Guests, dingy dramas, stingrays and sunny days (Fuerteventura)

 

25, Nov 2021

We’ve recently been spending a lot of uncomfortable rolly nights up and down the coast of Fuerteventura. We’ve been scoping out suitable spots to take our upcoming guests: Martin, his son Micheal and Micheal’s girlfriend Anisha. Having found a few, we ended up heading into the marina at Gran Tarajal for a few days break from the swell. We’ll also be able to take care of the multitude of pre-guest jobs without the floor moving too much underfoot.

We headed along to the local supermarket this afternoon to top up the provisions - not exactly noteworthy, but an amusing moment at the checkout is worth a mention.

Chez went to pay using a bank card which we didn’t know the balance of - it was declined. Knowing only a little Spanish she said what she thought was ‘excuse me’ (disculpe), but was actually ‘enjoy’ (disfruta).. This gives the scene a nice comedic touch;

“Senora, you card has been declined”

“Enjoy!”

Spent the next two days moving everything from one place to another, scrubbing and polishing. The two stern cabins - previously used as dumping sheds are miraculously now clear and resembling bedrooms. That said, our own cabin in the bow is going to be a lot more cluttered than usual for the next few days.

Our guests arrived - smiles all round. Martin was immediately press ganged to go up mast to sort out a shackle, and did so well.

The afternoon we spent chatting, having fun and inventing dart games to play on our newly gifted dartboard from Martin. Martin and Mikey took a look on board a disused looking ‘pirate ship’ - one that must have been a good looker in her day, with a wooden boarded hull and rope rigging to her mastheads.

Later, on the way back from a sunset stroll around the marinas outer wall, our path was blocked by a uniformed official bringing his electric scooter to a rapid halt in front of us. In businesslike, but not altogether officious tones he asked each of us if we ‘Hablas Espanol?’ - we managed to eventually convey that our boat was here “Mi barco es aqui” and that we were all staying on it.

Let’s call him a policeman - so the policeman goes on to say something about the coast guard lifeboat that had left earlier returning. Chez said she also heard him say the word ‘immigrante’.

Things started happening quite quickly then. Back at the boat, from the jetty a second official asked/told us to put all the things away in our cockpit and head below.

At that point the lifeboat came back in - fully laden with 46 additional passengers. These additions were part of a group of around 150 people who’d come across from Africa in three large inflatables (the others having been taken elsewhere). For the next few hours we heard people being shuffled around outside the cabin, this interspersed with an occasional despairing cry made for a quite confronting evening all round. Once the group had been processed through the Red Cross cabins that line the Marinas jetty wall, a coach with a police escort took them elsewhere.

Turned in shortly after that. The next morning had us sailing down the coast - we had a mixed bag of a sail down the coast to Morro Jable in light winds and bright sunshine. Despite the lack of any decent wind for ‘proper’ sailing, I think Mikey and Anisha enjoyed their first little taste of what a tranquil day on the water can be like.

Anchored, ketched the stern successfully then tendered the guests ashore. Relaxed afternoon. Glorious sunny day - the town, our second visit, was once again looking great.

We took a trip out for dinner in the tender. Looking to beach the tender, the close inshore break made for two excitingly disastrous beach drop offs with everyone in varying degrees of being soaked. In the restaurant, Mikey expertly ordered our tapas dinner, which was excellent.

The return trip back to the boat was slightly (just slightly) more successful that the trip out. Lots of fun and games back on board playing a newly invented ‘Now!’ game against the chiming clock on shore (The winner is the last person to guess when the clock is going to chime by stating ‘Now’!’) Chez faded fast and was sick over the back

She soon recovered and actually won the next game of ‘Now’.

All very tired, and off to bed early. Great nights sleep - the ketch anchor doing a fine job overnight.

All slept well, a hazy morning soon burnt off after a breakfast of ham and eggs.

Took Anisha and Mickey for a snorkel - not the best, just sand bottom and quite a strong current. The next little drama was a repeated shout of ‘Ayuda! Ayuda!’ ( Spanish: help help!) from some swimmers a couple of hundred yards away frantically waving their arms towards shore. I quickly dived in the tender and whizzed over - there’s a man an woman in the water, and bizarrely a lifeguard on shore doing nothing. As I approach it starts to feel a bit wrong...

The expected looks of anguished relief were replaced by sheepish shocked amusement as they both began proficiently treading water.

It turns out they were involved in some sort of filmed lifeguard drill. Oh well - that's my good deed done regardless of the outcome.

I left them with a wave and an ‘Adios’ and headed back to the boat to watch the drama unfold... the frantic waving resumed - a rescue rib turned up, with a lifesaver who jumping into the water Baywatch style, a yellow fluorescent painted paramedic’s Jeep sped down the beach, and the scene of an all out pretend emergency was played out before us on the shore. It’s turning out to be quite an eventful few days.

...oh but it doesn’t stop there!

We returned to the beach for another stroll and some lunch - we had a nice there and back walk along the front, with a cold beer along the way. We headed for the tapas place from the previous evening to sample their good looking pizzas which we’d spotted. The restaurant cat, well settled on his favorite chair joined us for some pizzas before we headed back to the tender via a small convenience store for provisions - mainly beer.

Back to the tender we experienced what was later described as a ‘dire situation’ - the innocuous looking swell once again catching us out in magnificent style. The first powerful rolling wave we encountered throwing Chez and Anesha flying from the bow as we tried to ride over the incoming wave. With the tender now resembling an overfilled paddling pool, we all eventually managed to get aboard and out of the wave crashing zone. Thankfully no injuries, but a fair bit of adrenaline pumping all round. On the not so good news front: our 2 phones got a - in one case fatal- drenching.

Back on board as we hung our sopping clothes on the lifelines Mikey spotted an absolutely massive stingray gliding through the clear water on the sandy bottom 7 meters below us. We estimated it to be around 1.5 - 2m meter wide.

Spent the red sun setting afternoon watching the local seagulls terrorizing the fish population - shoals of whom have been hanging around the boat all day.

Rounded the day off with Cribbage, darts, drawing games, the ‘Now’ game and lots and lots of laughs.

Next morning we swam, once again being visited by the large Ray - this time joined by his equally large partner. In the clear water below us, we all got a great view of them both. Absolutely amazing to see something so large and majestic up close.

We upped anchors, and headed off to drop off Mikey and Anesha at the marina for their journey home. Think they’ve had a good time.

With the youngsters gone, the three of us had, what turned out to be, a rather leisurely sail back up towards Gran Tarajal. Stopped overnight at a suitable beach nook on the way, notable for its postcard worthy sunset - and thankfully the swell was once again within the comfortable/manageable range to allow us all to sleep well.

Headed to the marina at Gran Tarajal the next morning, and encountered the usual increase in wind as we docked - despite the side wind’s best efforts, we were soon tied up bow in on a finger pontoon. Had dinner out with Martin - our last meal together until he returns for the crossing in late Dec.

He headed off this morning, and as I write this, a significantly more empty Serenity Now is heading back down towards Morro Jable, with the current plan to head from there to Gran Canaria in the next few days.