12-06 Brilliant's Log, 3 - 23 December 2006

Hi Brilliant's Crew,

We did it! We have actually crossed an ocean and find ourselves anchored in Carlisle Bay, just off of Bridgetown on the island of Barbados. The trip was a safe one for us without much excitement, as we were hoping it would be. To spare you some of the boring parts this log will be more of a summary of the trip than a daily log.

Sorry it's taken so long to get this log out, but we have no WIFI connection at the anchorage and the internet cafés are $8.00 U.S. per hour. We also owe many e-mails for all the good wishes and congratulations on our crossing. We promise to get back to you soon.

We hope that every one of you had a wonderful Christmas. We also extend to you our very best wishes for the year 2007. Thank you for "sailing" with us.

Pete & Stephanie
s/y "Brilliant"


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"Brilliant's Log"


3 - 23 December 2006, Sunday, Puerto de la Luz, Las Palmas, Grand Canaria, 28 07.729N/015 25.573W

Underway.

The hardest part of any trip is actually getting the lines cast off and this trip was no different. We had met so many other cruisers in Las Palmas that it seemed to take all of Sunday morning just to say goodbyes. One American cruiser was still talking to us as and asking questions as we finally had to say enough and politely slipped the lines and backed out of the slip. The time was 11:45 we were underway and were now committed to making the trip.

A 15 KT breeze out of the northeast met us as we cleared the very busy harbor and we quickly had the sails set and engine secured. The seas were a bit lumpy, but on the whole not too bad and we settled in for a long sail.

Our first challenge was the wind acceleration zone on the south end of Gran Canaria. The guidebooks mention this phenomenon, where a wind speed increase occurs due to the compression of the trade winds by the high mountains on the islands. Knowing all this ahead of time still didn't help much as we arrived in the zone with too much sail up. A bit overpowered as the wind suddenly increased to 25 knots, we felt pretty uncoordinated as we scrambled to shorten sails. It took a few minutes, but once we had reefed and caught our breath we realized all was well. "Brilliant" was very happy with reefed sails in the 2 meter seas with 20-25 knots of wind from the stern making 6.5 knots as we cleared the end of Gran Canaria in the afternoon.

Technical stuff on setting up for downwind sailing.

Clear of the island we altered our course more to the southwest and set the boat up for the long downwind passage. For sailing dead down wind our tactics are to use the spinnaker pole to hold the jib out to the windward side and then put the main out to leeward using a preventer line from the end of the boom to a block near the bow, (this is called sailing "wing and wing"). The pole takes a bit of time to set up. We use three lines for the pole; a topping lift; a fore guy; and an after guy. These three lines hold the pole firmly in place. Then we run the jib sheet thru a block hooked in the pole jaws to prevent chaff. Once this is set up, it works very well for keeping both sails filled. It also makes it very easy to roll the jib in and out to match its size to the wind conditions without having to change the poles position.

While it would have been nice to have a wind powered self steering system we just couldn't justify the expense for this trip and decided to use our RayMarine electronic autopilot. The new instruments we added last season included the ability to feed the wind direction into the autopilot. With the wind information the autopilot can then steer to keep the wind angle constant and while the course will change with the wind shifts the sails will stay set and not require major tweeking. Using the wind steering we would go for days without having to touch the sails.

The problem of course with this rig was when we did have to touch the sails. As the wind would shift and we'd find ourselves heading too far off course we would have to gybe (change tacks or basically putting the sails on the opposite side of the boats). Gybing with our set up required quite a bit of foredeck work and would take about a half hour, so it wasn't something we did unless we had to. As we got closer to Barbados it seemed we were having to gybe about once a day.
We did worry about what would happen if the autopilot failed. Hand steering for three weeks wasn't something we wanted to try so we bought and carried a spare autopilot that could be quickly mounted on the steering wheel if need. Thankfully we never needed to use it.


Sea conditions, wind, and squalls,

From the 3rd until the 12th we had pretty much a 20-25 knot wind from astern and seas that built from two up to around five meters. With the help of the Canary Current and these conditions, we were averaging almost 150 miles a day.


Along with the big swell from the northeast we had a cross swell on top from the southeast that made for a very uncomfortable ride that included something called rhythmic rolling. Rhythmic rolling was strange because you can get used to the constant motion on the big waves, but periodically the cross swell would hit the boat just right and we would be thrown into a series of severe rolls that would always catch you off guard and totally unprepared. During this period it was almost impossible to accomplish even simple tasks as you had to hold onto something at all times or risk being thrown about the cabin. Stephanie was amazing as even in these conditions she was able to produce at least one hot meal a day. It was also during this period we discovered that everything on the boat that could roll, slide, bang or rattle did. It took us quite awhile to find and quiet most of the noisemakers.

For the entire trip we had following seas and even when the swells were very large "Brilliant" rode them very well. We kept our speed under control and prevented surfing down waves by sailing mostly with a deep reef in the main and about a 70 percent jib. This worked well for us and while we did get water into the cockpit a few times (not very fun) from the cross swells hitting just right, we never took any seas over the stern or bow on the passage.



It was still pretty cool both during the day and at night during this period and we had to bundle up for our night watches. Adding to the fun, this was also when we experienced our first squalls. The squalls looked like innocent cumulus clouds and would hit you with a little sprinkle of rain a slight shift of wind and a five-knot increase in wind speed; not bad. But the further south we went the more exciting they became. At night, after the moonset, it was very difficult to see the squalls as they would sneak up behind you. We started running the radar to get some advanced warning to batten the hatches. Thankfully the worst wind we experienced on the entire trip was only 30 knots in a "light" squall.


The 13th finally brought us some lighter winds and seas. We had altered our course to the south to avoid the worst of a forecast front and it seemed to have worked in putting us in better conditions. But by 1100 on the 14th with our speed down to 2 knots we had to start the engine and motor to continue making progress to Barbados. We ended up motoring for about 33 hours before we crossed a weak cold front and the winds returned. The one nice thing about this period was we had a chance to catch our breath and escape the rolling for a day or so and we also took the opportunity to stop the boat at 16 05.2 N/039 10.1 W and held a mid-ocean swim call. At this point on the 14th, we had traveled 1600 miles and still had 1234 miles to go.

It was mid-morning on the 15th we passed through the tail end of the weak cold front and it brought back the wind we needed for the rest of the trip. But of course with the wind came the seas and the rolling again.
From the 15th through our arrival on the 23rd the winds held for us at between 10-25 knots. The seas were confused with a cross swell to make for an uncomfortable ride, but they never grew again to over 2 meters over the remainder of the trip.

Life at sea, radio nets.

After the first couple of days we settled into an easy routine of watches that worked for us. Stephanie would cook the evening meal just before sundown and then after the galley was cleaned up would retire for the evening. We were using the starboard settee in the salon as our sea berth with its very effective lea cloth (a piece of canvas with lines lead to the overhead that keeps you from rolling out of bed). Pete would then take the first watch and would give Stephanie about 4-5 hours sleep. Then between around midnight Stephanie would relieve Pete for 5-7 hours. Sometime around 0600 Pete would take the watch again giving Stephanie time to catch up on the rest of her sleep until the radio net (more about the net later) began at 1100.



We would spend the day rest of the day together in the cockpit watching for ships (we didn't see too many), doing any chores that needed doing, reading, eating and napping.

Our Single Side Band radio (HF/Shortwave) was a very important part of each day. At 1100 we would participate in the very informal and unofficial "Not the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (NARC) Net" on 6215khz. Don and Sandy on "Destiny", an American boat that we had met last summer in Almerimar organized the net and acted as Net Control. "Destiny" completed their 14-year circumnavigation with this crossing. The NARC Net at its height had over 20 yachts, spread out over the 2800 mile route, participating. The net would start with a call for Emergency, Medical, or Priority Traffic so that if we had a problem we had other resources we could use. Then we would share weather information. Following that was the roll call and everyone would have a chance to check-in with their position, local conditions and general comments. It was very comforting to know that we were not alone out there in the big ocean.

Following the NARC Net at 1235, we would use the radio to receive Wind and Wave forecasts via weather FAX from NOAA in New Orleans. We hooked our computer to the radio and used a special program to display the FAX information. Once we were past 30 west, the FAX were very useful. They provided us with a very good picture of what to expect in the next 24, 48, and 72 hours.

