New life - first week in Lanzarote

Well, we arrived, and what now… 

Now we are supposed to taste the "real life" we have chosen for ourselves, one of the big question marks that hovered over the decision to separate from the familiar land life, and move on to life on Ester. The concerns consisted of questions about the content that would accompany this life, no work, no children / family / friends, no agenda, and whether there was a routine at all. 

In addition, and as if to make it difficult, the thought is to stay in places for weeks / months, when Ester is mostly home, and more over, when moving to a mooring place. The house is narrow, the company does not change much (Udi, Udi and a little more Udi…). 

I had thoughts about how to fill time with content: I thought of looking for research groups dealing with the sea, and offering my services voluntarily, as a retired biologist… Actually my childhood dream was marine biology, but then, in ancient times, there was no such studies in Israel, and so I ended up into the most molecular biology there is . The truth is that my research was so basic that it is actually a tool for research in various fields in the biological world. Another thought was to use the tools I had acquired in the prehistory, as a field school instructor, and to do a kind of "landscape survey" and route sheets of areas to be visited. These options are on the table, but wait… you need to calm down, breathe and examine. 

So here's a first taste, first week, looks wonderful to me! The skeptical side says: Maybe because of the fact that it's a first week, but the optimistic one, where I hope to be most of the time, says: could not be better than that! 

And as if to examine the question in the toughest way, for almost a week, my foot has barely stepped out of the dock area where we are anchored. The first few days felt like resting, resting and relaxing from last month’s race at sea, and a few months leading up to the departure. There was an "excuse" for idleness, and yet I felt busy all the time. But now I can choose what to deali with, at what pace, without prior planning. What is called "flowing" among other things with what life summons, and they summon… 

For the first two days, straighten the boat a bit after crossing, as the boat became a big mess. You do not have to do everything at once, bit by bit. Phones to the family who were expecting to hear, and we too missed and kept up with relaxed and long conversations, as much time and desire as possible on the other end of the line. On the first evening, we go out to taste "Arrecife", the city where we are located, because the large marina is not really inviting. The restaurant we were just aiming for closed, so we gambled, and this time really not well. And in general, the feeling at least in Spain, is that one can fall badly, and local recommendations are important. 

Still, there is at least one "need." When we left Gibraltar we signed passports from Spain. Earn a few more days in the EU. For those who do not know, some explanatory words and information worth knowing… 

When your passport is not from one of the EU countries, also called Schenegen countries, it is forbidden to stay in the EU countries for more than 90 days every six months. Forget it, the calculation is a bit complicated… In any case it is impossible to stay more than three months in a row. This story excludes sleep from the inhabitants of other countries, of course that included us, but since the Brexit, includes the British as well. About half of the posts in the Facebook group of Mediterranean sailors are devoted to dealing with this issue, how to bluff / bypass / regulate officially. Many of the retirees on boats in the Mediterranean are British who for years live on their boats and roam between areas / marinas in EU countries. The Brexit, among other damages, closed this option to them, and they are in a frenzy. We, as "patriotic" Israelis, are the last of the fucked up, who could not find a great grandmother to give them the way to freedom by getting some EU passport. Recently (seriously) someone at work told me that maybe my Russian / Polish grandfather could enable me to get  a Polish passport. Would you believe? Black as I am with a Polish passport 😂 

Well, I got carried away… The whole last paragraph was to explain the need to get to the local police station to seal entry to Spain (along the way I may have contributed relevant information to some of you). 

We took a bike and rode for about half an hour along the sea to reach a remote hole, where we met two clowns, law enforcement officers on the borders of the Canary Islands (which are part of Spain). There we were explained how to cheat the limits of union. They explained that as long as we stay within ten miles of the marina, legally and officially, we do not have to sign an entrance. We are in what is called a "transit" that could be as long as we wanted. Ten mile limits are flexible, no one really checks. Apart from that, as the main clown suggested, when you return to visit Israel you can just lose your passport, get a new one, and then when you enter Europe again, no one will know how long you have been in Europe for the last six months… 

In the meantime, ten days have passed and we are still "in transit" - I have already said that the Spaniards, including the people of law and order, are the nicest and most flexibale we have met in the Mediterranean. 

