On the Hard in Las Palmas

My cockpit is at the same level as the elevated, busy road along the waterfront of Las Palmas. It is hot and very noisy. In addition to the car traffic, there is the whir of the polishing machine that is working on Kincsem’s hull and the loud radio blaring Spanish summer songs all day. There are two polishing guys looking at me through the cabin windows from the outside – constantly wanting reassurance that the “brillo” is good. It’s been an exhausting day already with numerous phone calls to DHL trying to organize the delivery of my additional solar panels to be installed on the deck house. It is Wednesday today and the panels got to Las Palmas last Friday. But that doesn’t mean they are in my hands. First customs, then an unnamed government agency had them or asserted that it might take possession. Then followed a series of failed deliveries all - directly or indirectly - because of the boatyard I’m in now, in conjunction with the incompetence of the DHL local staff. No, I won’t explain. The story would take a full page so I won’t bore you with it. Suffice it to say that chances are good that I will get them tomorrow!

But Kincsem made it to Las Palmas and (almost) all is good. We had a great sail with 206 nms being the best, and 199 nms being the second best day. The wind was always from behind and we experimented with many different sail variations. Main and poled out genoa. Poled out genoa and poled out Code Zero. Main and Parasailor. Poled out genoa and poled out trade wind sail (Amel would call it a ballooner). A lot of entertainment for the crew!

Marcel trimming the Parasailor

Genoa and Code Zero each on its pole

Trade Wind Sail and genoa – both on their poles

Competing sun sights!

We had more than our fair share of “issues.” The rigger I used in Scotland is responsible for a number of them: one spinnaker halyard stuck at the top of the mast, another spinnaker halyard ripped, one spinnaker sheet stuck in the ends of the pole so it had to be cut.

The trade wind sail I purchased in Hamburg may need to be redone or recut because the sailmaker cut it with a clew that is very high which makes it difficult to use with our poles – you can’t make this stuff up. The Watt & Sea generator I purchased in Hamburg was rigged up wrong by the installer so we could not keep it in the down position for long (but when it was down, it worked great!). Ah, and I just found out that the AIS stopped transmitting a third of the way into the passage. None of these things were serious but annoying they were. The boating industry at its usual. Yet the Kincsem team dealt with the issues in good spirits as they arose. I only hope that I will get it all fixed permanently here before I leave for home next week!