Then in the evening at 1930 we would check-in with Herb Hilgenburg also know as "Southbound II", on 12359khz. Here is what the Cruising Club of America says about Herb:

"Herb Hilgenberg is an accomplished amateur weather analyst and forecaster located near Toronto, Canada. He is a recognized and acclaimed expert on the weather in the North Atlantic who maintains a seven day per week SSB weather net for yachts sailing throughout the North Atlantic and Caribbean. Herb's service is free to any yacht logging in during the "Check-In" period. Yachts unable to check in can monitor forecasts for yachts in their area or even request a relay. This is also a good way to learn of other yachts in the area in the event assistance is needed."

Our experience with Herb was very good and he provided us the information and advice we needed to make decisions about several course changes to avoid foul weather and again to find better winds to compete our passage. It was also great to hear the other boats and how they were doing.

The $600 we paid on eBay for our little Kenwood TS-50/AT-50 HF Transceiver was well spent. Even working at half power (50 watts) because of low battery voltages, we were doing very well talking with Herb in Toronto over 3000 miles away.


Marine Life

We were disappointed with how little wildlife we saw on the crossing. The first week we saw mostly Storm Petrels, a few Shearwaters, and a single sea turtle. The following two weeks produced a Roseate Tern and a Gannett. The main thing we saw were Flying Fish by the thousands. Each morning there would be a few of the tiny fish on our decks that obviously made a wrong turn and we managed to make a breakfast of one of the larger ones we found.

Our fishing was disappointing too. We caught only one small Tuna (maybe three pounds), and a little Dorado (which we returned to the sea) The one that got away, was a very large Dorado that attacked our lure in the middle of a nasty squall. It was a beautiful fish that we actually saw strike our lure in the clear ocean water, but after a couple of good jumps broke our 100 lb test line. He also took our last two lures with him. After that we finally gave up and hauled in our line for the rest of the trip.



So we saw no dolphins, no whales, no sharks, it was kind of boring. But we did pick up one hitchhiker about 80 miles east of Barbados. A little bird started circling our boat just before sunset on our last night out and after about and hour was finally able to make a landing on "Brilliant". Must have been Air Force... a Navy pilot would never have had that much of a problem landing. It turned out to be a little Barn Swallow that was obviously lost. It spent another hour trying to figure out where on the boat it was going to rest, including holding on to a lifeline, perched on the jib sheet, under the dinghy on the foredeck, on the dodger, in the cockpit, quick tour below decks, a brief perch on Stephanie's hair, before settling down on Pete's foul weather jacket underneath the dodger. He settled down and slept through the night. About 0400 as we accidentally disturbed it. It woke up saw we were about a mile off Barbados, made one chirp and took off. I guess that was his way of saying, "Thank you!"


Problems

Our gear failures on the crossing were limited. They included a raw water pump impeller failure the second time we started the engine to make water. This was really unexpected since we had just replaced it with a new one on the trip from Rota to Lanzarote. It wasn't a hard job to put in a new spare even in with the foul seas.

Then we had a problem with the new Balmar Alternator we had installed just before leaving Puerto Calero. After motoring continuously for over a day, we had a warning light come on that indicated the alternator was overheating. I assumed the alternator belt was loose and tightened it, but this didn't fix the problem. The alternator was still running hot and it was barely giving any charge. To make the long story short, the new alternator put out more amperage than the old wiring could handle and had smoke checked (old Navy term for a burned up) a section of the battery cable. I was able to bypass the burned out section of wire and re-installed our old, less powerful, alternator and the problem was solved.

And then there was the classic failure; after about two days at sea, the aft head backed up. Never a pleasant job to fix, it's even worse with a big sea running. Try as he might to unclog the blockage, Pete had no luck fixing it underway. He was able to reduce the foul smell by bailing it out by hand. There is something good to be said about the advantages of two heads; we never had to resort to a bucket. Once into Barbados he had to pull all of the plumbing hoses and clean them in the ocean to clear the blockage. He could have never been able to accomplish that underway. The aft head is now working fine.

Otherwise, it was an uneventful passage for the maintenance department.


Other boats crossing with issues.

As we talked on our NARC Net we heard about other boats crossing, not in our group, running into problems. There were at least two boats that were abandoned due to rudders failing (one thought their rudder was hit by a whale). One of the boats in our group was close enough to pick the crew up as they made the awful decision to leave their sailboat. A third sailboat, a 62' Deerfoot, with seven on board also had a rudder failure, but continued safely to Antigua under a jury rigged rudder. Two other boats had standing rigging fail. An American boat had the forestay break, and safely diverted to the Cape Verdes, Islands for repair. Another boat had two shrouds part, but managed rig spare lines to support the mast and made it across with reduced sail and with another sailboat escorting them. There was one boat that the Captain had to be removed, we assume medical problem, but never heard for sure.


Some statistics

The great circle distance was 2751 NM, but we actually covered 2833 NM working to stay in the best weather we could. Our actual daily distance covered averaged 141 NM. We could have easily done better, but with only two aboard, we sailed very conservatively for comfort and also slowed down the last two days to make our landfall during daylight.

Our max speed on the trip was around 8.4 knots and the average speed for the trip was 5.9 knots.

Our water conservation measures and modest use of the watermaker kept the tanks nearly full for the duration of the trip.

Our position in Carlisle Bay, Barbados is: 13 05.52 N/059 36.96 W.

Log 2833 NM

Total Sailed 2006 = 5060NM
Total Sailed since retirement = 14279

11-06 Brilliant's Log, 27 November - 2 December 2006

Hi Brilliant's Crew,

If all goes as we hope, tomorrow around noon we will be underway. A bit of running around to do in the morning getting the passports stamped and the rental car turned in, but nothing too serious.

At five knots it should take us about 23 days to cover the 2751 NM distance and reach Barbados. We will be joining a loose group of about 20 other yachts that have either already started across or will be crossing in the next week or so. The NARC Net as we are calling our HF SSB radio group will try to check-in with each other daily to share information, to follow each other's progress across and act as a safety net if anyone has problems.

For Brilliant's Crew, no one should worry about us unless you don't hear from us by New Year's Day. We'll do our best to get an e-mail our as soon as we make landfall.

Did you try google earth?

As we will probably not be in port before Christmas, we both want to wish you and yours the very best for a Happy Holiday.

Pete & Stephanie
s/y "Brilliant"


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"Brilliant's Log"


27 - 28 November 2006, Monday - Tuesday, Rubicon Marina, Lanzarote, Canary Islands, 28 51.455N/013 48.919W

Lanzarote to Gran Canaria

Clear skies and calm winds started our day. Our trip to Gran Canaria island wasn't going to be too long, so we planned our departure time for around noon to arrive in daylight on Tuesday. With no rush to cast off early for island, we had plenty of time to enjoy our coffee and set a leisurely pace getting "Brilliant" ready for a sea passage. Stephanie even took the time before we cast off to fix a great underway dinner. Our forecast was for light winds of 10-15 knots, but with a major storm in the far North Atlantic we were expecting heavy seas and made sure we really had everything aboard secured.

1220 and "Brilliant" was underway. A light east wind blowing thru the channel between Lanzarote and Fuerteventura greeted us as we cleared the Rubicon breakwater. We immediately set sails and shut the engine down and were making 4-5 knots. Unfortunately, the east wind funneling through the channel only lasted for about 30 minutes and we had to motor for about fifteen minutes to clear the lea of Lanzarote island. Once clear of the channel, the wind was waiting for us and we found a lovely 10-15 knots out of the north-northeast. With a one-knot current helping us, we were easily making 6-7 knots. The seas were fairly calm, but with a twelve to fifteen foot swell underneath it. Storm waves generated far away have a long interval or period between waves that make for an easy ride. We were gliding through the water on a beam reach and riding up and down these large swells and absolutely loving it.

Shortly after leaving the marina we saw another yacht, "Double Waters", who we'd met briefly in Puerto Calero and they were heading in the same direction we were. Calling them on the VHF radio we chatted for a bit and found they too were heading for Las Palmas. We agreed to stay in radio contact on the trip and keep an eye out for each other.

"Double Waters" is crewed by a British family with three boys in ages 8 to 15 who are crossing to the Caribbean this year. They were sailing in a line with "Brilliant," about a quarter of a mile behind and appeared to be slowly gaining. We thought it would be a great opportunity to get some pictures of our boats underway and told them to come in close to us as they passed. After almost an hour they still hadn't caught up with us. It seems our boat speeds matched quite closely which is odd for two different sizes of boats. Theirs is a 50' cutter ketch of about 23 tons to our 42'.

We finally had to reef the genoa to slow down and give them a chance to catch up. Once they were alongside, we unreefed, and were again matching their speed. We took many pictures of each other and if I have time I'll post them before we depart.

