On holiday in La Graciosa

We've been 5 days here now and every day we try to do some exercise (you really would approve Jen). Twice we've walked the 2.8kms and back along the sands to the little town of Caleta de Sebo to buy bread and vegetables, another day we crossed the ridge to the next bay and just soaked up the sun and two days ago we climbed the volcano behind the anchorage.

Boats arrive and boats leave and we are now one of the longest residents. Nearly all are getting ready for a long passage either to the Caribbean or to Brazil (which is actually a considerably shorter passage than to the Caribbean I was surprised to find). Several boats that left Gibraltar at about the same time as us headed for Rabat in Morroco. Big swells starting the day after they arrived means they are still there (hi Jack, Fizzy and Dilek) but they are doing the tourist bit in the desert whilst waiting for the sea to die down and parts to arrive.

Social engagements are taking a lot of time too. Dinner on La Luna (just arrived from the Azores) together with Rob (NZ) and Jen (French) a couple of nights ago. They met online at a music dating site and soon Rob was on his way to France to see if they really were compatible. They hit it off and decided to buy a boat and go cruising. That was three years ago. Both Rob and Stewart from La Luna are guitar players so that was a lively evening.

Time is still playing tricks on us here. La Luna were an hour late coming to our boat for drinks because they were still on Azores time and Endangered Species were an hour out the other way as they came in from Rabat. UTC is the only common language we all speak.

The SSB net is getting going now people are making longer passages. I tried to check in when we were crossing from Gib to Lanzarote but was unsuccessful. Yesterday though the 4 yachts from the Atlantic Crossing Group that we have joined spoke with each other across the anchorage here and we were apparently very clear so maybe the day I tried there was just no traffic. More investigation required with yachts further away. If you have an HF radio (Chris) or just a shortwave radio you can listen in at 7am and 7pm UTC first on 6516.0kH, then 8131.0kH and if those don't work 12359.0kH and heear who's doing what.

We're not far from west Africa here and there is quite a bit of talk about Ebola and its potentoal impact on our plans. We haven't followed the news much but the view here is that world governments don't really understand the virus and it is spreading fast and unpredictably. If even a handful of cases are registered in Cape Verdes or even worse The Canaries there is a real danger that we won't be granted access to the Caribbean countries when we arrive. Worrying times, not just for us but for the world in general.

As well as exercise each day we are trying to do a job a day. Recent achievements include removal of Wanda's paddle (we may get a new one) and consideration of how Jenny, the electricity generator towed behind us (kindly donated by Peter and Catie in Kas) might be deployed. We have decided that as we already have one Jenny on the crewlist this one will have to be renamed. So instead of Jenny it will be known as The Toad [get it? - as in the towed...].

The weather has been generally very benign since we arrived. Last night though, although there was no wind at all, a swell developed sending quite large waves across the reef on the edge of the anchorage. We woke up wondering what the noise was and if we were dragging the anchor. A quick check outside proved that if we were dragging so was everyone else! So back to sleep again. This morning boats were bobbing around a bit and our return trip from the shops was quite exciting as we tried to time our departure from the beach to avoid the crashing surf [well, that is a bit of an exaggeration]. We got back safe and dry to the disappointment of the watching holidaymakers.

Right, Matelot has just arrived and are about to launch their dinghy for a cup of tea.