Canaries

With our new spinnaker, we ran before the wind on a glorious passage from Terife, Spain to the Canary Islands. The mahi-mahi were running, and pilot whales en transit south for warmer waters. Our initial days were kept busy with heavy fishing traffic –some unlit – off the Moroccan coast. Most nets were lit with strode lights, some were not, so we were forced to pass over the top, not knowing where they started or ended.

The Canaries Islands are considered to be the fortunate islands of antiquity. Large numbers of wild dogs (Latin canes) roamed the islands, so a Roman scholar named them the Canaria. Arab mariners arrived in the islands, followed by French navigators, the Portuguese, and finally the Spaniards. Today, the islands are autonomous provinces of Spain.

As soon as we made landfall, we climbed an extent volcano to stretch our legs and take in the scenic panoramic view.

Graciosa is a small fishing village, recently developed for the tourist trade, yet relatively untouched otherwise. Beaches are bare of footrpints, and we relished wandering among the whitewashed old walls of the village, watching the fishermen come and go.

Graciosa is a fishing village. Beautifully painted fishing vessels return at the wee hours of the morning to unload their catch for export to the European mainland. Young pilchards suitable for canning are called sardines. The sardines are dried in the town square upon an old net, cordoned off with fuel barrels to discourage wandering dogs or cats. The pilchards swim in vast schools along the western coast of Europe and in the Mediterranean Sea, from which it is taken by seines for canning factories.

The island people possessed such a heartfelt friendliness that we lingered, not wanting to leave. When the local ferries arrived, the whole town turned out to watch. Young children zoomed up and down the waterfront on bikes in the late evening, perfectly comfortable in their small island setting: they are ensconced in the womb of their family members who run the cafes, shops, and businesses. It was a joy to observe.

Visitors to the island are typically backpackers, writers, and photographers, as it is a photographer's dream to be in Graciosa.

The day I went jogging into the distant sands, this big porky fella’ insisted on following me: He was the size of a small cow! I kept me peering over my shoulder to see I was still being followed, even though the track advanced beneath my feet in rapid succession. During my book-selling days to support my former college pursuits, I learned from a young man of the death of his aged grandfather, a farmer, who was killed by a large sow in the field. Every since then, I've been terrified of them! Eventually, the desert sow became more interested in the bush, and vacated my shadow. Bella encouraged him to beat it.

To take in the later afternoon scene, we joined the locals in lounging - like the tourists we were - to watch the fishermen unload their catch, and returning village members who were bent under the load of their shopping in La Palma.

It never rained during our one month stay, though the volcanic soil is extremely fertile. The Canaries are noted for their mild, dry climate, and rains usually occurs during their winter season. The vegetation is typically northern African: loads of dusty cactus around.

Warren, our avid kite-boarder, found it great fun to launch into the skies, disppearing into a tiny speck. Here he was at his best on a particularly good day. He landed gracefully on lumpy waters, then took off again, cutting a snap along the backside of an offshore wave.

Safari jeeps regularly drive into the sandy void surrounding the village to explore the two volcanoes, escort surfers to big waves, and introduce visiting fishermen (who prefer fly-casting) to bonefish sites.

The archipelago of the Canary Islands is located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The sea currents which depart from Canary's coasts used to lead ships away to America. The islands from largest to smallest are: Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma, La Gomera, El Hierro, Alegranza, La Graciosa and Montaña Clara. The islands are a popular gathering port for international sailors en route across the Atlantic Ocean. Though the marina offered protection, we found the outside anchorage in the protected bay to be very comfortable, though sometimes rolly for monohulls.

At one time, Peter and Adam passed close by an oarsman asleep in a dug-out canoe, who was guarding his nets from wayward vessels – like ours! Normally, flashlights are used to warn approaching vessels. Once our distance from the Western Saharan coast opened up, we escaped the confetti of nets and made a fast passage to landfall in Graciosa.