Arriving from London I received a very warm Forth welcome. Kim, tanned, blonde, leggy, beaming was looking well suited to the European sundrenched yachting lifestyle. Simon was equally fit and tanned as he prepared for our evening Atlantic departure. First things first, a grand lunch on board in typical Kim and Si fashion and one to which I have since become very accustomed. Wine, laughter and catch-up banter before soaking up the on shore festivities of the annual celebrations of Gibraltar’s National Independence Day. It seemed as though every Gibraltarian man, woman, child and pet was on course to celebrate until they dropped with a few too many….. exhaustion or both. Festivities in the streets, stadiums, bars and everywhere in between and EVERYONE, bar none dressed head to toe in red and white. After exploring and meeting locals, we found a Cuban themed bar in full swing and danced with Mojitos in hand. More drinks at a bar on a giant floating hotel before taking home Indian food to the salubrious ‘Aura’. Kim and Si rested and I went on to experience a little additional Gibraltarian madness prior to departure.

S/Y AURA
50 feet of floating French marine precision engineering and polished timber luxury. Two double cabins with en-suite bathrooms, a smaller double bunk cabin, plus a huge fully appointed galley with living/dining area and an expansive outside cockpit for entertaining, resting, sleeping and of course sailing. It’s all undercover, Aura’s features include an electric pop-up television, washing machine, ice machine, fresh water maker plus electric everything such as height adjusting tables and our ever present, additional crew member affectionately named “Ray”! The navigation system by ‘Raymarine’, our onboard autopilot and navigation system 

The ATLANTIC – the adventure begins…..
Zero hundred hour (1am), the departure coincided with optimum tidal movements and off we slipped quietly away from the dock to the sounds of throbbing ‘doof doof’ and the drunken voices of Gibraltar’s celebrations in full swing. Out into the night, we ventured amongst the many tankers and cargo ships commuting the globe. We departed Europe and set sail down the African cost via the Gibraltar Straits. The passage took four nights down the coast of Morocco and west to the Canary Islands. These islands are located about 120 miles off the African coast, our first stop was Lanzarote.

Our night watches were divided by 3, I had the twenty one hundred hour (9pm) to midnight shift. Kim and Si shared the midnight to 03:00 and 03:00 to 06:00 shifts. Night watches consists of regular check of the sailing conditions and in particular the AIS system. The AIS notifies of any potential navigation hazards, mostly being ships, ferries and other yachts, so to avoid collision. We were passed by vessels weighing thousands of tonnes and 500-1000 feet long. Calm seas allowed us easy passage down the Moroccan coast, which could be seen on the horizon, for the first two days. The lack of wind forced us to motor sail for a considerable time. That part of the journey was slow although to my benefit at least, the peace and quite and slow pace of daily life on board a yacht on ocean passage was a very welcome rest indeed. The next two days and nights saw an increase in ocean swell, although only mild to what one imagines the Atlantic to be, and the increased wind was much to Simon’s delight, so sail power became our means of propulsion.

Some of our highlights of the ocean passage were:
- A large pod of 60-70 extremely friendly and enthusiastic dolphins that leaped high out of the sea and played very close to our bow and stern for some time.
- The landing of a tuna that we ate raw with wasabi and soy within minutes of it landing on deck.
- The approach of a small crude Moroccan fishing boat. We were a very long way offshore, it contained four fishermen who haplessly meandered into our path and then suddenly at last minute turned towards us at an increased speed and with motions of wanting cigarettes!! Naturally all the stories of ‘pirates’ came quickly to mind and with a frantic yell from Kim “Get Simon on deck NOW”. Kim motioned to them to go away hence preventing them from coming any closer and eased the plight of being boarded and robbed. Exciting experience and memory
- Kim’s so called “sundowners darling” (said in a posh English accent for best effect), at 16:00 hours consisted of a tasting plate of delicacies and small snacks, together with non alcoholic drinks of a variety of types, always different on each day and always eaten at a decorated table on the rear outside deck.
- Kim’s expertly provisioned and culinary skills resulting in yummy and varied meals.

LANZAROTE - arrival at the Canaries
On the morning of the 5th day at sea we arrived at Lanzarote, the most Eastern island of the Canaries and long and slender in shape. It certainly was great to be back on land again. The island is baron with barely a tree or plant however the numerous volcanoes are a strong feature and interestingly unusual to see. We moored at the modern marina, not far from the old town with excellent facilitates. Here we joined the other 40’ish sailing boats that will continue together in a loose group to cross the Atlantic on route to Barbados, as part of the Barbados 50 rally.

BARBADOS 50 Rally
This rally is organised by sailing legend and hero Jimmy Cornell, this event is to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Barbados’s independence from Britain. The rally started in London, under London Bridge some weeks ago. Many of the other yachts including Aura have joined the fleet in the Canaries. Kim and Si, together with the rest of the flotilla are scheduled to arrive in Barbados a few days prior to the celebrations in November. There are many different nationalities (probably more than 8) and all different types of sailing yachts with French, German and English being the most common languages. Together with the adults, there are 16 children from ages 3 to 14 years. The most common factor amongst the vessels is that nearly all have left their land bound lives, homes and jobs behind and taken to the seas for many years, if not indefinitely. This journey across the Atlantic signifies the beginning of many global adventures and travels at sea. It’s been highly motivational and inspirational indeed.

LANZAROTE – exploring the island
On land, we had several days of easy life punctuated by minor repairs, cleaning and rest. We met all the other sailors and attended some sailing seminars. Si and Kim caught up with an old friend, Sonke from Germany who they had met while sailing in French Polynesia in 2008. We explored the old town, including eating some local tapas and wine. One day we travelled with the whole group on an organised sightseeing bus tour to see the extinct inland volcanoes and view the rugged landscape and culture of the island which included the walk into a dormant volcano and lunch in a village restaurant. All in all, a very interesting island geologically and geographically. I’m very glad and lucky to have visited and experienced Lanzarote (but no return journey required).

Note to future sailors: tips to cure seasickness.
For those who follow aboard after me and have any concerns I recommend the following tried and tested methods.
- Be on board for 2 days at sea until your ‘sea legs’ evolve and all is good.
- Lay flat on your back with good fresh air and stay outdoors.
- Keep an eye out for the horizon.
- Ginger tablets may help - although not definitive
- Electro patch attached to skin. German made and currently under testing (I was a test mule) - may help more than ginger although not definitive.

This hasn’t been a concern and after my second evening aboard, my ‘sea legs’ arrived true and strong and solid.

Next stop Fuerteventura ……….