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Aislig Bheag - La Gomera with Friends



9th August

We spent the day doing chores around the boat and at the marina bar we accessed Wi-Fi and I spoke to Gareth on Skype which was just great before he heads off for Canada next week.

Rachel and David arrived on the Edinburgh flight in the evening.  We had prepared dinner and chilled the wine for their arrival and enjoyed catching up.  David had only left us three weeks previously but it was great to have him back and with Rachel’s sense of fun, it really added to make for a great week.

10th – 16th August

The following morning we left fairly early to return to San Sebastian in La Gomera.  It was another lively sail with loads of whale sightings and a pod of small dolphins leaping high out of the sea. It reminded me of the previous week on the same crossing when about five dolphin had surfed alongside us all in a row on top of the same wave.  On arrival in San Sebastian we went to the beach for a swim to cool down.  We found a really nice wee rustic restaurant where we dined in a lovely wee attic table and Rachel ‘lost’ her shoe and asked the waited who didn’t speak English if he had seen it.  She would get her own back on me later in the week!   

It’s hard to believe we have now been travelling for eight weeks since leaving the Clyde.  We have seen so much and travelled so far in that time and are both feeling much more relaxed and happy.

The following day John did his tour guide again in a hired car when we explored much of the island, its amazing mountains (we walked to the summit on one, 5,000 feet high), and sensational coast lines. We all loved the little resort of Valle Gran Rey, full of character with its brightly painted boats, bohemian shops and many resident hippies.  The following day we were to return here but this time on the boat.  We have come to realise there is no such thing as plain sailing in the Canaries in August as the wind is relentless.  As I mentioned in a previous log, even the simplest thing, like going to the loo becomes a major task and on this trip it was no exception.  On one such visit to the loo, there I was perched on the throne whilst the boat was lurching violently from side to side.  I had wedged myself in with hands and feet strategically positioned to keep me seated when suddenly the boat took the most violent lurch to starboard, effectively launching me off the seat.  In an attempt to keep myself from falling on my face, I reached out to put my hand on the door facing me but unfortunately my hand came into contact with the door handle, throwing open the door with me following it out into the saloon with my clothes round my knees, hitting the facing wall several feet in front of me just as the boat lurched violently to port carrying me at great sped back the way I had come, throwing me back onto the throne and slamming the door shut behind me, just as though nothing had happened.  I was amazed this entire sequence had gone unnoticed by my fellow crew members.  I would hate it to have reached You Tube. 

On arrival in Valle Gran Rey we anchored just outside the harbour.  We enjoyed swimming and snorkeling in the crystal clear waters. Fellow sailors, Nigel and Tracy, from Northamptonshire, on their boat  ‘Relentless’, whom we had met in San Sebastian, joined us for dinner having sailed down the next day.  The sail back to Tenerife came around all too soon heralding the end of a great week.  It was again a very lively sail, this time letting me see my first turtles of the trip, (although John claims to have seen one a couple of weeks ago)!  I enjoyed lying on the bow as the boat dipped dramatically into the waves, at times coming up over the bow and my feet and legs cooling me down in the heat of the day.  I wanted to hold that moment in my memory, it just felt so special.  When we arrived in San Miguel we headed for a beer in the marina bar where we met Daryl again with his daughter.  We later went out for a farewell dinner with David and Rachel and were joined by Nigel and Tracy who had arrived yesterday.

After a lazy day in the marina, Rachel and David left for the airport.  We were sad to see them go, such a good time was had by all!

On Sunday 17th my good friend Isabel from work and her partner Chad came to visit us from the hotel they were holidaying in along the coast.  Neither of them sailors enjoyed a first time experience in some fairly rough seas for a couple of hours getting back to the marina in time for a long leisurely lunch washed down with some wine.  After putting the world to rights we went to the bar for an iced coffee before they headed back to their hotel in time for dinner.  It was lovely to catch up.

John and I prepared the boat for an early start as we make our way to our final destination of the first part of our journey, Gran Canaria, via Santa Cruz where we will prepare the boat and leave her there whilst we return home for the month of September.  We have now covered 2500 nautical miles. I still find it hard to believe we have sailed all the way here from the Clyde.

I will write again from Gran Canaria.

Alison



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