Journal, More Las Palmas

"Thursday, 11/20
"Farted around on the boat most of the day, doing small tasks of minor importance. Dressed ship (meaning we put up a hoist of code flags from the bow to the top of the mast and back down to the stern. This is supposed to look very festive, and all the ARC eboats are supposed to do it, making the marina either extremely festive or extremely like a used car lot.) but the cheap string on the code flags kept parting. Eventually this happened on both ends of the hoist so that the flags were trailing off gaily from the top of our mast with no easy way for us to retrieve them. One end of this rig got entangled in the masthead of our neighbor, a Halberg Rassy 45, and we had to go up our mast and he had to go up his mast to get the thing untangled. So much for dressing ship.
"Speaking of our neighbors in the marina, one of the crew on the neighbor on the other side, an X-402 called 'Gobibear' (?) earlier fell off our bow into the very dirty water of the marina while attempting to either get from the land to the boat or vice versa (our bow was better positioned for this sometimes difficult, but never that difficult, traverse than was their stern, a severe reverse transom [see pic]). Later, when Steve T and I were at the local ship chandlery, trying to get a few odds and ends for our punch list, we overheard another crewmember of Gobibear displaying a remarkable lack of mechanical savvy in selecting eyebolts. Two strikes against Gobibear.

ARC boats at the Marina in Las Palmas
"The big excitement of the day is the arrival of our 'frozen' entrees, the main component of our food for the trip. We pack about 20 large plastic containers in our freezer, which will be removed, defrosted, heated and eaten, one a day, during our crossing. A big sigh of relief that the caterer has come through and we don't have to (create and) revert to plan 'B' which would require a lot more cuilinary work than we have bargained for.
"It is now clear that Ashley will never make it, and that two of our other missing crew who were due today are delayed by bad weather in the US, John W until Friday and David T until Saturday. I am scheduled to bunk with John int the Santa Catalina for the next three nights, but, since he made the reservation, the hotel only knows he isn't coming tonight and don't know who I am. Fortunately they have a room for me anyway.
"Paul B, our Brit navigator, the only crewmember I have never met does arrive on time. He looked very much the Brit, wearing a dramatic black and white polka dot rugby shirt with an exhortation which I took to be the UK equivalent of 'rent to own' (actually a bad assumption). Martinis in the 'Cairo Bar'; lobster (Maine , you have nothing to fear), flan, and Tenerife wines for dinner, followed by honeyed rum liqueur.
"Friday, 11/21
"After a good sleep in the hotel (nice room, red marble tile floors, bath with bidet {why can't we figure this out in the US. In Maine, every time I see one of those bumper stickers that says "If you don't like cutting trees, try using plastic toilet paper" I keep thinking "Try using a bidet"}, a really nice magnifying shaving mirror) I loll in bed reading Joseph Kanon's 'The Prodigal Spy', a nice thriller. I have been assigned the task of finding a nce restaurant for the official 'crew dinner' for tonight. Ed H, a friend and customer who made this trip a couple of years ago has recommended a Lebanese restaurant nearby. I think I have discovered the right place. Hope he's right. Big pressure.
"Today had been scheduled as a practice sailing day, but due to the absence of a large part of our crew we postpone that until tomorrow. Instead, more provisioning. Walk to the public market and buy fresh fruits and vegetables, and then to a large supermarket for sausages, cheeses, other perishables. Back at the boat we pack everything away. John W makes his appearance in late afternoon.
"Evening starts with the now traditional martini cocktail at the 'Cairo' bar, then on to the 'El Coto', the aforementioned Lebanese restaurant. The place is run by a Lebanese father and son, both of whom speak great English. The son spent several years in the US and is practically American. We let them choose our meal and the feed us well, and ply us with eponymous Spanish wine. The evening is a great success (sigh of relief).
"Saturday, 11/22
"Blowing like stink from the north to the extent that we are seriously worried about being able to exit from and return to our berth without damage to ourselves and/or our neighbors. David T arrives so we are a full crew, but we agian decide to postpone practice sailing until tomorrow morning, the day of the race itself.
"We spend the day with final preparations - packing, yarning spinnakers, repacking, checking off lists and making new lists. The last evening ritual is put ahead an ohour - an hour early at the Cairo, an early dinner at a Chinese restaurant (empty when we arrive). Although there are ARC events and parties going on all the time we have been in Las Palmas, we seem to be tacitly agreed that we aren't interested and give them a pass.
"Tomorrow we're off."

Volvo 60's ready for ARC