However, Roy finished the repairs of the water tank and together we returned it to the starboard forward locker, shimmying it along the deck. Prior to that, though, we did the laundry and enjoyed a mid-morning coffee while the washing machine cycle finished. Back onboard everything was hung out to dry, then we walked to the HiperDino to stretch our legs and purchase the additional emergency water we still needed and a few provisions for the week. Deciding to skip the sundowner evening with the ARC, a chat to Elaine’s mom and an early night wrapped up the day.

Thursday was a busy day, crammed with ARC seminars we wanted to attend as refreshers. So, after breakfast and listening to the morning net, we set off on foot to the Real Club Nautica, about a twenty to twenty five minute walk for Elaine from Paw Paw. Seminar topics included Emergencies at Sea, Weather Routing and Downwind Sailing Tips, followed by the evening ARC sundowners event, with a light dinner squeezed in between. A midday break allowed us to enjoy a light lunch at the Barlovento 326 café back at the marina. We certainly did our fair share of walking for the day that’s for sure, but, although it was a long day, we enjoyed meeting other cruisers and the associated camaraderie.

We also added water to the water tank, but neither of us wanted to check to see if it was still leaking, so we didn’t. We’re both just so over fresh water leaks on Paw Paw at this point and didn’t want a lovely day ruined!

Yesterday we were up with the alarm to enjoy some R&R; well, sort of. We were attending the ARC Foresta outing, managed by the Foresta Reforestation Project, and by 0900 we were on the coach heading inland and up into the mountains, leaving the city behind, surprised to discover how lush the interior of Gran Canaria was.

After arriving at our destination, a rather steep walk up the mountain side got us to a rest stop, where refreshments were served before we all received an explanation on the project and what our involvement would be for the morning; we were essentially helping to right a wrong by assisting in the restoration of the cloud-forests.

Before humans arrived on Gran Canaria, most of the island was covered in over 100,000 hectares of forest. Only the coastal strip and the highest point of the island were free of trees. While the original inhabitants cleared some forest for agriculture, it wasn't until the Spanish arrived that wholesale deforestation started.

Lowland forests were cleared for farmland, the pine forests were turned into charcoal for fuel and vast areas of forest were chopped down to fuel the island's sugar cane mills, thus destroying the historic indigenous woodlands and the native cloud forest eco-system, needed to produce fresh water and prevent soil erosion on the island, the latter only discovered later on.

The Foresta Reforestation Project is rectifying the problem and working with this non-profit organisation ensures that the trees are planted where they are most needed and that only endemic species, best suited to the climate, are planted.

The goal was to plant around 200 of these trees, but the request was to only plant one tree correctly rather than 200 incorrectly.

After receiving our instructions on the proper way to plant the trees, we all chose our holes and started planting, making for a fabulous morning, stopping only to admire the spectacular views. Before long all of the 150+trees available had been planted, less than the 200 we thought we would be planting, but we’d met our objective, much to everyone’s delight.

Before returning to the rest stop for a light picnic lunch, we enjoyed the views out towards Tenerife and beyond.

Fortunately Elaine didn’t have to walk back down the mountain after her and another cruiser were offered a ride back to the bus, thankfully, as Elaine was definitely huffing and puffing getting up the mountain, but she was delighted, nonetheless, to have made it and had participated in this wonderful undertaking, an undertaking that the World Cruising Club and ARC participants have seen 3800 trees planted over 14 years, of which 4 were planted by us. Today, up to 20,000 hectares of Gran Canaria is forested again, but, at just 20% of the original tree cover, there is a long way to go to restore the forests to their former glory, but at least, the work is in progress to do so.

By 1400 we were back in the marina and enjoyed a few refreshments with cruisers who’d invited us to join them. Leaving Roy to enjoy some male company, after her coffee, Elaine returned to Paw Paw to get a few chores completed and to get ready for the Welcome Drinks outing, following which another fun evening ensued.

Today was a work day to get through the last of the bits and bobs that still needed to be completed before our departure. These included checking all the hose clamps on both engines and replacing any, where necessary, taping the sharp edges on the lifelines of the foredeck to ensure these don’t catch any of our sails, taping all the crocodile clips to ensure they can’t open by accident, plumbing a valve to the fresh water pump to reduce the water pressure, thereby helping to reduce our water consumption on passage, plumbing a shutoff valve on the starboard hotwater tank to ensure the water can be switched off with ease should the tank start to leak again while on passage, running the engines and generator to make sure everything was operational, running the fuel polishers to ensure we don’t have contaminated fuel, securing our ARC rally number to the starboard lifelines, completing our final route planning, reviewing all the Skipper’s Briefing notes and printing what was needed, informing family and friends of our “at sea” contact details, diarising all the activities that need to be completed with Justine and Paul to make sure the time is set aside to complete those before departure and finally packing the last of the tools away.

Given our busy day, we decided to skip the ARC sundowners this evening and instead enjoyed a nice, leisurely home cooked meal, after Roy walked back to the HiperDino to purchase the ingredients we needed.

Our day ended with news that the crew off Lost Abbey had arrived safely in Cape Verde together with the rest of the ARC+ participants.