We were so keen, with two very very excited boys, that we arrived well before they even had opened the road system up to the volcano 🌋 (one way to beat the queues!)

We spent a good few hours with the tour of the volcanos and watching the spurts of water and fire ignition of wood (due to the 200 degree temperature only 1m below the surface). Although never mind any demonstration you could just touch the ground and feel how hot the volcanic gravel was!

Still in full tourist mode we treated the boys to a camel ride on the volcanic slopes much to their squeals of delight.

Away from the crowds and coaches we did our own walk across the incredible volcanic landscape finding our own calderas, lava tubes and multi coloured molten rock formations. The best geology (and biology colonisation) lesson ever boys! Roll on Galapagos for the next volcanic/biology lesson…😁⛵️🏝🌋

From a pirate museum to castles, volcanoes to amazing caves and water parks to wineries it seems that Lanzarote has something for us all to enjoy. And we are enjoying them all.

We’ve hired a car to explore the island and see its treasures complete with some unintended off-road sections through the dark volcanic plains of vineyards. The vines are protected from the wind with piles of volcanic stone in dry stone walls build over decades. Some of the vines are over 200 years old and therefore have impressive walls in this desolate moon-like landscape.

The caves through volcanic lava flows were dramatic in both size and all the molten rock formations. The boys said parts looked like melted chocolate, it did rather!

My favourite part was visiting the vineyards and sampling their produce..great way to end a fantastic day.

From Graciosa we said a fond farewell to the stunning beaches and set sail to Lanzarote. Hugo had learnt to paddle board (huge thanks to Grandad for the boys early birthday present) and even mined his own cave on the beach, hours of fun by all.

We set sail with a Dutch family the children had being playing with and as we sailed down the east coast of Lanzarote Russell (aka eagle-eye) spotted whales between us and the land. Full prizes to anyone who can spot the pilot whale in this photo, but I assure you the black fin is there just in front of the middle volcano. Trying to get a photo of their spouts of water was impossible! It was great to have our second sighting of whales so far on the trip.

We are all enjoying this wonderful anchorage (Playa Francesca, Isla Graciosa). Each day Hugo swims the 250m to the beach (he is only 7)!

The boys have even asked to do school work (miracles really do happen) and we’ve had some great maths marathons and spelling sessions (for once)! I am sure this will be short lived!

We’ve even got the model making out. Hugo doing his first ever airfix Spitfire model (huge thanks Grt Auntie Sheena & Grt Uncle Mike) and Felix his wooden train (thank you the Lawrence’s). I even let Felix paint his train on the beach (under strict supervision this time!!)

The slight downside is that I have lost part of a filling. I know Russell does expert dentistry on cats and dogs, but having him patch my filling wasn’t quite what I expected! Huge thanks to Chris of Clarendon House Dental Centre for his early Sunday morning advice! All good now though, patch repair in place and we can continue with the beach life for a bit longer before heading to civilisation on Lanzarote and a dentist visit…(Chris any chance of visiting the Canaries for half term?!!😂😎🏖⛵️⚓️)

Anchoring beneath a volcano meant it was only time before Hugo asked to climb it, so off up they went. The steep walk provided great views from the top of our anchorage.

As a family we did the mile long sand dune coastal walk into town to buy food. Mostly barefoot the whole way and with everyone carrying their share of groceries on the way back! (Miranda – the monkey rucksack is still in great use, thank you!)

A sweet but dusty half empty town! Now where is a supermarket??

The miracle of a full nights undisturbed sleep meant we were refreshed and ready to explore this volcanic island. And no better way to do it via an old dusty land rover which bounced (to the boys squeals of delight) along the sandy paths to volcanic rock arches, magnificent beaches and the small village.

The island is surrounded by white sand stunning beaches, but be warned it is windy here with dust blowing from Africa only 100 miles away which coats everything. The yacht will need a good wash soon!

The sand dunes are covered with 1500 year old tiny white snail shell fossils. A reminder of the islands aquatic past.

Time to lie down on one of those beaches for a few days…😁🏖😎

At the northwest top of Lanzarote lies this charming island and we were delighted to finally arrive and anchor off Playa Francesca, an expanse of white sand beach and crystal clear aquamarine water.

With the boys happily playing in the sand, Russell and I took turns to nap, totally exhausted by our journey. But what a stunning beach to rest on! We were all in bed by 7pm!

