News Item: : A Canary Island resume
(Category: Sailing)
Posted by Webmaster
Wednesday 06 January 2010 - 16:13:28

After being a year in the Canary Islands, most of the time in Las Palmas there are a few remarks left.

1. sending Mail home goes perfect but receiving is a big problem, even registered mail gets lost, we received a note to collect our AIS Dongle by registered mail at the post office but the mail was missing. Out of the 14 parcels we received only 6, 4 appeared to have been returned, the others where lost, even several ordered through the chandlers got lost. were we the only one ? no no its quit commonly known that mail gets lost confirmed by people living here. It is easier when you are home on holiday to buy and take all as excess baggage with you than you are sure you have it on board and its not much more expensive because you can get your VAT back what pays for the excess baggage.
2. As we stayed in Marina La Luz near Las Palmas a big city with all the pro's and cons every week there was a break in in a boat even a skipper was stabbed because the thief didn't get what he wanted. Part of the reason is that yachties block the gate lock because they are lazy or don't want to request extra keys for €2 at the marina office.
3. Mainly the end of the year when there is a heavy rainfall changes are the bunker oil pits from the oil company Cepsa flow over in the harbor, with the wind north east the oil slick blows to the yacht anchorage. Although Port Authorities are responsible for the harbor they have still not managed to control Cepsa's oil spills and subsequent cleanups, and payment of the oil damage is hard to get, we must pay for the marina and about half for the anchorage, we must be insured so they are, but no return.

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This news item is from S.V. Lambada
( http://www.criens.nl/lambada/news.php?extend.72 )