At Sea 28-31 December 2007

28 December 2007

We left our berth at 11:10 and after a quick stop to top up with fuel were clear of San Sebastian harbour by 11:40 with the engine off and full main and yankee up.

Leaving San Sebastian astern


A last view of El Teide


For the next few hours we wallowed slowly down the coast of La Gomera in variable F3 winds.


I had some concern when 2 hours into our passage a key link on Dame Kiri (Aries) seemed to break.


Close examination revealed that a securing bolt had come loose due to an under tightened grub screw. Ah well another item to add to pre trip checks. It was quickly fixed and we continued.

By 18:00 the wind was E 15-20 knots and we were flying along in a moderate swell with confused seas.

29 December 2007

Throughout the night windspeed increased to around 25 knots and by morning we had 2 reefs in the main with 1/3 yankee. Tomas had an unfortunate initiation into ocean sailing by spilling hot coffee over himself and most of the galley and sustaining a nasty burn in the process. To add to his morning he then suffered a bout of seasickness.

During early evening we furled the yankee and continued more comfortably under the main with 2 reefs. A small leak dripped water onto the skippers bunk. On his head to be more precise.

30 December 2007

In the early hours we experienced E F6 gusting to 28-30 knots. At daylight we put another reef in the main and deployed the staysail.

A large bulk carrier passed us well inshore heading south. At noon our days run was 112 miles with 585 miles to go. During the evening the wind eased to F5-6 and our motion become more comfortable allowing us some good sleep.

31 December 2007

The wind backed a little to ENE and settled down to around 20kn, sometimes easing down to 15kn and at others gusting to 25kn and for a short time during the morning 30kn. We continued under main with 3 reefs and varying amounts of staysail.

Despite the roughish seas we had a lot of dolphins in attendance and I saw a smallish turtle. Tomas seemed to have got over his sea sickness.

We were now off Mauritania and a phenomenon known as the Harmattan deposited large amounts of fine reddish brown dust over the boat. Our running rigging, so carefully cleaned in La Gomera was now covered in a sticky mixture of salt and dust.

San Sebastian - Marina La Gomera

Our last day in the Canaries (and Europe).

It was spent checking the boat and ensuring all our gear was stowed properly. We had a small list to port leaving Tenerife. Shifting a few heavy items bought the boat upright. Kiriwina is the deepest in the water she has ever been. If we continue with this weight on board the waterline will have to be raised a few cm.

We made room for a large basket in the forepeak to keep fresh food in the dark.


The main halyard and all sheets were given a wash, rinse and dipped in fabric softener solution.

Marina La Gomera calculate charges on the actual dimensions of the vessel so our daily cost here was €11.80. They also issue clearance papers for the boat and crew but our passports were not stamped.

Tomorrow morning we will top up with fresh water and diesel and should be on our way by 10:00. The weather forecast is for E-NE winds F4 should will be just fine.

San Sebastian - Marina La Gomera

Early in the afternoon we went for a walk in Garonjay national park. This is a Laurel forest ecosystem of which only about 20% remains. Work is in hand to restore this system. Pine and eucalyptus plantations dating from the 1960's are being removed.

The path we took climbed to just under 1500m

A view east from Garonjay peak.


Hiking is a popular pastime on La Gomera and we passed large numbers of German hikers on the trail. On the way down Tomas rushed off ahead and took a wrong turn. After about and hour he found his way back to the car park.

We drove down a long valley to La Dama. There is a beach there but it looks as though the road down had collapsed some time ago stranding a bar and guesthouse on the beach.

Looking down on Playa La Dama


La Dama has quite a few banana plantations. We tried to buy some bananas but were told this was not possible. However if we came back in an hour they would give us some. We did and they did.

We then drove down Valle Gran Rey to the town of the same name on the SW coast. This was a lovely valley. Very deep and quite built up but nicely so.

Most visitors at Valle Gran Rey appeared to be German. It was a nice resort and not over developed. The adjacent harbour looked a good spot to anchor or moor alongside the quay although some swell worked its way in.



Anchorage off Valle Gran Rey harbour.


We lingered till sunset and were rewarded with a view of a larger sailing vessel silhouetted against El Hierro in the distance.

San Sebastian - Marina La Gomera

Marina La Gomera was very quiet this morning.

We stayed on board until mid afternoon when we went for a short drive over to Playa Santiago.

This was reached by via another spectacular switchback valley road.




Playa Santiago seemed a sleepy little place with a black sand beach and a small harbour. A large trimaran was anchored there but with the swell it didn't look a particularly comfortable spot.


We returned to San Sebastian via Alajero and enjoyed a set menu christmas dinner at the Parador Gomera overlooking San Sebastian harbour.

