Las Palmas, Canary Islands Landfall

 

Looking at the anchorage at Las Palmas, Gran Canary Island

It was a holiday in Las Palmas, Spain, National Spain Day (Columbus Day) and the beach was packed

Crazy beach in Las Palmas on a holiday

Tied to the commercial dock at Porto Santo, Madeira waiting for fuel.  Notice all the paintings on the wall from passing sailboats.

The anchorage at Porto Santo, Madeira with the barren volcanic peaks behind.

Sailor girl at sea once again

S/Y Savannah Sky – October 14, 2023 – Log #12

Savannah Sky Position: 28 degrees 07’ N, 015 degrees 25’ W

Las Palmas, Gran Canary Island

 

Las Palmas, Canary Islands Landfall

 

Picking a good time to leave England was frustrating, this late in the sailing season.

 

Well, there really is never a good time to sail south from England, as we discovered.

 

One storm after another flies across the Atlantic Ocean from North America, pummeling England with unmatched viciousness. 

 

Storms rake the south coast of England, the English Channel and the notoriously brutal Bay of Biscay as summer leaves the northern hemisphere at the end of September.

 

Our boat projects kept us in England longer than we expected, but we had to get things done.

 

Then our route had to be changed because of daily Orca attacks along the coasts of Spain and Portugal, with attacks stretching as far south as Gibraltar.

 

Orcas have learned to attack the rudders of passing sailboats, ramming the boat, while disabling steering systems and sometimes actually sinking the boat.

 

It is pretty crazy what is happening with Orcas in relatively shallow coastal waters.

 

That might have been the reason none of our sailing friends wanted to join us sailing south?

 

So, we took the safer but longer route south, avoiding damage to Savannah Sky and ourselves by staying 200 miles offshore the entire time.

 

We waited and waited and waited some more in England before there was a small gap in storms, luring us away from our comfortable dock.

 

The sailing proved challenging with headwinds and rough seas to contend with.

 

Well, we called it sailing as we beat, bashed, thrashed and pounded our way forever south into stiff headwinds, contrary currents and nasty seas as we left the safety of Haslar Marina in Gosport, England and into the northern Atlantic Ocean.

 

Savannah Sky sailed well into the wind, giving us 150-170 nm days in the rough conditions.

 

Maria fought to cook meals on her pitching stove while avoiding being flung around the galley too much.

 

Dolphins constantly leapt at our bow as Savannah Sky literally flew amongst the nasty contrary seas.

 

We also learned how to NOT appreciate the moon once again.

 

When the moon rises on the wrong side of the current or winds, really bad things happen with seas.  The resulting maelstrom creates havoc with our lack of comfort as Savannah Sky challenges the moon’s power over water.  The moon always wins that battle.

 

Oh yes, just about this time our IridiumGO! tracking device decided to fail.  Luckily, we had a Garmin backup tracker so family and friends could still see we were making progress and hadn’t disappeared at sea.

 

Steve spent many an hour calculating fuel consumption and determined we had to make an unscheduled stop at the Madeira Islands for more diesel.  We wouldn’t have enough fuel to run our engine once the forecast winds were imminently set to decrease to zero and leave us drifting for the remainder of our journey.

 

Porto Santo, Madeira Islands was where diesel was waiting for fuel hungry Savannah Sky. 

 

When we arrived in the anchorage at Porto Santo, Madeira Islands, a friendly British sailboat informed us there was no diesel available at Porto Santo.  None.

 

Our spirts sunk.

 

Luckily, another sailor told us we could get fuel at the commercial dock, if we made proper arrangements.

 

Luckily the British sailor wasn’t the most astute person and was proved wrong as we made a reservation to take on much-needed diesel at 2 pm that day.

 

The marina/commercial office where we made the arrangements also explained we had to pay in cash only.  No credit card or foreign currency was accepted for fuel.  Only Euros!

 

Yeow. 