Now it turns out that the main clown, a man about 40+ years old, not tall, not very wide, visited Israel in his youth. In Greece, we encounter many who landed on the shores of Haifa or Ashdod, being sailors on merchant ships. So I asked, but this time not .. and also - I asked how old he was, did he visit with the family? Here, too, the answer was no. So what's up anyway? You would not guess! When he was 17, he participated in the World / European Hand wrestling Championships, which took place in Israel! So I bragged about Udi, for me the strongest man in the world, especially in hand wresting, a descendant of the Rahat family, with known arm muscles. I offered a contest!  

Udi was invited to a desk in the office, and the results of the solid struggle, you can see in the following video: 

 

On the way to the police station, I located the place for lunch - a restaurant, half sunken from street level, in front of the fishermen's warehouses, a particularly shabby area, right next to the "main road". Some simple parasols peek out, hidden sign. I insisted on stopping, and it seems I have located on one of the best restaurants in Arrecife. Workers restaurant, simple tables, no menu, and people are stopping by, and slowly filling the few tables. From some who in the middle of a working day come to dine alone, and up to two ladies parked on the side of the road, with gleaming, roof-open Mercedes, and pedaling on heels to the simple restaurant. So we ordered! Everything is fresh, delicious, excellent home cooking, and the price accordingly, ridiculous… Few words about Arrecife…Although the capital of Lanzarote, but tiny, not very attractive at first glance, maybe even at second .. Still, to me it is pleasant. Not pretentious, well-kept, a small center with its alleys, a tiny vegetable market on Saturday mornings, cafes, restaurants, a beautiful and picturesque lagoon, a good place to stock up and take care of boats, a modern marina, convenient for bicycles, an excellent bus network to the whole island. I think I more or less concluded that. So the pictures can tell the rest:

 

And there is also this for those who must do some Spanish shopping

They have style ...

Our favorite local restaurant La Andalucia

Delicious and interesting dish: Anchovies with basil sorbet! 

And what else in the happy days of Arrecife? We have made new friends who fill our days with a young and happy spirit. We call them the "pirate ship" anchored right next to us. A random conversation, which continued in Ouzo and snacking on Ester, and an in-depth conversation of three hours. The next day an invitation to a birthday party of the Dutch captain Thomas.

 And who are the pirates… Tower of Babel.
Thomas, the owner of the boat, as mentioned, is a 35-year-old Dutchman from a family that is engaged in sailing, so he grew up on boats all his life. Before purchasing the great iron boat, which has a glorious history, he founded an ocean conservation organization, which deals in particular with collecting information on micro-particals, which pollute the oceans, and have in recent years become the biggest nuisance of nature conservationists at sea. Worth having a look and being impressed by the guy and the project on their site:
Ocean movement.
Two years ago, he decided to buy a boat that would serve as his home, a way to roam the oceans, and promote research on the subject, including renting out his services to research groups from around the world. He was joined by Chili, an energetic guy from a tiny island in Malaysia, who left because of his love for the sea and curiosity for the world. One of 12 brothers, a remote village, a rural family, who went on an adventure in love, with a Scandinavian partner he met. From there he has been living in Europe for over ten years, much around working at sea, learning languages, experiencing the world, learning something new every day. Really lovely, and an excellent cook! For the past two years he has been working with Thomas on renovating the ship, and together they set out from the Netherlands, crossing the Bay of Biscay, notorious among sailors, Portugal, Spain and the Canary Islands.
On the way joined:
The beautiful and charming Paula. Daughter of a famous Spanish football player, sister of Juan Mate No. 8 at Manchester United (whoever does not believe can check). Besides, she has a bachelor's and master's degree in communication and gender studies (second from a university in Iceland). The resume includes several years of work in the framework of international aid organizations in Ethiopia, Somalia, Egypt. She's only 35 years old. On the boat is also Nesto, a young man from Lanzarote. The birthday celebration was also joined by Leo, a 45-year-old Argentine who has lived in Lanzarote for twenty years, a father of two, a 25-year-old student and a 17-year-old boy. In short, a very cheerful bunch, a high-class company, interesting, fascinating conversations. They for their part, I think, have found cool parents. We  are spending time together, once in our boat and once on their own, and go out dancing together. In short, FUN!