San Sebastian - Marina La Gomera

Our choice of car rental was again Cicar. At all the other islands they simply looked at our previous booking and gave us the same car and rate. Here they tried normal sleazoid car rental practices and tried to fob us off with a smaller car at the same rate. I objected to this and eventually they came into line. It was shame they had to try it on because up to now Cicar have looked after us well.

We set off towards Agulo on the north coast. La Gomera is a sort of squashed circle shape with a high forested area and a series of very deep and steep valleys running from the centre down to the sea. There is extensive terracing in the populated valleys and the built environment is generally sympathetic and well maintained.

A view up the valley from Agulo.


El Teide on Tenerife. Seen from a mirador at Agulo.


Much of the NW cost is not accessible by road. We drove to Vallehermose and down to the sea via Alojera to Playa de las Salinas. This was a tiny resort with a little black sand beach and a few restaurants.


We returned to San Sebastian across the middle of La Gomera skirting Garonjay national park with it's heavily forested deep valleys.


San Sebastian and the harbour seen from the west.

San Sebastian - Marina La Gomera

A nice sleep in today.

At 11:00 I went to the marina office to check in. It was suggested we move to a cheaper berth at G18 which we duly did at 11:40.

"Aphrodite" was lying a few berths along from us. We had last seen them at sea just off Fuerteventura when they rocketed past us. At the time we both took photos and it was nice to exchange the pictures as getting shots of one's yacht at sea is difficult.

"Kiriwina" at sea, 28th November 2007.

Varados Anaga, Tenerife to San Sebastian, La Gomera

I came on watch at 00:00. It was a lovely evening with a calm sea and full moon but negligible wind and we continued to motor sail.

As we neared the SE corner of Tenerife entertainment was provided by almost continuous aircraft traffic bound to and from
Reina Sofia Airport.

Around the corner and steering just north of west we had little wind but the seas were very short and steep making for a bouncy ride. Just after 07:00 the first fast ferry to la Gomera passed by.

By 10:00 a NNW F3-4 wind had sprung up and we were beating our way to San Sebastian with some assistance from the engine.

A snow capped El Teide which was obscured by cloud not long after this picture was taken.



At 11:30 with the wind gusting to 20 knots from the north we continued under staysail and the main with a single reef. The seas had become rougher and the deck got a good rinse with some spray reaching the cockpit.

Off San Sebastian at 13:50 we were met by a short rain squall. We started the engine and motored into the outer harbour where the main was dropped and lines prepared. We moored on the fuel berth at 14:15 at Marina La Gomera until the marineros returned from lunch at 15:00 and directed us to pontoon berth C12.

Marina La Gomera is a lovely spot and very sheltered. I was surprised that it was nearly full.


Varados Anaga departure, Santa Cruz

An 08:00 start today as we had lots to do.

New anodes were fitted, the fresh water tanks and jerry can filled and the propellor greased. I read somewhere that greasing the propellor slows down fouling. We shall see.


The bill was paid. A reasonable €259 for a lift-out, pressure wash, 8 days ashore (living on board) and lift-in.

Our hull had been marked at lift-out by residual antifouling on the lifting strops. At lift-in we made sure cardboard inserts were used to avoid this.

After a short delay caused by the entry gate getting jammed
Varaderos Anaga staff put Kiriwina back in the water.






We moored on the Varaderos Anaga pontoon, with Santa Cruz in the background, for a couple of hours before sailing. There were a few things to do.


First stop was BlancoMar where I purchased some rope, eye pads and a couple of courtesy flags that may be needed in the Caribbean. Then we had lunch, sent some e-mails and returned to the boat.

It was 16:30 before we sailed. Once clear of Darsena Pesquera we were able to sail for abut an hour before the wind died completely and we continued under engine.

A fast ferry with it's huge wake leaving Santa Cruz, Tenerife.


Our last look at Santa Cruz, Tenerife.



For the rest of the evening we motor sailed.

Varados Anaga, Santa Cruz

19th December 2007

It rained again this morning so I went into town to get our anodes and a few other bits and pieces from
BlancoMar. This time they were open. The anodes were an eye watering €62 each. Their suppliers excuse was that zinc has shot up in price. It was below £1000 per tonne in 2002 and is now well above £2000 having peaked at around £4,500 in 2006. Bet they don't put the anode price back down though.

I also bought a couple of spherical fenders.

On the way back I dropped in at La Marina, a fishermans chandlery, to buy two 5m lengths of chain for mooring alongside stone quays where the bollards are set back from the quayside.

By the afternoon things dried out completely and we were able to apply primer to the hull where required. I also overhauled the sea-cocks and fitted wood bungs to several through hull valves which lacked them.

If it doesn't rain tomorrow we should be able to apply the anti-fouling paint.

20th December 2007

No problem with the weather. It was fine and clear.

