Log #38B Problems in Fuerteventura Written at Puerto de Mogan, Gran Canaria, Canary IslandsDec. 15, 2005 This log takes us from Lanzarote to Fuerteventura where we had some problems while alongside. The couple of pictures I have attached are of the girls on Halloween, and the surf rolling on the shoals behind which we were going to anchor off Isla de Lobos. As we are stuck here in Puerto de Mogan for a few more days awaiting a new water pump for the engine, we will be staying in the Canaries for Christmas, probably over in Santa Cruz de Tenerife where some of our friends are located. We will then be off to the Cape Verde Islands a few days later, probably welcoming in 2006 on the 800 mile passage down. I hope to get another log off before Christmas, and I hope all your holiday preparations are going well. All the best, Aubrey Log #38b Problems in Fuerteventura At anchor in Puerto de Naos we were visited on Halloween by the three Australian girls in costume. Their father, Blake, took them around the anchorage in their dinghy to collect goodies from each of the boats. Good fun! There are a couple of good chandleries in Arrecife where we were able to get several parts for the boat. The waterfront faces a large tidal lagoon where a few boats were anchored. That would have been closer to the main part of town, but we heard the holding was not reliable, and didn't want to risk it. Puerto de Naos was the best anchorage we have had in the Canaries, as there are no other sheltered coves. Most of the marinas were filled especially from October to the end of December. In October and November there are at least two major transatlantic rallies, the ARC which departs from Las Palmas and the Blue Water Rally, a round the world rally which departs from Gibraltar, but has a stop over in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The ARC has at least 400 boats and the Blue Water has about 100, as well as all the NARCs (Not on the ARC) who use the Canaries as their last stop before crossing to the Caribbean. The ARC does not leave until Nov. 20, but many of them arrive in October to get outfitted for the crossing. So the Canaries are swamped with sailboats, and space in the marinas is very limited. We left Puerto de Naos on Nov. 3, 2005 originally intending to go down to anchor off Playa Blanca for the night before heading across to Fuerteventura. Playa Blanca (meaning white beach) is noted for its long white sand beach on the south coast of Lanzarote, and was indicated in our pilot as an anchorage. However as we motored into the open bay, we could see the rollers crashing on the shoreline, and felt them rolling Veleda as we considered the anchorage. It would have been too roll-y, and was quite exposed, so we left to go over to anchor off Isla de Lobos, just off the NE corner of Fuerteventura. It was getting towards sunset, and we did not have time to go further down Fuerteventura. This anchorage was mentioned to us by Jack from Kulari, when we were up in Puerto de Naos. He left a day before us to anchor there. As we rounded the shoals and sand bars on the southern part of Isla de Lobos, we again saw rollers crashing on the shore. However, the shoals served as a bit of a breakwater from the main directions of the waves. We waved to Jack as we entered and explored around for a good location among the half dozen other boats anchored there. After the second try, the anchor held well, but we were only 100 yards from the shore, and could hear the waves crashing on the beach all night long. It was not a comfortable anchorage, and we didn't launch Sprite as it was too rolly. In the morning as we left we went by Kulari to say "Hi" to Jack. He laughed and apologized for recommending the anchorage, and indicated that he had now remembered that the people he heard about it from were surfers, and it would be a good bay for them. It was a heavy sail the 26 miles down the east coast of Fuerteventura with strong force 5 winds and rain squalls. We were heading to Gran Tarajal where our pilot indicated anchorage was possible outside the breakwater off the large town beach, as well as inside the breakwater. The outer bay was exposed to the heavy winds we had experienced, and so we went inside to anchor. There were many local boats at moorings, two rickety pontoons, and a long breakwater wall behind a rescue boat. We went into the inner part of the moorings and dropped anchor clear of the moorings and the pontoons. However, we were waved off and told we could anchor only nearer the entrance. So we weighed anchor, went to the entrance area and tried to drop the anchor, but it dragged. This was also closer to mooring buoys and exposed to swells coming in the entrance. So we gave up and were going to go along the wall, astern of the rescue boat. As we approached the guard again waved us off. There were two other boats on the wall further back, and just enough space between them for us to fit into. She didn't wave us off this time, nor did she make any effort to help us with our lines. The other boaters did. Finally, we were tied up alongside a high rough concrete wall. We were able to get onto the wall at high tide, but as the tide ebbed, we couldn't get ashore at all. The swell entered the harbour making for a very uncomfortable night, again. By early morning it was low tide, and we were surging back and forth with the swells. When secured to a tidal wall, long lines are needed led forward and aft to accommodate the tidal range. The three boats were surging back and forth in ever increasing arcs, and sometimes not in unison. We