La Palma

We decided to leave Garachico with a night sail to give ourselves a greater selection of destinations. In other words to keep going if the going was good. Plan A was Santa Cruz de La Palma, plan B Tazacorte and plan C Gomera. It's good to have options.

In retrospect, the night sail after so long in Garachico, a very sheltered,calm, flat water marina was a mistake. I felt queasy getting back on the ocean and in the night we couldn't see what the sails were up to. Our speedo wasn't reading correctly, the vhf was playing up again and the crew were a bit rusty from 6 weeks off!  When the wind and sea state got up in the acceleration zone between the islands we had trouble slowing the boat down and the autopilot belt snapped.

So plan A, the nearest destination was chosen - Santa Cruz, La Palma's capital

We radioed the port authority for permission to enter marina La Palma as the port is busy with ferries, cruise liners and cargo ships.
We berthed on the reception pontoon whilst it was still dark and slept until the office opened.

A very nice town, lovely marina office and facilities and a mini Spa supermarket and cafes facing the marina. We had read that the marina suffers from surge and swell and yes it is 'rolley' like being at anchor but probably very good for keeping your sea legs.

We did some sight seeing and stocked up on cheap tobacco and recovered for a week.

The Balconies

Note the balconies house the toilet

Maritime Museum

Beautiful Square complete with bandstand above cafe

Garachico

At Garachico we caught up with Phillipe and Imelda (S/V Pilhaouers). It was great to see them again. They had hired a car and we went with them to La Orotava for a day out, incorporating a picnic in the mountains. A good day.

The beautiful gardens in La Orotava

Phillippe, Miles & Imelda

Whilst at Garachico our son Zak flew out for a weeks holiday. There were many fiestas at that time of year, every weekend it seemed, the biggest was to celebrate the eruption of mount Tiedi that almost kiboshed the town, only celebrated every 5 years and was quite spectacular.

Zak & Alison 

Fantastic Floats

Fiesta celebrating the volcanic eruption

The marina is only a few years old and very pleasant. One of our favorites. If you are visiting yourself by boat take care near the marina entrance as on the port side there are a couple of partially submerged rocks that are not marked yet. (A west cardinal I would suggest) so stay well to starboard and you will be fine. We were warned previously by an email from 'Pilhaours', very grateful.

Marina entrance (note the white water-submerged rocks!!!!

Very smart marina. spoilt only be the sound of traditional Canarian music being pelted out at full blast by a local power boat behind us, when he wasn't at work. He also had his phone connected to his stereo by bluetooth so all of his calls and message/text notifications - you know that annoying whistlng ditty that Samsung have- were broadcast as well.

 You know I'm not one to grumble (MUCH) but that music is bloody awful. we put on our stereo so we couldn't hear his but I think he could hear ours 'cos of the wind and turned his up louder. I didn't want to get into a volume war, although we have a pretty good stereo onboard so we went below decks and listened to ours there. I didn't complain because it was fiesta time and didn't want to upset the locals.

I think he must have been telt by somebody because after about 3 occasions he turned it down really low or not on at all. Thank God.

There was no wifi at the marina but we got a good connection at El Roque cafe, 10 mins walk.

Xmas/New Year 2013

On a rare sunny day, this time of year, I was able to apply the vinyl name lettering we had bought from Ebay (valdasvinyls) with excellent results. The hardest part was finding the same font as the name on the stern. It turned out to be 'DALEK' font. Yes! From Dr. Who. I like that it looks Grecian and the letter E is like an arrow which fits in well with 'Artemis' being the Greek Demi God of hunting.

We were invited onboard 'Erminig' by Brigitte and Eric for Xmas dinner. We had a great time. The Ostritch steaks were beautiful. 

We took 'round Xmas crackers that we found in the Irish shop whilst buying some decent tea bags. 

Alison and I

Eric and Brigitte

Jack

They in turn visited us on 'Artemis' on New Years Eve. I made a turkey curry that gave Eric a right sweat on. Well, he said he liked hot and spicy!

We saw the New Year in with blasts of horn and some use of the tannoy. 

We have also socialised with Laurent, Cecile and their lovely daughters Charlene and Toscan. They live on a stylish looking catarmaran nearby. 

The girls seem to like Alison. She knows how to play. 

We seem to have been ever so popular. 'Enjoy it, it won't last' I told Alison. We ate the 'Gallette du Rois' ( cake of the King ) twice in one day. I got the porcelain favour and crown the first time and Alison the second. Set up?

We also enjoyed watching the Xmas nativity animation, the boys on 'Tarquilla'

had produced as part of their onboard school work. 

Another small job was to stitch buckles onto the webbing straps that hold the holding tank in place. As when it was fitted we couldn't source any and the webbing was tied in a knot. 

A job for Alison I thought. She never stopped moaning and I had to hold a torch the whole time 'cos there wasn't enough light. Pah!

Looks much better and more secure now.