After taking the pictures we split apart by a couple of hundred yards for safety, but sailed side by side for at least the next twelve hours. As the night wore on they reduced sail to slow down and make their arrival in daylight, but we continued at best speed.

The night was surprisingly cool and we had to bundle up for our watches. The temperature wasn't that cold but the damp air and wind can really chill you.

During the night the wind veered a bit to the east, almost dead astern, and decreased. A wind dead astern is a very challenging point of sail and certainly not the fastest. To deal with this wind; you can rig a spinnaker (we don't have one); you can sail wing and wing, with the mainsail to one side and jib on the other side of the boat. It requires a steady hand at the helm to sail wing and wing and keep both sails filled. If there are any seas it becomes even more difficult if not impossible. Another option is to rig a whisker pole to hold the jib open on the windward side of the boat. We have one, but it isn't easy to rig and we weren't going to do it in the dark. The final option is to keep the boat on a broad reach (the wind on the stern quarter) and alter course. We choose the last option and sailed north of our rhumbline course.

We set the boat to sail as far off the wind as we could while keeping the jib from loosing the wind and flogging. Using our autopilot to steer the magnetic course means that the sails will flog whenever the wind direction shifts. This pass season we added new wind instruments and with the newer technology we can now set the autopilot to steer a wind vice magnetic course. It worked fantastic! Rather continually having to adjust the magnetic autopilot course, we set the sails and the autopilot automatically adjusts the boat heading to keep the sails filled.

Approaching the harbor in the dark was probably not a good idea with an out of date chart. Our charts did not show a new extension to the outer breakwater and it made our entry a bit confused. Add to this we had several large ships arriving and departing at the same time plus as we finally started our engine and changed our navigation lights we found the port light burned out.

To clarify we are entering a harbor for the first time with an out of date chart. We're tired, it's dark and the harbor is very busy. Our navigation lights aren't working right so we are presenting a questionable image to other ships. It's good to write this down, so that next time I think about nighttime entries into a new port; we don't.

It turned out well and we found the new end of the breakwater; dodged a lighted buoy (not on our chart); got in the way of none of the ships moving about; and found the anchorage.

It was 0640 when we dropped our anchor in the middle of a large group of cruising yachts. We quickly secured the boat and were both asleep in short order.

It was 1100 before we woke and another two hours before we were ready to move "Brilliant' into the marina. We weighed anchor and motored into the very large marina. While maneuvering about the fuel dock, several boats nearby weren't shy about telling us that there was a queue and we were at the end of it. So with no idea how long the wait would be we went side-to along side an open floating dock to wait our turn.

No answer to the VHF from the marina, but I was able to get the marina office number by telephone and asked for a berth. They seemed harried and said go to pontoon 16 right side and come to the office at four pm. With "sort of" a berth assigned and what looked like a very long wait for fuel we decided to find a berth on 16. No marinaros to be seen, but another cruiser helped us with our lines as we med moored.

We did try to check-in, but they weren't open and other cruisers said they were trying to recover from the over two hundred boats that had checked out two days ago for the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers. We'll try them again tomorrow.

This is definitely a major hub for cruisers. We are seeing many boats we know and other we have just heard about from other cruisers. It will be fun to meet new people and catch up with some old friends.

Log 98.5 NM


29 November - 2 December 2006 Wednesday-Saturday, Puerto de la Luz, Las Palmas, Grand Canaria, 28 07.729N/015 25.573W

The marina is a vast hub of activity. Unlike Puerto Calero and Rubicon Marinas, this place is hopping with everyone working on last minute projects and provisioning for the crossing. We've seen so many other cruisers we have either met before or have been told to look for here. We could have spent our entire time socializing, but we are going to be getting underway.

Our main job here has been to fill the larder and we have. We have hanging nets of fruit, snacks, pasta, etc. in the v-berth and all other available space is filled with food. With everything pretty well ready we rented a car for Friday and Saturday to take care of the finally big supermarket shopping and then set out to see at least a little bit of the island of Gran Canaria.

We took a long drive Friday to the highest peak on the island. At 1,949 meters (6,394 feet) it has some amazing views. Fortunately, we had a fairly clear day and could see almost the entire island from the top. The best parts of the drive were driving through the changing climate zones, enjoying the pine forests, the deep green valleys and mostly just being out of the city and resorts. It was a lovely day.

Saturday morning was a rush to finish some last minute chores like laundry and filling jerry cans for the trip. But we managed to leave the boat by 1100 and spent the day in the old town of Las Palmas. We visited the Museum of the Canaries, which told the story of the peoples that inhabited the islands before the Spanish arrived. The museum was very well done; with many artifacts, burial relics and mummies. If we could read Spanish, we would have enjoyed it even more.

Then we visited the Casa de Colon where Columbus lived before he departed on his 1492 trip to America. Filled wonderful exhibits, charts, and artifacts, etc., we thoroughly enjoyed it. For us this couldn't have been a better place to visit the day before our own departure for the "New World".

Log 0 NM

10-06 Brilliant's Log, 14-27 November 2006

Hi Brilliant's Crew,

Where in the world is "Brilliant"? Use Google Earth to find us! It's a very neat program that will zoom you to our position using excellent satellite pictures. The accuracy and detail are amazing. It can bring you right to the slip we are tied up to at the marina or the bay we were anchored off. I've changed the format of the positions in the log to make it easier for you to use Google Earth. This way if you want to see where we are or were, you just have to copy the position and paste it into the Google Earth search window and click on the search button. The software is free for PC or Mac and can be downloaded from their website at http://www.googleearth.com. Let us know if it works for you.

Hopefully everyone had a chance to check out our latest photos on-line and see some of the places we've visited. If you didn't get an invitation to the view the photos let us know and we'll add you to the list on the Kodak website.

"Brilliant" is still on the island of Lanzarote in the Canary Islands. This has been a very good place for us to wait for the hurricane season to officially end, so that we can then make our Atlantic crossing. The weather has been very nice here with temperatures in the mid 70's. We've had some light rain and the past few days an east wind has brought us a Sahara dust storm, but for the most part it's been very good.

We've stayed in Rubicon, Marina, Lanzarote for a week and will be leaving for Gran Canaria around noon today, 27 November. The famous Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) with over 225 yachts departed from the Las Palmas for the Caribbean yesterday and we should be able to find a berth in Las Palmas now that they are gone. We choose not to join that rally, not only because of the cost (over a $1000), but because they are on a schedule to be in St. Lucia by Christmas and leave on time, no matter what the weather is doing. We like a bit more flexibility and will wait for the right winds before we leave.

Gran Canaria is a bigger island and provides much more support for yachts then we can get on Lanzarote. In Las Palmas we will be able to do our final preparations and provisioning for the crossing and the Caribbean. We will be keeping you informed. Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.

Pete & Stephanie
s/y "Brilliant"


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"Brilliant's Log"


14 -17 November 2006, Puerto Calero Marina, Lanzarote, Canary Islands, 28 55.051N/013 42.065W

Puerto Calero to Papagayo

A free party! Ok, we'll stay another week. Well actually it was the weather more than anything that helped us decide to stay in Puerto Calero.

We used the time to finish up a few more projects. Then on Thursday evening we attended Puerto Calero's annual reception. The Senior Calero, the man who built the marina, puts on this party for everyone with a boat in the marina as his way of saying thank you for our business. It was really a very nice affair with wine, beer and lot's of food. We had a chance to talk with other cruisers we'd seen around the marina, but had not met. At our table we had Canadian and Italian crews. We had a great time working on a conversation in our very broken Italian. Both crews are crossing to the Caribbean next month as well.

The Friday morning we got the boat set for departure. With everything almost ready the bilge pump suddenly started up, pumping a lot of water out of the boat. It was good to know the automatic bilge pump was working well, but not a good way to start a trip to sea. We quickly checked that water wasn't coming in from one of our many thru-hull fittings that might have broken, no problem there. Then we confirmed the water was fresh not seawater, so at least we knew we weren't sinking at the dock. The water was tracked to a fitting on top of the forward water tank. It's a 150 liter flexible tank that we installed in 2002 and is pretty key to our planned crossing. Anyway, the fitting had gotten loose and water was coming out pretty fast. I tightened the fitting and the flow of water was stemmed. It still has an annoying little drip that we'll try to seal. If that fails we'll replace the tank before we leave for the Caribbean. Lucky it happened before we left, but even if it had happened out in the ocean we would have only lost a few gallons of fresh water, it would not have compromised the other two tanks that carry most of our water and the water maker would have been able to replace what was lost.

