So, we're back on Canaries. We returned to Lanzarote ten days ago, after being home for six weeks. It was a sad time, but I was overwhelmed by all the love and support, warm words, real and virtual hugs I got from our friends. Thank you so much. As our lives got back towards normality, we decided to return to our boat, captain was already super anxious and concerned if all was well.
Here are couple of photos I shot before we flew home. They are made with my new camera, Olympus TG6. My previous was TG2 and served me well for over six years, so I decided to stay loyal to the brand. I'm still trying to figure everything out about TG6, but I already noticed the new photos are sharper and macro function is better. These two photos of anemones and hydroids are the only test of how TG6 operates under water I managed to make - I was kneeling on our pontoon in marina in Lanzarote and stuck my arm with the camera in the water and blindly shot couple of photos. I was quite happy with results, but to test the camera under water more thoroughly, I'll need warmer sea than what we're having here.
Captain was very happy to see the small fish eating the growth on our hull. Could this be a new marina service?
When we returned to our boat after being away for so long, we were both relieved that all was in order, there was some sand over the boat and in the cockpit, but luckily not inside. We did some cleaning and stocking up and next day we left the marina. We had plans to sail along Fuerteventura, anchor for the night if we found a good anchorage and sail to Gran Canaria. We thought we would spend the first night in anchorage at small island Isla los lobos near Fuerteventura, but it was rather rolly so we just took some photos and sailed on.
The ride along Fuerteventura was fast and bumpy, the waves were about 2 meters big. At one point I saw something swimming in the wave behind the boat, and it was white! Then I spotted two smaller grey things as well. As they raised their heads above the water, I saw that their heads were very round, like melons. And they were bigger than atlantic dolphins. But they were riding the waves just like other dolphins. First I thought they were pilot whales, but in the evening I checked the interent and learnt that they were Risso's dolphins (okrogloglavi delfini, Grampus griseus), although closely related to pilot whales they are the only species where adults are almost white. Unfortunately I didn't have the camera at hand so I didn't get any photos. I'm really sad, they are not seen so very often.
In the evening we anchored near city of Gran Trajal. It was incredibly rolly and captain got up at 3 in the morning and lift the anchor. I tried sleeping on. At about 8 we rounded the lighthouse at Morro Jable...
...and then anchored in bay in front of the marina. It was quite calm, and we slept some more. Unfortunately the wether wasn't very nice. During the day couple of ferries came into the harbour and they turned not too far away from us. While nobody made any fuss, we had the feeling we were in their way.
So in the afternoon we sailed another couple of miles to SW point of Fuerteventura to spend the night there. It was a fast sailing over the flat water. We anchored in front of the lighthouse in not very calm anchorage...
...swell was getting in around the lighthouse.
But we still managed to cook us a good dinner and got some sleep. After the breakfast we sailed off at about 8 next morning. Day was unfortunately grey again, wind strong and lots of waves. It was a bumpy and fast ride. We almost got run over by this ferry, despite us being under sails and having right of way, and calling him several times over VHF, lastly we decided to change the course to avoid collision. We prefer to be unharmed and alive rather than right.
We arrived in Gran Canaria at 4 in the afternoon and anchored in anchorage between the breakers of the port. It got really calm in the evening and we were so happy to sleep well after two bad nights.
Ok, the view wasn't too great, despite the nice evening colours.
We took it easy on Sunday and on Monday we rowed with the dinghy to the marina to get a berth. The anchorage is a part of the marina so one pays for anchoring as well. In marina office everything is happening really slow and it took us one and a half hour of waiting and then another half an hour to pay for the berth. In the meantime wind picked up heavily and changed to SE and we started to wander if this was the best time to moor the boat. But the anchorage was getting rolly, as this was the only direction from where the waves could got in. Captain rowed back to the boat and brought Heron to the waiting pontoon. I was waiting there, but in 25 to 30 knots of side wind we could use some help from marineros, but nobody answered our VHF calls. While wrestling the lines in the howling wind a cleat managed to make a pretty deep dent into our hull. Luckily captain was not too upset, but now we have another boat project to accomplish, preferably before we do any sailing again. An hour later we got hold of marinero and he suggested we stay on waiting pontoon for the night and move to our berth next morning when there is less wind. We agreed.
In the night the wind died and it was quite calm, even more than in anchorage and we slept well. In the morning we moved to our berth, this time with plenty marineros to help. We've had a couple of quiet days here in marina, did some washing of the boat, laundry, and next on the agenda is to do some exploring of the island.
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