Lanzarote - ?

Up early, as there are still a few things to sort out before we start the crossing to Cape Verde. With the wind forecast as it is, it could well take us seven days. A quick catch-up with the kids first. While I have Ella on the phone, Kees’ phone rings: Vetus Netherlands. This time it’s someone who actually turns out to know what’s what. The part for the bow thruster is waiting in Las Palmas and the yard has said: “Send them over”. We pack up quickly. Just top up the diesel tanks and then we’re off.

On the fuel pontoon things get a bit hectic, lots of distractions, quick, quick, because we really do want to get going at last…..wrong tank. By accident, 2 litres of diesel end up in one of the water tanks. Another job for the list, but that can wait until Las Palmas.

At 12 o’clock we cast off and head for Las Palmas in a lovely breeze, Code Zero up. Around 18:30, as it gets dark, we spot some squalls hanging about in the distance. We take the Code Zero down and manage to dodge all the squalls but one.

Kees cooks up a tasty meal of sausage and peas and we’re ready for the night. At 20:15 Kees and Andre dive into their cabin; we expect to arrive in Las Palmas around 03:00 and hopefully they’ll be reasonably fresh by then.

By now we’re about 40 miles from Las Palmas and once the squalls have cleared, the island is easy to make out, a big dome of light on the horizon. It almost looks as if you could count the individual lights. It’s a gorgeous view and I stand watch in the cockpit until midnight, music on my headphones, pleasant temperature. In the waves the boat makes you can also see thousands of tiny specks of light, like fireflies, but in the water. Beautiful. The view from 40 miles out:

While I’m enjoying the view, I suddenly see a couple of lights coming straight at me, fast. I check the plotter and, sure enough, there’s a vessel close by. I look at the details: closest approach about 400 metres in 1 minute 40. Oops. It’s the ferry and I assume they’ve seen us, but just to be safe I call Kees. By the time he’s up, the ferry has already gone past.

As we approach Las Palmas, Kees asks if I want to be on deck, so I crawl out of my cabin again. What a lot of lights. The first photo is the view of the harbour and the second one is especially for my friends Robert and Rein: it shows the many drilling rigs anchored off the coast here for maintenance.

Inside the harbour of Las Palmas it’s very calm, so mooring up at the spot by the travel lift goes smoothly.

At 7:30 (which is early for Spaniards, believe me) we’re woken by activity on the hoist dock. We can be hauled out today, we don’t know exactly what time yet, but we’ll keep you posted!