Torries

20

january/february 2017

cruisingworld.com

Nero McLawrence is the

proud builder and owner of

this 65-foot sailboat. The

boat is constructed with

local timbers and hand tools.

LANZAROTE:

STEPPING STONE

TO THE ATLANTIC

M

any sailors consider Gran

Canaria to be the island

from which to stage an Atlantic

crossing, but we’d like to propose

another. Lanzarote, the eastern-

most of the Canary Islands, is a

fascinating and practical stopover

where we found everything needed

for our fi rst ocean crossing. From

a quick haulout at Puerto Calero

Marina to comprehensive provi-

sioning in sizable supermarkets, to

chasing down last-minute spares

in the capital city of Arrecife and

connecting with crewmembers at

a well-served airport, Lanzarote

off ered it all. Practicalities aside,

we also discovered a gem of an

island waiting to be explored

— one that has escaped commer-

cialization and crowds, thanks

largely to artist, environmentalist

and native son César Manrique.

Just one or two days with a rental

car will bring you to incredible

sights such as Manrique’s unique

lava-bubble museum-home;

the amazing Jameos del Agua

restaurant, built right into a sub-

terranean lava tube; and the

cobblestone streets of historic

towns like Teguise, where inhab-

itants once fl ed pirate attacks.

Although our minds were preoccu-

pied with sailing preparations, we

also enjoyed exploring the island’s

lunar landscape dotted with

whitewashed houses — between

studying weather reports, that is,

not to mention epic provisioning

runs. After all, that’s what cruis-

ing is about: exploring new places

between enticing blue horizons.

— Nadine Slavinski

Lanzarote boasts several mod-

ern marinas, such as Puerto

Calero Marina, good super-

markets and an airport.

TOR PINNEY; NADINE SLAVINSKI (LEFT)

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