We started applying the anti-fouling and it became apparent very quickly that 2.5 litres would not be enough. Ouch! back to the paint shop for another 2.5 litres of Jotun Penguin NonStop at €104. This product is reportedly banned in some countries including the UK. It will be interesting to see how well it works.

By the end of the day we had applied two complete coats (total 5 litres) of antifouling and will be ready to launch tomorrow.

Santa Cruz - Varaderos Anaga

Up early to do the final preparations for anti fouling.

Before starting we had a very good breakfast at a dockside kiosk nearby. The weather forecast yesterday had been for heavy rain today and tomorrow. Last night Tomas consulted a local angler as to the possibility of rain. Tomas likes to speak to the locals and is always asking for directions or information. I remain sceptical as the information gained is more often wrong than right. Anyway, the local assured us that it would not rain today. The air temperature was too cold.

Just after breakfast the heavens opened and it poured. There would be no painting today. We went to La Marina, a local chandlery, to buy some anodes but they didn't have our size. We were, however able to buy 2.5 litres of Jotun Nonstop antifouling paint. This quantity was sufficient when I last did the job.

We planned to try BlancoMar in Santa Cruz for the anodes later in the afternoon. When we got there around 18:30 it was closed.

Santa Cruz - Varaderos Anaga

My booking had been changed to the first flight out of El Hierro for Tenerife at 08:40. This meant an early start.
I went down to check out at 06:30. A bleary eyed duty receptionist emerged when I rang the bell but she was unable to prepare my bill. I some details and my phone number for the day receptionist.

Outside it was still very dark. I drove quietly along the west coast road, through the long tunnel and across to the airport stopping for a while to watch the sun come up.

I got to the airport just after 07:30.
Binter might have expensive fares but their check-in is very quick. This time it took less than a minute. The day receptionist from Hotel Balneario called and I paid the bill.

First flight of the day from El Hierro.


The flight was on time and I was back on board by 11:00. The rest of the day was spent sanding the hull in preparation for antifouling. A very dirty job.

Late in the day Tomas returned from his birthday trip to Madrid and we into Santa Cruz for dinner at
La Hierbita.

Day Two - North and West Coast

Not a particularly early start but when I got down to breakfast at just before 9 it was a bit busy. I decided to skip breakfast and set off.

I drove back to the airport via the spectacular La Frontera road. It is the slow route, as I later discovered, but visually stunning. At the airport I returned the car. It had 69k on the clock and the brakes were a bit suspect. They gave me another car of the same type with half the mileage


First stop was Charco Manso on the north coast. There are very few beaches on El Hierro so for swimming they use some spectacular natural rock pools formed in the lava flows. Usually these are enhanced enhanced with bathing ladders, access paths and seating areas as well as some structural modifications. They are generally flushed by wave action so the water is clear and clean.


An overview of the pool at Charco Manso looking seaward.


Looking back at the access paths and parking area.


As the tide ebbs drainage is not complete and residual pools, complete with little fish remain in the rock.



The lava flow in which Charco Manso is situated is a maze of caves, holes, lava bridges and cliffs. Quite wonderful.


This coast is exposed to big swells from the north so there is a lot of wave action. Here the water is draining away...


....then back it comes with the next wave.


Water mist escaping from a blowhole about a foot in diameter. As the sea fills the cave below air is forced through the blowhole at a fierce rate. If standing too close one could easily be blown over.


Another bigger blowhole which looks pretty harmless...


...until it blows.


El Hierro has 500 visible volcanic cones, more than any other Canary island. This one is near Charco Manso with he access road winding down it's slope.


Not far along the coast heading west is the village of Pozo de las Calcosas. It is a holiday and weekend village with thatched drystone houses.


Access is via a long winding path cut into the cliff. The variety of volcanic rubble is clearly visible.


A closer look at the bathing pool. A small wave has just broken over the pool wall. An adjacent lava flow is clearly visible.


Somebody had created this sculpture in fibreglass next to the path. King Neptune?


As in most of the islands the water is very deep close inshore and shelves steeply. The waves break very close in.


The ebb between waves...



...and then the next wave breaks.


This is a really violent piece of coast.



Stairway leading to one of the houses.



King Neptune from another angle on the way up.


I wanted to stop at Mirador de la Peña but the road map issued by Cicar was a little dated and omitted a new tunnel which leads from the north coast into El Golfo.I ended up in El Golfo driving along the coast road.

There are some more rock pools here. This one is at La Maceta. The children line up on the pool wall and wait for the next wave to sweep them back into the pool.


Further along, Charco Azul was a smaller pool at the bottom of a steep cliff.


The pool was smaller but sunning platforms and a seating area had been built. There were only four people there. It was right next to a large sea cave.


Back at the hotel I had booked in for a stress relief treatment. Not because I was particularly stressed, or indeed stressed at all. I was curious.
My therapist was a Swiss lady who now lived in El Hierro.

