Salamander - Pre Departure on Gran Canaria

Hello Salamander Nation,

Departure day is fast approaching! Hailing from the U.S., the U.K., and France, our crew is excited to learn about our future home at sea.  We’ve been busy learning about Salamander’s layout, our communication system and the safety measures in place.  The seminars have been excellent and were capped Thursday with a demonstration of a helicopter rescue at sea.    

We are getting to know each other while still on land, with crew sundowners, and dinners.  We have also explored beautiful volcanic mountains and the coastline of Gran Canaria. Fittingly, we took time to visit Casa de Colon, where Christopher Columbus once stayed and in whose wake we will soon be following as we cross the Atlantic.  We learned that the name Canary Islands comes, not from canary birds, but from the dogs (canines) that inhabited the island when the Spanish arrived.  

Today we board Salamander in the afternoon and spend the night aboard.  The start is tomorrow at noon off of the Las Palmas harbor.    Skipper Chris plans to head south “until the butter melts” and then turn west with the trades.  

- Kay and Tim