Ocean Passage, Leg 2 - Madeira to Tenerife via La Palma, 7 - 14 November 2026 (8 days)

The trip will be focused on cruising and training in the Atlantic. In total, we should log up to 500 nautical miles and 90h, mixing short scenic island hops with a longer offshore passage from Madeira to the Canaries.

Anticipated route:

Madeira, Quinta do Lorde - Madeira, Funchal (20 NM) - Porto Santo (80 NM) - Deserta Grande (40 NM) - La Palma (240 NM) - Radazul, Tenerife (110 NM)

We will be maintaining a watch system to ensure everyone is well rested, meals are prepared on time and maintenance is undertaken when necessary. There will be 3 watches with up to 2 people in each watch.

Elan 434 Impression (2005)

The Elan Impression 434 is a Rob Humphreys design built by Elan Marine in Slovenia — the first of Elan's Impression deck-saloon cruisers. She combines genuinely lively sailing performance with a spacious, comfortable interior, which makes her an excellent platform for a long passage. She is well equipped and prepared for offshore sailing.

We will inspect the boat thoroughly before the voyage to ensure that every bit of equipment is absolutely ship-shaped.

General info:

• Year: 2005
• Type: sailing monohull
• Length (LOA): 13.41 m (44 ft)
• Waterline length (LWL): 11.45 m
• Hull speed: ~8.2 kt
• Beam: 4.18 m
• Draught: 1.7 m
• Displacement: 10.9 t
• Engine: Volvo Penta D2-55 (55 hp)
• Fuel capacity: 270 L
• Water capacity: 600 L
• Sails: Mainsail 46.5 m² (fully battened), Furling genoa 52.4.0 m², Assymetric Spinnaker 135 m², Storm Jib (9 m²)
• Cabins: 3
• Berths (Bunks): 6+2
• WC / Shower: 2

Equipment:

• Autopilot
• Chart plotter with GPS
• DSC VHF radio
• Handheld VHF radio
• AIS
• EPIRB
• Radar reflector
• Sprayhood / bimini
• Refrigerator
• Stove
• 12V and USB sockets
• Life raft
• PredictWind Offshore license
• Complete set of pilot books, almanacs and charts
• Pillows, bedlinen and towels for each crew member
• Plastimo drogue

Average weather conditions:

• Madeira / Funchal (November)
• Tenerife / Santa Cruz (November)

Air and Sea temperature

November in this part of the Atlantic is mild and comfortable. Funchal averages around 21° C by day and 17° C at night, and Santa Cruz de Tenerife around 22° C by day and 19° C at night. The sea stays warm at roughly 22° C throughout the sailing area, so swimming is still very much on the cards.

Wind and sea state

The whole route is on the open Atlantic, so a moderate ocean swell is normal and should be expected even between the islands. The prevailing north-easterly trade winds generally give good sailing, though they accelerate around the ends of the high volcanic islands and in the channels between them — the acceleration zones off Madeira and around the Canaries are a classic feature to plan for. The crossing from Madeira to La Palma is a proper offshore passage with a night or two at sea.

The route mixes short island hops with a longer offshore passage, with night sailing on the crossing to the Canaries. You will receive a certificate of passage to prove your sea time for sailing licenses. You will be an active member of the crew, and we will provide practical training on board to ensure safety and improve your sailing skills.

We give a great amount of responsibility to each crew member in running the ship so that you can gain a good experience and learn new skills as much or as little as you want. The skipper is an instructor and will find it difficult not to teach or coach anyone who shows the slightest bit of interest.

RYA qualifying passages

If you are an aspiring Skipper or Yachtmaster, this is an excellent opportunity to gain bluewater miles and practise navigation, pilotage and COLREG skills so that you can be more confident and comfortable when taking a boat out to sea on your own. The Madeira-to-La Palma crossing and the island hops are well suited to logging RYA Yachtmaster Coastal and RYA Yachtmaster Offshore qualifying miles. During the voyage, we can evaluate your current knowledge and provide suggestions for improvement.

Main topics that you can learn or brush up:

• Maneuvering under sails & engine: berthing, hoisting and lowering sails, reefing, tacking, gybing, sail trim
• Safety: use of liferaft, lifejacket, EPIRB, PLB, AIS beacons, managing emergencies
• Equipment: use of Autopilot and VHF
• Weather forecasting and weather routing
• Offshore & coastal navigation: digital and traditional (including the use of a sextant if of interest)
• Night navigation
• Pilotage and passage planning between the islands and their acceleration zones
• ColRegs
• Life on board: organization of watches, nutrition, sleep and risk management

Celestial navigation

Although the passages here are shorter than on leg 1, you will still have the chance to try celestial navigation in practice — the oldest and most rewarding form of navigation. You can learn how to use a sextant and how to calculate your own position using the sun, planets, moon and stars.

Joining day - Madeira, Quinta do Lorde (7 November)

We will spend the first day preparing and victualling the yacht, going over the safety routines and practices, getting up to speed with the boat and refreshing the basic sailing skills before we set off. Quinta do Lorde is a purpose-built marina village on the eastern tip of Madeira, conveniently close to the airport.

Madeira

Quinta do Lorde Marina

Madeira - Funchal (20 NM)

From Quinta do Lorde we sail west along Madeira's south coast to its capital, Funchal, cradled in a natural amphitheatre of hills above the sea. Funchal is a wonderful city to explore: the historic old town and cable car up to Monte, the famous wicker toboggan run, botanical gardens, and the levada walks in the mountains above. It is also the beating heart of Madeira's sailing scene and a lovely place to settle into the trip.

Funchal

Funchal harbour

Porto Santo (80 NM)

From Funchal we round the western tip of Madeira and head north-east to Porto Santo, Madeira's smaller sister island, famous for its 9-kilometre stretch of golden sandy beach — a striking contrast to Madeira's steep green cliffs. It is a peaceful, sun-soaked island where Christopher Columbus once lived.

Porto Santo golden beach

Islet off Porto Santo

Deserta Grande (40 NM)

From Porto Santo we sail south to the Desertas Islands, a wild, uninhabited nature reserve of dramatic cliffs rising sheer from the sea. Deserta Grande is a protected sanctuary — home to one of the last colonies of the rare Mediterranean monk seal — and anchoring in its lee, with no lights and no crowds, is one of the most atmospheric stops of the whole trip.

The Desertas Islands

Desertas nature reserve

La Palma - Santa Cruz de La Palma (240 NM)

From the Desertas we set off on the longest passage of the leg, an offshore crossing south to the Canary Islands with a night or two at sea. Our landfall is La Palma, "La Isla Bonita" — the greenest and one of the steepest of the Canaries. Santa Cruz de La Palma is a beautifully preserved colonial town of cobbled streets, wooden balconies and a lovely waterfront, sitting beneath the vast Caldera de Taburiente and the island's still-young volcanic landscapes.

Fuencaliente lighthouse, La Palma

La Palma volcanic landscape

Radazul, Tenerife, Finishing day, 14 November

Our final passage takes us east to Tenerife, the largest of the Canaries, dominated by the snow-capped peak of Teide, Spain's highest mountain. We finish at Radazul on the island's east coast, a sheltered marina close to Santa Cruz and the airports. We will spend our last time together celebrating the voyage before saying our goodbyes.

Tenerife's north coast

Playa de Las Teresitas, Tenerife