From right to left:
Argentine Leo, local Nesto and Spanish Paula

A table full of all good, Paula happy

And Udi plays ...

On the right Thomas - the captain and chief pirate

Chili, the amazing partner and chef from Malaysia with the bowl of tahini I brought

A table full of all good, Paula happy

And Udi plays ... 

 
 And also go out dancing together at the marina bar - paparazzi photo courtesy of Paula: 

 First outing outside Arrecife, 20 min bus ride to a famous Sunday market in Teguise. Dozens / hundreds of stalls, most of them with local or oriental art, varied, pleasant… A small, cute village, filled every Sunday with many people.

Notice the pink fruit - dragon fruit as the locals call it

A conversation with the sweet sandals seller, who according to the accent identifies as Scottish (living many years in Lanzarote), reveals to us where the locals eat when the market closes around 2pm. She said that if we arrive early there is a table. One of the recommendations worth sharing. Great food, at ridiculous prices. Two alleys from the tourist route, and their number is decreasing exponentially…

Worth a note

How do you choose? I think we will need a second round...

For those who worried - there is also seafood paella

The outing out of town gives a taste of the island. Very very dry, volcanic peaks in a variety of colors, white, non-Greek villages, desert surrounded by sea. I as a desert lover (and coming from the desert) fall in love right away. For Udi it takes longer. Prefers the green in the eyes… We postponed the planned hike to the next day. Be careful of excess activity 😃 Arrived the next day, no choice, we get up and go, a quarter of an hour bike ride to Central Bus Station, half an hour bus ride to the tiny village of Femes, and from there a descent route, as we like to a small bay, black, no living soul, except us and white friends:

A variety of cacti in every garden, about them in one of the following posts

And there is also a goat pen, I have no idea what they feed on, other than dry hay

 

Udi caught me, sneaking up to photograph the seagulls

Pretty modest and a bit tough ...

Can't stop admiring the black sand ...

Two hours of beach nap, another half hour walk to the nearby village, and an eye-catching surprise - a multidisciplinary artist, who left Granada in favor of a charming studio facing the sea. It was hard to stop filming, so just a taste ...

A ride to the bus station, bikes and we're back in the boat. There awaits us an "oceanic surprise," a definition of Gavri Lahav, the best in humor and language games!

Our Shye

His wife Eliana (she is also ours by now...)

Arrived for ten days, seem like a dream come true.
About their visit… .in the next post.
As we are not expected to sail in the coming months, I am adding a map with sights of trips and visits. A souvenir for us and possibly relevant information for future visitors.
 

Gibraltar to Lanzarote: Five days, two in one boat, first taste of the waters of the ocean

 

Four days have flown by since we landed at Lanzarote Marina. Feels like a month, even though we haven't really left the boundaries of the marina yet (not to mention the boundaries of the pier…). 

The dominant feelings are: we have arrived, we relax, there is all the time in the world, slowly…Udi went to town, there are all sorts of "excuses" like missing items (not really) / repairs (not really) in short an excuse to get out of the marina for cycling. I am "busy with chores" debating whether to start the day with a phone call with loved ones (this morning Noam the niece and Eliana the daughter in law), clean the fridge or sit and write. Hard…After deep thought, and familiarity with the limitations of memory, I decided to write before I forget the events of last week, which was stormy and exciting. A week and a day since we left Gibraltar, excited about leaving for the new world. All the feelings surrounding this matter have been described wearily throughout the blog, and in the ears of some of you. So I'll save it this time.  

