With Nigel joining the crew, we were all keen to ‘sail the Canaries’ before leaving Hejira in Marina Rubicon on the southern shores of Lanzarote. Our mission started with a short sail to the delightful Puerto Calero where we were made very welcome and moored alongside Triumph, a Baltic 64 from Sweden which will be doing the ARC with a crew of 12. It is their third ARC and proud that they finished first at their first attempt and judging by the array of sail bags stacked on the pontoon, they will be taking the competitive element somewhat more seriously than us. It was very good to talk some ‘bilge’ with them and their assertion that the return leg is just as rewarding with a memorable quantity of sea creatures to view was duly noted.

We were delayed fuelling (by a greedy ‘stink pot’) before leaving on our 50nm push south to Fuerteventura and when the wind died, we took stock of the situation and ‘played’ with the Parasailor for a while deciding to put into Rubicon rather than press on for an inevitably very late arrival.

On passage it was interesting to be advised to change course to avoid a holiday jet-ski ‘course’, an instruction also given to the impressive old (replica?) Americas Cup J class yacht Rainbow and they, of course, also happily complied.

The planned rather bullish itinerary was reviewed and we decided that the weather uncertainty which may well have delivered an uncomfortable last couple of days, was enough to keep us in Rubicon while we day sailed and evaluated some of the equipment and systems planned for the forthcoming crossing. It was certainly productive to discuss the merits and vulnerability of the sail plans and systems with two experienced sailors.

Although I had been told that the Lewmar Mamba self-steering drive unit was ‘bullet proof’, Nigel had suffered a different experience so I decided to seek advice from Lewmar who recommended (not surprisingly considering the cost) a service. So it was decided to take the (very heavy) unit in my hand baggage back to Lewmar in the UK for their ministrations and I am even considering buying a spare ‘back up’ unit just in case. Imagine continuously hand steering for over 2000 miles!

The most galling discovery however concerned the second Yankee Jib which will be part of our overnight sailplan, poled out, flown from the bow sprit opposite the primary Yankee. I had gone to the trouble prior to departure from the UK to have the sail serviced and a ‘torsion’ luff rope sewn in behind the bolt rope so it could be furled with a Karver furling system from the safety of the cockpit. Thank goodness we tried the arrangement before needing it in earnest. Not only was the luff far too long but, crime of crimes, it had not been sewn in so the rope would just spin inside the pocket. It would have been totally unusable as it could not be furled.

Fortunately we have found a local sail-maker and he is briefed to effect the necessary modifications but what a further dent in the confidence I used to have in UK marine ‘trades’ – this was unforgivable!

In that we are now staying in Rubicon and I have a list of jobs to organise back home, I have brought my flights forward to tomorrow, Friday so that I can ‘get on the case’ first thing on Monday. This unfortunately leaves Nigel kicking his heels until next week and I feel extremely uncomfortable about not delivering the promised Canary Cruise so I am braced for a keel hauling at the hands of the Southerly Owners Association of which he is Chairman.

Nigel writes:-

What a pleasure it has been to meet the elusive and worryingly furtive Barry. A man whose few achievements are more distasteful than his failures. Seriously, it has been a pleasure meeting with the crew of Hejira (some only briefly), and sharing the experience of people preparing their boats (especially Southerlies) for this great adventure. Whilst we have not sailed as much as had been billed, it has been a very sociably and informative week, and I will leave richer in knowledge than I arrived (and with a better suntan). What more can a boy ask?

Barry is actually cooking !!!

Paula and I will be enjoying some time in Rubicon (very different and probably nicer than Vilamoura) before Barry returns to haul out for a ‘bottom clean’ and the crew join him after the World Cup Final and ‘hot foot’ to our departure point in Las Palmas for the final preparation and victual for the crossing.

Blogs should resume on the 2^nd of November while we prepare and party.

‘Marina Lanzarote’ has turned out to be a real find. It is less than a year old with the staff so keen to make one happy it borders on obsequiousness. With a 10% discount for ARC participants and superb shore side facilities, what could be missing.

Well, it would be ‘nit picking’ but, a bar with Sky Sports 1 would have been helpful so we could have watched the England vs Ireland triumph (my daughter in Dublin has told me that we have some Irish followers of the blog) so we had to take a taxi to the nearest tattoo resort to watch it in a ubiquitous Irish bar – very pleasant! Having said that, with the crew comprising two Welshmen and a Scot, I was severely outnumbered and I promise I didn’t labour any points, particularly with the tests to come in the not too distant future.

The trials with the water maker continue and after dismantling the unit, replacing the spool valve and checking the unit out, it still didn’t produce any fresh water, it is now in pieces and in the returning crew’s luggage to be sent back to the UK agent. This ‘bit of kit’ is rather essential to our crossing aspirations and we MUST have it functioning properly. It may be another example of the Northshore ‘curse’ as they fitted it and, on dismantling the unit, bits of silicon sealant and PTFE tape were found in the innards – not good once again!

So, it’s a meal out tonight then a tidy up and final jobs before the arrival of Nigel Campling (Southerly Owners Association Chairman) and the departure of the ARC crew that have taken us so successfully from the Algarve to the Canaries.

