Canaries!!!!

Nick and Holly were attacked by a weird feral man. He moved like a monkey man, slooped over, licked the ashtray and then rubbed their pringles into his face. Welcome to the Canaries. Grasiosa to be accurate, the northern most inhabited island of the group. Kind of a mad half desert place with 3 extinct volcanoes (possibly dormant, I ain’t too sure of the definition to be honest. In fact I hope dormant, that is more exciting!) and large sandy bush pocked expanses. Then there are the millions of white empty snail shells coating the sand! I rekon that they come out at night and then get caught in the sun at dawn and die. Mad. Honestly millions!!!!!

So here we are then!!!! After an unexpected and extended stop in Morocco has been thoroughly enjoyed by all it is back out to sea!!!! Sea legs. In my experience they be fickle types. I was convinced mine had formed and hardened good in the time I had so far spent afloat. However it seams that two weeks on land can soon stop that! Being on anchor is fine but walls in fishing harbors do not fit the bill. We got back out to sea Tuesday lunchtime (with two new chicken crew. They were useless. Didn’t even try to pull a rope. On top of that they shat everywhere. Poor form) and headed out into some beasty seas. Four meter swell and not much wind combine to make a rough ride.

It is stunning. The way the boat rides the waves and 19 tones surfs! Yes! You heard it hear 1st! California eat your heart out! All you who don you plastic boards and jump upon waves know nothing of the beauty of flying along at 10 knots in Lista.

Luckily I spent the first 3 hours at the helm navigating the sand banks under Dave’s chart guidance. Didn’t take long after that for the epic vomit session to begin. All good fun though!!! Kind of. 2 days of bad followed by the trusty old sea legs returning. Never again will I leave the sea for more then a few days.

With all that said sailing is still the most fudamentally amazing form of transportation in existence. Just brilliant.

Right now I’m in a small bar on the aforementioned island. As far as I can tell this place exists purely on tourism with token locals thrown into the mix for flavor. Tourism does funny things to places and people. The lopcals almost seam to resent the in comers for their fun but at the sam,e time know that they need them to continue to exist in such a beautiful place. It is strange being on a boat and having sailed to these places. I don’t feel like a tourist. Not quite sure what I do feel like though. Definitely not local. Never could be.

Anyway. The canaries have become somewhat of a promised land for us. This is where we carry out the final preparations for our crossing of the Atlantic ocean. Before we leave this place we will be sure that Lista Light can carry us for many weeks across the seas. Provisions must be checked. The boat must be prepared. Any known potential weak points must be looked at and amended. Life will find a way.

SO lets get on with it! Fill and repaint the top sides!!! Asses the cordage!! Treat the wood accordingly!! Check EVERYTHING!!!!

GISHAS!!