Puerto Calero is a very nice, upmarket marina with good fingerberth pontoons, boatyard, restaurants, cafes and designer shops. Great for a holiday but not for liveaboards like us as our shopping list of spare parts/consumables drew a blank. A Lacoste t-shirt? No need.
Shiney
Enter Jimmy Macintyre aboard 'Akkita' whom we met whilst having breakfast in a cafe. Jimmy is a very, very sociable Scotsman and offered to take us shopping in his car. The next day he rolled up in a very flash Mercedes convertible and together we visited supermarkets, chandlers and a couple of 'must' eateries. Thanks Jim.
We stayed a weekand then headed down the coast for some free parking at Papagayo, a local beauty spot.
We stayed for one night but it was a bit rolly to stay any longer. A part of the beach we were anchored off was popular with nudists. "You're not getting out the binoculars? "-"Yes l am" - wish I hadn't!!!!
Next stop Rubicon Marina, even posher than the last one. We had arranged to meet up with friends from our winter in France. Frank and Dagmar from Germany were there and we were keen to catch up with them after so long.
Frank and Dagmar 'High Flight'
Rubicon Marina even hasa swimming pool -Luxury!
After a few days (it's rather expensive) we made the hour sail to Isle De Lobos just off Fuertaventura. Good holding in sand, just off a natural lagoon. We enjoyed swimming /snorkeling in the crystal clear water.
Miles hugging a fender on a rope. The current can be quite strong.
We love to be at anchor as its like being on your own little island(your boat). Where as in a marina you always have the feeling of being a guest at somebodys establishment.
Isla de Lobos is a very popular tourist attraction for holidaymakers at Carilejo on mainland Fuertaventura and ferries visit many times a day.
After a couple of days we took the dinghy to the island and hopped on the ferry to Caralejo to stock up on fresh food. Whilst there we grabbed some internet at a cafe and visited a ferreteria to get some rope to replace the frayed roller furling jib line we had spotted the day before. Great price!
The next night aboard was a bit swelly. That was a sign to leave, but we didn't. The next night the wind got up and we saw a lightening storm pass by (unforcastes by the way)
After going to bed, the next thing I knew was Alison waking me up.
"I think all of the other yachts have gone on the mooring bouys"
"What! We must be the ones that have moved".
And we had. We had dragged anchor and were halfway to the mainland.
We had stopped drifting so we waited vigilently until daylight to lift the anchor.
The engine wouldn't start! I suspected that it would be the diesel leak on the fuel pump that was temporarily fixed in Portugal. It was!
Concidering that we had sailed all of the way from Portugal to Lanzarote without using the engine I think that the Yanmar mechanic did us a disservice as the repair hadn't lasted. I had asked him if he would come back the next day to do a permanent repair but he wasn't interested just saying 'next service'
After a bit of fiddling with the hose/connections the engine started.
The anchor was fouled rotten. The chain was wrapped around and around it so that it couldn't function.
We could have drifted onto the reef, we were lucky. We have an anchor alarm but stopped using it after a couple of nights because we thought the anchor was rock solid. We could see it well bedded into the sand.
Shaken and stirred we went back to Rubicon and safety.
On the way back we heard a toot. Where did that come from? Looking behind us a ferry had just left Caralejo. We got out of the way pronto.
