Lyn's Log, 29th October 2005
Tenerife, east coast
Radazul, Tenerife.
N28º24', W16º19'
3,581 miles.
We had arrived at Antequera Bay in Tenerife (see pic) on 21st October with a damaged mast track that made our mainsail unusable, and our first priority was to get it fixed. We motored into Santa Cruz, the island's chief port, and phoned someone who took a look at it and decided that the mast would have to come out in order to make a welded repair to the track. He would report back to his boss with whom I had already been able to explain the problem in English, and he would phone us Monday as it was then Saturday morning.
We heard no more from the people who looked at the mast except the word ‘impossible’. Although there were several places with travel hoists, nowhere in Santa Cruz was there a crane high enough to lift our mast. So we started to search for somewhere we could get this done. With the help of a marina assistant we discovered that a small private marina at Radazul might be able to do it. So with them expecting us, we sailed the five miles down the coast Radazul and at low water the next day, a crane arrived and got the mast off. The next day the crane driver, who claimed to be also a welder, tried to make our repair, but it was evident he was not making a good job. The marina chief sacked him and then found us another aluminium welder to come the next day, who did an excellent job. The following day at low water the crane returned and the mast was put back. All very efficiently handled! We were glad the marina chief spoke English and was so willing to put himself out to be helpful. He even let us look at our emails on his computer one evening.
Radazul is a large collection of slab-fronted apartment blocks fronting of an extremely high cliff with a road running zig-zag from top to bottom. It is a long and tiresome walk to reach the main road and mini-market at the top. But there were bars and restaurants around the marina and a beach of black stones from which we swam one evening. It took a day to sort out the rigging, reconnect the wiring and put back the sails. This meant several trips up the mast to rewire the radar and tape over the ends of the crosstrees. Having sorted one problem the fates decided we needed another and we found we could no longer use the cooker as the taps were jammed and the grill unusable. (see Lyn’s Cooker Rant).