Canadian Yachting April 2018 - 49

B y P a u l a n d S h e ry l S h a rd

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d o n 't k n o w w h a t I e xp e c te d th e first tim e w e m a d e la n d fa ll in th e C a n a ry Isla n d s b u t I h a v e to a d m it th a t a fte r
sa ilin g fro m th e lu sh m id -A tla n tic isla n d o f M a d e ira , I
w a s se rio u sly su rp rise d w h e n th e b a rre n d e se rt-lik e la n d sc a p e s
o f th e C a n a ry Isla n d s c a m e in to v ie w .
IN T R O D u C T IO N T O T H E C A N A R Y IS L A N D S
T h e C a n a ry Isla n d s a re a m id -A tla n tic a rc h ip e la g o ly in g o n ly 7 0
n m o ff th e A fric a n c o a st a t it's c lo se st p o in t. A n A u to n o m o u s
re g io n o f S p a in , th e C a n a ry Isla n d s a re lo c a te d a t th e o u te rm o st
re g io n o f th e E u ro p e a n a n d a re re c o g n ize d fo r th e ir h isto ric a l
sig n ific a n c e . S a ilo rs re c o g n ize th e m a s a g re a t y e a r ro u n d
c ru isin g g ro u n d a n d sta g in g a re a fo r tra n sa tla n tic p a ssa g e s to
th e C a rib b e a n .
T h e a rc h ip e la g o stre tc h e s a c ro ss a p p ro xim a te ly 7 ,3 0 0 sq u a re
k m o f sp a rk lin g A tla n tic w a te r a n d c o n sists o f 7 m a in v o lc a n ic a lly fo rm e d isla n d s. A n c ie n t se d im e n ta ry fo rm a tio n s sh o w th a t
g e o lo g ic a lly th e y w e re o n c e p a rt o f th e A fric a n c o n tin e n t b u t
v o lc a n ic a c tiv ity th ro u g h o u t th e m ille n n ia h a s sh a p e d th e la n d sc a p e c re a tin g ste e p -sid e d c liffs, d e e p w a te r-e ro d e d g o rg e s a n d
se m i-d e se rt re g io n s o n m a n y o f th e isla n d s.
I h a d h e a rd a b o u t th e C a n a ry Isla n d s a s a sc h o o l g irl w h e n
w e h a d le a rn e d a b o u t th e g re a t e x p lo re rs o f d a y s g o n e b y. T h e
C a n a ry Isla n d s w e re a ju m p in g -o ff p o in t fo r m a n y o f th e se
a d v e n tu re rs su c h a s C h risto p h e r C o lu m b u s a n d h is c re w s.
T h e ir fle e ts sto c k e d u p o n lu m b e r fo r b o a t re p a irs a s w e ll a s
fre sh fo o d a n d w a te r h e re b e fo re sa ilin g o ff a c ro ss a v a st a n d
u n k n o w n se a to d isc o v e r n e w w o rld s. I im a g in e d w a te rfa lls,
lu sh fie ld s a n d fo re sts fu ll o f ta ll tre e s, e x o tic p la n ts a n d b rig h t
y e llo w b ird s.
L ik e m o st p e o p le , th e n a m e h a d fo o le d m e . T h e C a n a ry
Isla n d s w e re n o t n a m e d fo r c a n a ry b ird s a lth o u g h y o u d o fin d
th e se b rig h t y e llo w b ird s flittin g a ro u n d th e isla n d s a lo n g w ith
m a n y o th e r b e a u tifu l in d ig e n o u s a n d m ig ra tin g b ird s. In fa c t,
w ith o v e r 2 0 0 re c o rd e d sp e c ie s, b ird -w a tc h in g is a p o p u la r
d ra w fo r m a n y v isito rs to th e C a n a ry Isla n d s a s a re th e m a n y
g re a t b e a c h e s a n d th e p le a sa n tly w a rm c lim a te d u rin g th e
w in te r m o n th s.
T o p In s e t: S a ilin g o ffs h o re fro m R a b a t, M o ro c c o , 4 5 0 n m to
th e s o u th w e s t to Is la G ra c io s a , C a n a ry Is la n d s , a b o a rd th e ir
S o u th e rly 4 9 s a ilb o a t, D is ta n t S h o re s II, th e S h a rd s g e t lo v e ly
s u n ris e s a n d s u n s e ts a t s e a e a c h d a y . T h e p a s s a g e is a n ic e
le n g th - lo n g e n o u g h fo r a g o o d o ffs h o re s h a k e -d o w n b u t
s h o rt e n o u g h to g e t a fa irly d e p e n d a b le w e a th e r fo re c a s t.
P h o to b y S h e ry l S h a rd

B o tto m In s e t: C ru is in g b o a ts a rriv e in th e C a n a ry Is la n d s fro m
a ll c o u n trie s a ro u n d th e w o rld a n d a n c h o r a t P la y a F ra n c e s a .
T h e s te e p c liffs o f th e is la n d o f L a n z a ro te lie a c ro s s th e n a rro w s tra it, E s tre c h o d e l R ío , in th e b a c k g ro u n d . T h e s tra it is
p o p u la r w ith m ig ra tin g p ilo t w h a le s .
P h o to b y S h e ry l S h a rd

w w w .c a n a d ia n y a c h t in g .c a

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Canadian Yachting April 2018
