To Tenerife

Wednesday
And just like that we’re on the last leg; it is less than 180 NM from Lanzarote to Tenerife, after all the miles we’ve covered so far that feels like no distance at all. It is less than one would consider driving in a day for instance, yet before this experience it would have felt like an intimidating amount of time at sea; I guess that is exactly why mileage is an important part of achieving the Yachtmaster, something as simple as being out at sea longer than intended shouldn’t be enough to phase you.

It has been quite an experience, and in a weird way it’s going to be a bit of an adjustment to get back to real life again, I’ve come to terms with sharing a small amount of space with other people, existing to a timetable 24 hours a day, and the anticipation of always being nearer to a goal than you were even ten minutes before (at this point I am already blocking out the days we spent doing nothing at all, waiting for weather to pass, those were certainly the low points).

Earlier today I was asked what I miss about London, and I really had to try to remember; I’ve spent the last 34 days missing my new life, my London life feels literally a lifetime ago. I said I miss friends and the ability to make impromptu plans, but I couldn’t remember what else – I guess I have to read back through my blogs as I’m sure I covered that previously! Being in Gibraltar was a cathartic experience from that perspective, as it had all the familiar shops and a wide selection of English pubs, in fact it could easily have been the Bristol waterfront, a place a lot of my friends call home.

Perhaps Bristol or London will be the place I hang my hat again one day, perhaps it will be sooner than I think, but tomorrow morning, just after first light, when we step off this boat I will definitely be home.

Total: 2,159 NM