stepping off place. Easy access to food stores and services and generally friendly people. It’s a busy time; lots to do and the anticipation starts to build.
We finally set sail for Tenerife at the end of October and we were all ready to leave. Leaving the Straights and the southern coast of Spain always seems to be exciting and this year was to be no exception. Gusting 35 knts off Tarifa had everyone sober in a big hurry and we stormed along for a few hours. As we approached the coast of Africa, the wind died again and the motor went on. I have nothing but admiration for Mr. Perkins and his products. Ours is a big old six-cylinder lump and she runs faultlessly. I am sorry to have to report that we had to motor sail all the way to the Canaries – very trying indeed!
Santa Cruz is not my favorite place. All concrete and dirt. Ferries and tourists. It’s ok for provisioning and not a lot else, although the Yacht Club there are very kind to the Rally participants, allowing them to use their wonderful Club facilities; pools, bars etc. It was therefore something of a pleasant interlude. We left for the small island of La Gomera in mid November. Unfortunately, I got injured on the trip south by a spinnaker sheet which hit me in the eye and finished up in hospital for some days, but that is another story.
La Gomera is a charming small harbor, populated largely by serious “live aboard” boaters all waiting for the right time to make the jump off for the Caribbean, if such a time there ever be. By this time, Wind Dancer had collected it’s final crew for the crossing. Myself – not feeling too good and with impaired eye sight, my two sons who had some sailing experience really during this year only, one’s girlfriend and a captain I had employed at the last minute due to my eye sight problems. The Rally had left without us but we were in SSB contact. So, on November 26th., we duly set sail, or rather motored again! We continued to do so for 24 hours which was approaching the edge of my threshold of what was acceptable for fuel consumption this early in the crossing. Then the wind came up!
Our intention and the advice received from weather routing services was to head on the taditional course to 20 North & 25 West. This just wasn’t to be. The wind was out of the East or North East at between Force 3 to Force 6 and throughout the crossing, we had trouble making southerly. We put out half the main and poled out the jib wing & wing; that was it. We were off, making 7 knots + in an easterly direction and north of the rhumb line. Our only concern was getting in to an area of high pressure and light winds which is centered over the Azores and the fact that my sons had adopted a horizontal position from which they showed little likelihood of ever rising.
The story of the crossing is I am afraid to say devoid of real interest or excitement. My boys duly recovered. We aren’t fishermen, so didn’t. We never turned the engine on again. Every night we reefed down and kept an eagle eye for squall lines, which came howling through. We gybed the set up a couple of times to allow us to make some southerly. Every minute of the passage was “rolly” and it truly takes quite a while to learn to live and sleep in that environment, when nothing is ever still. The power supply onboard the 55cs is 24v and for whatever reason which I haven’t