The treatment was interesting. Firstly I was rubbed down with what was essentially liquid sandpaper. Then I had to sit in a saltwater bath for 20 minutes. After this I was rubbed down with some oily substance produced by a french company I had never heard of. After the treament I felt a bit sticky all over from the oil.
I don't know about anti stress but I think my skin ended up a bit smoother.

Back in the car and through the impressive El Golfo tunnel bound for the Mirador de la Peña.



Roque Salmor seen from Mirador de la Peña on the north west coast.



Looking more or less south towards El Golfo. From the Mirador down it is almost vertical.



The restaurant at Mirador de la Peña designed by César Manrique.


To reach La Restinga on the southernmost point of the island I passed through San Andres and El Pinar. This routed skirted the forested central plateau and passed through the much more volcanic south eastern "el Rio" area.

La Restinga is a very sleepy little place and not a lot seemed to be going on when I was there or, I suspect, at any time. The harbour was quite large with several visiting yachts moored alongside the outer breakwater which was fitted with large rubber fenders. I didn't like the look of these and think I would only leave the boat in settled conditions.

La Restinga harbour.



A volcanic cone just north of La Restinga.


Sunset at Cala de Tacaron to the west of La Restinga.


By now it was dark and I drove back across the island through the forest and down the Frontera road to Pozo de Salud.

Day One - East and South Coast

I had booked a civilised departure time of 10:30 which meant that I could avoid taxis and use the excellent Tenerife bus system to get to Tenerife North Airport.

Our flight passed quite close to El Teide now dusted with snow from recent cooler weather.


The flight was on time and I rented another car from Cicar at the tiny and charming little airport on El Hierro. I set off down the east coast.

Puerto de la Estaca


Mainly used by ferries but with a small inner harbour for local craft. It looked pretty exposed to me and there were no visiting yachts.

Further down the coast the road passed through a long tunnel emerging adjacent to Roque de la Bonanza.




Looking south from the same spot the road goes as far as a parador hotel and comes to a dead end. El Hierro is very steep sided with little in the way of coastal plain and a flatish forested area on top.


Retracing my route I then took the high road towards Isora.

At some point the floor of this crater had been farmed but now the fields appeared fallow.


This, I think, is the Fuente de Azofa, a one time source of drinking water which is reached by going down a very steep path.


A large concrete tank had been added and parts had collapsed which only became apparent as I walked across it. The water inside didn't look too fresh.


A steep valley down to the sea from Fuente de Azofa.


I then moved on to the Mirador de Isora. Here looking down on Roque de la Bonanza which I had passed earlier.



Looking south from Mirador de Isora.



I hadn't booked a hotel and decided on Hotel Balneairo at Pozo de Salud. On the way there I stopped at Mirador de Jinama and peered down into a partially obscured El Golfo. This is a sort of dish shaped indent into the west coast with a flatish coastal plain. It was formed when a bit of El Hierro fell off into the sea. Quite a big bit actually. Some 300 cubic kilometres.


Cloud sweeping up from El Golfo.


The road down into El Golfo via Frontera is a quite stunning switchback road requiring careful driving as roadside barriers are largely absent. The upper route from Frontera to Pozo de la Salud is similar, particularly the final section.

Hotel Balneairo was built about twenty years ago and is owned by the local council. It lay closed for 10 years after it was built but is now open with a variety of health spa services.

The view looking south from my room at Hotel Balneairo.



And looking north.


Hotel interior level 2.


Level 1.


A sea cave almost under the hotel.


Checked in and with my bag in the room I set off to explore the south coast. Playa de Arena was not far from the hotel. This is pretty much as far west as one can get in Europe and until Greenwich was accepted as the prime meridian the westernmost point of El Hierro was one of several Meridiano Cero's.

Playa de Arena is a remote and wild beach yet even here there was a large amount of plastic debris along the high water line. This is something I have seen on many remote beaches in Spain. Busy popular tourist beaches are cleaned regularly.



A rock bridge near Playa de Arena.


Playa del Ferodal, the largest beach on El Hierro and situated on the south west corner. The black "sand" is really small black pebbles rather than sand.


Another abandoned agricultural enterprise near Playa del Ferodal.


Looking down on the road to Playa del Ferodal.


The road up from Playa del Ferodal to the central plateau. It's a long way down on both sides.


Approaching Faro de Orchilla by road.


Another of the many fine Spanish lighthouses, Faro de Orchilla. Once tended by a lighthouse keeper but now operated remotely. As often seen with lighthouses in Galicia this building, sadly, now suffers from vandalism and graffiti.



Volcanic tubes near Faro de Orchilla.


Your taxes at work! A small dock, Embarcadero de Orchilla, just along the coast from Faro de Orchilla with elaborate landscaping and built with EU funding. It's purpose was unclear.


Up on the central plateau the land was much flatter and in the southwest covered with scrubby forest. Not all the roads were paved.