Anyway we did make it out of the marina around 1130. One of the unusual things that happens when leaving a marina are the short introductions and conversations with other boats. We'd been in the marina for over 5 weeks and on the way out we had to wave and chat with half a dozen boats. Some had been there as long as we had been, but we'd never talked in that time. As Stephanie was stowing fenders, we had a very quick conversation with a large American yacht that had arrived the night before. It's amazing how much you can learn in about three minutes. It's just one of those strange cruising phenomenon's.

Clearing the breakwater we had a good breeze behind us and decide to just unfurled the genoa for our run to Papagayo. We were quickly making 6 knots plus without trying and enjoying finally being at sea again. Unfortunately we weren't going far and after about an hour we turned right to clear Punta Papagayo . In the channel between Lanzarote and Fuerteventura (the island to the south) we quickly lost our wind in the lea of the island.

There are a series of three beautiful sandy beaches just inside of the Punta Papagayo and we checked them all out before deciding to anchor off the middle beach in 5 meter over a sandy bottom. Our decision to anchor there really had no relationship to the numbers of naturist on the beach as all three had an almost equal number.


Log 8.5 NM


18-20 November 2006, Saturday-Monday, Playa Papagayo, Lanzarote, Canary Islands, 28 50.871N/013 47.461W
Papagayo to Rubicon Marina. Sharks anyone?

At Papagayo we found a good spot for a few days of peace and quiet. We did very little except enjoy life. Sometimes you just need to hang on the hook without any distractions.

On Saturday our weather was good fair. A bit cool, but Pete was able to take a quick snorkel dive to check our bottom and prop and make sure everything still looked good. It did.

Sunday brought a bit of wind and a shower or two, plus some cooler temperatures. We mostly just sat under the dodger and read all day. Late afternoon brought an unusual disturbance in the water about 50 meters off our stern. It was a school of large fish (18"-24" long) that were leaping out of the water as if being chased. Then we saw what was chasing them. It was 6-8 feet long, was very dark, had a prominent dorsal fin and was not a porpoise. After seeing the shark slash through that school of fish, we decided we were off swimming for a bit. Yew!

Then that evening, about bedtime, a swell worked it's way around the point and we had one of those really bad nights with way too much rolling. Everything that can rattle, bump or bang, did. And there are many things on a boat that do. The wind peaked at twenty-five knots during the night; which isn't too much. But with the rolling, Pete decided to sit anchor watch in the cockpit since he was awake anyway. There were no problems, just a long night.

We had our morning coffee and hauled the anchor around 0900 and made the short distance to Rubicon Marina. Naturally as we entered the marina the wind was still gusting to 25 knots, just to make the mooring job a bit more challenging. In no time we were checked in and the excellent marinaros had us safely tied up in our slip. Two hours later the wind died. Oh well.

Log 1.2 NM



21-27 November 2006, Rubicon Marina, Lanzarote, Canary Islands, 28 51.455N/013 48.919W

Like Puerto Calero, Rubicon has all the amenities of an upscale marina with clean heads, WIFI, good staff and excellent restaurants and shops surrounding the yacht basin. What it has that Puerto Calero didn't was a town very close by. It's nice not to have to spend three hours and two bus rides to just mail a letter.

We only plan to be here a week and have been trying real hard to find projects that still need to be finished. One project we did complete was to repair the leaking forward water tank. A bit Gorilla Glue and a bit of marine chaulk and it's sealed tight again.

We ended up renting a car for two days to take care of serious grocery shopping and to visit the chandleries in Arrecife one more time before we left the island.

For Thanksgiving dinner we had hoped to meet some other American's we could share with, but found no American boats in the marina. So it was just the two of us. Stephanie couldn't find a whole turkey, but was able find a large turkey breast and a small thigh and leg (would have been a strange looking turkey) and cooked them in our new oven to perfection.

The next day Stephanie met an American woman in the showers and it turns out they were three boats down from us, but weren't flying their flag. They missed out on a great Thanksgiving meal, but we had Pat and Gene from "Stella di Mare" over for cocktails on Friday night. Then they reciprocated and we cocktailed on "Stella di Mare" last night. Tough life.

Log 0 NM

09-06 Brilliant's Log, 3 October - 13 November 2006

Hi Brilliant's Crew,

We are still on the island of Lanzarote in the Canary Islands. This has been a very good place for us to wait for the hurricane season to officially end, so that we can then make our Atlantic crossing. The weather has been very nice here with temperatures in the mid 70's. We've had some light rain and the past few days an east wind has brought us a Sahara dust storm, but for the most part it's been very good.

Right now our plans are to stay on Lanzarote until after the famous Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) with over 225 yachts departs from the Las Palmas on Gran Canaria for the Caribbean on 26 November. We choose not to join that rally, not only because of the cost (over a $1000), but also because we feel they leave too early. They are on a schedule to be in St. Lucia by Christmas and leave no matter what the weather is doing. We'll wait for the right winds and hope for a better passage.

Gran Canaria is a bigger island and provides much more support for yachts then we can get on Lanzarote. With the ARC boats filling every marina on that island at the moment we are very happy to wait here and will head for Gran Canaria (95 miles to the southwest) weather permitting on 27 November. In Las Palmas we will be able to do our final preparations and provisioning for the crossing and the Caribbean.

In the mean time we have been sucked into the decadent life of living in a marina. Puerto Calero gives a 30 percent discount for stays over thirty days, so it works out to about $20 per day with everything include; water, electric, excellent showers and a WIFI internet connection. It would be hard not to sit here and take advantage of these luxuries.

Pete & Stephanie
s/y "Brilliant"


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"Brilliant's Log"


3 - 7 October 2006, Monday-Saturday, Arrecife, Lanzarote, Canary Islands, 28-57N/013-33W

On the hook Arrecife, Lanzarote

The wind on Monday morning was calm. We took advantage of the calm to take the short dinghy ride to the sea wall and then walked into town to "Officially" check in to the Canaries. Our guidebook for the Canaries is dated, but we didn't expect this to be a problem ... wrong. Not finding the Harbor Master's Office where our guide said it should be, we began asking. We tried checking in with the immigration office, the local police, the national Police, and the Spanish Navy. Not one of them wanted anything to do with us and no one seemed to know where the Harbor Master's Office was. After about an hour we finally decided it was too hard and we'd try another day.

That task not completed we went in search of an internet café to check e-mail and send out the log. Found a few access points, but they were coin operated and gave you no ability to plug in a flash drive, floppy disk, or CD. So no log sent out from Arrecife.

The small downtown area was very nice with a broad promenade harbor side lined with shops, cafés and restaurants. Several streets have been closed in the main shopping area, making it a great place to window shop. We found a good supermarket and picked up a few things, before heading back to "Brilliant".

The forecast south wind never materialized, which was very good with the Arrecife harbor open in that direction. What did come up was the northeast trade wind.

For the next few days the wind would pipe up every morning and blow 15-25 knots until evening. Thankfully "Brilliant" was safely tucked behind the sea wall in Arrecife harbor that was giving us good protection from the large swell. And with her anchor tightly wedged under a large rock, she wasn't going to go anywhere. With "Brilliant" safe, it gave us confidence to take the dinghy ashore. The dinghy rides were wet because of the wind and the choppy water but we had a chance to explore the town a bit more.

There were almost a dozen other cruising boats filling the little harbor. While most of them were French, we did meet one American boat that arrived after we did. Bill on "Reliant" was a single hander (sailing by himself) and was doing an Atlantic loop. He had left the states in May and had visited the Azores, the Madeira's and is planning to cross back to the Caribbean in December.

We enjoyed the antics of a couple of children aboard a boat moored just in front of us. The little girl (5 or 6) and her older brother (8 or 9) for three days were "pirates." The had swords and their mother had made them costumes and they would spend their day popping up and down through hatches and just having a great time of it.

The wind finally began to easy on Saturday and we were up early Sunday morning and began securing the boat for getting underway for a short run to our next port. A small French boat had arrived in the night and anchored about 100 meters in front of us, nearer to the sea wall. It looked odd and with the binoculars I could see that the boat's keel was on the rocks and it was starting to heel over. The harbor was dead calm with another hour to low tide, I figured the crew was still sleeping and by the time they woke the boat would have probably floated back off.

While making the coffee I thought I heard someone calling. Apparently, the crew woke to the sound of their keel touching the rocks and a young man on deck was calling for help to one of the French boats much nearer to him. When I didn't see any movement on the other boats, I jumped in the dinghy and raced over to see if I could help him.

