Las Palmas British Yacht “Stella Mira”
C/O Real Club Nautico De Gran Canario,
Las Palmas, Canary Isles.
Dear Phyl,
I hope that you are all well and that you are all settling down and still like Perth. Though it’s a bit late now if you don’t.
Forgive me if I don’t write any details of our trip to Las Palmas in this letter. We are rushed off our feet trying to prepare the boat for our next step. I have had your letter for several days now but this is the first time I have had a chance to answer it. It is a dull day, otherwise we would be continually interrupted by visitors.
C/O Real Club Nautico De Gran Canario,
Las Palmas, Canary Isles.
Dear Phyl,
I hope that you are all well and that you are all settling down and still like Perth. Though it’s a bit late now if you don’t.
Forgive me if I don’t write any details of our trip to Las Palmas in this letter. We are rushed off our feet trying to prepare the boat for our next step. I have had your letter for several days now but this is the first time I have had a chance to answer it. It is a dull day, otherwise we would be continually interrupted by visitors.
It is very frustrating here. Although the shops are full of all types of fancy foods, we find that the things we really need are hard to come by. For instance, camping gas, which is advertised as an international service, is not obtainable here. There are over 70 agents on Tenerife, which is two days sail, but none here. When we run out, which looks to be soon, we shall have to sail over for some. Batteries for the navigation lights and the echo sounder, are not sold here either. The shops are stuffed with ½ 1b packets of English biscuits, but they all turn out to be stale. Squash (cordial) here, although with English brand names, is packed in Spain and tastes peculiar. Fruit and veg are cheap and plentiful, but are pig bin quality, except bananas of which we eat about a dozen each per day, raw, frittered or with custard.
Penny is seriously learning Spanish, but I am too old a dog to learn new tricks easily—respite for another banana—but I find many of the words similar to Italian, so I get by. How did you get to be on television? I thought we got away from all that when we left Ilfracombe. Is Australia really like Bob’s slides? You are presumably in the winter now, and have the real heat to look forward to.
We were entered in one of the local races last week and came 4th. The first two were in a twelve metre and a six metre, so we didn’t do so badly.
We have been asked to enter for the annual race to Fuertoventura which is 60 miles away. This will be a good tuning up run to try out the various alterations we are making to improve our comfort during our longer trips, and we shall take Colonel and Mrs Bayldon as crew, to try to repay them for some of the hospitality they have shown us.
Penny has written to Tony and asked him to send us some Eiffel Tower lemonade crystals and some Spanish and French books, but there is no reply as yet. Penny thinks that she can learn languages on her lone watches when we are at sea, I spend my time on watch planning bigger and better boats so that we could all do this together.
When we have fitted out I will take time off to write of our voyage from Vigo to here, but I warn you, you may find this boring. We have not finished our first film yet, but when we do I will send them to you.
I will say goodbye now. Give my regards to all.
Love Sim.
Penny is seriously learning Spanish, but I am too old a dog to learn new tricks easily—respite for another banana—but I find many of the words similar to Italian, so I get by. How did you get to be on television? I thought we got away from all that when we left Ilfracombe. Is Australia really like Bob’s slides? You are presumably in the winter now, and have the real heat to look forward to.
We were entered in one of the local races last week and came 4th. The first two were in a twelve metre and a six metre, so we didn’t do so badly.
We have been asked to enter for the annual race to Fuertoventura which is 60 miles away. This will be a good tuning up run to try out the various alterations we are making to improve our comfort during our longer trips, and we shall take Colonel and Mrs Bayldon as crew, to try to repay them for some of the hospitality they have shown us.
Penny has written to Tony and asked him to send us some Eiffel Tower lemonade crystals and some Spanish and French books, but there is no reply as yet. Penny thinks that she can learn languages on her lone watches when we are at sea, I spend my time on watch planning bigger and better boats so that we could all do this together.
When we have fitted out I will take time off to write of our voyage from Vigo to here, but I warn you, you may find this boring. We have not finished our first film yet, but when we do I will send them to you.
I will say goodbye now. Give my regards to all.
Love Sim.
RSS Feed