Mirador de Bascos gave a breathtaking view of El Golfo and of my hotel way down on the coast.


Looking along the SE coast.


Then drove through the forest and back to the hotel along the Frontera road in the dark.

Santa Cruz - Varaderos Anaga

Last night we met a group of Germans at La Hierbita. They were from this lovely barque "Alexander Von Humboldt".

Her hull is 100 years old and started life as a Weser light ship. She was converted to a barque in 1988 and is owned by a trust with an active membership who can book a passage on here and become part of the crew, In the summer she sails in the baltic and scandinavian waters and in the winter the Canaries.

Sadly, because of her aging hull, she is unlikely to pass her next survey and the trust are looking for a sponsor to fund her replacement.

I was invited aboard but most crew were ashore when I arrived so I just had a good look from the dock.


A lovely ship. The sails are real canvas and here rig is as traditional as possible.




Back on board I spent the afternoon scraping bits of dead sea critters off the hull and propellor and removing the old anodes.

Santa Cruz - Marina Atlantico to Varaderos Anaga

We had contacted Varaderos Anaga about being hauled out but they had no spare cradles. This morning they called. A cradle was available so we said we would come immediately.

Heavy overnight rain seemed to have flooded the sewers and as we left the harbour water was an unusual brown colour and gave off a very unpleasant smell.

On the way out we passed the German barque "Alexander von Humboldt" on her way in.



Outside the harbour we were thrown about all over the place as Kiriwina rolled heavily in short steep seas. It was only about 4 miles up to Varaderos Anaga and gradually the seas eased as we approached the fishing harbour.

Proceeding up Santa Cruz fishing harbour.


It rained heavily for most of this short passage and continued once we arrived at the yard.

No problems with our forestay at this yard but they still wanted me to lash the lifting strops together as a precaution against slippage.


Varaderos Anaga were very efficient and hauled us out without problem.








Hosing us down they decided to use a metal scraper to remove the more stubborn fouling. I was later to discover that they had been a little over enthusiastic doing this.


Kiriwina was sat in a steel cradle on wooden blocks. Everything was very secure.



The yard has toilets, hot showers and 24 hour security. Boat owners can live on board and work on their boat.

The North and Santa Cruz

We set off for the north coast after a latish breakfast. First stop was the little town of Santo Domingo. This town is away from away from it all. Quiet and sleepy with several houses in need of some TLC.


This house appeared abandoned.


Town square with the Atlantic beyond. Next stop the Americas.


The north coast road winds up and down steep sided valleys with side roads leading off to little villages along the way. The shoreline is wild, rocky and often inaccessible.

We continued to Los Tilos, an area of temperate rainforest where not all the moisture came from rain. The height of this area is such that it is often shrouded in clouds formed when moisture laden air borne by the trade winds bumps into La Palma and rises to form cloud. So much moisture is deposited by these clouds that it is referred to as horizontal rain.


The steep valleys are heavily forested and damp.


We took a 4km walk through the forest. This island is a hikers paradise.


Run-off from the forest provides part of the water supply for Santa Cruz. It had a nice clean taste and I topped up my water bottle.


We then went down into the capital Santa Cruz.

Here, Santa Cruz marina looks settled but a lot of swell works it's way in and motion on the pontoons is substantial.


The pontoons are chain secured rather than with piles so movement is more pronounced. It looked safe enough and there were several visiting yachts but I suspect I would not be particularly comfortable on board.


Santa Cruz is without doubt the most attractive town we have seen in the Canaries. Large enough to be interesting and small enough not to have been over developed.

Some of the many attractive buildings in Santa Cruz.








This little fellow is called Enano and he is the symbol they use to commemorate the end of a brief period of French rule on La Palma.


Late in the day we caught our flight back to Tenerife.

The South and Centre

Our flight to La Palma was unsociably early at 07:30 but we had no trouble getting to the airport and it left on time.

Approaching La Palma just after sunrise with higher areas poking through the cloud cover.


Our plane at La Palma airport situated just south of the capital Santa Cruz.



We first went south to Fuencaliente, the area of most recent volcanic activity in 1971.

The wall of tis crater slopes steeply before shallowing as it nears the sea.



The south west coast of la Palma. A not particularly attractive area as it is disfigured by large scale banana plantations with ugly breeze block wind barriers.


The 1971 volcano.


An older volcanic crater. We were not sure whether the pines had seeded naturally.


We drove up the west coast to Tazacorte where we had booked a hotel. The hotel Valle Aridane. Cheap and pretty basic but conveniently located near the Caldera de Taburiente national park.

Leaving the hotel we drove up to the park visitor centre near El Paso. Caldera de Taburiente is the largest volcanic crater in the world. The western seaward side is missing and what is left is a huge heavily forested ampitheatre.

