S2.21 - Coffee Pots, Dolphins and Unexpected Detours
Oct 19 – Cracked Pots and Quiet Coves
As the sun rose, we said goodbye to the crashing waves off Yaiza (where we had taken our little “family road trip” the week before) and set sail for Isla de Lobos, the tiny island tucked between Lanzarote and Fuerteventura.
Departing Island of Lanzorate at Sunrise
The boys optimistically hoisted the parasailor, but the winds had other plans—barely giving us 3–4 knots.
Isla De Lobos
We tucked ourselves into a little protected bay called Paso de La Orchilla in hopes of escaping the swell.
Just when we thought we had every spare part imaginable onboard, disaster struck… As I began my evening routine by prepping the coffee pot for an easy brew in the morning, I discovered the coffee pot was cracked. If you’ve ever found yourself in a situation where you couldn’t just ‘run out’ and buy a new coffee pot … or even grab a quick coffee at the neighboring coffee shop until you found time to go shopping, you’ll know this was a big deal.
Oct 20 – Lighthouse Views and Makeshift Coffee
Ryan stepped up to the challenge this morning, brewing coffee the old-fashioned way: literally in a pot on the stove. Functional, but not sustainable. We sailed onward in search of calmer anchorages—though everyone Ryan checked in with reported the same rolling swells.
Passing the dramatic cliffs of Fuerteventura, we spotted the striking Faro de la Entallada lighthouse, perched like a sentinel high above the coast.
Faro de la Entallada lighthouse
A closer Look
Faro de la Entallada is an active lighthouse on the Canary island of Fuerteventura
After a 7-hour sail, we anchored near Gran Tarajal, a colorful town on the south side of Fuerteventura, where we’d stay for a couple of nights.
Oct 21 – Coffee Woes Continue
Ryan was becoming quite the stovetop barista, but our caffeine problem persisted.
Hunting for a replacement coffee maker in Spain proved comical—while North Americans embrace giant mugs and pots, locals seem to prefer espresso-sized servings. The biggest machine we could find promised four tiny cups at a time. Not going to cut it for this crew.
Oct 22 – A Dream Anchorage at Morro Jable
Heading further south, we were greeted by dolphins that seemed to escort us to paradise.
Never gets old!
Playa Morro Jable instantly won us over—beautiful beach, relaxed vibe, and soft, powdery sand that felt unreal under our feet.
As we anchored, a small fishing boat motored past.
Roa shouted across in Spanish asking if we could buy fish. They promised to return later, and we happily headed into town with Ugh to grab groceries and finally score a new coffee pot. After some uphill-both-ways shenanigans, we returned with our loot.
Patio time followed, with Ryan DJ-ing, Byron mixing cocktails, and me prepping snacks. Pure bliss.
We capped the night with pizza in town and a perfect sunset view of Lucky Enough floating contentedly in her new backyard. Spirits were high—we were ready to settle in for a full week here.
Oct 23 – Sardines and Setbacks
Morning began with the big reveal: our “12-cup” coffee maker turned out to be sized for espresso shots—twelve of them, to be exact. Good grief.
Still, it was a perfect beach day. Roa snorkeled and spotted a massive ray gliding beneath him. Then our fishermen friends returned with a bucket of fresh sardines, refusing to accept any payment.
Roa and I set about cleaning fish (a first for me!), while Ryan discovered our generator refused to start. Uh oh.
After troubleshooting batteries, starters, and finally the relay, the verdict was clear: no generator meant no watermaking. Our dream week at Morro Jable was cut short. With heavy hearts, we took stock of how much fresh water we did have in our tanks and turned toward Gran Canaria instead.
One thing we were especially grateful for: Ryan’s “pilot brain” when it comes to water management. He never allowed our fresh water tanks to drop below 80%. His philosophy was simple—if the watermaker ever failed (or someday did break, as it just had), we’d always have enough reserve to get ourselves safely to land. Can you imagine being stranded in the middle of nowhere with only a sliver of water left? Not under Ryan’s watch.
The seas surprised us—2-meter swells on the beam should have made for a rough ride, but the timing was so perfect it felt like floating. With the genoa and Code D flying, Lucky Enough made great time. We slipped into Las Palmas, Gran Canaria at 8:20pm, ordered burgers for delivery, and called it a night.
Sometimes the cruising life serves you soft sand and sunsets. Other times, it’s broken coffee pots and busted generators. But either way, the adventure continues.