 

The friendly office permitted us to dock Savannah Sky at the commercial dock two hours before out scheduled fuel delivery.  The closest ATM machine was two miles away, they informed us.

 

Luckily Captain Steve could still use his shaky sea legs in a sprint down the road to the ATM.

 

After maxing out his withdrawal limit, the sprint back to the commercial dock in midday heat was simply long and hot.

 

Maria said I was drenched in sweat with my face the color of a ripe tomato as I staggered back to Savannah Sky in time for our fuel appointment.

 

Savannah Sky definitely needed diesel fuel as there was absolutely no wind for the final two days of our journey from Porto Santo to Las Palmas, Gran Canary Island.

 

We might still be floundering around in the Atlantic Ocean if it were not for our trusty diesel engine.

 

Instead of drifting forever, we made landfall at Las Palmas Marina, after 11 days at sea, and sailing over 1,650 nautical miles.

 

Now it’s time to decompress and lick our wounds while preparing Savannah Sky to sail across the Atlantic Ocean to the Caribbean, in cruiser friendly Las Palmas Marina.

Off We Go - Friday

Savannah Sky's new additions (Arch, solar, wind and so much more...)

Royston Cave, England

Royston Cave with Templar carvings...

So much food to load onboard Savannah Sky.  It's a big ocean out there...

The Ocean Globe Race docks where Maria is pointiing at Evrika, the boat previously owned by Pink Floyd

Walking the docks at Southampton, where the Ocean Globe Race was getting ready to start

Southampton Boat Show

Maria and her cappuccino

S/Y Savannah Sky – September 27, 2023 – Log #11

Savannah Sky Position: 50 degrees 47’ N, 001 degrees 06’ W

Gosport, England

 

Off We Go - Friday

 

We’ve been in England for three months, onboard Savannah Sky at the dock.

 

What have we been doing, spending so much time here?

 

Work, work and even more work - Getting Savannah Sky ready for sailing on the ocean.

 

Here is a partial list of things we did to Savannah Sky while we were here in England:

·      Stainless steel arch custom built and installed

·      Solar system installed

·      Wind generator installed

·      Water maker system installed

·      New mainsail

·      New alternator & voltage regulator

·      Repaired generator

·      Repaired the refrigeration system

·      New batteries

·      Safety gear installed

·      Cleaned every possible locker, cabin, storage area and crevice we could get to

·      Rerigged the sail configuration

·      Luckily Amazon delivers to the marina too, with so many goodies we needed

·      Spent lots of money doing all this too. After all, it’s a boat…ha ha

 

They even have a Costco supermarket here, so we stocked up on groceries for our upcoming journey across the Atlantic Ocean.

 

Service people working on boats in England were, as they say, spot on.  We have never found this high a level of expertise in the marine field as we found here.  People show up as promised and they know boats and how to fix them.

 

We also had an OCC Port Officer here in Gosport.  A Port Officer is a person awarded the title by the Ocean Cruising Club, that we belong to.  Chris Smith was our guy.  He was fantastic and indispensable at finding qualified people and businesses to help us work on Savannah Sky during our prolonged stay.

 

We did get to travel around England a bit too:  London, Weymouth, Royston Cave, Southampton Boat Show, Portsmouth and its famous Dockyard, Gosport Dockyard and of course lots of pubs.

 

Warm beer, meat pies and Fish & Chips filled our stomachs inside the ever-popular pubs.

 

We pretty much adjusted to the language barrier, if we listened close enough.   Luckily, locals always could tell we were Americans so they tried to speak more slowly.  Sometimes that helped but not always for Captain Steve.  Maria was much better at translating what was said for Steve.

 

We have been waiting for a suitable weather window to sail directly south to the Canary Islands.

 

It is getting late in the season and cool fall weather greets us every morning at the dock in Gosport.  Days are getting shorter and our heater works wonders to take the chill off.

 

We gotta go where it’s warm!

