Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain

on the way back from La Gomera we sailed down the western coast of Tenerife

Same album as La Gomera, (starting just after the tatoo photo)

La Gomera, Canary Islands, Spain

About the trip

It has been three weeks now since I moved on the Chavelazo in the Marina del Sur of Las Galletas, it is now time to put the sails up. One evening I invited two friends on the boat to talk about my wish of going to La Gomera in the next couple days. Two days later we were on the sailing boat for a learning time on the boat wich appeared to be a sportive boat full of caracter. (a ex-boat’s owner freind said earlier that it was a good thing that this boat was going to be handed by a young person…)

The first idea was to go for two days, sleeping in La Gomera and coming back straight away the next day. Quickly it came up as an idea almost impossible and also stupid… Indeed, what a shame to go there coming back the next day without having done any visit. We would have not discovered anything about this mythic Island where Christopher Colomb used to come frequently. Before we left we finally planed to go on a 3 day basis.

Once there, we understood that the trip will definitley last longer than 3 days… In total we travelled for seven days discovering Tenerife West coast on the way back to Las Galletas.


With 2 German friends from Camping Nauta

Tortsen

Met in the camping Nauta where I stayed during my first weeks in Tenerife, this 38 years old German guy has been travelling for many years. During a little cathering in the camping we talked about the fact I was buying a sailing boat. In the mean while he told me he had a lisence for spanish flag. (what a luck the one I am looking at as a spanish flag too). However, he has a very little experience. He helped me a lot while I moved from camping to the Marina and still now. A good shap !

Helmut

This twice older man than me this year comes from the East Berlin. He lived in Berlin during the wall time. The high level sport gave him the liberty keys. I also met the sun hunter in the camping Nauta. My neighbour on the campsite, he will quickly become my trip mate. We mainly made an unforgetable trecking on the Teide _ Tenerife, hightest point of Spain wich reaches 3718m above the sea level. He is very keen on on this trip idea, he is actually looking for a boat for sale. He intends to buy a boat and live in the Canary Islands.


Little story

During our stay in the Marina of San sebastian (the capital), Helmut flashed on a 8m catamaran for sale. It is now his boat and it is next to Chavelazo in Las Galletas!

Camping onboard

If you have not got the luck to sleep in the master bedroom which gives you a sky view from the bed, you can still do like Helmut. This “belle etoile” lover made it; he pumped up his inflatable for a night with the stars!

Solar pannel & invertor

Solar panels are very handy when you stay in a mooring on for long cruise. No need to be plugged in anywhere, a simple sun ray makes charge up your batteries. That provide you with 12v DC. Right, cameras, mobile phones, laptops work under 230v AC… Then you need a convertor! That makes life so much easier on board. You can therefore charge up your shaver!

VHF & GPS

The GPS is now an equipment you can hardly do without. We actually done our first trip to La Gomera without it, we almost missed the island; we were on the way to Caribbean then! To be used in conjunction with the charts of course.

Regarding the VHF radio, you have not got the choice really, by law you have to get one on board.

Automatic Pilot

If I had to say one word to describe the automatic pilot, that would be indispensable. Helmut can tell you, he likes to be in charge of the boat steer… You can do so many things when the Automatic pilot is on...

Crew safety

This not only for the shot! well... we will say depending on sea conditions!

Sun set spot

The harbour entrance faces West, as a consequence we have an open view on the sea and the daily sun set. The is an other most of this location.

With view on the Teide

An other good point about that location is on clear days (almost every day, if Noemie is not here!), you can watch the wonderful Teide and its snow caped pick! This is a stunning location!

Las Galletas

Well this is a little fishing village which did not have a harbour still 3 years ago. There is not much to do but at least when the island is overcast, good chance you will find a blue sky in Las Galletas.

Its close location from Tenerife South international aiport make the access very easy.

Mooring in Marina del Sur

To Explain quickly, the mooring is a free process which consists in leaving the boat in the Marina area without being accoted to a punton. But the boat is within a protect water area (no big courrents or waves). Basically in the bottom of the sea, there are big weights with hooks. You just need to hook them up with a chain. At the other end of the chain, a long string where you will lock the boat.

I first checked out to find 4 weights doing a bit of scubadiving and then I got my deep dives monitor to fix my chains at the bottom of the sea.

The only negative point is that we do not have benefice of facilities that the Marina provides us paying 450€ per month for a 10m boat (350€ paying 6 months in advance, in Las Galletas).

As a consequence, no water, electriciy, shower and toilets !!! you can do without when you know you can save up to 350€ per month and also when the temperature reaches 24degree celcius in March!

Chavelazo makes surprise

We meant to stay in a tente in the camping Nauta for the week end when Noemie flew to Tenerife. At least that what she thought :-)