Canaries

No time for a proper post, but I know if I don't write something now it won't get done...

Anyway, we reached the Canaries. Beautiful weather, sunshine, people on the beach, fantastic places here (we've been on two of the islands).

We're leaving in a few hours for the Verdes and will pick up Danny McJannet for the leg to Brazil.

I have a funny Armando story to relate (I feel Ok as I've ratted myself out on many of my dumber moments).

Anyway, we cruising along (flying actually, 20 knots dead downwind) wing on wing (main on one side, whisker pole on the other holding the genny out on the other side).

Armando had the worst of the night shift (wonder how that happened...don't recall even flipping a coin on that one) and our batteries were getting low, he didn't want to start the engine and wake me (kind guy that his is, which is why I shouldn't tell this story), so he comes below and flips the breaker for the fridge.

He returns to the cockpit and the wind starts to shift, which is really weird as it has been blowing in the same direction for days (and it always blows that way in this part of the world), and it continues to shift, which has him starting to make some sail adjustments and then it totally shifts, comes around on the nose and folds the whisker pole (the ultimate fate of all poles).

About this time it dawns on him that the autopilot has "failed", the wind didn't shift, the boat turned around!!!!

So, he gets us back on course and then realizes that the autopilot didn't just go nuts on it's own, but he had flipped the breaker off when he turned off the fridge (it is the next one up)....he'd "fat fingered it!.

Anyway, the next day I got all my tools out and was able to cut off the section of the pole that had folded (it is an extending pole) and there was plenty of pole left to extend, so some cutting, drilling and a refit of the pole end and I was back in business....pretty smug and proud of myself!!!!

All that was left to do was to put a big ribbon on the bent piece and tie it to Armando's cabin door, a present from Santa! He doesn't admit it, but when I do something like a total rebuild of a pole at sea he has to reevaluate his opinion of the old sailing fool he's had to put up with for so many sea miles!!!

P.S. While I sit here nursing a beer Armando is drinking coke, I lost him last night somewhere on the street during the Carnival float parade and he didn't make it back to the boat until quite early, something about sleeping in a park...apparently he's not able to keep pace with his captain when it comes to imbibing fine Cuban rum....I can't wait to get him to sea today and see how rolling around on a downwind run helps his condition!!!