At 5 pm today, we're anchored in Playa Francesca, Graciosa, Canary Islands. There is a 20 knot wind blowing, but it feels like the boat is hardly moving. After 4 days and 8 hours of rocking and rolling, it certainly feels good to stop.

Last night, the wind came up as predicted and we sailed all night, downwind in plenty of wind to keep us going. We had to turn on the motor for a bit this morning, but for most of the day we've been under sail. We sailed into the Estrecho del Rio between the islands of Graciosa and Lanzarote about 4 pm. This little stretch of water is a favorite path of pilot whales and we looked but didn't see any. The islands here are really impressive. They're volcanic and the cliffs on Lanzarote are high, dark, and menacing, with petrified lava flows streaming down into the water. The island of Graciosa has 3 small volcanic hills, and most of the island is partially desert with dunes and scrub plants and long stretches of beach. We're anchored in a little bay protected on one side by a reef and the other by a little volcanic hill. There is another American boat here, from Guam, and a boat that looks abandoned.

Right now, we're going to shower, check in with the radio net, have supper, and have a great night's sleep on a boat that is not moving. We completed 119 nm yesterday. The trip here took 4 days and 8 hours.

Previous Report     Next Report