It is possible to drive into the park to the Mirador de la Cumbrecita.
Looking south from the Mirador with cloud rolling over the crater edge.



From Mirador de la Cumbrecita there is a wide selection of hiking routes some of which involve overnight stops. We chose a shorter 5 km circuit.
The pines are huge and grow from almost vertical slopes in places. They can grow to 60m in height and live for up to 500 years.



After our hike we drove through a tunnel under the eastern side of Caldera de Taburiente.
Cloud rolling down the slope towards the tunnel entrance.


Then we drove down to the coast at Santa Cruz, north for a while and then inland climbing the northern side of Caldera de Taburiente.
As we climbed we rose above the clouds and were presented with a stunning view of Tenerife and El Teide across the clouds.



The road continued to climb and it started to get quite cold. We went right up to a lookout near the cluster of Observatorios Astrofisicos. This was the jaw on the floor, wow factor off the scale moment of our visit to the Canaries.

We looked down onto the
Caldera de Taburiente partially obscured by cloud and lit by the sun low in the sky to the west. Absolutely breathtaking! A picture can in no way do justice to this immense spectacle. The clouds at centre top were in constant motion as they rolled over the crater edge. We stood and watched for quite a while.



One of the many observatories on La Palma.


It was getting dark and we were very low on petrol. We coasted virtually all the way down the mountain where we filled up in Puntagorda before returning to our hotel.

Santa Cruz - Marina Atlantico

Some ships in Santa Cruz harbour

An enormous Spanish rescue tug.


The German cruise ship Aida Diva.

Marina Atlantico - Santa Cruz

We decided to move to Marina Atlantico in Santa Cruz. There are good haul-out facilities nearby the shelter within the marina is much better, particularly from swell.

Leaving Puerto de Radazul.


It is only a short trip up the coast and when we left Puerto de Radazul at 09:30 there was virtually no wind. Within an hour we had winds gusting 20 knots from ahead. The 6 mile trip took about two hours.

The "Talon" viewed from seaward.


At Marina Atlantico our berth #31 on pontoon two was conveniently located adjacent to their brand new amenities block.


Puerto de Radazul

Maintenance day today.

I installed two more Bebi LED lights in the cabin. This completed our conversion to LED for all interior lighting.

Our Plastimo contest compass is fitted with an upper and lower lightbulb. Since delivery the upper had not worked. I had sourced some spare bulbs.
The missing bulb was still connected but had been removed from it's housing and left to dangle in the bulkhead void.

Replacement was difficult. Whoever did the original wiring never envisaged the possibility of bulb replacement. I had to cut the lower bulb wire, lengthen the feed wire by about 8 inches and fit a block connector. This allowed easy re-connection of both compass lights and will enable bulb changes to be done in 5 minutes.

Later we went into Santa Cruz for dinner and caught the last bus back at 21:40.

Buses are the main form of public transport on Tenerife and the new bus terminal is quite eye catching. Particularly the service identification signs.


Our bus.

Puerto de Radazul

This life of leisure can get quite hectic at times. It was nice to sleep in this morning. At shower time we were down to one working shower/toilet block in the marina. Puerto Radazul seem to be having some serious plumbing problems.

Our first job was to stow all the dry stores and 80 litres of bottled water we bought yesterday. Kiriwina is not a big boat but she has a lot of storage capacity. After around 3 hours everything was safely stowed away and a "where is it" list made.

Kiriwina needs her bottom cleaned and antifouled. We had arranged a haul-out for 15:00.



Kiriwina entering the haul-out dock at Puerto de Radazul. They had chosen to use the smaller of their two straddle hoists.



Houston, we have a problem!


The small straddle hoist has too small. It could not move far enough aft. No problem said the yard crew just disconnect the forestay/furling gear. "Er, but it's holding up the mast" said the skipper. "We will tie some rope to it" they said.

Disconnecting the forestay/furling gear was not an option I was prepared to consider in these circumstances. Had we gone in astern they would have wanted the backstays disconnected. The haul-out was cancelled.

La Laguna and Santa Cruz

Another far too early start. We had to be at Inprecasa to give them some glasses for stowage in the liferaft and two fire extinguishers for refill.

Our final tourist trip was to La Laguna, a World Heritage site just north of Santa Cruz. It was certainly a very attractive place with wide paved streets and a number of historic buildings as it was the original capital of Tenerife. For me, the wow factor was not very high and I couldn't see why the town justified World Heritage status.

Courtyard in the Museum of the History of Tenerife. The building dating from the 15th century was originally home to a family of Italian settlers. I found the collection of early nautical charts very interesting.


We returned to Inprecasa to collect the liferaft and fire extinguishers and to purchase an additional pack of flares. A very efficient company to deal with although for reasons not unconnected with Spanish legislation our 3 year service interval on the liferaft had been reduced to 1.

