Puerto Mogan, Gran Canaria

The Canary Islands are known for their exhilarating sailing and our trip from Las Palmas to Puerto Mogan certainly demonstrated that one to us! We left Las Palmas at 8am, planning to get through the wind acceleration zone which runs down the south east quadrant of the island during the lighter morning winds. The forecast was for 15 knots, fairly average, the cloud cover was thick over Las Palmas as we left and it looked gloomy. There was quite a bit of swell as we passed out of the harbour mouth when out of the shelter of the headland. The wind was at up to 18 knots as sailed down the north east quadrant and we decided to again err on the side of caution with two reefs, as we approach closer to the acceleration zone the gusts were already up to 24 knots. We decided that due to the swell we would drop to just a genoa keeping us at a suitable speed to keep just behind the swell and which would be far easy to reduce, as our second reef was suitable up to 35knots and the acceleration zone can double the background wind strength. This turned out to have been a good choice as over the next 1-2 hours the wind barely dropped below 25 knots at one point reached 38.5 knots! We passed an enormous wind farm which must surely be one of the most productive anywhere as I suspect there is rarely a day all year it doesn’t blow strongly down that coastline. It was despite this a comfortable ride down wind and with the changing of the tide and reducing of the swell it became almost eerily steady on board, in the saloon you could almost imagine we were at dock! We were averaging 7.5 knots over ground and hurtled through the acceleration zone, really enjoying the exhilarating sail which Invincible seemed to relish.



You read in the pilot books about the abrupt end to the acceleration zone and have experienced land shadow often enough especially in the high landscape of the Canaries. However the end of the acceleration zone beneath Punta de Gando really has to be seen to be believed. The wind was picking up for the last half an hour regular gusts to 30 knots and beyond. I was reading out the wind speed to Kevin, then within the space of about quarter of a mile or less the wind was 8 knots from the opposite direction! You could see from a distance the reduced sea state though there was still spray being blown of wave crests beside you and still some swell ahead. We were looking at each other in amusement and exclaiming on how it needed to be seen to be believed when we were woken up abruptly to a big splash from behind as the persisting swell now caught us up due to our reduced boat speed and we realised we better start the engines.

We then had to motor for about 30-40 minutes into a direct but light head wind, though still quite a remaining swell as might be expected. We approached the white beaches of Maspalomas and headed further inshore for some shelter as we turned west round the southern part of the island. Turning the corner, the wind backed and strengthened sufficiently for us to put up the main sail once more and sail for perhaps another 30 minutes before yet again we were down to less than 5 knots and with sails flogging Kevin reluctantly switched to engines again as we passed Arguineguin. The weather had been improving steadily as we approached the further south and it was now a completely cloudless blue sky and typically in true British fashion now we had the sun we had hoped for we thought it was too hot! We both huddled under the bimini (sunshade) in the near still conditions.
We finally had Puerto Mogan in sights and by 4pm passed into the harbour entrance, what in the pilot books is described as a reception dock actually had a ferry berthed along side. I called up on the VHF to ask for instructions, hoping to be allowed to proceed straight to the berth we had booked rather than have to moor against a rough wall. The receptionist told me someone would take our lines and we were to be on a berth on the left. Kevin carefully manoeuvred us round and round the busy harbour with no signs of anyone on shore. I called again on the VHF, there was an argument in Spanish apparently between the attendant and the receptionist until she came back to me and said that there was a problem with our berth and I had to go back out the marina and return after 6pm when the ferries finished to berth over night on the ferry berth. I tried to remonstrate that we had a berth booked but from my telephone conversation with her and the main receptionist who I knew to be on holiday previously I knew the lady I was speaking to seemed to have no knowledge of berth allocations when the other was out of the office.
We moved just outside the harbour and picked up one of the vacant day boat moorings
that we hoped was finished with for the day. After 30mins we felt a little more relaxed and Kevin decided on a swim to cool down whilst I kept watch. It was luck he did actually as he discovered we’d lost a shackle on the anchor bridle since the morning so was straight back on the boat to rectify that. We sat it out with a cool drink until we were roused by the day boat whose mooring we’d pinched to move on. We ended up circling for about 30mins round the bay before we started to head back, still waiting for the reception to call us. Still nothing we did another circle to allow a 43ft yacht to pass us and call in to the reception to see if a berth was available only to be sent straight in to one waiting. We called again as the last ferry left and were told we could go into the reception dock. We were helped with our lines and I went straight up to the office to see what was going on. I was told that our mooring was not available because the shore lines used for the stern-to mooring for our berth had been taken by the neighbouring boat leaving us nothing to secure to as we were needing two berths. We would have to stay on the reception berth until the morning, then presumably be there at 8am and move the boat before the ferries started!

I went back down to see Kevin who was not at all happy about our clearance of the dock steps with the falling tide due and sent me to ask if the vacant berth next to the reception dock could not be used. Again she said no with the same excuse of the use of lines. I told Kevin who then proceed to demonstrate to the attendant still standing by that there were clearly two lines available at that berth, why could we not stay there? Anyway, we were permitted to stay there for the night but would have to see the office in the morning. We gratefully secured the boat, grabbed a shower and went ashore for a beer or two and food. Predictably perhaps we ended up in the Pescadoria Cofradia (Fishermans’ Cooperative) again for a fantastic meal of fresh seafood, literally docked in front of the restaurant which is really comfortable and excellent service and atmosphere.

I asked the waiter what the loud bangs were that I heard every 10minutes which the rest of the harbour seemed to completely ignore and was told that it was in anticipation of Our Lady being brought ashore at the end of the dock for everyone to visit before the Procession on Sunday. He very nicely came back to alert me when she was passing by and I got a few photos (albeit on mobile as I’d left the camera behind) of the procession of the icon on a boat proceeded by a priest and a crowd of local followers.




After our meal we headed through the boat yard where a party of locals had now developed and they were all being served from a vat of paella, there was a band and dancing and lots of chatting and standing around. It was great to see some signs of an active local community and not just another holiday resort.







We wondered round the town where there were locals on all the benches passing the evening together in a really beautiful town square at the back of the marina. We wondered round and decided to have a last beer in what turned out to be the only British bar in town. We soon got talking to a lovely couple from Glasgow, Bill and Jean, Bill who is also a sailor was very interested in our trip and a very pleasant evening was spent hearing some of his salty sea stories of Scottish west coast sailing. Before we knew it, it was 1am the bar was closing and we invited them to join us onboard for a coffee the next day to see the boat. Phew what a busy day!