We move so much that I see black outside, then the sky, then black. We turn 180 degrees almost every 30 and even every 15 minutes, again, in my opinion. I spend the night awake. There is so much noise in the boat. Marie-Andrée and Louis will manage to get some sleep at least. The anchor held well, that's the main thing and the site is superb.
Louis is working on the engine this morning, but can't find the cause. We would like to visit the bay and its abandoned structures, but now is not the time.
We see a boat approaching. We see that it is the Civil Guard. So we're getting ready to leave. We remove the anchor and try to find the right wind to leave, which is very difficult because the wind is constantly changing. So I make small hand signals to the civil guard so that they stay close, just in case, for safety.
After a while, I even go down to the radio to let them know that our engine is out. They don't answer. As I return outside, it is the port of Las Palmas (from where we left yesterday) calling me on the radio. They ask me if we need assistance. I tell them no, but if they can give us the name of a marina further south to fix the engine that died, that would be appreciated. Difficult to explain in English, on the radio, that the engine does not work, so I say that it is “dead”. In addition, when I am asked to change the channel it does not work, so all the people on their boat around hear our adventures on channel 16. Then, the port of Tenerife calls me to tell us to go to the Marina de Santa Cruz. Perfect!
During this time, Louis managed to come out of the bay like a leader, like a super captain. It really wasn't easy and he rose to the challenge brilliantly!
Oh, I feel like I've been too much inside, it's not okay, I go out throwing up overboard. Then Tenerife Traffic calls us again to tell us to let them know when we are close.
I see what I think are orcs. How beautiful nature is!
I call Tenerife Traffic when we are within 1 nautical mile. They answer me that no one at the Marina can pick us up and ask me again like Las Palmas Port and Tenerife Port, if we need assistance. Instead of saying no, this time I say yes. Then it's quiet. So after a few minutes, I call back asking for assistance, which was very particular to ask. They tell me the coast guard will be there in 15 minutes. So I stay at the captain's table, in the sailboat, while waiting. Then, I'm sick again in the trash, and as I raise my head, the coast guard calls me. I quickly wipe my mouth to answer them (sorry for the visuals).
I then go out to see them arrive with all the energy I have left, which is not much at the moment. They throw a small ball attached to a rope between the forestay and the shrouds which falls on the other side of the boat. They do it wonderfully because Louis takes the rope and pulls it since it is hooked to a bigger rope that he attaches to the boat and his work stops there. The Coast Guard will do the rest. Oh how impressive! They are real professionals. They put bumpers between us and them and lead us to the wharf. Then near the wharf, Louis puts our fenders on while they stabilize us. Two people from the marina are on the quay to catch the mooring lines that Louis and I are throwing at them.
Incredible adventure!
The coast guard will come back to see us tomorrow for the bill as well as the marina which is closed. It is still 3:30 p.m.
Louis and I are going to walk a bit because Louis is hungry. No one dined on the boat. Me, I only want a soup to see if I will keep it. We do 3 restaurants that tell us that with this heat, there is no soup, but send us to another restaurant that would have it. So there we go.
We sit there and they offer us gazpacho. Louis tells me it may be hard to digest but I don't want anything else. I'm lucky it's strawberry and watermelon. We explain to the waiter that I was sick on the boat and that I will only want to eat soup and he replies that he can tell I am sick. THANKS ! Well ok, I know that I am not at my best.
In a new place, you always have to look for the emergency exits, out of caution, I'm now finding myself looking for the trash cans, just out of precaution.
Louis takes a pizza. His best ever. Especially after our last days of sailing. We write to Marie-Andrée that we will bring her supper, the rest of the pizza, because no one wanted to cook. I even managed to eat a little on the boat, without fear of putting on a show in public.
While we were gone, Marie-Andrée dried my wet laundry from the day before. She did the dishes, made her bed, picked up the boat. A remarkable woman!
We also learned that it is very windy in the summer in the Canaries so most boats stay at the dock. So we will have even more stories to tell in the future and we will find calmer days to help me navigate, otherwise Louis said he would put me on a bus to the destination. Which isn't a bad idea. As crazy as it sounds, I love sailing, even if I'm starting to have anxiety about the next start a bit.
We stay relaxed on the boat for the rest of the evening to chat and just be. Then, we walk a little on the quay and sleep at 9 p.m. It's still light, but it's enough for us.
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