Santa Cruz is the last large town before we sail for the Cape verde islands and Brazil. It was time to visit El Corte Ingles to stock up. We filled two large shopping trolleys with mainly dry stores and bottled water.

We drove back to Puerto de Radazul to unload before returning to Santa Cruz to return our hire car.

For several years Marina Atlantico has had a reputation as being one of the most expensive marinas in the Canaries and one of the worst. We went to have a look. The location is terrific. Just opposite Plaza de España near the centre of Santa Cruz. Just last week...

...this facilities block was closed and...


...this one was opened.


Had we known it might have be worth calling at Santa Cruz.

Santa Cruz and NE Coast

The alarm went off at 06:30. Far too early for this leisure mariner.

But needs must. We had to be at Imprecasa, a marine servicing company, for an 08:00 appointment to get our liferaft inspected and serviced.
They are in the north of Santa Cruz. We got lost and were late.


Our liferaft is a "Forties B" 4 man valise model manufactured by RFD, a division of Survitec who are a sort of safety conglomerate.

Firstly the liferaft is removed from it's valise and the vacuum bag removed. They had to be careful as this bag (the silver foil piece at the bottom) would have to be used again due to non availabilty of spares from RFD/Survitec. The raft is only 2 years old.

Then the raft was unfolded and the gas cylinder removed. The cylinder will be tested and recharged if necessary.



Compressed air is used to first inflate the lower chamber...


... and then the upper chamber and canopy supports.
A rear view of the fully inflated raft with circular peephole just visible.



Liferaft entrance. Note insulated floor and internal webbing ladder to assist boarding.


Our fully inflated raft with orange stability pouches underneath.


This liferaft has an RORC pack which will be inspected and consumable items such as flares and batteries replaced together with any faulty components found. The raft has no food or water. These are provided using our grab bag.

We will return tomorrow for the re-packing. I plan to include a set of specs. These can be accommodated but very little else can be added
.

Tomas needed to get some vaccinations done in Santa Cruz. When he was finished we set off for the north east part of Tenerife.

The island here is quite mountainous with deep valleys and dramatic but well maintained switchback roads. Road engineering in the Canaries is pretty impressive.

From what we have seen over the past few days and this morning normal Spanish service has been resumed in that the built environment on Tenerife is a bit of a mess. The innovative approach to planning and building design used on much of Lanzarote is sadly absent here.

We drove up to the Vallee de Guerra and then onto the coast at Punta Hidalgo. Our route then turned inland via Tejina and Tegueste and climbed up into the outstanding Monte de las Mercedes.

Steep mountain valleys in Monte de las Mercedes with switchback roads. The forest here is very dense but the trees are not particularly large.


Moist sea air sweeps up the north face and rolls over into the valleys.


Higher on the very moist north facing slopes the trees appear somewhat stunted and are overgrown with lichen.


Dropping down from Monte de las Mercedes we drove through Taganana and on down to the black sandy beach at Playa de San Roque where quite a surf was running.


Our route then wound down to the east coast at San Andres where we came across a little piece of paradise at Playa de Las Teresitas. How idyllic and what a change from the rugged coast and black sandy beach just a few miles away.

Golden sands, palm trees and a still lagoon. We could have been in Tahiti.



Ships lay at anchor outside a reef protecting the beach.


However, it's all a fake. There being few beaches in this part of Tenerife it was decided, some 40 years ago, to make one. An offshore reef was constructed and the sand was shipped in from the then Spanish sahara.

A fake it may be but it was was well built, appears well maintained and is said to be very popular though it was virtually empty on our monday afternoon visit.

El Teide

Today was El Teide day. This, the highest mountain in Spain at 3,178 metres is often shrouded in cloud as it has for most of the time since we got here.

To reach El Teide we drove up the coast from Puerto de Radazul, turned inland towards La Laguna before taking TF24 and then TF21 which run down the middle of the island.

It was a glorious clear day but not hot. As the road reached 2000m I noticed our vehicle thermometer read 7.5ºc. The visibilty was very good with El Teide free of cloud.


El Teide seen here from about 20km away. Note the lush pine forest in the foreground.


There was also a lovely view of the NW coast.


As we rose above the tree line it became very barren and bleak. Tenerife is millions of years old but the most recent eruption in the area of El Teide was only about two hundred years ago.

At the foot of El Teide (2356m) it is possible to catch a cable car, constructed by
Doppelmayr of Thun, Switzerland, to within about 200m of the summit.

The cost is an eye watering €24 per person. Having come this far I decided to grit my teeth and pay up. The real price is €12 per person but non-residents of the Canaries pay a 100% surcharge. Tomas said the cost exceeded his expectation and went off to sit in the car while I went up. There was another option. We could have walked and had we had more time (a whole day and appropriate kit) we would have done so.