After various calculations, we decide to release ropes at 5 in the morning, long before sunrise. In the evening, everything necessary for a quick and easy exit is already organized. Fill water tanks, disconnect electricity and water from the shore, tie the dinghy that will not shake during the voyage, fold and store bicycles, arrange sails, and arrange the ropes that tie us to the pier so that there is a quick release from the boat, without having to go down to the pier. And everything is accompanied by a lot of attention to the little details, and of course excitement and more excitement…At night you don't sleep really well, a bit like before giving birth, when you know you need to gather strength and sleep well, because then there will be days when you pray for a continuous night. The hormones drive the mind crazy (in this case adrenaline), and sleep is fragmented and short. So almost the same 😄

We set out three Israeli boats, the other two we met by chance in Gibraltar, and since then, as often happens on trips, with the occupants of one of the boats we have become a kind of family at lightning speed. I have already written a few words about the occupants of these boats in a previous post. Did not read? Can be completed 😊

In the morning, the three leave at minute intervals. We make sure we see an AIS signal that is broadcasting from each boat, and we make contact on the radio. Fine, we're connected. It all becomes irrelevant after another hour of sailing. We see "Veronica" in the first half hour, and even manage to take its' photograph, then we lose sight of it. We lost Odi at Northstar before.

Ester in the Straits of Gibraltar just before raising a sail
courtesy of Dan Torten on Veronica

Veronica in the Strait at sunrise

Sunrise towards a new world
feel at least like Magellan 😂
Reading a lot of travel stories at sea

That is, we understand that it is Udi, Ester and I in the Great Sea. Our exit through the strait is accompanied by dozens of dolphins bouncing in the water at sunrise. I could not document, they were not enough close and the light, twilight light. So you will have to believe the unbelievable!

In the strait above the Moroccan coast,
the sky is scary, but it did not reach us ...

Half of the first day passes us by in what is called Motor sailing. We raise sails, but the wind is not good enough, so to advance we add engine power. Towards the afternoon, the strength of the wind rises, and manages to perfectly push us forward, at good speed, a restful, quiet cruise! No engine. Only the hum of the wind in the sails and waves that accompany the movement. A sheer happiness!

Coast of Morocco on the Atlantic side
Lots of small fishing boats with net markings

And there are also those loaded with containers along the way

Completing hours of sleep, preparing for the night shifts, preparing a good dinner, a beautiful sunset, a rising moon. The bright side of postponing the crossing . The moon fills up as the days progress. Much more pleasant and restful than dark nights. 

I am on first shift, 21:00 - 01:00. I utilize the time for cleaning after dinner, music, reading, writing, staring. In the shift this time, quite a few fishing boats, requires vigilance and surveillance. And suddenly I hear on the radio "Ester, Ester over" the first thing that comes to my mind, is that the Israeli friends are doing a prank on me… But the repeating calls, is on Channel 16, the one that is open on all boats and beach stations, and is meant for really important communication. The reading repeats over and over. After recovering from the shock, I reply "This is sailing boat Ester, Over" and then someone in obscure language tells me something (probably important). Asks in plain English "come back again"…. After a few rounds like this, I realizes that this is the fishing boat in front of me, which I saw well, but moves in circles that can confuse the reporting devices, and is busy fishing and raising a net. He asks me to change direction. I carefully take 20 degrees off the path. The sails are open and you need to maintain a suitable angle from the wind, so that it does not affect thesails. So I say in my defense: I was alert, I saw him well, and I thought of getting a little closer to try to figure out what his sailing direction was and act accordingly. There was no danger here. On the other hand, I was so excited! First time a foreign boat calls our name in the middle of the sea. How did they know? Of course… This is what the AIS device is for, which also transmits and not just receives. This is how you are identified and know how to read your name. I passed them a good distance, turned 20 degrees back, and this was the only "storm" that disturbed the peace of my shift.