would swing ten feet forward until our stern line took up the slack, then it would cause us to surge twenty feet aft, often jerking on the lines, and crashing us against the rough surfaced wall. It was quite disconcerting to watch through the cabin windows as the concrete wall moved aft, then stopped and swept forward as we swung backwards. The crew of the Norwegian catamaran behind us had been up most of the night watching their lines and they had put out a bow and stern anchor to try to hold them off the wall. We were swinging close to the French sailboat ahead of us. By 0800 the surge was so heavy that I called Judy to get up, that we had to do something. Then after a couple of larger surges, I heard a snap, and the starboard quarter deck cleat was torn out of the boat. We had no stern line to prevent us from surging into the boat ahead of us! I immediately started the engine so I could reverse to avoid swinging into the French boat ahead of us. We had to get out of there. Judy cast off the bow lines, and left them hanging from the wall as we edged out to port getting clear of the French boat and into the middle of the harbour, clear of the wall and the two boats still there. We had to go to the pontoon, beside another French boat. This was a Med mooring situation where we had to use our own anchor. This time, contrary to our normal usage, we were going to go in stern to, using our heavier bow anchor to keep us off the dock in the heavy swell rocking the pontoon and the boats secured to it. We took some time in mid harbour to get Sprite off the dinghy-tow, and lashed it alongside our port bow, got new stern lines ready to heave ashore, and prepared the anchor for letting go. Now came the fun of dropping the anchor in that relatively small harbour, and backing up between the French yacht and a fishing boat, paying out the anchor cable to keep us from swinging in to these adjacent boats and prevent us from surging into the pontoon. The French boaters helped us get our stern lines onto cleats on the pontoon, and we adjusted the tension on the anchor cable to hold us off. The swell was still heavy and we had to settle with our stern about ten feet from the pontoon to avoid surging into it. This made getting off very difficult, but at least we were safe. After we were settled the other French boat on the wall cleared off it and came over to the pontoon. We helped it in. Then the Norwegian catamaran wanted to get off the wall as well, but had trouble because of the two anchors they had deployed to hold it off the wall. I was surprise they wanted to move as I thought the two anchors were working to keep them away from the wall, but they were afraid the strain might break their lines as well. I went over in Sprite and helped get their anchors in, as there were only two on board this large 40 foot cat, and stood by to serve as a tug in case they were blown down by the wind. After they reset their bow anchor to back into the pontoon, I helped by nudging the bow around a bit so the boat was in line with the limited space available. They made a good approach and had help getting lines ashore. So, all three of us were now over on the crowded, swaying pontoon. When Judy was up forward before leaving the wall, she heard a SNAP, but could not identify its source. The bow cleats were still intact. When things settled down we inspected the foredeck and found out the SNAP was one of the horns of our starboard bow fairlead breaking off, leaving a jagged stump on its after side. I went over to the wall to retrieve the two lines we had left hanging there. The after line still had the cleat hanging from its end, but, to add insult to injury, as I was hauling the line up the cleat unwrapped itself, and PLUNK into the water! At least we were safe and so was Veleda. We had a pleasant time meeting Carl and Jutta Hauser who were vacationing on the island. They are German friends of Judy's family, but Judy had not met them before. They are a retired elderly couple who were very nervous about being on the wobbling pontoon, and didn't even want to try coming on board Veleda in the, by now reduced, surging water. So we walked into town with them and had a pleasant meal at a restaurant over looking the bay. and watching the SURFERS enjoying the heavy waves. It is a lovely wide shallow town beach, ideal for surfboarding. The town is fine, with good stores, including an excellent internet café. Our next destination was to be Gran Canaria where we wanted to go to Sunshine Maritime in Puerto de Mogan to hopefully get our PUR watermaker repaired. When we called the marina before leaving we were informed there was no room. However another private marina at Pasito Blanco a few miles down the coast from Puerto Mogan had room. It was a 95 mile trip from Fuerteventura over to Gran Canaria, and it was going to be an overnight passage. As we approached the southern end of Fuerteventura we decided to go into Morro Jable to check out the unfinished marina. It was still unfinished with the three pontoons with no services as described in our pilot. However at least now they were linked to shore with suitable ramps. As we approached the outer pontoon, we saw Rikili, the Australian boat we met in Porto de Naos in Arrecife with the three delightful girls whom we hadn't seen since Halloween. Blake helped us alongside, and we had a good chat. He was staying there for several days, but we were in only for a few hours to have supper alongside and head out for our night passage to Gran Canaria to be described in my next log (no problems this time). Next log