Stephen writes:-

It seems strange to be moored up and not to have to adopt the triple brace to use the heads. The marina is very welcoming and the facilities are excellent. Getting my land legs is proving a problem and not helped out by our taxi driver`s attempt to emulate Sterling Moss on our return following the match watched in Puerto del Carmen , I hope the pedestrians have now recovered but I suspect the curb  damage will remain as a testament to his driving ability. However we all survived the journey and are preparing for the final tidy up before Bob and my flight home. Yesterday on the final  few miles of passage we discovered 2 semi-cooked flying fish on deck both unfortunately too small to try out the recipe kindly given to me by John Fraser (will no doubt need it on the ARC John). The crew seem to have survived my first chicken and prawn risotto (did not tell them of my frantic texts to my wife Mary for last minute advice how to improve its flavour, but as confession is good for the soul I have now come clean). It seems odd to be going home and reality tomorrow but despite by initial poleaxing by Mal de Mer I am now looking forward to the final push to St. Lucia in November.

MO report: crew full of vim and vigour and skipper has not mentioned his great toe for days.

Bob writes:-

The re-acquisition of land legs is a very real problem, made worse when in a confined space, such as a bog cubicle ashore! Contrary to Stephen’s findings, I find myself adopting the ‘triple brace’ position when using the on-shore facilities in an attempt to stop the dreadful ‘swirling pit syndrome’, but then that could be down to the beer I suppose! Final night for ‘the Doc’ and me this evening before the great steam cleaning and general fumigation of berths before we get on the aircraft tomorrow and we are looking forward to another round of obtuse references to a vast range of philosophers from Stephen once we have loaded him up with sufficient rosé to un-leash what is clearly a very deep seated facet of his psyche! The overall trip has been a great experience and a superb pre-cursor to the magnum opus due to begin in November.

Barry doesn’t write!

As a post script to the departure of the ARC+ crew I have to say that I think it has been a really productive experience. The recommendation of the ARC organisers for the participating crews to have carried out a 500+ mile passage is clearly well advised. We have managed to iron out a few issues, settled on a watch system that suits our particular crew and banished any pre-conceptions which might have been misplaced. All good stuff.

Dawn finds us between the islands to the north of Lanzarote having had a wonderful, exhilarating day and night of sailing with the wind on then behind the beam, touching 8 knots at times. On this passage, we were able for the first time to replicate (almost) the crossing circumstances in terms of electricity generation under sail. I am happy to report that with the Watt & Sea hydrogenerator, Air Breeze wind generator and photo voltaic panels, we are comfortably able to keep up with our demand, running all the navigation systems, fridge, freezer and auto pilot. The water maker will draw another 4 amps when that is repaired but I am very pleased with the situation.

Unfortunately the conditions necessitated a change of plan for our evening meal and I just knocked up a simple concoction comprising fried chorizo, onions and garlic with Spanish omelette and baked beans. Surprisingly good given the eclectic composition. Those that know me will identify that all of my creations start with ‘onion and garlic’ and develop from there.

On passage we managed to ‘collect’ two flying fish on deck and we saw a leatherback turtle as we passed him (or her) leisurely paddling away oblivious to our presence..

Stephen writes:

During my pre-watch `snooze’ the sea’s lumpiness took a quantum leap upwards and I was glad that trusty Barry was guiding us through on the 9-1. Hejira shook off all that was throw at her and ploughed on in a way that only the `Viet Gwent’ going through the Cardiff pack on a rainy winter’s evening at Pontypool Park could emulate. The night watch passed with only 2 ships picked up on the AIS both well out of our way.

No fishing was carried out due to Hejira`s speed and our unwillingness to wrestle with an angry tuna on a pitching deck (well you have to have some misplaced, optimism when it comes down to it)

Tonight I will put the crew through an altogether more fearsome test as I am cooking a Chicken Risotto in the pressure cooker (a first) so if the blog goes `off grid’ you will be able to draw your own  conclusions.

Crew bright and breezy today, sick parade deserted.

Bob writes:-

Great sail and what we had all hoped for, despite a lumpy sea as Nick has stated. However, a taste of things to come, we suspect, so a good proving ground.

Barry writes:-

Can’t find Barry.

Having now moored in ‘Lanzarote Marina’ in Arrecife, we have taken the obligatory ‘dirty beer’ and the crew is now dispersed between the showers and who knows where else ?

Having breakfasted to our capacity in the hotel which provided an ‘all you can eat’ buffet of excellent quality and value, we did our final shop and slipped our lines, heading out past the Ilhas Desertas before adjusting our course for the northern end of Lanzarote.

Using a non-slip mat and magnetic chess board, Barry and Stephen were able to lock horns again, Barry gaining the upper hand on this occasion, 1 – 1.

Stephen is the one who looks like an extra from ‘Bridge on the River Kwai’.