It wasn't very pretty. The boat was hard aground with the keel and rudder wedged between rocks and grinding with even the slightest ripple on the water. He was an exhausted single-hander who had arrived in the early morning hours, after a very rough non-stop passage from France. He had dropped his anchor at high tide, not realizing that there was at least a 3-meter tide. The full moon made it even worse as this was a neap tide, the lowest it would get for the month.

Luckily he spoke excellent English, it made helping him much easier. I was able to get him to attach his spare anchor to a halyard (a line that goes to the top of the mast) and then I took his anchor as far out to the side as I could before dropping it. We were hoping to use the winch to tip the boat farther over so that the keel and rudder would get free of the rocks.

This attempt wasn't successful but at least the boat was a bit more stable and the grinding had stopped. I moved his main anchor as well and with him at least in better shape then when I arrived, left to take care of our anchor and to finish getting ready to depart.

The low neap tide made it very easy to dive down to our anchor and pull it free of the rocks it was wedged between. After freeing the anchor I swam back to "Brilliant" to dry off and warm up a bit. Then decided to check on Fred, the Frenchmen on the rocks one more time before we left. I zipped over again in the dinghy and we re-looked at the set of the kedge (the anchor we'd set to pull him off). Fred was still a sad fellow, so I pulled the kedge up, added more line to it and moved it farther out for an even better angle to pull the boat over.

He worked the winch, but still couldn't get enough line in to tip the boat. I tried something else and grabbed the line from the dinghy between the mast and the anchor and slowly, hand over hand, started pulling the line down. The added leverage of my weight was just enough to tip the boat and the keel and rudder were free of the rocks.

With Fred clear of the rocks and safely re-anchored in deeper water, I wished him well and headed back to "Brilliant". In the mean time, Stephanie had been getting a bit concerned because our anchor was out of the rocks and with the wind coming up could have easily dragged. By the time I was back she had the engine started, just in case, and everything ready to go.

We quickly stowed the dinghy, hauled anchor and cleared the harbor. We were surprised to find the wind up again and had 20 knots on our stern. With only 9 miles to our destination we decided to bring out only the jib. It was a lovely fast downwind sail and we were at the entrance to Puerto Calero Marina in no time.

A beautiful marina, we had no trouble checking in and were quickly tied to a floating pontoon with a finger pier. No worry with the big tides here.

Log 9 NM



8 October - 13 November 2006, Puerto Calero Marina, Lanzarote, Canary Islands

The decadence of marina life!

We spent the first few days in the marina scrubbing the boat and beginning the long list of projects. It is always amazing how much salt spray and dirt the boat can collect while anchored out. A major project was to install a new higher amperage alternator with a smart regulator that we brought back with us from the states, but did not get installed before we left Rota. I carefully pulled the old unit out and when I was installing the new one discovered that the belt tension arm was too short for the new alternator. We ended up having to order the piece and wait almost 4 weeks before in came via DHL and ended up costing six times what it should have due to the shipping and customs issues on this end.

Also installed was the back-up autopilot that attaches to the steering wheel. We rely heavily on the autopilot to keep the boat on course and the thought of a failure, where we would have to hand steer to hold course for days on end, wasn't a pleasant one. As with most things on a boat, redundancy is always good since things to have a way of breaking at inopportune times.

With the "Brilliant" much cleaner and a few of the projects well in hand, we decided to rent a car for a day. The plan was to drive to Arreccife to fill our new cooking gas bottle, check in with the officials, and do a major grocery shopping at some of the big Hyper Markets. It took three tries before the little rental car place could get us a car and even then it wasn't what we asked for, but we did have wheels for a day.

We accomplished most of what we set out to do with the rental car, except for officially checking in to the island. It seems we finally found the right office in the new commercial port, but no one was home.

Marina Puerto Calero is a neat, clean, reasonably priced, modern marina with all the amenities. The marina is lined with restaurants, a few tourist shops, and a little "supermarket" that is more like a convenience store. So one of our major issues here is getting to a decent store for groceries. Our grocery run with the car was a success and even had some time for some sightseeing in the afternoon.

We explored the southern end of Lanzarote and saw a couple of the tourist attractions including: El Golfo where you can walk down to the unique "El Charo de Clicos" (the green lagoon) with its stunning cliffs. We also saw the salt flats on the way to the resort town of Playa Blanca.

For the next week we continued working on the boat and tried the island bus system to get groceries. The buses are very new and fares are inexpensive, the problem is that they just don't run often enough. To take the short 20-minute bus to the next town, about two miles away, to shop takes at least four hours. We did find that if we catch the bus to Arreccife on the weekend, it gets us close to one of the bigger markets and the wait for the return bus is shorter.

As we began to finish our list of boat projects we decided to rent a car for three days and do some serious sight seeing. This time we had better luck with a different rental car agent and had a nice little economy car. With the car we were able to visit the Timanfaya National Park with its Montanas del Fuego. Where a series of volcanic eruptions, from 1730 to 1736, dramatically altered the southwest of Lanzarote. The lava flows cover an area of over the 51 square kilometers (that is 32miles, for you and me).

We started at the information center, set in the middle of the old lava flow. The center was very well done, with excellent information on the volcano and the eruptions. After that we headed to the Islote de Hilario. Where we parked the car and boarded a bus that drove the narrow winding roads through the lava field to see the many volcanic domes.

The artistry and creative genius of César Manrique is present through out the island. A native of Lanzarote, he was the guiding light that set an architectural and artistic standard for the island. At a time when tourism was spoiling the other islands with high-rise hotels with a nightmare of designs, Manrique convinced the government to establish laws that have kept the island beautiful.

Manrique's artwork is present throughout the island in mobiles, murals, statues and so much of the new construction architecture. One of his most amazing works was the Mirador del Rio; a house built into the top edge of the cliffs on the northern end of the island. The house, carved into the cliff and using natural materials blends completely in with the environment, making it invisible from below. The view of Graciosa and the other islands to the north from over a thousand feet up is absolutely breathtaking. I'll post some photos on-line.

Another treasure he designed was the Jardin de Cactus (the Cactus Garden). We thoroughly enjoyed the thousand different species of cactus on display set in an ancient volcanic sinkhole.

Having the time and a car allowed us the luxury of really having the opportunity to explore the island and we took advantage of it. Now it's just time to wait for our departure to Gran Canaria.

Log 0 NM

08-06 Brilliant's Log, 21 July - 2 October 2006

Hi Brilliant's Crew,

We are now seriously into our cruising mode. After all the rushing around stateside, the preparations to leave Rota and the passage, our goals are now to enjoy the sunshine, the gentle wind, and warm water of the Canary Islands and relax.

After receiving a phone call from our friends Ginette and Nic on "Marano", I guess we owe an apology to Brilliant's Crew. It's nice to know that people were concerned if we had actually made it to the Canaries after the last e-mail had announced our departure from Rota. We had called family with our safe arrival, but weren't able to find an internet on Graciosa to pass the word on to the rest. Promise we'll make some arrangement to let the rest know before our next passage to the Caribbean in December and thank you for your concern.

Sorry it took another week to finally get this out. We've moved "Brilliant" into a marina down the coast of Lanzarote; Puerto Calero. It's very nice and it's got WIFI so we are hooked for internet again.

Pete & Stephanie
s/y "Brilliant"


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"Brilliant's Log"


21-25 July 2006, Friday-Tuesday, Puerto Deportivo Rota, Spain, 36-37N/006-21W

A scramble to prepare "Brilliant" for our departure.

With "Brilliant" safely moored at the marina in Rota we finalized our plans to catch a military space "A" flight back to the states. First we made arrangements with the marina to haul "Brilliant" out of the water the coming Monday. The price for the haul out is good at 118 euros to lift/hardstand and another 118 euros to launch. We'll feel much better with her on the hard while we're gone to visit in the states. Besides, it's time for a bottom paint job and I need to install the new instrument thru-hull fittings when we return.

Our friends from "Destiny", Don and Sandy arrived a day or so after us and we enjoyed several more opportunities to share our sea stories over cocktails. It was good to have a break from all the little jobs that must be done to leave the boat unattended.

Despite the distractions we were ready as we were going to be for the haul out on Monday morning. I was a bit nervous because we had to remove the forestay in order for them to fit us into the travel lift. (I'll post pictures of the travel lift with "Brilliant" in the slings when I get a chance.) The travel lift team did a very professional job and "Brilliant" was in a cradle and well blocked in no time.

