(No16) Madeira - The Canary Islands (via The Salvage Isles)
Catou
Paul and Sylvie Tucker
Fri 1 Oct 2010 22:16
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Wednesday 29th Sept
We set off from Madeira at 0600 hrs on Wednesday
morning. There was no wind to start with, but by 0830 it picked up,
so we stopped engine and had a beautiful sail in calm seas and good
winds. It was the perfect weather, complete with blue skies and fluffy
clouds.
We had decided to go and look at the 'Salvage Islands'
some 160 miles south of Madeira and almost on a direct course for The Canary
Islands. These islands are a tiny volcanic rocky outcrop in the North
Atlantic and are a designated nature reserve. Before we left Maderia we
had obtained the necessary permit to land there if the occasion arose. We
sailed south and the wind strengthened until we had decided to double-reef for
the night. It was a sensible decision since the wind and sea continued to
strengthen and it made a much more comfortable night's sailing. Early the
next morning a bleak and barren island appeared in the starboard bow.
The pilot book describes the 'known reefs' and emphasized the lack of surveys
for the two main islands " Both have extensive off-lying dangers, the hazards
being mentioned in the text being only the worst amongst many, with more as yet
uncharted. They are not named the 'Salvage Islands' for
nothing!" If that's not a warning? We took a very
cautious approach and worked our way around the east coast, keeping well outside
the reefs, then turning west along the south coast, until we reached
the small sheltered bay in SW corner. Having entered it, we decided that
it was too dangerous to anchor. There were two other yachts in there, but
the lava flows and general rocky outcrops looked very dangerous and I felt very
uncomfortable, not knowing the small bay. It was a shame that we couldn't
land and spend a few hours visiting, for the islands are wonderful colonies for
sea birds and much other wild life. We decided to sail for The Canary
Islands just over 100 miles to the SE.
The new course from The Salvage Islands meant a
'close haul' sail towards a small island called Isla Graciosa (just north of the
large holiday island of Lanzarote). It was going to be close on the wind
and meant that we would really have to put 'Catou' through her paces. We
had never before tested her in such conditions since most of our
sailing had been 'downwind'. It was 130 miles on a SE'ly course with a
strong NE'ly wind which was blowing force 5 -6 and gusting to nearly gale
force. Some time after setting sail, we had to heave-to so we
could check all was OK up for'd and that the anchor was stowed
securely. Later we hove-to again to eat an evening meal (it was too rough
to cook underway). This was where 'Catou' really showed herself. She
behaved wonderfully and she could easily manage the heavy seas with these
sort of rough conditions while maintaining a cracking pace. We continued
with our 3-on, 6-off watch routine, which worked well through-out the rough
night that followed. The wind was howling for a while, but she felt
very comfortable, although sleep was not easy when off watch with the
thumping and bashing of the hull as she pounded to windward. So after our
2nd night at sea, we made a landfall at the northern end of
Lanzarote. Later, after sailing up the narrow channel between the
two islands, we entered the harbour on Isla Graciosa, and were quickly told
by the harbour-master (who, checking his clip-board) advised us that we had not
booked and were therefore unable to tie up! First time we have ever been
rejected from a marina!
So we headed south to a sandy bay and
anchored. It was lovely. We tidied up, had lunch and crashed out for
a well-earned rest! Then a swim in the late afternoon.
We are now south of the 30th parallel and only a few
hundred miles from the tropics. The weather and sea are warming up
nicely!
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