Pisces 615

Left Las Palmas on packed Ryanair flight to Stanstead and met up with JB under the clock at Waterloo Station a bit late and down to West Stafford for a few days. Early morning walks across the fields and on Studland beach. Met up with sister Jane and Simon for morning suit fitting. Saturday 24 October dawned cloudy for Catherine’s (my niece) wedding to Nick at Winterborne Zelston, Lovely service and food. Yours truly gave the ‘uncle of the bride’ speech as Catherine’s father is no longer with us. It went down rather well. Danced till late then had to pour son Mark into the taxi for home. Off to the apartment in Dinard for more walks, food and chilling although the weather was exceptional at 22C and people swimming! JB leaves for Brisbane while I fly back to the gathering party that is the ARC and ARC+ (via Cape Verdes).

My highlights:

Studland beach.

Wedding

The Church in Winterborne Zelston

Simon and Jane

JB and me

Mark and me

Me about to carve the beef.

Dinard

View across the Rance to St Malo

Les Roches Brunes

Promenade du clair de lune

Les Halles

Vicomte

Creperie du Roy

From the log with comments.

A few lazy days and met up with Liam and Liz on Odessy. Walks along to Arrecife, cold beer, good showers and laundry (becomes important in the hot weather). However not much to do so departed with exciting exit past the dredger and cruise ship. Gentle sail down the coast made interesting by a sudden increase in wind speed from 8 to 20 knots in an ‘acceleration zone’. So windy entrance to the pristine Puerto Calero. A well run private marina in a purpose built resort with all the trimmings. Even better showers and brass bollards! No beach and loads of tourists bussed in for the ‘full English’. Oh where is the fish of the Rias and Ribidero wine? Onwards to the tip of Lanzarote to Marina Rubicon. Another lovely spot and great facilities. Met up with Alex and Anna on Pantalaimon II and Cliff and Val on AWOL, both ARC registered and had rather a raucous evening. Turns out that Alex and Anna are anesthetists who qualified at the Middlesex a few years after me and their daughter Emily was in Alice’s year at Sherborne! I was umming and arring about what to do next. Had conflicting (but useful) advice from local Cruising Association HLAs so I decided to stick to my original plan and see a bit of Fuerteventura before heading to Las Palmas. So left in early sunshine on October 1 and motor sailed across to Los Lobos island and down the coast to Gran Talajal. Very different place! Pontoons wired with the wrong polarity, cold showers and cockroaches in the streets! Friendly people though and no tourists! Wifi difficult and food poor. Moved on after 2 nights towards the heel of the island and round the corner to Morro Jable. Stunning windswept scenery that caught the imagination of Moitissier. Mainly commercial harbour so I anchored off in 8 meters over sand and crystal clear water. Breezy night but calm morning so I left before dawn and motored all the way across the Traffic Separation Zone, arriving in the huge Muelle Deportivo at dusk on Sunday evening. Just tied up when a marinero arrived to move me to I14. Interesting arrangement of a stern rope mooring and bows to the pontoon. Just by the shops and main highway! Fortunately found the Club Maritimo Varadero de Gran Canaria with pool, gym, restaurants, showers and great wifi. Settled in for 2 weeks of jobs (sic) before a break in the UK for Catherine’s wedding and to be with JB again (she is flying over from Oz, its becoming a habit).

My highlights.

Lanzarote, Arrecife