That job done it was just a matter of finishing up the cleaning and getting ourselves packed for the trip to the states. The marina doesn't let people live aboard while the boat is on the hard. I think it has something to do with our friends Barbara and Robbie, on "Felix II". They were on the hard in Rota and a strong storm wind blew their boat over while they were aboard. Anyway we ended up getting a room at the BOQ on base.

Luck was with us and we were able to catch an Air Force C-5 Galaxy to Dover, Delaware the next day.

Log .3 NM


26 July - 8 September 2006, Stateside trip.

Time with family and friends in the USA.

To keep this brief here is a rough itinerary of our stateside travels.

-Arrived Dover, Del on the 26 July.
-Rented Car and drove to Brunswick, ME Via one night in New London, CN. In Maine 29 July to 6 August. Visits with our son Devon and his family in Portland. Visit with our daughter Arwen and family in Auburn.
-Drove rental car back to Dover, Delware. One night New London, one night Dover again.
-Rented Car on-way to Maryville, TN. In Tennessee 8-11 August. Visit with Pete's Mom, sister René and brother-in-law, Bob.
-Flew to Portland, OR. In Portland 11-16 August. Visit with our son Kurt and wife Kwen.
-Rented Car and drove to Pleasant Hill, CA. 16-25 August in California. Visits with Stephanie's Mom, sisters, brother and just about every other relative in California, plus some long lost friends.
-Back to Portland, OR. 25-29 August. More time with Kurt and Kwen
-Flew back to Tennessee. Tennessee 29 August to 5 September. A week with Pete's Mom and a chance for René and Bob to get away for a week.
-Rented Car to drive to Norfolk, VA. One night in Norfolk BOQ, no flights to Spain.
-Rented Car and drove to Dover, DE. One night at the Dover BOQ.
-Flew back to Rota, Spain via C-5 Galaxy arrived Rota 8 September.

That was a quick trip for us!

Log 0 NM

8-18 September 2006, Friday-Monday, Puerto Deportivo Rota, Spain, 36-37N/006-21W

Preparing "Brilliant" for launch and departure for the Canary Islands.

Back in Rota we found the BOQ being rehabbed and no room available, so we had to spend two nights in the Navy Lodge (twice as expensive). We spent the first couple of days getting moved back aboard and started on the boat projects that had to be done before launch.

As is normal on "Brilliant" every project took three times longer to complete than expected and of course we found several more projects that had to be done. Paint was very expensive for the bottom, but with time running short we found the boatyard shop had the paint on hand and could do the job for only 100 euros over what the paint cost. Sold! One less project to worry about.

The painting done and the new NAVMAN instruments and thru-hull fittings all installed, plus one additional thru-hull that had to be replaced and we were ready to launch. We scheduled the launch for Thursday 14 September, but the winds picked up to 20 knots that day and decided we'd wait a day. Next morning the weather was good and we were back in the water by 1100 on Friday, 15 September.

It was finally time to go to the Canaries. Looking at long term weather forecasts our best bet for the Canaries was going to be a Monday departure. Using the internet we had received fairly consistant forecasts from weather online UK and the seven day GRIB files. With the date of departure set, we spent the weekend stocking up supplies from the base exchange convenience store and the local supermarkets.

Log 0 NM


18-23 September 2006, Monday-Saturday, Puerto Deportivo Rota, Spain, 36-37N/006-21W

Passage from Rota, Spain to the Canary Islands

With a sunny day and a good forecast (always leave on a good day... it may be the only good weather you have!), we paid our final bills with the marina and cast off the lines at 1115. The winds were very light in the Bay of Cadiz and we motored for about 1.5 hours to find our wind. We spent much of this time dodging the many fishing floats and nets on the shallow continental shelf. We also passed a dead whale that had gotten tangle in a net. We hoped that wouldn't be a bad omen for our journey.

With a course of 225 degrees magnetic, the light NW wind and gentle seas made for a great day of sailing. We were close-hauled, but making 5.5 to 6 knots and enjoying the ride. In the evening as the seas started building a bit we put a reef in the jib to flatten the boat and make the ride a bit easier while Stephanie fixed a great dinner.

Our concerns about heavy shipping traffic on the approaches to Gibraltar were unfounded. We passed through about a dozen ships going to and from the Mediterranean before dark without a problem.

We continued sailing through the first night at sea. We don't have a rigid watch schedule, so we can both get the sleep we need. Stephanie is better at taking naps then Pete is so she takes a long watch during the night to give him at least a solid 5-6 hours of sleep. Unfortunately, the first couple of nights Pete had his usual trouble sleeping and struggled to get some rest, but by the third night he was into the routine.

The morning brought us sunny skies, but building seas. The wind was still good now from the NNW, giving us a beam reach and our speed increased. In our first 24 hours, we had covered 128 NM, not a bad day for us.

By afternoon we were having a really wild ride as we rode over the 3 meter swell from the west that was crossed by the 1 meter wind chop from the north. The wind had also build and by 1700 we were seeing 15-18 knots. We decided peanut butter sandwiches would be a fine dinner for our second evening.

Through the second night, the wind slowly calmed into a much gentler 8-11 knots and the seas also settled down for a much better ride. One bit of excitement this night was a near miss with a small ferry a little past midnight. It can be very hard to decipher ships navigation lights and this particular ship fooled both of us. It gave every appearance of a fishing boat that we seemed to be overtaking and we were trying to decide which way to go around since even though we were sailing it would be our responsibility to avoid him. We decided to pass down his starboard side, since it would be easier for us to go to windward the way we were rigged (preventer on the boom).

We changed course 20 degrees and watched as the boat seemed to be turning towards us. At less than half a mile we could finally make out a bow wake and a starboard navigation light. Then we realized the ship was a ferry not a little fishing boat and worse, he was on a collision course!

At this point there was no time to argue with him that we were the stand on vessel (right of way) by all the collision regulations. There was only time to punch the autopilot off and make a hard turn to port. Hearing and smelling his engines as we passed down his starboard side was not our idea of fun. By rights he should have maneuvered to pass behind us, but I don't think he ever saw us. Once safely clear we reset our course, caught our breath and continued through the night. This is why even in the middle of nowhere we stand alert watches.

Wednesday morning brought us the best sailing of our trip. The wind was now out of the north at 8-11 knots and the sea was smooth with a large 2-3 meter swell out of the west. We had a very relaxed day. Our speed through the water was down to only 3.5-4 knots, but the Portuguese Current was adding another 1-1.5 knots that helped keep our average speed up.

Sometime after midnight it was payback time for the good day. The wind started to shift to the northwest and the best we could do was 180 magnetic, well off course. Stephanie was on watch and decided it was time to start the engine and motor for awhile. The engine sounded just a bit off when she started it. Pete jumped up and checked the engine compartment and found an odd smell of fiberglass and a hot exhaust muffler. We quickly shut the engine down. While Stephanie trimmed the "Brilliant" to keep sailing even if off course, Pete dove into the engine compartment to check for a blocked raw sea water intake. There was no blockage. We tried the engine once more, clearly no raw seawater was flowing to cool the engine. This narrowed it down to the raw seawater impeller pump.

Now this impeller is nothing more than a little rubber wheel with six blades that moves seawater through a heat exchanger to keep the engine cool, but it's really important. Without it working the engine overheats and dies, not good. Pete removed the six screws from front cover plate on the pump to get to the impeller and found a two bladed impeller with four blades missing in action (MIA). We always carry spare impellers and even have a brand new pump as a back up, but we should have checked the impeller before we'd left Rota. It's a much easier job when tied to the dock instead of working in a hot engine compartment with rolling seas. Anyway Pete got the old impeller out and the new one installed. A quick start of engine forced all the MIA impeller blades to the front of the oil cooler, where he could remove them from the system and we were ready to go.

Stephanie restarted the engine and Pete went below for one last look to check for any leaks in the system. Surprise, the aft bilge was now over flowing with water and he could not find the source of the leak. To put thing in perspective, Pete had about 4 or 5 hours of sleep in the past three days and was just a bit punchy. Keeping the engine running, he started bailing and after about ten buckets full he was getting ahead of the leak. Tracing it back he found that a splice in the exhaust hose had loosened and was now pumping the engine cooling water (that we had just fixed) into the bilges. Tightening the screws on the hose clamps fixed the problem and with the bilges dry again we were ready to go. Still no idea why or how the hose clamps got loose and had not caused any problem before.

That little evolution took a bit over 1.5 hours and by that time the wind had filled in enough to just keep sailing so the engine was secured again and Pete went back to bed wishing he checked the impeller before leaving Rota.