Once daylight broke we knew we needed to act fast to ease the motion of the boat and pick up speed. All the crew were feeling/being very ill by this stage. Russell scrambled around in the depth of the boat for our storm jib and lines (not an easy task in the swell and whilst ill) and gradually set up an inner forestay and running backstay to be able to use it. I’ve lost count of hours since we’ve had anything resembling sleep. It’s like trying to move in a thick fog when you are this exhausted. And the kids still need entertaining and feeding etc. It’s a new level of human endurance is all I can say!!!

The storm jib, albeit a tiny sail, balanced the yacht and added a valuable knot to our speed.

We tried to get some rest (we’ve been awake for over 30 straight hours now and starting to move in a zombie like state). By lunchtime we knew that we needed to get the fallen jib back up, the storm sail wasn’t the answer. I dreaded this knowing that meant one of us would have to climb and be hoisted up our mast to retrieve the halyard (because the top fitting of the sail was broken and still at the top of the mast). The mast sits 20m above sea level which was a roller coaster of waves (photos never do big waves any justice!).

Russell kindly voted to go up the mast whilst I balanced or rather wedged myself on a rolling deck by the mast to hoist him up. It’s hard work hoisting your husband 20m in the air whilst the floor you are standing in is moving in an unpredictable fashion. My muscles ached and I was scared of either of us falling but I didn’t dare slow down or rest. Russell retrieved the broken parts, halyard and swivel and I started to lower him back down. Equally terrifying. An extra large wave surprised us both and sent Russell flying off the mast crashing into forestays and the main sail. His leg was gashed and his arm took the brunt of the steel stay, I could see the pain etched into his face. “Please don’t let his arm be broken” I silently prayed as I gradually lowered the injured Russell down to deck level. Luckily it was a nasty sprain but nothing broken. After resting again Russell fashioned a new shackle made of dyneema and we then started the slow process of attaching the sail gradually, threading through the slot whilst ensuring the sail didn’t billow away in the high winds whilst standing on the bow as the yacht lurched up and down over the waves. We had to take the storm jib down to do this repair, so the boat motion was back on full washing machine spin mode.

Finally I winched the last hard few feet of sail and the jib was up. Hurrah! I’ve never been so delighted to see a sail in my life. You take for granted the bolts and shackles that hold these things in place.

Instantly our speed picked up and the boat motion returned to ‘normal’ Atlantic 2m swell blowing from the Spanish storm.

We still had 230 nautical miles sailing to land in the Canaries, (turning around and sailing back to the Desertas Islands would be into the wind in Force 6 and not a pleasant option) so it was a tiring next night and day. Everything was crossed for no more disasters!

The boys were great throughout, addicted to their audible books and now on book 18 out of 21 in the Famous Five epic, they remained oblivious to our troubles and enchanted by the adventure stories, despite the one unraveling around them! Thank goodness for Enid Blyton (again). I never thought I’d be saying that!!

The wind and swell were increasing so we set sail from the Desertas Islands late evening heading directly for the Canaries. We were going to have to miss the Savage Islands with the huge Atlantic swell arriving from the storms off Spain. This meant two long nights at sea.

I settled into my night watch, another pitch black night, cloudy with no moon, and I heard the jib sail rattle. The wind was gusting 20kts, we were making 7-8kts with a reef in but it suddenly dropped to 4kts. I looked up trying to see in the pitch darkness what was happening and I couldn’t see the jib (front sail). It was gone, totally gone. What had happened? I clipped in my harness and leaned out to see more. To my horror I could see we were dragging the jib in the water, trailing 55ft in the water behind us. With my heart and adrenaline pumping I went below deck to wake Russell, calling him from a deep sleep to be on deck immediately.

A long painful night ensued as Russell carefully dragged the heavy sail out of the water and lashed it down as the wind and waves broke over him on the foredeck. Without the front sail the boat is not balanced in high swell and wind, so we were instantly heaving all over the place in a stomach churning roll. It was terrifying, not helped being in the pitch black of night too. Eventually over an hour later Russell retrieved the incredibly heavy wet sail and we decided it was too dangerous to do any more both at night and in the current conditions. Russell attempted to get some rest as I continued my night watch in a roller coaster motion we were now set in. Sleep was impossible for anyone (except the boys who miraculously sleep through just!)