Gran Canaria to Genoa 2013

After some rest and relaxation here in Gran Canaria, we are ready to begin our third and final passage on this long journey from Cape Town to Genoa, Italy. We've used this time to perform some minor repairs to the boat systems and to get some rest for the crew so we are refreshed and ready for the next 1500nm. It's strange but I think we are 'almost home', yet the Canaries are still a long way from the Med. It's so familiar and comfortable here that it's hard to believe we still have a long way to go.

The weather forecast is for very light winds as there is a big High just north of us that is influencing a wide section of the area we'll be passing through. I expect to start out motoring and hopefully pick up some wind later as we get closer to Gibraltar.

19-Sep

After a day of motoring, we are finally into some nice wind and making better time northward. The sea state has increased a bit to 1.5m or so and the true wind is up to 18 kts about 25 degrees off our port side. So, we have the main and genoa up and are making a nice 11 kts of so through the water. After clear skies and a hot sun yesterday it's nice to have some clouds today to help keep everything a bit cooler.

Overnight, we saw a number of cargo ships passing 2-3 miles either side of us as now we are in a higher traffic area with many boats going back and forth to the Canaries and onto Brazil. It's something interesting to do tracking their progress around us especially at night. The moon was full last night rising just as the sun was setting. I don't think I've ever seen the moon so clearly with all the seas (mare) showing so well on its surface.

Tracy's getting her sea legs back and doing a great job of adapting to life onboard again. Fun!

23-Sep

Sorry for the delay in posting but our internet has not worked well, our YellowBrick tracker 'bit the dust' and we've had some serious weather to deal with around the Strait of Gibraltar. Right now, we're in Cadiz, Spain waiting for the sea state and winds to calm down a bit. Later today we'll head out to go through the Strait and into the Med. Crossing the Strait from Morocco to Cadiz we had to deal with F9 winds and 4m seas. The boat and crew handled it well but we needed a night to rest before we tackle it again. Interesting to be back in Cadiz as this is where I first learned to sail! Since our posting will be limited until we get some things fixed on the computer, perhaps we won't be able to post until we get further into the Med. In the meantime, all is well on FG.

24-Sep

After waiting most of the day for the weather in the Strait of Gibraltar to ease off a bit we left Cadiz around 18:00 under motor and never saw enough wind to raise the sails all the way to Genoa. We motored the entire distance! The highlight was watching Carlos enjoy catching a nice 15kg tuna just north of Mallorca. Quickly dispatched and cooked for lunch everyone enjoyed the fresh-caught fish.

28-Sep

Yep, just motoring along for days and days until we arrived in Genova about 08:30 today. Kind of a melodramatic end to our journey but a welcome one for all. A huge surprise for me was seeing my best friend, Tony, waiting there for me. Since he was the man who got me interested in sailing to begin with, it was fitting for him to be there to welcome me home.

So, the long passage from Cape Town to Genoa was over but now the work begins to turn the boat over to the wonderful team at Pegaso Customer Support who will spend the next weeks going over every detail of the boat from systems to interiors to make her first class again. In the meantime the boat is dressed out for the Genoa Boat show and within 48 hours of arrival potential clients are marveling how wonderful the boat is considering her long, recent passage.