Around 0200 Thursday morning the wind shifted back to the northwest and we found ourselves hard on the wind and forced to fall off our rhumb line course for the Canaries. By 0600 the wind had turned totally against us. Now from the southwest (on the nose) at 12-15 knots, the best we could make while still sailing was a course of 170 magnetic. If these headwinds were to continue, forcing us to beat to windward, it was going to be a very long trip.

After 5 hours on starboard tack we were 22 miles south of course heading for the coast of Africa and decided to tack. We put the boat on a port tack, hoping for a course of 270 magnetic, but the seas were against us and the best we could do was about 285 magnetic. It really was going to be a long day.

The only good thing during this was that while pounding into this nasty sea, with the sails reefed, we caught a small Dorado (Mahi Mahi). Since leaving Rota, we had been trailing three hand lines with several different lures but hadn't had any luck. Now, we had finally caught a fish.

The timing wasn't great, but the fish weighed about 2 pound and was a perfect size for a meal. It wasn't pretty watching Pete, in harness, work on the heeled aft deck. First landing, subduing and then cleaning the fish all while trying to keep from loosing the fish or any of the cleaning tools over the side, not to mention himself.

1300 and we were getting tired of the rough ride, No cooking fresh fish for dinner tonight. Struggling to make better than 2.5 knots VMG (velocity made good towards destination). We decided to try motoring to get back to course and bring the VMG numbers higher. Putting away the jib, we motored as close to the wind as possible while still getting some lift out of the mainsail. This tactic brought our VMG up to 4.5 knots using 1500 rpm or about 70 percent of full power available on the engine and had us once again making progress.

At 1600 we entered a long line of rain clouds. With fingers crossed for a wind shift, we kept motoring into the light showers and two hours later the seas lost their surface chop and the wind turned from SW to NW. But it was 2100 before we could finally secure the engine and sail again.

After a hard day of beating our way towards the Canaries the evening was a blessing. For about five hours "Brilliant" cruised along a calm sea, close hauled in light 4-5 knot breeze on course. Unfortunately, on Stephanie's watch the light wind slowly veered to the north and by morning with sails flogging (making lots of noise as they banged loosely from side to side, this happens when the wind is light and the boat is rolling in a large sea), we were forced to start the engine again to keep moving. At least this time there were no surprises in the engine compartment.

From 0900 Friday until 0600 Saturday we had winds from the NW at 3-4 knots. Just not enough to sail with, so we continued to motor. We carry sufficient diesel (64 gallons in the tank plus 3, 5-gallon jerry cans) to motor for over 500 miles if we have to, but who wants to. What was unique on Friday was how amazing the ocean was to watch as we slowly made our way.

The ocean swell was now running at 3-4 meters high and the surface was barely rippled. We be in a trough and then would rise up to the crest of a wave and the view would be spectacular. We could see for miles around from the top for a few moments before settling back into the trough. The smooth waves looked like the rolling hills of the western plains.

The other things that were amazing were our sightings of fin whales (second largest whale) twice, and a pod of Orca, Killer Whales. We were disappointed that we only had one dolphin on the passage and it made only a very brief visit. Bird sightings included: Cory's shearwaters, gannets, storm petrels and terns.

On Saturday morning at 0600 the wind filled in again from the NNW and we were on a fast beam reach for the last 5 hours. At sunrise, the barren volcanic Isla de Alegranza appeared off to starboard, where it was supposed to be, we had arrived in the Canaries. We then zipped passed Isla de Montana Clara and rounded the eastern end of Isla Graciosa at 6 knots making for our anchorage in the "El Rio" channel between Isla Graciosa and the north end of Lanzarote. If you look at your world atlas these are the eastern most islands of the Canaries.

After a quick look at several choice anchorages we decided to anchor just outside the harbor of the little village of La Sociedad. With a good anchor set on our first try at 1100 on Saturday, we secured "Brilliant" and settled in for a good nap.

The passage took us about 120 hours or 5 days. The rhumb line distance is 572 NM and if we had been able to average 5 knots for that distance we would have been in at least 6 hours sooner. But the requirement to beat to windward on the Thursday added 18 NM, the slow VMG on both Thursday and Friday offset our great 5.7 knot average speed for the first three days at sea. The forecast we left with was close for the first three days, but wasn't accurate at all after that.

In all a good safe passage!

Log 590.5 NM


24 - 30 September 2006, Sunday- Saturday, El Rio, Between Isla Graciosa and Lanzarote, 29-13N/013-29W

A week on the hook.

Two days after we arrived we had a little rain shower in the night and the wind shifted a bit the next day. This put us on a lea shore with the harbor breakwater just off our stern, so we moved to another anchorage a little further west. At Playa del Francesca we found a quiet little bay just off a beach with excellent protection from the northeast tradewinds. There is a bit of swell that works around the island, but it isn't too bad. There are 15-20 boats in the anchorage, all cruising boats and everyone has plenty of room. No charter boats, no loud music, no dogs barking, just the breeze and the sound of the surf breaking on the reefs. We really like it here and with no schedule we will be here for at least a week.

We've visited the sleepy fishing village of La Soliadad, Isla Graciosa with it's white washed concrete buildings a few times. It's a very unique place. There is a small group of hippies (with dreadlocks) selling their beads and trinkets that greet the daily tripper boats filled with tourists and the cruisers as they arrive in the harbor. Walking the small waterfront, you find a few cafés (no internet) and some restaurants with lovely views of the harbor and beaches. Exploring further into town you discover that there are no paved streets in the town or paved roads on the island for that matter and Land Rovers seem to be the vehicle of choice. There are only a couple of shops in town, but we did find a few OK grocery stores.

Isla Graciosa is less than 5 miles long by less than two miles wide and is a very barren volcanic island. The island population isn't more than a few hundred. There are some small guesthouses, but what is really wonderful about the island is that there are no tourist developments on the island. It is really laid back and people come to Graciosa mainly for the beaches, and the beaches are truly beautiful.

We like it here!

Log 1.4 NM


1 October 2006, Sunday, Playa Francesa, Isla Graciosa, 29-13N/013-29W

Short trip to Arrecife, Lanzarote

After a week on the hook in a very lovely spot, we decided we really needed to move on and see a bit more of the Canaries. The first challenge of the day was going to be getting the anchor up. After we'd arrived, I dove on the anchor to make sure it was set well. What I found wasn't pretty, the hook was set solid with the tip under a rock shelf. It was going to be a challenge to break loose. Unfortunately, we hadn't used a trip line (a line attached to the back of the anchor that let's you pull it out backwards), a lesson learned for the Canaries. At least forewarned we were ready. Leaving most of our chain on the bottom and then using the engine in reverse we were able to get the anchor turned, out from under the shelf and safely aboard. It only took about 10 minutes of jockeying "Brilliant" around to get the angle just right.

Anchor weighed, we were underway at 0930 for Arrecife, the capital of the island of Lanzarote. The wind was from the northeast and once clear of El Rio (the channel between Graciosa and Lanzarote) we turned south and enjoyed a good downwind sail to our destination. By choice we motored sailed to get the batteries a good deep charge after a week with only the wind generator and solar panels for energy. The extra power also allowed us to run the water maker and put about 12 gallons back into the tanks.

Arriving at around 1430 we entered Puerto Nao, Arrecife's fishing harbor. This is recommended in the cruising guides as the best protected port. We found it a pretty groddy harbor, very crowded with a mix of boats on anchor or moorings, with many derelict boats taking up precious space. We spent over an hour trying to find a spot to anchor and then to get a good hook set. With five or six failed attempts that we ended up too close to other boats or just couldn't get the anchor to set, we finally decided it was time for a plan "B".

Leaving Puerto Nao, we motored another 1.5 NM to the very old harbor of Arrecife and anchored under the guns of Casitillo de San Gabriel. We dropped the anchor in what looked like a good sandy spot, but it bounced a couple of time before it set. Bouncing anchor and chain usually indicates rocks, so I quickly changed into a swimsuit and dove in to check it. We aren't going to have to worry about dragging anchor here; it's once again hooked on a big rock. At least this time we remembered the trip line and will hopefully have no problems getting it out when it's time to leave.

The small Arrecife Harbor, tucked behind a reef and a seawall, provides excellent protection from the normal northeast tradewinds and swell with a breakwater. It's also closer to the main part of town and in a much nicer location than Puerto Nao. Tomorrow we'll dinghy in to the city and do our official Canaries check-in with the Harbor Police, Custom and Imigration and hopefully find the internet café that will let us send this out.

