SailBlog - Taking a break...

Graham

26/10/2008, Playa Blanca, Lanzarote

It recently occurred to us that Tracey and I had been on QUASAR IV for nearly a year without ever leaving it for a break. So, a short stroll along the seafront here in Playa Blanca, and we found an excellent looking hotel called the Hesperia which we booked into for a 4 day break. Bongo disappeared to the UK for some socialising and some home admin, and Mark T guarded the boat, whilst at the same time doing a superb spring (autumn?) cleaning job on the carpets, deck and woodwork. 

Back on the boat now, winter is beginning to take a hold; dark skies, heavy rain showers and Force 7 winds are now becoming more frequent, and the reversion of the clocks to back to GMT winter time at the weekend has made darkness arrive by about 6.30pm. Summer is clearly well over now. Still, we have managed to complete some of the outstanding jobs that are required prior to crossing the Atlantic and we are well on track with being ready to go early, giving us some time to actually relax before we leave on the 2700 mile journey west. We can really recommend the Rubicon Marina here where we are staying. It's location, facilities, and friendly staff are great, all at a reasonable price. Once the wind dies down a bit and the sea state has decreased from 'rough, 4 metre waves' we are planning on heading over to Fuertaventura on Saturday afternoon, then working our way towards Gran Canaria. The other Canarian islands will have to wait for another time to be visited as all effort is now being focussed on getting ready for the ARC 2008.

Email 18th October

In Lanzarote.  We arrived three days ago in the afternoon.  We are staying in a marina about a mile away from the Playa Blanca.  And on the way in I lost my camera overboard.  Fortunately I did not lose many pictures but as you can imagine it is a bit of a pain.  Don’t worry though.  Will still have plenty of pics to bore you with.

The marina is great, with some nice shops and restaurants etc as you might imagine.  Walk down the road a mile and it's crowded beaches, pitch and putt and tattoo parlours etc... 

First night I caught a bus to a resort a few miles a way as Ross and Sally from High Wycombe were there on the last day of their holiday so ended up crashing in their apartment after we had been out for dinner.  Accident number two; I lost the credit card and debit card I had taken with me.  Not sure where but I reckon it might have been on the beach at midnight when I persuaded Ross he should join me for a swim (no, not skinny dipping).  So they are now cancelled, and I do have some others so I can sort myself out without too much trouble.
Hired a car today and went to some caves in the north and then to a national park which is full of old volcanoes.  Brilliant stuff and such an amazing landscape. 

Not sure of our plans for future yet other than we intend to be in Las Palmas around 10^th Nov for the parties etc that lead up to our departure.  We might sail round to a couple of other islands but given that it is costing us only 20 euros a night here (that is cheap) we might check whether leaving the boat here and catching ferry for day or two might prove cheaper; some marinas charge 60 euros a night and apparently around here it can be difficult to get in.  Anchoring the boat is not an easy option owing to the depth of the water and the strong winds that you get, which limits you to where it is sensible to anchor.  We will see.

SailBlog - Touring Lanzarote

Graham

18/10/2008, Volkswagon Golf Cross, Lanzarote

Today, we decided on a tourism day. Out at 8.30am, hired a car, and headed north east up the island towards Cueva de Los Verdes, a lava tunnel and cave system created during one of the many periods of volcanic activity Lanzarote has seen over the years.  The tour took us along about 1km of the 7km of tunnels and was extremely impressive.  A quick spot of lunch, back in the car, and off to the Timanfaya National Park, home of the 'fire mountain'.  The landscape here was incredible; a bit like how we imagined being on the moon could be but in a warmer and more breathable climate! A coach trip within the park gave us a guided tour with commentary on how the area was formed back in the 18th century.  We ended up in a restaurant called El Diablo where we had a coffee after looking at the open fumerole where you could have your dinner cooked if you had arrived before the restaurant closed....!  All in all, a very interesting day out, ending in a great meal in Lani's Steakhouse and Grill back at the marina. Sunday tomorrow, so a day of rest....

                            

SailBlog - More Preparations for the Crossing

Graham

17/10/2008, Rubicon Marina, Lanzarote

Testing the quality of the Sambuca in a nearby restaurant....

SailBlog - More Preparations for the Crossing

Graham

17/10/2008, Rubicon Marina, Lanzarote

Marking up the anchor chain so we know how much has been let out (an ongoing problem!)....

SailBlog - More Preparations for the Crossing

Graham

17/10/2008, Rubicon Marina, Lanzarote

Extending the anchor chain and warp to 150 metres....

