Ellen Macarthur Trust

Deck Swabbing

Saturday 28th November, Marina Rubicon, Lanzarote
 
 
It's a lovely day here today, warn sunshine, 24 degrees, cloudless skies.  I've just had my breakfast which included 2 of my 5-a-day fruit and veg - peanut M&M's and a Bounty bar - peanuts and coconut count don't they?  We are moored stern-to in the Marina Rubicon.  Today is Market Day and the esplanade behind us is full of stalls selling tourist tat and no end of tourists (mostly Brit & German) buying it.  It's a little bit like being in a goldfish bowl as passers-by gawp down at us. I'm assuming it is the boat they are looking at and not Susana doing her version of "Car Wash" by Rose Royce as she dances and swabs the decks with the hose pipe and brush to get rid of this confounded red sand which is covering everything.
 
My view of market and passers-by
 
Pleased to say the essential bracket to hold the satellite dome is "under construction" and I've been assured it will be ready on Monday, fingers crossed it will work OK as planned.  All we need then is the dome to arrive by FEDEX from Madrid, for it to be installed, connected and set up with all the software.  I'm not uncrossing my fingers just yet. A quick thanks also to QUICKLINK - Quicklink provide the software which actually gets the video footage from the boat back to shore.
 
 
'm delighted to announce the addition of a new Business Club Member for the Personal Atlantic project.  My friend and fellow Rotarian, Peter Burnage, has become a last minute sponsor through his company Burnage Associates. You'll see their logo on the home page and also under the Supporting Partners menu option.  We have just applied the decals to the boat and they look mighty fine - many thanks Peter and I hope everyone at Hamble Valley Rotary club buys him a drink...!!
 
View from our dining room yesterday
 
Talking of Rotary clubs, Susana and I were invited to the Lanzarote Rotary club lunch yesterday at the 5* Grand Hotel in Arricife.  A geat experience eating lunch 17 floors up but the room juts out and overhangs the building so there is nothing below you.  Thanks to everyone there for making us so welcome and thanks to Wolfgang for acting as translator. Great food, not sure what it was but, seafood and potatoes always works for me.  Shame about the fruit salad though  Even at the 5* hotel is was tasteless and poor. Earlier yesterday we'd bought some apples, melon and plums and had presumed it's poor quality was due to where we bought it - the hotel fruit proved it must be an island problem.  Disappointed as we had planned to fill the boat with fresh fruit and veg for the voyage - tinned fruit option not my favourite.
 

Right, going to plug in my iPod, crank up some Talking Heads and catch a few sunrays - I need a tan before people start arriving next week.  More soon.