Back in the Atlantic

Back in the Atlantic.
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In order to reach Madeira from Gibraltar one has to carefully watch the weather. We had to wait a while until the right conditions prevailed. A few boats left before us and did not have good sailing. On September 11th everything looked promising and many of us left Gibraltar.

We arrived at night at Porto Santo after 4 days, we had a good crossing and anchored outside the harbour the first night. The next day we took a mooring. Like many other boats we placed our mark on the marina wall. We did many bike excursions. I am checking what Christopher Colombus is doing, in the museum that was his house when he lived on Porto Santo.

On October 1st we went to Funchal in Madeira. The harbour is not as well protected as the one of Porto Santo. With Flemming and Margaret we hiked levadas. We took a bus and went to the very exposed North shore. The South shore, where Funchal is, is far less steep.

On October 4th we left Madeira and headed for Graciosa, the northermost Island of the Canaries. We were to stay 2 full months in the Canaries, waiting the end of the huricane season to cross to the Caribbean.

The anchorage at Graciosa was nice with a lot of boats, many of them familiar from the Med. and we would see them in many of the Islands of the Canaries and eventually in the Caribbean.

The anchorage as seen from the rim of the Graciosa Volcano. On my birthday we had a picnic on the beach, Roger of Layla wrote a birthday card that everyone on the anchorage signed, my reputation as Faxman was now well established. In the Evening Gernot, of Rigoletto, and Roger got their Guitar and we had an evening of songs.

The little village of Graciosa was right out of a western. This is the view of the Graciosa volcano as we left for Lanzarote on October 12. The harbour of Arrecife on Lanzarote, where the NARC ( Not ARC) was born an evening on Layla. From the Northwest point of Lanzarote a view of the Craciosa anchorage and its volcano that now appears very small.

César Enrique's living room, inside a volcanic buble. Entrance to the National Park of Lanzarote, Montanas del Fuego. Some of the volcanos in the park, the last big eruption occured in 1824. A vineyard outside the Park, the vines grow in holes dug in the lava field.

We were on the rather desertic Island of Fuerteventura from October 24 to 28. As we did on every Canary Island we rented a car with Jean Claude and Nicole of Jolisa. An oasis in the midle of the desert. We arrived at Gran Canaria on October 28 and stayed mostly at the anchorage outside the harbour. The harbour was full of sailboats participating in the ARC (Atlantic Rally for Cruisers). You could not get in if you had not paid to participate in the ARC.

We had created a Rally of our own: the NARC (Not ARC). We had our own flag and those participating in the NARC could do what they wanted anytime anywhere. More than 50 sailboats eventually flew the NARC flag. Jeanine and Bernard Delaunay flew in from Paris, and bought a time-share in a resort on the South Coast. Kirk and Markay Dickens also flew in from Oak Ridge. We rented two cars, got lost but found each other again for lunch!! The troubadours Gernot and Roger are at it again. Finaly the ARC left for St. Lucia on the 19th. Joining the ARC for the crossing is presumed a safety factor. But they stuck to schedule even when a blow occured the day they left. Two collisions occured at the start, 4 boats did not leave that day due to damage!!

On November 22nd we left for Santa Cruz de Tenerife where we could be at the quai. Francis, Jean-Claude and Nicole on top of Pico del Teide, 3700 meters altitude, it was cold. The view of the lava flows from the top. Thanksgiving 95 aboard Wand'ring Star in Tenerife, Andy, Claire, Sally, Roger, Penny and Francis.

On December 2nd we left Santa Cruz de Tenerife for the Caribbean Islands. Destination Barbados.
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We arrived at night at Porto Santo after 4 days, we had a good crossing and anchored outside the harbour the first night. The next day we took a mooring.	Like many other boats we placed our mark on the marina wall.	We did many bike excursions.	I am checking what Christopher Colombus is doing, in the museum that was his house when he lived on Porto Santo.

On October 1st we went to Funchal in Madeira. The harbour is not as well protected as the one of Porto Santo.	With Flemming and Margaret we hiked levadas.	We took a bus and went to the very exposed North shore.	The South shore, where Funchal is, is far less steep.


The anchorage as seen from the rim of the Graciosa Volcano.	On my birthday we had a picnic on the beach, Roger of Layla wrote a birthday card that everyone on the anchorage signed, my reputation as Faxman was now well established. In the Evening Gernot, of Rigoletto, and Roger got their Guitar and we had an evening of songs.

The little village of Graciosa was right out of a western.	This is the view of the Graciosa volcano as we left for Lanzarote on October 12.	The harbour of Arrecife on Lanzarote, where the NARC ( Not ARC) was born an evening on Layla.	From the Northwest point of Lanzarote a view of the Craciosa anchorage and its volcano that now appears very small.

César Enrique's living room, inside a volcanic buble.	Entrance to the National Park of Lanzarote, Montanas del Fuego.	Some of the volcanos in the park, the last big eruption occured in 1824.	A vineyard outside the Park, the vines grow in holes dug in the lava field.

We were on the rather desertic Island of Fuerteventura from October 24 to 28. As we did on every Canary Island we rented a car with Jean Claude and Nicole of Jolisa.	An oasis in the midle of the desert.	We arrived at Gran Canaria on October 28 and stayed mostly at the anchorage outside the harbour.	The harbour was full of sailboats participating in the ARC (Atlantic Rally for Cruisers). You could not get in if you had not paid to participate in the ARC.

We had created a Rally of our own: the NARC (Not ARC). We had our own flag and those participating in the NARC could do what they wanted anytime anywhere. More than 50 sailboats eventually flew the NARC flag.	Jeanine and Bernard Delaunay flew in from Paris, and bought a time-share in a resort on the South Coast. Kirk and Markay Dickens also flew in from Oak Ridge. We rented two cars, got lost but found each other again for lunch!!	The troubadours Gernot and Roger are at it again.	Finaly the ARC left for St. Lucia on the 19th. Joining the ARC for the crossing is presumed a safety factor. But they stuck to schedule even when a blow occured the day they left. Two collisions occured at the start, 4 boats did not leave that day due to damage!!

On November 22nd we left for Santa Cruz de Tenerife where we could be at the quai.	Francis, Jean-Claude and Nicole on top of Pico del Teide, 3700 meters altitude, it was cold.	The view of the lava flows from the top.	Thanksgiving 95 aboard Wand'ring Star in Tenerife, Andy, Claire, Sally, Roger, Penny and Francis.