We left Ipswich, UK on October 7, 2025 and arrived in the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria marina at about 10 a.m. October 21, 2025. Total distance traveled in that time: 2095 nautical miles. The marina will soon be filled with 150 boats who will be crossing the Atlantic with us on November 23. We self identify by flying ARC 2025 flags. https://worldcruising.com/events/arc. The official events start November 10, with many trainings and gatherings planned.

We were all exhausted after our last leg. Our watch system for the last week has been 5 hours off, then 3 hours on watch for each person. That means dividing sleep into three naps of 90 to 180 minutes each per day. It is sustainable, but I always felt that I was operating at less than full capacity. It was good to get a full night of sleep last night.

The weather during the last segment from Portugal was generally sunny with light winds from the NNE. We sailed with the gennaker when we could, and motorsailed with the staysail up when the winds failed us. Our tradewind sails should be finished and on board next week. Having the tradewind sails on the last leg would have allowed us to sail more, since the wind was mostly from the stern.

Captain Mark left this morning (Wednesday) to fly home. Jay is flying to Seattle for some dental work tomorrow. Cat is leaving on Friday. I will remain here on watch duty by myself until Jay returns on Nov 2. Then, I hope to explore the other Canary Islands before November 23. Las Palmas is beautiful. It is an industrial port, with a lively and pedestrian friendly city along the water. The marina is operated by the government, and looks to have 1,000 boats in it, in varying sizes and conditions. It is the largest marina I have ever seen. http://www.palmasport.es