Taking the
cable car was not a pleasant experience. The ride is wonderful but the procedure at each end is dire. This was not a visitor attraction. It was a visitor fleecing operation. Firstly one was made to queue for over half an hour next to a large open door exposed to a cold wind just to buy a ticket. It was not a busy day but the staff seemed surly and uninterested.

Once in possession of a ticket one passed through a turnstile and was hustled by a staff photographer against the wall and photographed. This was another element to the fleecing operation. Then it was necessary to negotiate an obstacle course around seating in the waiting room to reach another turnstile where one's ticket was time stamped railway style and a threatening note issued saying that time at the top was limited to one hour with the time starting at the turnstile. I.E. not one hour.

Moving on. We sheep were herded into the cable car and waited with the door open until the driver decided to proceed. What a ride! Wonderful views all around. It took about 10 minutes to go up.

Unless one has first obtained permission in Santa Cruz walking to the top is prohibited. There are two paths leading away from the cable car. I suspect these cover between a third and a half of the perimeter at cable car level and each takes about 45 minutes to complete at a relaxed pace. I wanted to do both and decided to ignore the 1 hour time limit. My flip-flops and shorts ensemble got some odd glances from kitted up serious mountain walkers. At this height (3550m) the temperature was said to be around freezing. The views were wonderful.

Looking east to Gran Canaria.



Lava flows just under cable car level and the valley below.



Another view to the east and Gran Canaria.


Looking south the coast of La Gomera is just visible under a flatish cloud cover.


The island of La Palma is just visible above the clouds at middle right.


The paths wound through recent (200 years) lava fields and visibility was excellent in the vicinity of El Teide. Haze on the horizon obscured clear views of the surrounding islands.

Returning to the cable car after an hour and a half I was time checked in (no negative consequences) and after a few minutes in the waiting room we were herded into a cable car. The driver then went off to have a coffee leaving we sheep to stand in the car for about 10 minutes with the door open and exposed to the not very warm wind (0ºc).

Eventually we got underway.


Looking down from the cable car at recent lava flows.
The road below gives an indication of scale.



Down at the bottom we were herded through yet another turnstile to get out. Again a railway type put the ticket in before moving through. Why? They weren't done yet. One final attempt at getting more money out of us. The photographs we had been hustled into earlier were on display at €5.00 each. Tacky tacky tacky.

El Teide deserves better than this.

I rejoined Tomas in the car and noticed at a nearby mirador that large numbers of visitors were choosing not to be fleeced. Good on them!



A parting view of El Teide from the south east.


We took a long, winding and very scienic road down to the south west coast at Los Gigantes where we decided to give the south coast a miss and return by fast road to Radazul.

Just time for a quick shower before driving into Santa Cruz for a concert at the "Talon" (
Auditorio de Tenerife). We were entertained in the Sala de Cámara, the smaller of the two halls within the auditorium, by Charlie Moreno, a Spanish modern jazz guitarist of whom I knew nothing.

He was accompanied by a trio of spanish jazz musicians. Andreas Prittwitz - sax and flute, Valentin Iturat - drums and Javier Sánchez on guitar. What a treat. Over two hours of innovative music. I even bought a signed CD.

Puerto Cruz and NW Coast

Our first stop today was La Ortova, a town about 3 miles up into the hills from Puerto de la Cruz. It had little appeal apart from a section of the old quarter which featured some typical Canarian galleried houses dating from the 17th century.

Casa Ponte Fonte - 1676.


Casa de los Balcones - 1632


Interior courtyard - Casa de los Balcones


Casa de los Balcones - A device to keep insects away from food.
The cones at top and bottom are filled with something to repel insects.



Jardines de los Marqueses de la Quinta Roja.


Then we drove along the north coast as far as Buenevista. A wholly inappropriate name as the town was devoid of any interest whatsoever.
On the way back we stopped at Garachico. This used to be the main port on Tenerife until destroyed by lava flows from a nearby eruption in the 18th century.

Garachico had a certain quiet charm to it. Another spot for a quiet weekend away. Perhaps at this hotel,
La Quina Roja.


Central square - Garachico


I had read about the Jardín de Aclimatación de la Orotova in Puerto de la Cruz so we went to have a look. It was quite a small garden featuring mainly tropical trees and shrubs with a lot of palm trees. The highlights were the really big trees.

A huge californian white palm.


The biggest tree in the garden. A Fig from Lord Howe Island.


I had never seen a South African "Anchor" plant.


Puerto de la Cruz is a massive holiday town. There seemed to be little of interest apart from the wonderful beach garden/lido along the shoreline which was designed by César Manrique.



Another Manrique mobile at the entrance to his beach garden in Puerto de la Cruz.


Later in the evening we had dinner, at the exotically named "Bulan Restaurante and Chill Out", with an expat who I had met in La Coruña last year. A very enjoyable evening. Thanks Pilar!