Hello!!

You are now reading our newly created blog for our journey around the world on Trompeta a 42' Hallberg-Rassy sailboat which was purchased earlier this year from Transworld Yachts in Hamble. After a major refit she left Hamble Point Marina on 17 August with crew of Peter, Jane and Jack Luxton who joined us for the initial passage down to Tenerife. Arrived Santa Cruz Tenerife early hours of Tuesday 30 August for a well earned rest and to explore Santa Cruz. Having AIS on the boat was invaluable as we encountered some busy shipping lanes!!

In Santa Cruz we walked miles and miles as nothing was nearby and shopping was limited to what you could comfortably carry!! Very little by way of supplies at the 2 Chandleries Peter found some distance away. The Marina itself was comfortable and not at all busy with good clean showers and laundry facility. Jack bought us dinner on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Casino Restuarant which had a good WiFi connection as the Marina had no WiFi at all.

Met a lovely Irish couple on Jiliana another HR 42 who live in the Canaries so were a useful source of local information. They also donated a old cockpit cushion to us for a sun lounger as they had just had a new set of cream (??) cushions made!

After two nights in the Marina on our own again we decided to depart early Saturday to sail across to Gran Canaria and check out the facilities in Las Palmas Marina which is where the ARC depart later in November. The Marina must have good chandleries?

Left Santa Cruz Tenerife 7am Saturday 3 September and arrived in Las Palmas on Gran Canaria 5pm. The pilot book we have is well out of date as lots of information is incorrect. We tried calling up onVHF channel 9 to no answer (the Marina use 11 now!) and tied up on the fuel dock (as Pilot book advised) to be told to move to the pontoon outside the Port Authority office. Anyway all seems well and now in a berth stern to having picked up lazy lines for the bow on pontoon S which is near the North side of the Marina. Have walked around and found there are many shops and chandleries with a delightful restaurant overlooking the Marina which we will try tonight!

Lazy, lazy Sunday.