We use to hear/read about sailing from Mediterranean sea to the Canary Islands but we can hardly find any information about sailing from the Canary Islands to Mediterranean sea. Sailing back to the Mediterranean sea from Canary Islands is going against the trade winds (Alisios), which is more difficult than going with the trade winds that is what most of the people are doing when going to the Caribean, but it is not impossible.
2’500 nm with the Watt&Sea POD
Since we installed the Watt&Sea POD 600 in Las Palmas, we've sailed more than 2'500 nm with it. Some people have been asking for feedback on it, so here it is!
Sailing with Linux (NMEA, GPSd, Iridium)
We have been using Linux on board since our second season on Soledad - three years ago. There exists quite a large collection of marine/sailing software for Linux. As you might know from previous posts, we mainly use OpenCPN and zyGrib for navigation. In this post, I will explain how we got more by connecting our computer to the boat's electronics and to an Iridium satellite phone.
Winter and boat works in Las Palmas
We literally spent the winter in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. El muelle deportivo de Las Palmas is a huge marina in the centre of the city. At walking distance or by bus (bus pass available at the marina's mini-market) you can find whatever you need. We enjoyed the spannish/canarian culture (carnivals, holy week, etc.) and the weather has been good (even though locals say it's been one bad winter).
Are we ready for an Atlantic crossing?
Last months, we had two funny passages: one from Rabat to Graciosa Island and other from Lanzarote to Las Palmas. During the last weeks we have been wondering about crossing the Atlantic. After thinking and discussing about it, we agreed that we are not ready yet - at least not in a way that would make us confident about it. The other conclusion is that we want to be ready to cross the Atlantic ocean by the end of 2018.
How to get into Rabat with a sail boat
Let me share with you some information about how to get into Rabat with a sailing boat. Enjoy the read!
Our agile mindset took us to Portugal and Morocco
From Puerto Sherry (Spain), we went to Portimão (Portugal). Our goal was to ensure that the boat was working well after all work that had been done - especially on the steering gear, before going to the Canaries Islands. Everything worked good and after some hopefully final tuning in Portimão, we would leave Europe behind and reach Rabat in Morocco.
Preparing the boat at Puerto Sherry
We were glad to spend some time with our families and friends who took great care of us. We were very excited to see that our journey is inspiring them and we are really happy to share about it.
Our first experience sailing on the Atlantic Ocean
We crossed Gibraltar strait last week and we are proud of it! It might be something casual for some but sailing in the Atlantic ocean is something new for us. We are loving the constant wind speed, being in the big ocean is giving us a bigger sense of freedom.
Secret Cartagena
We loved Cartagena with all its small museums and people from Cartagena have proved many times to be really friendly. We spent more time in the marina than we initially anticipated but it has been a great opportunity for us to explore a city rich in culture.
