Some Canary Islands Anchorages
These brief notes cover a mere handful of anchorages. UPDATE: These cruising notes have been split into different pages for each island. Please see the list below.
Articles by Jill Schinas
About Jill Schinas
Jill started sailing at the age of three weeks and spent her formative years messing about in racing dinghies in Chichester Harbour. She made her first blue-water passage at the age of 18 but it was to be a further ten years before she was shanghaied by the skipper and started her career as an ocean-going hobo.
Jill has written a handful of books and has many more in the pipeline, but her true vocation is as an artist.
The Search for a Suitable Sailing Tender
One of the all time favourite pursuits of a sea-going child is messing about in a boat. But not the big boat. No, if your seafaring youngster is under the age of twelve then handling the mothership will probably hold little allure for him; he (or she) simply won’t have the strength to manage the genoa or the patience to helm for more than half an hour on the same heading. Big boat sailing is actually quite boring for little…
Racing Passage to Cape Verde
There were three ships went sailing out, went sailing out, went sailing out, There were three ships went sailing out on Christmas day in the evening. It was almost four months ago that our aged sails fell apart and our engine parted company with the gear box. We still haven’t solved the first of these problems; the salvaged pieces of the roller furler were straightened and reassembled, and the old rotten sails were cobbled back together, but our efforts to…
Cruising in the Canary Islands
Herewith, some general notes for the benefit of other visitors. The information is arranged in the traditional form, beginning with a few paragraphs concerning such matters as history and flora. If you deem these things to be irrelevant to your needs as a yachtsman, just scroll down the page. Eventually you will find the nitty-gritty: an appraisal of the local winds, and a few words regarding local customs… (as in Customs and Excise).
Xmas Lynx
To celebrate the Christmas season and greet our friends and readers Roxanne has made a watercolour painting of an Iberian lynx padding through the snow.
Can We Save Our Sealife – or is it too late?
Well, it’s that time of the year again – and we’re still little nearer than we were last Christmas to our Southern Ocean goal. As you can no doubt imagine, we spend a lot of time dreaming of the journey ahead. The admiral’s latest painting brings this dream to life; it shows Mollymawk flying along amongst a flock of assorted seabirds, through a sea filled with fish and other animals. No, it isn’t really quite like this, out there on…
Sea Dogs
Twenty years ago one hardly ever came across a yacht which had livestock aboard, but now seadogs and ship’s cats are a common sight. Sailing chickens are still a rarity, as are toads and snakes, and we have yet to come across a parrot – although we did once meet a chap who had just lost his parrot overboard…
Coppercoat Antifouling On Test
Well, almost a year has passed since we slipped the boat and slapped on a coat of copper antifouling. So, it’s time we let you know how things are doing down there, under the water. To recap: Before we built Mollymawk we used to own a GRP yacht, and a year or so before we sold her she was painted with Copperbot, the original copper-impregnated epoxy antifouling. This type of antifouling is said to be less damaging to the environment…
LED Anchor Lights
Some years ago we found ourselves drifting along under full sail on a night with no moon. We were not going far, and we had hoped to be at anchor before nightfall, but since there was no wind – and since we don’t believe in using the engine except in time of need – a two hour sprint had been transformed into an eight-hour marathon. So there we were lazing along at scarcely half a knot, with our island destination…
Molly is a Mawk – not a hawk
“What does Mollymawk mean?” We’re often asked the question, by people passing by. To us it’s obvious. “Haven’t you noticed that ruddy great bird painted across the transom?” we reply. “You mean the seagull?” ! Worse, some of you have been spelling her name with an h, as if the old girl were a bird of prey… So I guess it’s time we explained.