Email 16 October

We are now in Lanzarote.  We arrived here from the Selvagem Islands yesterday after leaving the morning before.  It was a great sail across with the wind staying constant and leaving us very little to worry about.  We work shifts to cover the whole 24 hour period so by the time we got here we all had had our sleep disrupted a bit.  Only one casualty en route – I lost my camera overboard a mile from the marina.  Bit annoying but I had downloaded most of the pictures so did not lose much.  And there seem to be loads of shops here selling electronics and cameras etc so I will get a replacement in the next day or so.

Ross and Sally, friends of mine, were in a resort a few miles away so last night I caught the local bus and went and hooked up with them. It was their last night and so I grabbed a bite with them and crashed in their apartment before coming back this morning to the boat.  Somewhere during the night I suffered the second casualty, losing one of my credit cards and my bank debit card.  I think it may have been around midnight when I persuaded Ross to come swimming in the sea…… You would think I would have learned about the evils of drink and the trouble it can cause by now…….Anyway they are both cancelled now and I just have to work out how to get the new ones out here when they arrive at my house.  In the meantime I have a couple of other cards so all is well.

SailBlog - Arrived in the Canary Islands (Lanzarote)

Graham
15/10/2008, Rubicon Marina, Playa Blanca, Lanzarote, Canary Islands

After an excellent 24 hour sail in near perfect conditions for QUASAR IV, we have arrived at the Rubicon Marina, Playa Blanca, Lanzarote, in the Canary Islands. The reception staff here are really friendly, facilities excellent, and this is the cheapest marina we have ever stayed in, so that is it, we are here for a week to give us time to explore Lanzarote. Having tested the shower facilities, we are off for an ice cold beer, so that's it for now (until we find a free wifi access point!)

SailBlog - Heading towards Lanzarote

Graham

14/10/2008, 82 Nm NW of Lanzarote, Canaries

Selvegem Grande lived up to its expectation. Having had a somewhat restless night on anchor, we set ashore in two groups and were met by the warden, Sandro and Pedro, Sonja and Salvegii (the dog). The hospitality was excellent and after a decent cup of coffee, a brief history of the island group, owned by the Madeira Government since 1971, we walked up to the lighthouse, seeing various unusual birds and lizards. The view over the island and out to sea was spectacular; blue skies, a flat calm sea, and a warm breeze. If you are in the area (!), we would really recommend a trip here, but make sure you get your permit from the Botanical Garden's Office in Funchal first, or you will not be able to stop there. Mark T finally had some real success with the fishing rod and caught a trigger fish big enough to be turned into a Thai fish curry for all four of us and which tasted fantastic. Watch this blog entry and I'll post a photo onto it when we get to an internet cafe. A great night's sleep was had by all, and with a good weather forecast for the next two days, we set off this morning at 11 am south east bound for Lanzarote in the Canary Islands. We are at present about 80 Nm North West of the island, having travelled about 50 Nm already today. The sun is about to set, our navigation lights have just been turned on, 'Steady Barker' is helming the boat using the wind, and everyone is feeling very relaxed and looking forward to a hot shower and cold beer in the marina which we should reach sometime tomorrow, hopefully by lunchtime. Bongo knows of a BBQ restaurant where your food is cooked over a smoking volcano's fumerole so I suspect we will hunt it down and test it out while we are here.

SailBlog - The Salvage Islands - Extreme Remote Anchoraging

Graham

12/10/2008, Selvegen Grande Island, Middle of Nowhere!

