TIME TO BOB AGAIN

Sadly we lost my aunt just before Christmas, it was quite a shock but we were fortunate to spend some time with her before she went. After a very busy time in the UK we landed in a soggy heap back in Grand Canaria.

We were very happy to see our lovely vessel again and even happier to have some time to sleep and enjoy some well earned R&R. Then we set to the job of provisioning for the voyage ahead, two trips to Cortes Ingles and much mooing and baaing at startled Spanish ladies to ascertain the appropriate cuts of meat to buy – they obviously thought I was quite mad but it worked – I hope…. I then had to endure an embarrassing wait of shame with my bagged goods standing to the side of the checkout whilst I waited for Andrew to come and rescue me as I had taken the wrong debit card with me and had no means of paying, by this time I think the matrons of Las Palmas were incredulous!!

Leaving Las Palmas

We left the wonderful Real club Nautico, where we were looked after so well, and headed out to into a very flat Atlantic with very little wind. It took us five and a half days to get to the Cape Verdes and we had to motor for over half the trip as the winds were variable, to say the least, thanks to the large low to the North of us which wiped out the Azores. However it was a great trip and we settled into our routines very quickly. As I am by nature a night owl, who is never keen to get up early, and Andrew likes to be tucked up early and finds it difficult to sleep in the daylight it makes sense for me to do the first watch after dinner. I then get to sleep as long as I like after my second watch, which suits me just fine!

A fish at last!

On our last morning we finally caught a fish, which was very exciting! Andrew reeled in a very fine dorado and then it was my job to spear it with the gaff. This was not as easy as I thought it would be, I ended up bashing the poor thing about like a tennis ball, breaking the gaff in the process. The poor fish was dangling on the end of the rod with this look of disbelief at this mad creature waving its arms about causing such havoc! Eventually we got it onboard and oh the joy of fresh sashimi for lunch and fried fish for dinner. Andrew was very pleased with his new status as hunter gatherer, and the fact that his wife could no longer bemoan his inadequacies as a fisherman.

We arrived in the Cape Verde Islands as the sun was setting; it was an amazing sight to see these mountainous islands rising out of the Ocean. There was low-lying cloud and it rather felt like we were entering Jurassic Park. It is such a fabulous sense of achievement to have sailed so far – I hope we will always feel this way as we progress on our travels.

We enjoyed a couple of days of down time, getting used to the heat. Then much excitement for the arrival of Louise and Nigel and with them the Trade Winds, we couldn’t have arranged it any better! A big night out of course and a suitable hangover! Final provisioning and then we are off across the pond at last!

Our Shipmates