the fuel pontoon. I had fixed this by starting the engine using the generator start battery, we have the option of running g them in parallel for exactly this reason. That got her started yesterday, the alternator hadn’t filled the battery but by the morning this appeared to be low again. On the off chance we tried to start the engine and it caught but we will get the battery checked and probably replaced in Las Palmas.
This morning there is no wind so again we will be motoring for most of the journey. We don’t push the engine today, she had that yesterday and passed with flying colours.
As we approach the north of the island, there is noticeably more cloud than in the south. It’s is quite hazy as we sit on the bow chatting in very little wind.
It is getting busier, on the west coast we have seen the odd small fishing boat but now, near the major port, there are much bigger ships anchored. The wind is veering round all the time, just making sure it always stays on the nose so we can’t sail!
It has been quite an uneventful sail, avoiding the odd lobster pot u til we get to a few miles of the port. We don’t see some wood drifting in the water which hits the hill and makes a noise, annoying but it was partially submerged and wasn’t easy to spot. There were hundreds in Biscay. Few years ago which we avoided but a lone plank has banged into us this time. Typical.
We are on final approach to Las Palmas and Maria has permission from port control to enter the harbour and a quick call to the marina results in us being allowed in a day early! As I glance behind, about half a mile away one of the high speed ferry catamarans is coming towards us so Maria moves aside t9 let them through and then has to avoid a little fleet of sailing dinghies before we get into the marina.
Firstly, we have to go to the reception pontoon which has a lifeboat overhanging the front of it. Maria still brings her in expertly and we are nestled there as we go into the office with our papers. This check in is a little different though since we have already sent insurance and boat registration through we only need our passports and we are done. We have been given good advice of refuelling before getting berthed, as the ARC departure day draws close, everyone tries to refuel. We only need about 50 litres, having refuelled in pasito blanco so it doesn’t take long, or cost too much! Finally we go to our berth which is near the entrance of the marina and quote a way from the friends we have made over recent months but it is nice and quiet and soon enough Mariadz is settled for the next three weeks before the bog ocean crossing starts.
Maria wants to dress the boat, as ARC requests, and so we put up the 30-something code flags kindly donated by the wonderful Lars and Laura Larsen – they are hugs, even for Mariadz!
