TWO WEEKS BY GRAN CANARIA

   On the Hrb 07:00, we communicated to marine rescue our plan of navigation and with winds of the first quadrant, we left the Bay of Islets with course this, in demand of the Port of Jable Nose (Fuerteventura, 60 MN). The interval of the passage to candle from port to port is of 10 hours approximately.

   From this same anchorage of the Bay of Islets, more ago than five hundred years, it divided to Cristóbal Columbus, the 12 of May of year 1,502, in his quarter travels towards the Indians, with two caravels, two ships and 140 men.

   We have two weeks to complete our defeat, this is Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, Island of Wolves, Lanzarote, the Graceful one, Clear Mountain, Alegranza and to surround small barren islands by Roque of the East and Roque of Hell to return again to Gran Canaria.

   Also we want to visit a deep and dark cave, that years before we discovered, within which is possible to be sailed with the aid, to the bottom a white light could be appreciated that turned out to be a sand beach illuminated by the sun that entered by a crater, the scent to ozone and to virgin territory he was impressive, you felt as if you were the first human being that visited this cave, was a experience that we want to repeat.

   Navigation is very pleasant, the boat already knows the way, is a Classic, Endurance 35 of Belliure Shipyards, very stable and marine Ketch and First Endurance 35 of fiber glass that Don Vicente Belliure constructed.

   Our companions are two charming pairs of friendly Canary navigators Great of a long time ago, who enjoy so much as I.

   Now we sailed in the heat of the Atlantic Ocean, reviviendo nostalgia of times last with the nature to skin flower and to all rag, foque, pawl, major and mizzen, winds of the NE F4-5 (Trade), Ra 090º, speed 6-7 knts, we do not put the autopilot then all we want to take the rudder, from time to time we loosen this one and just by a mizzen adjustment we can take it to the route, without helmsman and to course, thanks to its in excess keel and alive work.

   Gran Canaria is moved away by our stern. On noon we observed walls by it of starboard which could be a whale, Fernando rises the top and ratifies that it is a whale, we approached with precaution, lascando escotas to reduce speed and not to bother these majestic mammals, they are a family of three beautiful zifios whales.

   Fuerteventura already appears with more detail on the horizon and to the Hrb 14:00 the sounding indicates controno of the platform and a depth of 120 meters, there were no turbulences in the surface of the sea that could indicate off the track and originating racheados winds of mountains, reason why we continued sailing all candle. We gain a little windward before approximating us to the light of Jandía End (Fuerteventura) to be able to see better the loss and to negotiate it.

   Guillermo fished to curricán a beautiful medregal of 6 kilos which cleaned to cook. Passed the light through port and moved away of the Loss of Greek, which was seen perfectly, by precaution and the experience we flooded the major in wind gust of wind prevention strong that sometimes usually blows in this coastal water section. Two hours later, on the Hrb 17:00, we moored the boat in pantalán of the Port of Nose Jable (Fuerteventura and communicated to marine rescue our arrival.

   Nose Jable, a town of fishermen, now lives on the tourism and of the fishing, the wharf has been enlarged and remodelado to accept the ferry of shipping Arms and the foil jet of the transmediterranean one. Walking about fifteen minutes it is arrived at the town.

   for the following day arranchado the sailboat, we left from Nose for Great Tarahal, paying for, thus to enjoy the landscape of Leeward, and to cast anchor in Beaches of Jandia, 14 kilometers of beaches, crystalline waters of turkish-blue-green color, a species of continuation of the desert of the Sahara, came turtles here to lay eggs, you see sometimes them by this water, but now there are few.

   We case out the anchor until searching it in the beach, inflated zódiac we sent and it to the water. We moor an end to fueraborda, passed the whip through the engrilletada sheave to the spanker boom of the mizzen we descend and it from the bathtub from “Zeus” to the mirror from the small boat, directing it by means of the spanker boom. Three of us swam until the beach. In zodiac they were Tita and Maite, along with the medregal and trimming, that we roasted with coal in the beach, watered with malvasía. It knew to glory.

   In spite of being January, the companions burned the skin by prolonged exhibition to the sun. The time went to us quickly and we arrived at night at the Port of Great Tarahal, was no electricity in the town, was no ignited light, reason why thanks to our radar, we could see in the screen, the entrance to the wharf and the jetty.  

