Trip Plan - Canary Islands

S

seadog30

Well-Known Member
Joined
1 Sep 2009
Messages
464
Location
South Coast
Visit site
Hi can any one advise please.

Uk (Plymouth) to Tenerife -

best time of year for trip
is it considered practical non stop on a 30ft heavyweight AWB
how many days would be reasonable to plan for ?
best route ?

I am starting to plan for retirement onboard next year and plan to visit the Canary Islands before heading off to the med for a couple of years any advice welcome.

Thanks
 
I dont know the distant but just estimate 100 mile per 24 hours

I would make for the Azores first, then Maderia, or Porto Santo, Loverly beach there
Hit the top of the canary Island chain, Lanzarotte and work you way down to Tenerife, Go to Gomera for the jumping off point to cross the Atlantic...

edit oops sorry I thought you were crossing the pond
 
Last edited:
seadog30 said:
Hi can any one advise please.
Click to expand...
Quite a few forum members will give accurate replies. :)


seadog30 said:
best time of year for trip
Click to expand...
Biscay is your main concern, allow five day settled forecast to cross this bit of water. It is not necessarily the time of year but the length of any settled period to allow good passage making. You will need a good barometer so that you can monitor and log the weather hourly whilst at sea. ;)


seadog30 said:
is it considered practical non stop on a 30ft heavyweight AWB
Click to expand...
Yes but solo difficult without autopilot, with two OK but tiring non-stop.


seadog30 said:
how many days would be reasonable to plan for ?
Click to expand...

The last delivery trip I did to the Canaries took every bit of two weeks and we had good weather, stopping at Cameret sur Mer and Nazare Portugal. I would plan for three / four weeks.
best route ?
 
Thanks all

Yes the Azores to break the trip is a good idea.

My intention is to leave next spring as soon as a settled weather window (sic) appears and meet up with old friends living in the Canaries for a month or two before moving off to the Med as an apprentice boat bum.
 
I've sailed Falmouth-Canaries a couple of times but as I'm singlehanded my route is probably a bit different to others, but I feel it's safer for me. This is from memory and I don't have a chart handy, so if someone lays it on a chart it may be completely adrift and you can blame it on age..:D
From the Lizard I normally steer about 215 which takes me out clear of the traffic system off the Scillies to the West and the Southbound lane of the Ushant Traffic Lanes to the East. Hold that course until roughly N 47 30 - W 7 30 where you will come off the shelf into deeper water. From there I alter to about 205 and that takes me down to West of the Finisterre shipping lane and clear of the inshore fishermen. About 10 30 West off Finisterre and you're to seaward of the shipping ( looks like the M25 at night..:D )

I go South offshore no closer than 10 degrees West non stop then alter to Cape St Vincent, then round the corner and the short hop along to Portimao, I know Lagos is closer but you could anchor in Portimao, well you could in 2009 which is the last time I was down that way.
Portimao is for a rest and stores and water, then it was down to landfall on the North end of Lanzarotte where I wintered both times. But I've never sailed back from the Canaries, I've always come from the Leewards via the Azores so I can't help with that part of your voyage.
Falmouth Portimao was..I think..about 9-10 days the first time and 13 days the second (fog off Finisterre..nasty.:( )

W 10 30 off Finisterre I'm sure of, the other position is a faded guess, needs checking..:)
 
The Azores are great.. you will meet proper sailors there
not those namby pamby lot, day sailing their way to the med..

Oops... runs for cover..

Just get out into the deep water avoiding Biscay, and the motorway of large vessels, the fishing fleets on the Iberian coast. not to mention the trade winds that blow twice the force late afternoon.
If you do meet bad weather, just Hove too.. plenty of sea room

I recommend Atlantic Islands by Anne Hammick. will tell you all you want to know

Ps.. Iam planning my trip to the med via the Azores...:)
 
phantomlady said:
Hi there, personally, if you just want to visit Tenerife I would take a flight because it's an awful long way back to the med!
We did a trip to the canaries and spent a winter there and I can tell you from experience that it's not a pleasant journey back :(
Click to expand...

Bad luck, I guess, done that six times on various yachts, not been bad...pit stop for diesel has been biggest pain. It's only 600 from lanza to Gib, so not hard to see a 5 or 6 day weather pattern. Worst bit is usually getting back through Straits.

Hope your next trip is better!
 
oldvarnish said:
Correct (in my view). Unless I had a really good reason to go to the Canaries, I'd head for the Azores instead. Lovely islands. I thought Lanzarote was one of the dreariest islands I've ever been to.
Click to expand...

Horses for courses. We lived on board in Calero for 2 years and had a ball. Each to their own!!
 
Nice though the Azores are, they are a bit of a diversion if you are basically heading for the Canaries.

Direct route Plymouth - Canaries: 1500 miles, the first bit across Biscay 500 miles can be a headbash, then its 1000 miles with the prevailing NW/NE winds blowing you nicely along.

Plymouth - Azores - Canaries: 2000 miles, headbash 1200 miles out to the Azores. Then the wind goes light as you start back the 800 miles to the Canaries, but the last 200 could be close-hauled in the trade winds.

Moreover the Azores, unlike the Canaries, are in the hurricane belt (on the edge, they catch one every couple of years or so). This complicates the timing. To minimise the risk of being caught out, you'd want to do this route in May-July, with a fairly quick turnround in the Azores: or wait until late October - November to leave.
 
Last edited:
I agree about stopping somewhere. We went straight over Biscay and stopped in NW Spain and Portugal. The usual time to go is late May to August, many others hve done it outside that period, check your insurance policy they may have restrictions. Heading back to the Med will be upwind up current in the northerly trades often 20 to 25 knots sometimes +. If you want to sail back then check which Island you can reach to the NW without being hard on the wind. Southerly winds are rare in the Canaries except for the winter gales.
 
phantomlady said:
Hi there, personally, if you just want to visit Tenerife I would take a flight because it's an awful long way back to the med!
We did a trip to the canaries and spent a winter there and I can tell you from experience that it's not a pleasant journey back :(
Click to expand...

I thought you flew back on an Airbus A320 and Mike sailed the boat home??
 
capnsensible said:
Horses for courses. We lived on board in Calero for 2 years and had a ball. Each to their own!!
Click to expand...

You're quite right, of course. If we all loved the same places the world would have one big marina and we'd all be in it. Actually, I thought Calero was a decent harbour bu was fearful of the cost given that bronze bollards is usually a sign of a huge bill to come. But the price was very fair. No, no problems with Calero, but the interior of the island did not stir my soul.
 
Two must visit places are Graciosa, the first island you come to. Sand roads, small village with good restaurants and two volcanoes. The other is Lanzorote, hire a car and go to the beach on the west side there is a huge volcanic cliff that looks like waves. Then tour the island the scenery is amazing, there is a small town that looks like an oasis in the volcanic scenery, a cave system and a cactus garden.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top