One in the morning we take turns. I'm going to catch a few hours of nap, before a shift that starts at 5 in the morning. The mood is uplifting, a wonderful sense of discovery. Sailing in the ocean is a completely different experience from the Mediterranean. As everyone has promised, the wind is fairly constant in terms of direction and strength, the forecast is accurate, the waves can be significant, but come from the stern direction and have a significant "duration", and Ester casually rises and glides. In the Mediterranean, on the other hand, the winds are not really predictable, changing frequently by a few hours, and when there are waves they are bouncy and annoying. I accompany the sunrise with pleasant music on headphones and something in between gymnastics and dance exercises. One that you only allow yourself when no one is looking at you. Fun!!

When the sea is at rest, crossword puzzles can be solved

And playing with the rod
that this time was a source of a lot of frustration and no fish

 

This pastoralism does not last throughout the voyage. At some point the wind rises (a little too much for our liking), so we reduce sails. Later the sea rises and the waves no longer come from the direction of the wind (stern). The next thirty hours pass us by in a "washing machine." For the first time in my life I feel nauseus the boat. We still need to eat, so I bake fresh rolls and plan on a light meal of sandwiches in the evening. The rolls were fine, the sandwiches hearty, and despite the shaky conditions I was able to complete the task.

And there is also a new tool that helps make fresh sauces, for the fancy sandwiches

A video that demonstrates the art of cooking on the boat.
I spared you the shaking to the other side ...

Meanwhile the appetite went away, and after one bite, we realised it was better to skip this meal. Night, cold, I'm on shift again. Not much can be done when the boat is so swaying. Sometimes the waves that chase us are so high that it seems like a "black wall" is following us. But then Esther goes up and down, just a little swaying more than necessary. After another 24 hours like this, Udi and I look at each other sadly, and admit for the first time in this journey that "this is not fun for us" 😥

The thought is disturbing… Is this what crossing an ocean looks like? If so, I really do not want to suffer. That is not what we aimed for. It got to the point where I (who always had the iron stomach) vomited, and only after a long, deep sleep did I recover. Constantly thinking about the leisurely descriptions of crossing the Atlantic that we have heard from so many people who have done it with / without children, often more than once. This cannot be the experience. We are not the most soft-hearted in the world, or at least do not consider ourselves such…

And what about all the plans for a world tour? Is that over? Back to Greece? (Not necessarily a bad option…). A total of 30 hours pass, the sea calms down and aligns with the wind, we spread sails full of pride, in what is called a "butterfly", one sail to the right and the other to the left, and from now continue on a perfect voyage to the pier at marina Lanzarote, the point of entry into the Canary Islands, when coming from Gibraltar.

Sunrise of last day in crossing

Ester in a perfect butterfly position!

Happy to see land.

 Notice the lifebelts that accompanied us throughout crossing

Ahoy !! Land!! Lanzarote, Ester is coming!!

On the pier we are awaited with intense waves, the trio from Odi's boat, who heard us on the marina's channel, and come to help tie ropes right next to them. They arrived a few hours before us. They greet us back and forth, and salute us. Turns out Odi was still very worried about us because he lost our signal in AIS, and thought we might have turned around because of a glitch. Other than that, it turns out we were particularly heroes. The rest, regardless of age and experience, experienced the crossing as much more difficult than ours, and swore it was not typical of an ocean crossing.

The hours that have passed after the "washing machine", and the happiness that accompanies them, have made it clear to me that I am ready and willing to continue the journey across the oceans as large as they are, even at the cost of a few less pleasant hours. So when do you go next? tomorrow??

I am full of adrenaline and energy, inviting everyone to Ester for an aperitif and raising a glass in honor of the arrival, and in honor of the cruises to come.

Slot! With the NorthStar team From left to right: Tzafrir, Udi (the captain) and Paul

I'm there too ...

Luxurious maze table

 

Now relax…

There is a lot of time ..

We deserve a long, long rest, and in fact not a rest but an entry into a new routine that we dreamed of.

And about Lanzarote and the new routine…

In the next post!