 

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we head out on the ocean once again…

London Town Part 2

 

Fish and Chips at our local Pub

The famous Beatles cross walk (zebra cross walk) picture!

    

Dancers in Gosport

Even more dancers, we think, in Gosport

A nice water cannon salute to a passing cruise ship

Savannah Sky from atop her 65 foot mast

The Solent, a world famous sailing area outside Portsmouth/Gosport and the Isle of Wight.  The green ship is a former Light Ship, just adjacent to Savannah Sky.  I was at the top of the mast taking this picture.

King George III statue in Weymouth

Another King's sand statue in Weymouth; Newly crowned King Charlies III

Weymouth Beach, UK.  The sun was out but the temperature was still 68 degrees F (20C) for the high.

 

S/Y Savannah Sky – July 30, 2023 – Log #9

Savannah Sky Position: 50 degrees 47’ N, 001 degrees 06’ W

Gosport, England

 

London Town Part 2

 

Why did we walk over 60 miles in London, seeing all these sites, when there is the London Tube and local busses to take you away?

 

Well, underground Tube workers were on strike one day and buses were overly crowded for our taste.  Oh well, we’re sailors so why not just enjoy hiking around London town?

 

Abbey Road was so much fun to finally see. 

 

Ah yes, the famous Beatles cross walk where we braved traffic to have a picture taken was a highlight of another walk.

 

There are probably a lot fewer people from our generation alive when the Beatles recorded at Abbey Road Studios, but still, what a great place to see in person.

 

Then there was the Royal Palace with the new King somewhere inside, The Temple Church that the Templars built, Tower of London, River Thames, Big Ben, Admiral Nelson’s column and Westminster Abbey were just a few of the spectacular highlights we visited.

 

Taking the 2-hour train to London, instead of sailing Savannah Sky up the Thames River, relieved us from a LOT of stress, ha ha.

 

We also toured around southwest England with stops at the seaside town of Weymouth and also grocery shopping at Costco, of all places. 

 

Yes, the same Costco that we have back home but with UK brands of food, instead of US brands.  At least the labels are in English here!

 

London Town

Big Ben!

Sir Oliver Cromwell’s statue at Parliament

One of Cromwell’s symbolic Lions at the base of his statue

The original Palace inside Parliament showing where King Charles I was tried and convicted.

The gold cross marks the exact spot where Cromwell’s mace stood as he pounded it on the floor, proclaiming the end of the monarchy and a sentence of death for King Charles I.

Cromwell’s bust and coat of arms outside the House of Commons, where no King nor Queen is permitted to enter.

Westminster Abbey, home to so many historic tombs.

This is a good one - Cromwell’s plaque at Westminster Abbey where he was buried for 3 years before he was dug up and kicked out of Westminster Abbey with his head hung on a spike for all to see.

London Bridge

 S/Y Savannah Sky – July 28, 2023 – Log #8

Savannah Sky Position: 50 degrees 47’ N, 001 degrees 06’ W

Gosport, England

 

London Town

 

What an experience we had, visiting historic and modern London.

Staying at the Royal Thames Yacht Club was a treat for us.  Only members of this exclusive yacht club are allowed to stay in one of the “cabins”.

 

Luckily, because we have reciprocal privileges with our membership in the Ocean Cruising Club, we were allowed to stay there.

 

Outside our cabin window lay Hyde Park, with the clippity clap of Royal Horses each morning as the beasts paraded by.

 

We were really shocked at the residences surrounding the Yacht Club and on Hyde Park.

 

I should have read more since we discovered that real-estate around the yacht club is the most expensive on the planet. 

 

£160 million pounds for an apartment, is on the low end of the scale.  Really, and those were 2018 prices.

 

The London press calls this area just another one of the Gulf States.  Gulf, as in Middle East Gulf.

 

Lamborghinis, Aston Martins, Rolls Royces, Bentleys Maseratis and so many supercars line the streets, not even in a protected garage.  Geeze.

