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Bamarandi - Final preparations




We have spent the last few days here in Las Palmas in the sunshine with a mix of work on the boat and some intermittent spells of chilling out.

We have had our Volvo engine niggle fixed - we hope - a very good Spanish engineer managed to explain the issues to us through a translation program and a lot gesticulation. It seems our new engine had new software and our existing engine “old” software so when working the 2 engines together the engine management communication system fell over and stopped our starboard engine. This was particularly unhelpful when coming in to berth alongside the pontoon here at Las Palmas as we need 2 engines to have control of the boat. It’s 67’ long, 32’ wide and weighs over 30 tons. As ever Donald managed the manoeuvres with usual calm despite having the engine cut out right at the critical moment. We hope Julio’s efforts have sorted it out.

Some other repair work / fettling has been done by us and visiting engineers whilst here and everyone has been very helpful. 

We have attended some ARC hospitality events including a party thrown by the Mayor of Las Palmas one night. 5 of us went - free drinks and tapas - after a very lovely dinner of sushi made by Audrey and Caitlin. We were quite surprised to be greeted immediately we entered the venue - in a spotlit raised area - by a very skimpily thong clad young man heavily made up wearing a headress standing on 18” stilts proudly wearing a "Las Palmas Drag Queen" sash. We wondered if we were at the right party and were unsure of the nautical context of this apart from a "Hello Sailor” welcome theme maybe.

The night continued on a cabaret theme with fully body painted people, a dance troup in circus type headdresses and costumes - and then a new act started to dramatic music to herald the entry of someone very tall dressed in a shimmering satin black cloak and tight black satin trousers wearing a skull mask head over his own. Shiver me timbers we all thought. Fortunately he soon ripped off all the clothing much to our relief to reveal the Las Palmas Drag Queen flanked by 2 capable assistants.

The tapas came and the drinks flowed, speeches from important ARC people and the Mayor followed by a rock band. Overall an interesting, different and entertaining fun evening.

Today everyone was up early and all our safety equipment has been re-attached having been reviewed to the hilt and beyond ensuring lights, whistles, bells, additional flares, throw lines, grab bags and lots more are all fully up to scratch. Special thanks to ARC Safety Officer Anne from our Captain Donald for all the help and assistance. We gave her a farewell hug as she left the boat with thanks for all her help and she wished us a safe passage.

We will cast off at 12.00 after final checkout with the marina and head out for the start at 13:00. Bamarandi and another Fountain Pajot 67 Lir are the largest boats in the ARC+. We and the other cats will start closest to the island and the rest of the fleet further out to sea. Our boat number is 302 - there are 64 boats all starting at the same time. It will be interesting to be amongst so many boats at once. We must not cross the start line early as we incur a minimum 3 hour penalty so our sailing judgement will need to be spot on.

The weather looks fine for the start of the passage and currently it seems like it will stay like this.

We are now fully restocked with many tubes of Pringles in a wide variety of flavours. Audrey and Caitlin have ensured we are fully provisioned - including lots of soup a lunchtime staple.

Everyone on board is fine and ready for the start of our next leg of 856 nm to Mindelo, Sao Vicent, Cape Verde.




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