{"id":24367,"date":"2025-12-22T20:15:35","date_gmt":"2025-12-23T01:15:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aleta.life\/?p=24367"},"modified":"2026-01-26T10:56:50","modified_gmt":"2026-01-26T15:56:50","slug":"katie-aron-and-tenerife","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aleta.life\/index.php\/2025\/12\/22\/katie-aron-and-tenerife\/","title":{"rendered":"Katie, Aron, and Tenerife"},"content":{"rendered":"
Position: 28\u00b015’10.6″N 16\u00b037’32.3″W<\/a><\/h6>\n

Winters in the Canaries are generally mild. From November onward the trade winds settle in and blow a steady 20-30 knots out of the northeast by late January. Sea temperatures hover around 20C all year round, keeping things warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. Steady breezes and warm weather make for great sailing. So, when my daughter Katie asked if she and her husband Aron<\/a> could come to Tenerife and sail with us for a few days in mid-December, we said, \u201cof course!\u201d Knowing full well the weather might or might not cooperate.<\/p>\n

Storms<\/h6>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The Atlantic hasn\u2019t been happy this year. Since the middle of August, storm after storm has battered the northern ocean. Much of the energy slams into the British Isles and Ireland or blows directly into the Bay of Biscay. A dock neighbour in Lanzarote said he had left the UK in mid-November. In other words, very, very late in the season. Off the north coast of Spain, he battled four and five metre waves and his engine packed up. Eventually, he limped into a local harbour at night under jib alone. There he jury-rigged things well enough to get him as far as the Canaries. With a trans-Atlantic crossing in his sights, however, he decided to fly in his personal mechanic and his assistant for an engine and generator overhaul. It was undoubtedly the most efficient way of getting the work done.<\/p>\n

For our part, after a couple of weeks crossing between three big islands, we felt a little more confident with what to expect from the weather. Naturally, the weekend Katie and Aron arrived the forecast was predicting the worst storm in a decade. And it did not disappoint. High winds mean high seas. Not knowing how seaworthy the kids were and with no desire to sail in big seas, we opted to leave Aleta where she was and instead explore the island by car and foot.<\/p>\n

Windward<\/h6>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The storm bore straight down from the north, so of course our first foray was to the exposed northern side of the island. Jagged spires of rock stretch up and tower over the cliffs and thin stretches of beach. Veils of grey rain were visible for miles out at sea. Making their way slowly towards land, the clouds shifted and merged as they bumped against the steep cliffs. Rain lashed down in bursts, but not enough that it spoiled the walk.<\/p>\n

Breathlessly, we climbed the near-vertical streets of Taganana<\/a> until things finally flattened out. The trail stretched ahead of us curving around the hills. The tarmac soon ran out and the trail turned into red soil and rocks, drawing us forward with sweeping views of the coast in both directions. When they came, the rains blew in horizontally and whenever we could we sheltered behind the trunk of a nearby palm tree.<\/p>\n

Then, abruptly, the trail ended at a wash out. With no safe way around and posted warnings of further rock falls, we reluctantly turned back. For Aleta\u2019s full-time crew, used to sauntering along flat beachfronts, the hills proved challenging. I awoke with sore calves. Katie and Aron on the other hand are young and mad keen on hiking and climbing and were barely getting warmed up.<\/p>\n

The storm reached its height that night. On Aleta gusts peaked at 40 knots in her relatively protected marina. Elsewhere on the island winds hit 70 and 80 knots taking down trees and electrical power. Snow blanketed Tenerife\u2019s highest elevations.<\/p>\n

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