Life Raft

Amongst a few inaccuracies in the advertising for Ellida was 'liferaft, due for test'. When I learned the word 'due' it was for library books, and it meant they had to go back. If you didn't take them back it was called 'over-due'. I assumed 'due for test' meant around about now, and tried a few times to get it tested in the Mediterranean, but various religious holidays foiled my plans. Finally was able to test it here in Gran Canaria and found it HAD been due for a test five years ago! It failed the test totally and would not have inflated at all, so we did the most dangerous parts of our trip so far with a useless liferaft. Boat shops in Las Palmas know you have no choice so prices for liferafts and certain other essentials are double the price of Europe, so we have left the zodiac inflated on the front deck and hope the price will be better in the Caribbean.

CORRECTION

just found the receipts... it was actually still in date, only 5 years since the last check, but it was not written inside, and the water and 'food' had not been replaced at the time. Flares were from 2005. We have a replacement now, second hand but still in survey and fairly new.

Finding a crew…

tied up to the quay in Las Palmas, we have a constant stream of would be Atlantic crossers, asking if we need crew. Some were pushy, some polite, some very scruffy, some too neat. I began to duck for cover whenever I heard another one approach, but fortunately, Andy was very good at conducting interviews. We had a few disappointments, Charlie changed his mind after a sleepless night and flew back home for the best of reasons. Nausica wanted to come, but would have been late home for her children. Bruno wished his boat had sunk so he could come to Tas with us, but it didn't. In the end, it was just a few days before departure when Marcel decided to join us, with bicycle. He has turned out to be a most excellent crew, knowing much more than I about sailing. He is never still, fixing things, improving safety, trimming sails (Ellida feel better!), studying English boat words, cooking, cleaning.