Where might you ask are the Selvegen Islands? Also known as the Salvage Islands, they are a small group of islands 170 Nm south of Madeira, and about 130 miles north west of Lanzarote, Canaries. To be precise therefore, they appear to be in the middle of nowhere, as in fact do we at the moment as we are anchored here. We have seen no other shipping or boats now for 2 days, and with the exception of 4 dolphins swimming with us as we approached the islands, we have seen very little sea life either. Although not as nasty weather as the Gibraltar to Porto Santo trip, the combination of swell and wide direction made for a very uncomfortable first day's sailing. Today however, the sea calmed down and we had a good sail for about 12 hours before the wind dropped forcing us to put the engine on. We had to reach the islands in daylight as anchoring here in the dark is described as 'nearly impossible'. Ho Ho Ho! We arrived here just in time for sunset, saw a great big free mooring buoy in the centre of the small bay and tied up on it. Just about to crack open the Rioja we had been saving for the occasion, when the VHF radio crackled into life. We were informed by the Selvegen Islands warden that the buoy belonged to the Portuguese and that we could not use it. And guess what; it was now dark! The small bay is full of rocks, breaking swell from the Atlantic, and poor holding for the anchor. The use of satellite navigation and the chart plotter, with help from a nearly full moon, saved the day somewhat and after several attempts, we settled the anchor into a spot that looked like we were safe from swinging into rocks overnight. A fine celebratory stew from Bongo soon improved morale no end. An anchor watch would be required, 2 hours on each, ensuring that the anchor did not drag. A quick check of a new alternator holding bolt before bed and....yes....it had sheared off again. Tools out, engine compartment open, and by 1am, a bodge job had been completed that will hopefully last us to Lanzarote where we need to get some specialist help to remove the remains of the bolt from the engine block again. This second one would just not budge. Morale decreasing rapidly, tools away, off to bed/anchor watch. I am just watching sunrise over the islands as I type this and last night's events are in the dim and distant past. If we get the chance today and can get the dinghy ashore, we will visit the wardens and see some of the unusual bird life here for which these islands are famous for.

SailBlog - A quiet night in Funchal Harbour...or not...

Mark A

10/10/2008, Funchal Harbour, Madeira

The curious incident of the boat(s) in the night time.

A short but breezy sail from our marina to Funchal, anchoring just off the shore outside the small harbour, a bottle of wine and dinner looking across the night lights of Madeira's capital on a warm evening. What could be more perfect?

And so to bed, to be rocked to sleep by the (not so) gentle swell. And so up again at 1am with the bleeping of one of our anchor alarms, which tells us the boat is moving from its anchored location. Three men in underwear rush on deck but all seems ok, we have just swung round completely as the wind has moved 180 degrees but our anchor is still holding. And so to bed again. And so up again at 2am. Both anchor alarms this time, but the same thing has happened again. We also note that unusually not all the boats are swinging in the same direction as the wind changes. We are closer to some of the boats now than last night. We watch and wait as the wind gusts from a few knots to 30 knots but deem it ok, and so to bed. And then at 3am.. bang. Three men on deck in underwear once again to find another boat has swung round catching our bow. No damage to us luckily but after a quick debate we decide to re-anchor, further away from the other boats' erratic swinging that seems to be a result of strong and changing winds from the island and a swell from the sea.

With all four of us up we move the boat and then sit under the stars in the cockpit with a snack monitoring things. One of the boats seems to be getting closer again, but then it seems to be getting further away. And further away. And we realise that its anchor can not be holding and it is being blown out to sea. We shine our high power light on it, hoping to wake the occupants, as does another boat, but to no avail. We try to raise the Port Authorities on the radio while the other boat eventually sends out a dinghy and motors out, wakes the drifting boat's crew and we see lights and frenetic activity. It eventually comes back to shore and re-anchors.

And so to bed. And then at 7.30am the boat is lit up like a disco. Now there is a coastguard vessel alongside shining lights on us. It seems that a big cruise ship is inbound and all the sailing boats at anchor need to get closer to the shore to give it room to manoeuvre as it enters the port. Just the time you need the electric windlass for the anchor to fail on you.  But we managed to move and yes, it was a big ship.

Forget bed now. Welcome to Funchal and the best protected anchorage in Madeira.

SailBlog - Off to Funchal Harbour

Graham
09/10/2008, Funchal Harbour, Madeira

After a slightly extended stop in the Quinta do Lorde Marina at the eastern end of the island, we finally departed the marina and headed for Funchal Harbour, 16 miles away. The exit from the marina was very difficult due to strong winds and the lack of manoeuvring space where we were tied up. Despite having assistance from the marina staff to swing the bow around for us, the 20 knots of cross wind made life very difficult. Fenders were put to maximum use today as we bounced our way past one boat to avoid hitting the 5 million pound super yacht which we passed within about 3 feet! Out of the marina, genoa up and we were off downwind at 7 knots for a while. Mark T and Bongo are on the case on the new compass installation at the moment, and have nearly completed the job. Very smart, and now we will know which direction we are sailing in! Bangers and mash for dinner tonight as the sun fades down over Funchal.

Email 7 October

Now been in the marina here at Madeira for a few days.  Mark Thorpe flew back to UK for an interview and we have effectively been waiting for him to get back (tomorrow).  Graham and Tracey have gone off and do stuff for a couple of the days while I have worked on the boat. 

