Location: Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canaries
Anyone from the south knows the great smell of biscuits and gravy in the morning, and this is just what the crew of Argo awoke to this morning (don’t worry, not quite as good as yours, dad!) Today was going to be a day where the sails were going to be full, the sun shining, and maybe even dolphins jumping at the bow, as every sailor hopes. Before we set off, we had to do the usual pre-cruise checklist, but we also had a couple of special projects, putting the main staysail and forward staysail back on the masts and booms. After a bit of persuading, both sails were back on and ready to be raised! We pulled off the docked and headed out again with the unison calls of 2-6 as some crew members pulled on the halyards, as others eased the downhauls and such. Once four out of the six sails were up, the crew of Argo was cruising!! A quick VHF exam and SLD class followed lunch; then, it was smooth sailing as we traveled towards what was once thought to be the highest point in the known world. Unfortunately, no dolphins decided to jump at the bow today, but the sunset against the island of Tenerife was amazing, so that made up for it! We got into the harbor around 8ish and settled in for a quick PSCT class. Then it was off to bed as we decided what we would explore tomorrow! This will be the last stop before the 2600 nautical mile journey to Dominica. The days on Argo seem to be going by faster than days the rest of the world experiences, yet we do so much in them. The world of Argo is one that is difficult to explain; you have to be immersed in the ways to fully understand the bond that forms. Either way, day 56, out.