At: Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

After a quiet day and a quiet night in the bay, we wanted to check what was up with the marina waiting list. I took the boys with me in the dingy to the marina office. We arrived at 15:50. Siesta. Of course. We’re back in Spain after all. We waited patiently for 10 minutes. When my phone said 16:00, I went in.

“Sir! We are closed! The office opens at 16:00!”

I checked my phone. 16:01. I looked at their clock on the wall. 15:50. With much eye-rolling and hand-waving they acquiesced. I closed the door.

“No sir, leave the door open. Our siesta is ruined now anyway.”

I explained we arrived the day before and were waiting in the bay, and if there was maybe room in the marina today? I needed to get the rigging checked and do some repairs.

“Did you write down the name of your boat?”

“Erm… no. I thought I saw your marineros write down our name when they sent me away yesterday morning.”

“Please add your boat to the waiting list. There are 20 boats before you.”

“Ok, but I only want to stay a couple of days.”

The guy looked at Andreas and Helder, who used their most convincing puppy eyes.

“Oh, only a couple of days, why didn’t you say so? We have room for you for a couple of days.”

How these people are still in business I will never know.

“Have you paid yet for the days that you anchored here?”

“Wait, what? You don’t let people in and then let them pay for anchoring outside your marina?”

“Well, yes.”

Now I know how they are still in business. On the way out I overheard someone saying he had been waiting in the bay for a week. Easy money.

I brought Vite & Rêves to the reception pier and went in again. I spent more than an hour in what must be the slowest check-in to this day. Morocco was lighting fast compared to these guys. In the end they informed me that they had no room in the marina. I needed to go to the marina next door.