Log 28 NM

07-06 Brilliant's Log, 14-25 July 2006

Hi Brilliant's Crew,

We are out of the Mediterranean Sea after an easy passage of the Strait of Gibraltar and "Brilliant" is now safely sitting on the hard (hauled out of the water) in Rota, Spain with a view of the Atlantic Ocean. It's very exciting to look out and know that next time we are underway will be a 4-5 day passage to the Canary Islands. But before we leave for the Canaries, we've decided to make a very fast trip back to the states, where we hope to make our rounds of the family on both coasts before returning to Spain in mid-September.

We'll have a few boat projects when we return to Spain, then as soon as weather permits we'll be off for the Canary Islands.

Sorry, but this will be the last log until we reach the Canaries sometime in late September or early October. We'll get a season summary out in the next couple of weeks.

Pete & Stephanie
s/y "Brilliant"


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"Brilliant's Log"


14 July 2006, Friday, Queensway Quay Marina, Gibraltar, 36-08N/05-21W

Day Trip to Morocco, Waiting in Gibraltar

Our new American friends Don and Sandy on "Destiny" who we met on the 4th of July in Almerimar, arrived at Queensway Quay Marina yesterday. They decided to join us on a guided day trip to Morocco. We were picked up 0730 at the marina entrance by the Bland Travel bus and proceeded to pickup the rest of our group (total of 10) at a couple of hotels. With everyone aboard we made our way across the "frontier" to Spain. There are still issues between Spain and U.K. about ownership of "The Rock", so we had get off the bus and walk through a passport check to cross the border.

It took almost an hour to get to Tarifa, on the western end of the Strait, where we caught the fast ferry to Tangiers. Arriving in Tangiers, Rashead, our Moroccan guide greeted us. We were given a very short windshield tour of Tangier then stopped for coffee, before getting back on the bus for an hour drive to Tetouan. The drive through the Rif Mountains was very nice with views of rural Morocco. In Tetouan we went on a walking tour of the Souk, a maze of tiny streets in the old town. Visited a tannery, stinky. And finally ended up for a typical tour bus "Moroccan" lunch that was fair.

From there we made our way back to Tangiers for shopping in the souk there. Of course we went directly to carpet shop, where we were given the routine carpet show and then the high-pressure individual sales pitches. The carpets were beautiful, however even at one third the price they were asking to start the bidding, the carpets were over our budget. We really did want a Moroccan carpet, but not this trip. After that we were taken to a natural pharmacy and given another sales pitch.

Our return ferry to Algicerias was late and it was around 2200 when we finally got back to the marina. The day was long and we were all a bit disappointed with the tour. Too much souk and not enough touring. Anyway we hope to come back and spend more time in Morocco sometime in the future.

Log 0 NM

15-18 July 2006, Friday-Tuesday, Queensway Quay Marina, Gibraltar, 36-08N/05-21W

Waiting for the stove.

Our new stove (or Cooker w/hob and grill as they say in the UK) wasn't due to arrive until Monday. So we had a quiet weekend.

The alternator I was hoping to have repaired, turned out to be a bust. What at first was a simple rectifier repair for about $120, turned into a major overhaul that would have cost more than the alternator was worth. I declined the repair and will have to look for a new one in the states.

Monday came and we waited for word of the stoves arrival. Around noon they finally called and said it was on Gibraltar. When I told them I had no transportation the said they would be glad to take it through customs and deliver it to us for only ten pounds extra. The said they would have it to us later in the afternoon, a good deal we thought. At around 1800 we finally gave up waiting and decided to go for some Double Diamond beer and a bit of pub food with "Destiny".

Next morning I called the company again and they told me it was on the truck and would arrive in 15 minutes. Only two hours later the stove arrived and there was great rejoicing on "Brilliant". I removed the old stove without a hitch, but when we opened up the new stove, as I feared, there was no compression fitting included to connect the gas line. With visions of a long search, I put on my walking shoes and hiked 30 minutes to Waterport on the other end of Gibraltar, where there was a shop that had looked promising. No luck there, but they directed me to Sheppard's Chandlery. At Sheppard's, just a little further down the road, I was sweating bullets as the man behind counter looked at the old fitting and then disappeared into the back of the store. Five minutes later he came out with the tiny brass compression ring that was going to save the day. "That will be 30 pence." he said. It was a very happy walk back to "Brilliant".

With the stove installed, we concentrated on planning for our Gibraltar Strait passage. Timing your departure to match the tide is critical when going from east to west. The Atlantic Ocean is about seven feet higher than the Mediterranean Sea and there is a very strong east flowing current. If you time the your departure right you get can actually ride the out-going tide. Don from "Destiny" stopped by and saved us from a serious mistake on timing the tide. I had several sources that didn't agree on when to leave, so naturally I'd gotten it backwards. The correct answer is you need to be in the strait at high water Gibraltar plus three hours.

Log 0 NM


19 July 2006, Friday-Tuesday, Queensway Quay Marina, Gibraltar, 36-08N/05-21W

Straits Passage

High water Gibraltar was at 1100, so we had plenty of time in the morning to get "Brilliant" ready to go. The east gale that had been blowing in the strait for the last week had finally died down and the forecast was for a light east wind to help push us through.

We were underway shortly after 1100 and made our way to the Gibraltar fuel dock. There was quite a queue and we hovered in the harbor for quite awhile before it was our turn. Topping up our tanks with 185 liters of diesel, we saved about a 20 percent fueling by in Gib over EU fuel prices. After we fueled, I ran over to the chandlery for one more item we needed and when I returned we were underway.

It takes about an hour weaving through the many large oceangoing ships at anchor to cross Algecieras Bay to Punta Carnero where you actually enter the Gibraltar Strait. We arrived right on schedule to catch the outgoing tide. Par for the course the winds were not as forecast, it was west at about 10 knots and right on the nose. But even with this we were making better than 5 knots motoring.

About halfway through the strait we were struggling to make 3 knots and couldn't figure out what was happening. It took a small sailboat about a quarter mile ahead of us and maybe 200 meters closer to the Spanish coast to show us the way. We had been slowly catching up to the smaller boat through the day, but as we slowed he suddenly seemed to take off like a rocket. As we neared Tarifa on the west end of the strait, we finally realized we had ended up in a strong counter current. Looking in towards the Spanish coast we could actually see the outgoing current as the wind blowing against the tide made the surface choppy where the outgoing stream was located. Turning, we finally made our way back into the favorable tide and the speed immediately jumped from 3 knots to 6.5 knots.

The strait passage, even with the contrary wind, wasn't bad at all. The wind was light and the seas were very calm for us. For the rest of the afternoon we made our way to the north-northwest working our way through the shoals off of Tarifa and trying to stay in the favorable currents. It wasn't until the last hour that we were finally able to shut the engine down and sail. It wasn't very long, but it was enjoyable.

We arrived at Marina Barbate around 2030 and couldn't get anyone to answer the VHF. Cruising through the marina we couldn't find an open spots and finally had a small yacht that was side to a floating dock offer to move to make room for us. He pulled out and we pulled alongside, then we had him raft his smaller boat outside of us.

The smaller yacht "Lilly" was single handed by Mike from Scotland. We, of course, invited him over for cocktails to say thanks. Mike is quite a talker and kept us entertained with some great stories.

Log 39 NM


20 July 2006, Thursday, Marina Barbate, Spain, 36-11N/05-55W


Barbate to Rota

We tried to check in to the marina without luck and had only tied up to one of their floating docks using no water or electric, so we had no qualms about leaving just after 0700 without paying. We wanted the early start to catch the tide again and also to beat the expected contrary winds. After motoring about an hour we found ourselves in a thick fog off Trafalgar (yes, where Lord Nelson had his greatest victory at sea). It was a blessing to be able to turn on the radar and work our way through the numerous fishing boats plying the shallow waters without ever actually seeing them.

By the next hour the fog had cleared and we continued to motor towards Rota. Again the wind filled in late and we had almost an hour and a half of good sailing bringing us into Cadiz Bay and right to the entrance to the Rota Marina.

We tied up to the fuel dock at 1530 and went to the office to check in. I could find no one in the office and then realized it was siesta time. Walking around to the back of the building, I found the ladies all having their lunch and they were none to pleased to have to deal with me and the four other boats that had followed us in. But we were checked in.

It was a challenge getting the boat moored. After 5 years cruising in the Med, this was the first finger pier we've seen. I waved off the first approach with the wind pushing us off and did much better the next try with lots of help from the other cruising boats on the quay.

Log 43 NM