Finally to Madeira on Outremer 55 Opus - Part 3 - Gibraltar to Lanzarote (Sailing Greatcircle 370)

Setting out westward from the Strait of Gibraltar aboard the Outremer 55 catamaran Opus, Mark and Marijke Ham of Cat Greatcircle joined owners Tom and Irene for an offshore passage bound for Madeira and Lanzarote. Planning the departure required balancing competing weather forecast models for the Strait of Gibraltar. As the crew noted during departure planning, “Wendy said something completely different than what Marion said.” Resolving the routing discrepancies with their own calculations, the crew timed their exit from the marina around 3, allowing an hour and a half to reach the Bay of Gibraltar before tracking toward Tarifa by 6.

Clearing the Bay of Gibraltar presented an opposing current that held vessel speed over ground near 7 knots. As wind speeds eased, the crew prepared to hoist the gennaker from the sail locker, recalling rigging advice from Nikki Henderson to ease the halyard completely and remove tension before pulling the sail around the stay. Heading out into the Atlantic between Morocco and Madeira under sunny skies with temperatures around 30 degrees, Opus began the 400 miles transit toward the archipelago while the crew enjoyed fresh banana cake baked in the galley.

Offshore Passage to Porto Santo and Sail Trimming

Navigating west of Portugal exposed the catamaran to northerly swells and beam seas rather than following waves. To soften vessel motion, the helm bore away onto a direct heading toward Ilha Porto Santo with northeast winds building toward 20 knots. With 219 miles to go, roughly a day of sailing remained as Irene adjusted to life at sea while overcoming seasickness.

The passage allowed the crew to assess sail choices aboard the Outremer 55. Evaluating options against a Code 3 sail from Incidence Sails, the crew noted their downwind gennaker required a minimum apparent wind angle of 120 before pressing against stanchions. A flatter Code 3 permits angles from 85, allowing them to carry sail longer without frequent changes. As squalls formed, Tom monitored radar tracks of approaching rain cells. When a squall brought gusts to 28 knots, the crew tucked 1 reef into the mainsail before unfurling the Code 0. Sighting the island, the crew confirmed: “Only 20 miles to go and we can see Porto.” Opus arrived before dark, anchoring in Porto Santo for a quiet night.

Cruising Madeira from Funchal to Calheta Marina

After exploring Porto Santo the following morning, Opus crossed the 20 miles separating Porto Santo from Madeira. Heading toward an anchorage off the southeast tip of the island, the crew monitored mountain gusts and checked Starlink satellite data reception between the islands. From their anchorage, the crew watched streams of parked cars and hikers trekking the ridge trails above the bay before continuing past the Funchal airport runway.

Anchoring off Funchal proved somewhat rolly, but the crew went ashore by cable car to the summit for lunch before hiking down. With calm weather and winds below 1 knot, the crew motored 10 miles around the corner toward Calheta. During the motor, Mark set up the Starlink Mini on a 220 plug under the floorboards, planning to wire it directly into the 24 electrical system in Lanzarote so the inverter could remain off.

Approaching Calheta Marina, the crew observed the narrow breakwater passage, minding earlier advice from sailor Rob regarding tight navigation limits. Space was constrained inside the harbor, but after waiting for an excursion boat to clear the quay, “There was luckily one hammerhead available for us.” Docking on the outer hammerhead pontoon allowed the crew to secure the yacht, rent a car, and explore Madeira’s inland forests and foggy mountain terrain.

Staging at Ilhas Desertas and Passage to Lanzarote

When a suitable weather window developed for the Canary Islands, Opus departed Calheta for a 35 miles staging leg to Ilhas Desertas, anchoring overnight under permit in the reserve to shorten the open-water passage to Lanzarote. Departing the anchorage in total darkness, the catamaran sailed into the Atlantic with flat sea conditions and northerly breezes filling in.

Covering the open ocean toward La Graciosa, the crew enjoyed smooth sailing with 50 miles remaining to the northern tip of the archipelago. As the catamaran approached within 10 miles of land, Mark switched off Starlink ocean mobile data to prevent ongoing satellite charges. Sighting the volcanic silhouette of Lanzarote 16 miles ahead, the crew turned south toward their final destination.

Rendezvous with Windelo 54 and Outremer Fleet Gathering

Along the coast of Lanzarote, Opus rendezvoused with Simon and Lucia aboard their new Windelo 54 catamaran. Simon, who previously crewed aboard the Lagoon 52 SporTop Maroro, sailed alongside Opus as both vessels tested their relative speeds in light air. In gentle breezes, the Windelo pointed higher on the wind, but Opus accelerated once sailing comparable courses. Mark eased the traveler fully to slow the Outremer down from 9 knots, enabling the two boats to maintain close formation for photography.

Over the course of 30 miles along the island, shifting breeze angles forced the crew to switch between the Code 0 and downwind gennaker, underscoring the versatility a Code 3 sail would have provided. Meanwhile, Irene tested motion sickness remedies provided by Lucia with positive results. Rounding the southern cape of Lanzarote, Opus motored into Marina Rubicon to join the gathering rally fleet, meeting Outremer representatives Julia and Victor alongside fellow cruising sailors Slice and Nino. Standing on the docks, the crew counted the assembled fleet: “Nine automars in total.” The gathering marked the completion of the delivery leg as the crews began technical preparations for their upcoming Atlantic crossing.

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