An attack of envy on I de Lobos
I de Lobos ( named after the sea wolf – seal – rather than its land version ) sits just North of Fuertaventura and plum in the middle of the complex wind acceleration zone between Fuertaventura ( strong wind in Spanish) and Lanzarotte – and so in daylight is a pretty rolly place to anchor . Some tripper boats bring folk out at midday but in the morning and evening it is deserted apart from a few yachts. We joined several cats ( about which I have already raved in these musings ) several large and luxurious yachts and 2 Halberg Rassy’s . These are the Rolls Royces of the cruising world – roomy , practical and beautifully fitted out. The fact that that they all cost about 6 times what we paid for Festina is of course relevant but easily forgotten when looking enviously at these epitomes of comfort.
The wind regime in the islands seems to have an element of sea breeze , as the nights are nearly always significantly less windy , and I hoped that the morning would be calm enough to go ashore and explore . So it proved and we were ashore soon after dawn having found our way through the rocks and out of the swell to a little harbour known as La Puertita ( actually a stretch of sand and 10 uninhabited shacks midst the rocks to the East of the anchorage). Lobos is even more dry and volcanic than Graciosa – and we climbed its crater in the early morning sun and looked down at those splendid craft , but at that distance they were indistinguishable from Festina.
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| From Arrecife to I de Lobos |
By midday it was once more blowing 20 knots and the next days forecast was for 30 , so one by one the boats left – some south to a new marina on Fuertaventura where , it was rumoured , the harbour was finished but not the office and so it was free! Others ,like ourselves, decided to beat back across the straight to the South coast of Lanzarotte. We were the last to leave and thoroughly enjoyed the sail – bursting to windward at 6.7 knots and literally flying past the other boats in a way that was almost embarrassing .
Well perhaps “embarrasing” isnt quite the word ; in truth we fellt quite pleased that our old and basic boat was able to shine at sea even if she trails behind her peers in the harbours !