Log Entry No 2 - 10 Sept - 15 Sept 07
Porto Santo (Madeira Achepelago) - Las Palmas (Gran Canaria) - Puerto Calero (Lanzarote)

Safely alongside.

Following a break of 24hrs in Porto Santo after 7 days at sea (Porto Santo is an island near Maderia which is about 11km long by 6km wide. With only 1 town to speak of and a small population it is a friendly resort and close knit community. Porto Santo is used by the Maderians as a weekend get-away resort as it typically has less cloud and a better climate than its larger sister island), Discoverer was re-stocked with vital fresh food and water before setting off on the 200 nm passage south towards The Canaries. Initially the wind was F4 and from the north, ideal conditions to fly the asymmetric spinnaker and make good progress downwind. The breeze was short-lived and just before dark it was once again time to drop the spinnaker and start to motor south.

The following day was extremely hot and humid, the temperature was up in the high 30s. Trying to sleep when off watch became unbearable as all crew members lay in their bunks sweating for 6 hours before coming on deck and sweating for a further 6 hours.

Tidying the boat.

At around 1300hrs the Canaries first came into sight through the haze, the swell picked up as we came into much shallower water. It was hoped that the ‘Acceleration Zone’ of the Canaries (a localised weather system where the wind is accelerated around the coast of all the islands) would take us closer in towards Gran Canaria however it didn’t pick up. Discoverer was moored stern-to in Las Palmas (a large commercial port on Gran Canaria) by 1800hrs on the Wed 12 Sept.

After spending a couple of days in Las Palmas and again stocking up on food and water Discoverer set sail once again for the final destination of Leg 1, Puerto Calero (Lanzarote).

Leaving at about 1600hrs on Fri 14 Sept the wind was from the NE and was a high F5, the tacking angle (angle the boat can steer closest to the wind with the sails fully sheeted in) set us on a course towards the southern end of Fuertaventura. We had to tack a couple of miles off the coast of Fuertaventura and head back out towards the NW. Discoverer headed between the islands of Fuertaventura and Lanzarote early on the morning of the 15 Sept and arrived in Puerto Calero in time for lunch.

Relaxing in Las Palmas.

The crew spent the next couple of days cleaning everything on Discoverer, above decks and below was completely stripped out and thoroughly scrubbed out before the arrival of the next crew.

Discoverer covered 1780 NM in the 15 days at sea since leaving Gosport, with winds ranging from none up to a Force 9 gale. All crew members learnt a lot on the trip; not only about sailing and the management of a yacht at sea but also about themselves and their own capabilities and the importance of team work in adverse conditions.