Our generator has never worked and there is now a general consensus that the head gasket has blown so I stripped it down and reckon we were right after what I found. Anyway it is now awaiting parts which we have ordered from the UK and which will be sent to the Canaries.  Amazing how helpful people are: we spoke to the company back in the UK and they have emailed us out a tech handbook (effectively a free version of the Haynes manual) as well as sorting out the delivery of parts and providing advice. 

Went into Funchal again and explored a bit last week.  It is surrounded by hills with a cable car that takes you up to an old part of town.  Looked around the gardens there and old church and then came down on a sledge down the steep roads; apparently the thing to do.  Yesterday we took the walk around the cliffs at this end of the island that we had planned a few days ago but which the weather prevented.  Pretty dramatic scenery and lovely clear weather.

Mr T arrives back tomorrow.  I am off in the morning to the nearest town as they have a whale museum there which is worth a see apparently.  Graham is off back to Funchal to get a permit for our next stop: the Salvagem islands which lie between here and the Canaries are
uninhabited and which form a wild and remote bird reserve for which you need permission to visit.  Google them for more info.

Blog - Scenic Madeira

Graham Kyte
06/10/2008, Quinta Do Lorde Marina, Madeira

Email 4 October

Done the sledging!  Went back into Funchal yesterday and had another look around.  Thursday we spent sorting out stuff on the boat with me down in the bowels of the boat trying to fix our generator which has never worked properly.  No joy, and without the Haynes manual there is an element of guessing and working stuff out but heh, I should be able to suss these things!

We went up in the cable car yesterday, had a look around the gardens at the top and the general area.  Had a look around the church and then got the sledge down.  Good fun.  I was in the first one and Graham and Tracey in the one behind so there's a long video of my descent. 

Peace and quiet today as Thorpey is back in UK and the other two have gone to do a Levada walk in Funchal.  I am on the boat listening to world service (almost Radio 4!) and doing a few fixing jobs.  

Funchal

Email 4 October

We have stayed in this marina at the east of Madeira as it is easy and provides us with water, electricity etc.  We can not sort out our own water (we were going to get a water maker that takes sea water and purifies it but that was too expensive and we were not sure where to put it) and we can generate electricity to charge our batteries via our solar panel and wind generator and we can even use the batteries to provide mains power for short periods but in general we use more power than we can make when doing work on the boat.  Anyway, enough of that…..

Spent Thursday sorting out stuff on the boat; the weather was a bit dodgy so we decided not to go for our walk around the cliffs and bays here.  Instead, after our trip to stock up in the local supermarket we had an admin day.  I tried to get our generator going which has never
worked and which would allow us to generate our own mains power in abundance.  No joy, at least not yet.  Am going to try again today.  They others are off; Thorpey in UK for a few days and G and T in Funchal for the day to look at stuff we never got to see yesterday when we were there.  Caught the bus into Funchal (an hour or so) which is an interesting and windy journey through steep hills and valleys.  In town we then got cable car up to hills behind Funchal and explored the old part of town there, some gardens and then caught a 'sledge' down the steep roads.  Great fun!  The Beatles old boat is down in Funchal harbour as a restaurant so we had a beer there before heading back for a few wines in the marina bar. 

Email 1 October

Sitting on back of the boat in a marina on the eastern edge of Madeira.  We got here two days ago and anchored in a bay around the corner, spending a windy night swinging around in the stiff breeze (20 knots - about 25mph so not slow).  Anyway, now in a marina which is
protected and the wind has also dropped.  Marina at bottom of large cliff face so an amazing backdrop for us all. 

Quinta Do Lorde Marina

Caught the local bus to Funchal today (the island's capital) and did the bus tour and tasted some Madeiran wine.  It is not too noisy but so different to the chilled out zone that is Porto Santo where we were.  We will go back to Funchal in a couple of days (it is about an hour on the local bus) as there are a few things we want to see.  But tomorrow we are going to stock up on supplies in the local town (about 10 minutes away in a free minibus service run by the marina) and to walk along the local cliffs around this area.  We plan to sail along the south coast of Madeira after that, anchoring along the way.  This should be fine as the south has a few bays and beaches and the prevailing wind is from the north (so blowing us away from shore if the anchor slips).  The north cost is rugged and rocky; vertical cliffs dropping directly into water some 100m deep - no places to anchor in the north at all and no harbours either. We then head off to (we hope) the Salvagem Islands en route to Canaries. These are small uninhabited islands that are part of the Madeira archipelago and are a nature reserve.  We can only go ashore if we get a permit from the authorities in Funchal and you can not stay on the islands overnight, only in your boat. 

Funchal

Funchal