Though Mark and I have sailed many, many miles, we were still a bit excited — and just a little nervous — about passing through the Strait of Gibraltar and heading out into the Atlantic.

The strait is a challenge in itself. Because the Mediterranean Sea lies deeper than the Atlantic, there’s a constant current flowing into the Med. On top of that, the tides can either strengthen or weaken this flow — and north and south of the main current, you also have to consider countercurrents. Add strong winds or waves, possibly from a different direction, and things can get tricky, to say the least.

But above all, there was the ever-present orca topic. This wasn’t an issue the first time we sailed through the Strait, but in recent years some pods of orcas have started “playing” with sailboats — particularly their rudders. Needless to say, the orca always wins. Contrary to popular belief, encounters happen almost daily along the Spanish and Portuguese coasts… though, luckily, they’re less common in autumn along southern Spain.

With all that in mind, we studied weather files day in and day out, patiently waiting for the right window. Since we wanted to give our three pirates an easy start to bluewater sailing, we paid close attention to the waves as well. Finally, our moment arrived — on Friday, October 10th, we set off toward the Canary Islands.

And what a beautiful start it was. The conditions all the way were simply fantastic, though we all needed some time to get used to a moving boat again after four weeks in the marina.

But once we got into passage groove, things were great: we caught a Mahi Mahi, we had beautiful starry nights… time simply slowed down!

 After four days and four nights at sea, we arrived in La Graciosa — a beautiful little island just north of Lanzarote.

And what can I say — this place completely stole our hearts. It’s hard to describe the feeling, and I’m still not sure whether it was pure happiness that everything went so well with Captain Mark, the crew, and the boat, or if the island itself radiated joy. Either way, this barren little gem has been one of the absolute highlights of our journey so far.

The boys loved it too — on the first day, they conquered the old volcano, climbing straight up the steep and slippery hill with their new friend Jasper from the boat Canopus. The next day, they were flying over little sand dunes and exploring the island on their own.

I could have easily spent much more time there, but eager to explore Lanzarote as well, we set off south to Rubicón, where we moored in the marina again. It’s a resort-style place that, with its small shops and restaurants, feels a bit like an airport shopping mall — but it was the perfect base to rent a car and discover Lanzarote.

And what a place it is! Due to the last volcanic eruption in the early 19th century, the landscape is barren, rugged, and stunningly beautiful. You really should see it for yourself.

I could write so much more — about the quiet poetry of how almost all the sand on La Graciosa and Lanzarote has travelled here from the Sahara, carried across the sea by the wind… or about the awe-inspiring experience of standing before a volcano, witnessing both its destructive and creative beauty. But many others — and certainly more gifted writers — have already captured that magic. So I’ll just leave it at this: we had a fantastic day on the island, with breathtaking views, delicious food, and ice cream. What more could one ask for?

With the ARC and our Atlantic crossing getting closer, we’ll soon set off for Las Palmas on Gran Canaria. Spending three weeks there might sound like a long time, but we’ve chosen it for good reasons: to take the stress out of final boat preparations (even though the boat is ready, every little detail still needs checking and servicing), to organise food for six people for 30 days, and to give the kids the chance to connect with other ARC children — a little holiday from their parents!

And of course, some island exploring and surf lessons are already on the agenda.

Stay tuned!