 

English is not the first language here, as Arabic is the only spoken language everywhere, while robes and burkas flow with the breeze.

 

Tourist sites around London Town were amazing.

 

We walked just over 60 miles, in 4 days.

 

But first…

 

The absolute BEST place we visited in London was British Parliament.

 

Parliament???

 

Why would we ever want to visit such a political place, since politics is very alien for us and not anything we care about.

 

Well…  There was one huge reason:

Steve’s great great great, etc. grandfather was Oliver Cromwell.

 

Sir Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland.

 

Sir Oliver, the person who abolished the British monarchy with the trial and beheading of King Charles I, a few years back in 1649.

 

Oh my!

 

Sir Oliver’s statue is in the locked and guarded House of Parliament, of all places.

 

We really just wanted a picture of his statue that was behind the heavily guarded area of Parliament.

 

Well, if you know Maria, you might guess what she was up to.

 

Maria walked around the metal barriers and up to the heavily armed security guards at the fortified gate and explained I was the great great great etc. Grandson of Sir Oliver Cromwell.

 

Well, Maria created a huge stir and suddenly we were whisked away and assigned to a private guide.  It seems Sir Oliver is very respected among certain British politicians and the military.

 

Our guide led us inside both houses of Parliament and outside the Prime Minster's office. 

 

We were 20 feet away from the PM behind his door. 

 

The exquisite bust of Sir Oliver sat on a pedestal nearby, prominently outside the House of Commons. 

 

No pictures are allowed but we were special so the guards purposely turned their backs to us. 😊 

 

All the guards and private guides we met kept saying how much I looked like Sir Oliver!  I felt like such a celebrity, ha ha.

 

After about an hour of walking among the inner chambers of Parliament, House of Commons, House of Lords, Prime Minister’s office, where the King sits, and where King Charles I was tried along with the exact spot where Sir Oliver placed his Mace, proclaiming the monarchy was dead. 

 

We left the Palace/Parliament building and back into brilliant sunshine amongst crowds of tourists.

And Steve is very happy to still have his head.

Steve and Maria

PS - More pictures can be found at:  https://sysavannah.blogspot.com/

1.     You can follow Savannah Sky’s route here, once we leave the dock: https://forecast.predictwind.com/tracking/display/SY_SavannahSky/

2.     Or here: https://share.garmin.com/SYSavannahSky

 

 

 

 

Touring Like a Tourist in England

 

You don't have to walk to the "Stones".  You can ride a bus but that takes the fun out of an adventure, ha ha.

Stonehenge!

Early morning, before more hordes of tourists arrive

 S/Y Savannah Sky – July 12, 2023 – Log #7

Savannah Sky Position: 50 degrees 47’ N, 001 degrees 06’ W

Gosport, England

 

Touring Like a Tourist in England

 

We tend to stay quite a while in places, after arriving on our sailboat.  So, we don’t think of ourselves as true tourists.  But of course, we are tourists, ha ha.

 

What better place to visit right away in England than Stonehenge?  That massive prehistoric monument erected in the English countryside around 3100 BC. 

 

Stonehenge is a magical place, full of lore and theories about why it was built.  It was great to hike a mile and a half and finally visit a place so famous with hordes of tourists from around the world.

 

Driving, on our self-guided tour around England, has been interesting.  Maria has other words for it instead of interesting, as she sat in the passenger seat watching Steve shift gears with his wrong hand, drive on the incorrect side of the road and negotiate intricate roundabouts that were everywhere, or so it seemed.

 

What is the speed limit on these roads, Steve kept asking? 

 

The British don’t post speed limit signs anywhere that we could see so we just keep up with traffic, slowing down for numerous speed photo enforcement encounters scattered in the bush alongside roads.

 

Yet the drivers in England seem so pleasant and friendly, honking their horns constantly in recognition of Steve’s wonderful driving technique.  Hmmm, maybe their gestures and horns actually mean something different?  Na, couldn’t be.

 

The adventure in England continues…