After almost perfect sailing weather we stopped for 24 hours in Arrecife. We were moored right on the end of the breakwater with lovely views of the town and bleak surrounding volcanic hills. An island of little vegetation but of great interest to volcanologists. Some of us went for a long walk or a jog along the cornice, others went swimming from the nearby beach, some explored the town while still others did what sailors always do – walk just as far as the nearest bar to the ship, which just happened to be at the town end of the breakwater. The weather was perfect for sitting outside and swopping ever taller stories as the sun sank and the evening progressed.

There were four mammoth cruise liners in port and we had a constant stream of interested visitors. We put on our most welcoming smiles and handed out dozens of brochures.

We put sail up as soon as we left Arrecife and had a glorious afternoon’s sail along the coast. Just as the sun set in a nearly cloudless sky we passed between Fuerteventura and the tip of Lanzarote. As I write this (0100) we have just put the top gallants up and are sailing at around 5 knots. There is a gentle swell and the lights of the northern end of Fuerteventura are astern. We can see the blaze of lights from a cruise liner and it is a balmy twenty-two degrees on deck .Tomorrow the voyage sadly reaches our  departure port of Las Palmas. The sailing has been so good no one wants to get off. We wish we could just carry on in these perfect conditions…….

Aft  Port Watch