October
We reluctantly had to leave Madeira behind us and move on towards the Canary Islands. Many yachts left on the same day from the south coast with a variety of destinations in view. We kept company with Tamarisk, a Westerly Corsair and her crew of Tim and Penny with their children Anna and Eddie. The GRIB files suggested light winds and we allowed 48 hours in our passage plan to cover the 290 nautical miles to Graciosa.

Reflections of the sunrise on clouds at the beginning of the second day

The best laid plans do not always work out at sea. Initially we had a light west wind which died a way and went north. Our friends did not lose the wind and we watched them pull several miles ahead. Up with the pole for the genoa for a dead run followed immediately by a brisk north easter! Down with the pole - half an hours work in a safety harness with stiff breeze and rolling seas. Up with both foresails and away we went. The breeze freshened and we closed rapidly on our friends on a beam reach at a speed of 7.5 to 9.2 knots!

Heavily reefed after rough second night at sea

We had agreed to stay in company so we had to reef down and settle for 6.5 knots eventually. The winds grew stronger in the afternoon and the seas became confused. More reefs followed and the second day was quite rough. We arrived at Graciosa at dawn and went down between the island and Lanzarote to the little harbour. Here there is a marina with pontoons but nobody has yet connected the water or electricity outlets and this has remained the case for three years now! Thank goodness for generators!

The marina at Caleta del Sebo on Graciosa

Graciosa is at the northern tip of Lanzarote for those who cannot find it in the atlas. The local town, Caleta del Sebo, has a North African feel to the buildings and the main streets are sand. The Port Captain is also the local mayor and it is difficult to complete formalities when it is a good day for fishing! The island is at the centre of a marine reserve and there are tourist day-trippers coming from Lanzarote and campers in the summer. The beaches are beautiful and the pace of life very slow. We love it!!

Caleta del Sebo, Graciosa

The older locals are dressed in typical Canarian fashion and have the oddly shaped straw hats that are traditional. It is strange to see ladies like the one on the right sweeping sand in the street to make it tidy. Because of the tourist trade there are three small supermarkets and an Internet cafe. All around us the scenery is stark and volcanic. We hope to take a day out on mountain bikes to explore it all. There are several beautiful beaches and we plan to anchor off one of these for a few days before leaving.

Old lady in typical Canarian hat
The steep cliffs of northern Lanzarote from Graciosa

The marina has boats from the UK, France, Belgium, Sweden, Denmark, Australia, Canada and the United States. The atmosphere is great fun as everyone is looking forward to an Atlantic crossing of some sort next month. Some are on there second Atlantic Circuit and others in transit to the Pacific, South America or Africa. There is knowledge and advice available about many aspects of voyaging over a barbecue or a huge seafood paella in a restaurant in town. Very loud and great fun!

A local fisherman accidentally hooked a leatherback turtle near the marina and brought it in to take to the vet in Lanzarote to have the hook removed. She was a 12 year old female - they live to about 15 years. She spent the night in a water-filled dinghy and was then transferred by wheelbarrow and jeep for a ride on the local ferry. She should be fine without the hook .

Leatherback turtle being taken to the vet on Lanzarote

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