Finally we have now left La Gomera and the Canary Islands heading for Cabo Verde. These stop-overs took a bit longer than planned but now we shall have fair winds and following seas to make south. Cross fingers. Our adventure continuous!
Fair winds…
PS: Thanks for the video Marcel!
Together with Tobi, 1st mate on SY Sutje, I went for a hike today while the wind keeps blowing. We got a recommendation from Petra and Jan, both chief hiking experts besides sailing SY Sutje.
The bus ride to our starting point was already breath taking as you can see above. For details on the hike itself please have a look at the Komoot recording, if you like. I am still puzzled from today’s impressions. Amazing landscape!
Fair winds…
As expected, we are getting some gale force winds blowing over the Canary Islands at the moment. The eastern part at Lanzarote is hit even harder/longer than the western islands. As per the latest forecast, the wind will peak here in San Sebastián de La Gomera around noon today at 45kn. Tomorrow afternoon it will all be over.
I am impressed how well protected this marina is against these northerly winds. Hidden behind some high rocks, there is hardly any boat movement and no jerking of lines generating this squeaky noise from the mooring lines all over the place.
Peaceful night with restful deep sleep.
Fair winds…
What to do with 1kg fresh Wahoo filet? To start off, I decided, that my light lunch today will be a Wahoo steak with some Avocado dip, topped with some local grown Thymian. I learned that Avocados are also grown on La Gomera and wonder, what else you cannot get on this island. Still learning every day, but bottom line is, that my learning curve is much steeper compared to the days before this adventure started.
Fair winds…
Quite nice here in San Sebastián de La Gomera. Got my fourth jab within ten minutes in the Centro de Salud. Strolled around in the city and finished the day off with a “sausage & red vine risotto from Jamie” having same accompany as yesterday.
Fair winds…
It got late last night, well 11:30pm, not to bad. I got invited from Anne and Marcel for a very nice dinner. Wahoo was on the menu, fresh from a local fishing boat. Petra contributed a delicious potato salad and myself the desert, a sweet melon gazpacho.
Wahoo is an interesting and same time healthy and very fine tasting fish. Fresh from the ocean, no farming. First time experience and it stays on my list.
Enjoyed the accompany very much including 
Gara, the lively 8 month dog from a local sanctuary.
Fair winds…
Many people I have spoken to, and who have visited all Canary Islands, vote La Gomera and La Palma to be among the most beautiful islands of the archipelago. Obviously this is very subjective but what I have seen today impressed me as well. Less touristy, slow pace, beautiful scenery and an attractive little market hall to name a few of the high ranking criteria.
After my short walk through the town this morning, I went out biking for a sniff tour in one of the many vales the island offers until the dead end road stopped me.
The elevation profile of today’s trip is representative of the overall island’s elevation profile. With the mountain peak of the island reaching 1487m and sitting pretty in the island’s circle centre, it grades down to the ocean from all angles like a sugar cone.
Fair winds…
We have thrown the towels, both SY Sutje and myself. The high pressure system on the Atlantic has intensified over the last two days giving it another notch over night with expected wind speeds now in the second half of the journey of 35kn and waves up to 3m. We concluded, enough is enough.
The start would have been perfect but conditions are getting heavy – too heavy now – at arrival in Cabo Verde, which is a bit of a tricky approach same time.
We were pumped up and had all systems checked but gut feeling was not right, which was not caused by dinner the day before. Better slow and safe we concluded.
On the upside, both ships got a berth in San Sebastián de la Gomera and we plan there for a week until this huge high pressure system has moved further NE and more favourable winds are expected to take us to Cabo Verde and further on as per the plan. No change to that.
ETA Marina de La Gomera, tomorrow dawn time.
Fair winds…
Today was a slow Sunday with just a few more short bike rides. Together with approximately 13 other Germans we stormed into Lidl simultaneously as soon as the door lock got released at 8:00 am.😅
As there was a bit of a cloud cover all day, I applied Boracol 10Y to the toerail. It showed some signs of black stains and I hope Boracol will tackle it over the next two weeks or so.
Jan and myself have studied and discussed the weather forecasts intensively and it looks like we are going to throw the lines tomorrow morning.
Fair winds…
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