   Great Tarahal is a town of fishermen, with a wonderful wharf and a good anchorage. In the restaurant of the brotherhood, still it is possible to be enjoyed old to the back olive oil and garlic (eye, old is a typical fish of our macaronesica region). This town has in its salary, the salary repelled and catched an invasion of English soldiers in 1.740, who disembarked by the same place where now we are cast anchor.

   In the warm nights of summer, sometimes we smell to sleep in the run cover to contemplate the spectacular starred nights and to perceive the music that comes to us from the estudiantinas touching by the avenue.

   After spending a day in the town, and the beach, with the boat to they are of sea, we weighed anchor later to double the Fallen Stone End, sailed North course towards the Castle, also call Creek Wood, with headwinds, major and mizzen, we overcame helped by something of motor, left the light of the fitted one to port, peculiarly, use the landlords of pateras like reference since it is practically seen from Africa.

   The coast is dirty, lowers towards the N, can be appreciated the magma at the time to solidify itself in contact with the water of sea, in the vertical walls can be appreciated the layer structure of rocks, very interesting for the fan to geology.

   It is necessary to line up a green beacon with the light of the jetty of the wharf of the Castle, being maintained course N and negotiating the entrance by the side and, since there is a reef as well as low bottoms that agree to avoid. He is not dangerous, only that the planning beforehand to the entrance to the wharf of the Castle is important, since everything must be in its site, defenses, end of moorings, crew. It is had little space to maneuver and agrees to know the number of the dockage assigned before entering, personally always I request permission by radio before, and thus to avoid embarrassing situations.

   The Castle is a net tourist urbanization, with much nocturnal life where the reincarnation of Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly can be seen and be heard, Roy Orbinson and many more, is wonderful to see the good imitates that it. There is the premises in which it still touches the guitarist of the group Herman Hermit (not milk to-day) with white hair and sixty and tip years.

   Two days later we left the Port the Castle (having noticed a considerable increase in which it was received to us to berth with respect to some months ago), and we were done to the candle governing to the N, paying for, saw jump tunas, we left the airport of Fuerteventura to port, went to Lanzarote, happening through port the Island of Wolves, call thus by the marine wolves that at the time had, we bordered the coast until arriving at Lime Port (Lanzarote). Norays is of polished bronze, this one, along with Rubicón Navy, is the best ones of the archipelago.

   Here it is necessary to rent an automobile to be able to cross the island. Nor crazy we would stop visiting the Timanfaya Park, or the Viewpoint of the River, with those volcanic landscapes and those Earth colors that will never forget. According to the astronauts of Apolo 13, there is nothing resembles more in the Earth the lunar landscapes that these in Lanzarote.

   Later, the children and spouses of Guillermo and Fernando were united to our group who when so not being become fond of to navigation, had remained in the bungalow in the Beach, supplied free by us like part of the package of vacations, thus to be able to enjoy the beach and of strolls in bicycle by the coastal pedestrian avenue that goes from Reef to Port of the Carmen.

   To the following he takes us day's work to the Island of the Graceful one (the Island of the Treasure), now already we are eight people on board. After sailing with breezes of the NE and to all rag, around the Roque de Famara, we in center put in the Straits of the River, course W, maintaining to us, flooded greater and foque, maintaining pawl and mizzen following the instructions of the map course.

   We moor in the Creek wharf of the Tallow. This island, leaves from the Chinijo Archipelago, is very taken care of by the own gracioseros, in a deliciously natural state where still they will not find Mc Donalds, and where still I could be tasted a good broth of fish to old usanza.

   The island is small and has of everything what one needs to desestresar itself and to rest with peace and tranquility.

  Two days later, after coiling all the ends in the treenails and assuring to us to be arranchado well, we cast off and we gave to candle, sailing by the west of the Graceful one, between the Islita de Clear Montaña and leaving Roque of the Devil to port we maintained course to Alegranza, the vacated small barren island.

   We cast anchor in a cove to spend the night and on the following day, put the sailboat to they are of sea, we were in franquía on the anchor, with the candles desempañicadas awaiting an increase of the wind, to govern to the east, to surround the Roque, and to maintain course of return to Lanzarote, and thus to be able to disembark to our four young people who would remain days more in the bungalow.

   Done the watered down one and replaced the storeroom of food, we initiated the tornaviaje, giving birth of Navy the Rubicón, having governed to happen between Lanzarote and Fuerteventura through the Straits of the Bocaina, later left to the Light of Pechiguera to starboard and 18 hours, to all candle, by windward with winds lifting and accompanied by dolphins, we dawned in Gran Canaria, place to begin with