Bob seemed a little pensive all afternoon and this turned out not to be concerns about keeping his breakfast but apprehension about his turn in the galley where his creation was to be spaghetti carbonara. In the event, the meal was a triumph and this may be a surprise to his family so, after ‘grassing him up’ like this, I think he is likely to find himself spending more time in the kitchen at home – sorry Bob.

While enjoying Bob’s offering, the engine which had been helping us maintain the required pace, spluttered and stopped. While finishing the meal, it occurred to me that this was my fault and I had been very stupid. I has switched the diesel supply from the tank which we emptied on the passage to Madeira to the full starboard tank but I had forgotten to similarly divert the return, a fundamental error and unforgivable as I was fully aware that the engine only uses one quarter of the diesel it pulls from the tank, the remainder being returned. Quite simply, after seven hours, I had effectively pumped the contents of the full starboard tank back into the port tank – what a plonker! Modern diesel engines being more ‘user friendly’ than their predecessors, the injectors did not need to be bled and the engine fired into life after a little churning on the starter motor.

It was soon afterwards that we hooked our second fish although on this occasion we managed to land (boat) it. It was a small tuna and, in that it would not feed all four of us we returned it hoping it would survive the ordeal of the hook extraction. I have always been most successful with the rod at dawn and dusk as I imagine this is when the fish tend to feed but I am prepared to be contradicted on this.

Stephen writes:-

Slipping away from Madeira in the sunshine with no signs of pursuit by orbs we cruised by the well named ‘deserted Isles’ on route again for a mere  three day passage. The afternoon passed swiftly helped in part by the second leg of the ` Hejira Open Chess Championship’ (see above for the combatants in action, I should note that although others may snigger about my headgear, the back of my neck remains unscathed by the ravages of the sun). During our excellent evening carbonara (sorry Bob to enhance your culinary reputation once more) the skipper’s dexterity with fuel valves was demonstrated to the full although his confession is extensive and touching. I believe that had Bob`s carbonara been any less gourmet( sorry Bob, again) we’d have forgiven our tuna his deficiencies in the size department and fallen on him as wolves.

Bob and I spent another companionable night watch under a waning moon with variable winds and intermittent use of the engine. We handed over to the Skipper with Orion off the port bow and hence to our bunks.

The crew are hunky dory and the Skipper`s great toe saga is at an end.

Bob writes:-

Two major milestones…..I conquered my fear of cooking in a bouncing galley and we arose this morning to all three sails pulling marvellously! What we had all been waiting for, the sailing that is. Soon to arrive in the Canaries where we all look forward to another rosé fuelled profound debate on all the world’s philosophers, led by ‘the Doc’, or Isaac as he is now known following his success with the fishing rod.

Barry writes:-

Barry says he is too busy.

As forecast, the wind picked up in the night and we are now ‘bowling’ along under sail alone, what a wonderful contrast !

Nick

1. It’s Stephen’s turn to cook tonight – watch this space!

I have seldom encountered a Marina that tries harder to make visitors welcome than Quinta do Lorde. We were met outside the Marina by a rib which showed us to our berth and took our lines. The young lady in the office was most accommodating offering advice and giving us a voucher for 15% discount in the bars and restaurants (as visiting yachtsmen) and a 30% discount for ARC participants. The facilities were excellent and with a supermarket and several bars and restaurants what could be wrong with the place? Well, it is a little strange.

It is a purpose built Hotel, Resort & Marina complex which has been quite nicely designed to incorporate some ‘olde worlde charm’ as a coastal village but the periphery is neglected and unoccupied. The location is well removed from any other conurbation being out on a limb at the far eastern point of the island and, unfortunately a surge finds its way in and I understand it doesn’t need much for the entrance to be untenable. For us though, it was a very welcome refuge!

We had the obligatory dirty beer on arrival followed by jobs, lunch and a shower. A late afternoon walk took us around the complex, returning to the marina for an early evening meal alongside the dock, watching the yachts surge back and forth.

Returning to the yacht we all enjoyed a game of dominoes before turning in for what should have been a quiet night but sleep had to overcome the symphony of creaking warps.

Stephen writes:-

After the 500 miles passage I am glad to report that I did not fall down at anybody’s door and most disconcerting was my disequilibrium on going ashore, I had to resist the urge to get back onto a moving platform. The village around the marina is a Portuguese version of Port Merion and very pretty for it, even if most of the houses have yet to be sold. None of us took the opportunity to go into the `I am not a number…` speech( clue `The Prisoner`)and we did spot some golf buggies. We are soon to set sail and will be on the look-out for menacing white spheres.

The crew remain in A1 condition and the skipper`s great toe has not caused any further concern.

Bob writes:-

I should like to make it quite clear that my reference to ‘massive passage’ in yesterday’s blog should in no way be misconstrued as a reference to any one person’s alimentary canal, although other members of the crew’s union have been heard to mutter something about what they might like to insert in the skipper’s! Thoughtfully, they have restrained themselves and the skipper continues to walk normally!

Barry writes:-

Barry says he can’t find his reading glasses!

So, jobs done, it’s ashore for the final provisioning, a hearty breakfast and ablution before slipping lines and heading off on the 300nm passage towards the Canaries.