How Heart of the Sea won my heart

© RealRonHoward

Having had the luck and honour to be selected as a picture double for the filming of In the Heart of the Sea for director Ron Howard was one of the highlights in my life. But to actually work on the set with the hundreds of dedicated, extremely hard-working, down-to-earth and good-humoured crew, cast and all the specialists and helpers topped it all. They were and are a truly amazing bunch of people - and that includes the many local people on and around the set. Each and every one of the whole lot gave their best, worked long hours without complaining, suffered cuts and bruises without even mentioning them and above all showed great team spirit and amiability. RESPECT ! 
I felt we were all in the one boat together during this shoot on location in La Gomera. It was an unforgettably heart-warming and gratifying experience for me to be aboard during this part of production. Above all I learned a lot and made many new friends.

THANK YOU ALL, GUYS, AND I WISH YOU THE BEST OF LUCK - WHEREVER THE WIND MAY BLOW YOU ! 

THIS FILM WILL BE A STUNNER !

...and yes, the hard-working Ron Howard found time to post a link to this blog in his Twitter and Facebook :

Ron Howard

24 November

• True. Here is just another day on a set like none other I've ever experienced. Challenging/Cool/Funhttp://t.co/cHTiPiOLiB

  
  

  LA GOMERA ISLAND (Canary Islands): Ron Howard promotes La Gomera

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Ron Howard ‏@RealRonHoward23 Nov

True. Here is just another day on a set like none other I've ever experienced. Challenging/Cool/Fun http://lagomera1.blogspot.com.es/2013/11/ron-howard-promotes-la-gomera.html?m=1 …

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© Ron Howard

Sunset at Playa de Santiago film set

…soon it will be all over and by Wednesday most will have moved on. We'll be missing you all.

… and they're off to be tough

Despite the swell, the storm and all the odds we finally saw the start of the world's toughest rowing race, the Talisker Atlantic Challenge, setting off from La Gomera today. Best of luck to 'ye all, I rowed myself in that lovely swell today, albeit for a different cause. Hats off to the diving cameramen - they're like fish, only more advanced.

Filming on La Gomera hit by yesterday's bad weather

1. Filming In the Heart of the Sea on location La Gomera was hampered by yesterday's severe downpours and cast and crew had to evacuate the flooded location.Below is a graphic report tweeted by the film's director Ron Howard, beginning at the bottom:                                                                             

   …and by the way, the Canary Islands' meteorological association named this Atlantic depression CHIPUDE (it had to be the letter C for the third one this season). Chipude is a town in the mountains and the former capital of La Gomera. The station there measured more than 41mm of rain yesterday, while Playa de Santiago got more than 100mm in less than three hours .           

   
   

   Ron Howard ‏@RealRonHoward2h

   Good luck that no cars or people were swept away or hit by tumbling rocks. All's well that ends well pic.twitter.com/mSAuAK5dmZ

   
   

   Ron Howard ‏@RealRonHoward
2. 2h

   W/out incident trucks moved to hi ground & all cast & crew waded to cars (calf deep) & made it out b-4 roads closed pic.twitter.com/ofL0Xzt95i

   
   

   
3. Ron Howard ‏@RealRonHoward2h

   Soon we were advised to wrap and evacuate. Pronto. ASAP pic.twitter.com/kCwitAbQ9C

   
   

   
4. Ron Howard ‏@RealRonHoward2h

   Then our access road began to flood. pic.twitter.com/fM9vCen5ja

   
   

   
5. Ron Howard ‏@RealRonHoward2h

   torrential outside, the crew dried work shoes as we shot a scene inside. Sound was ruined by rain on roof tho pic.twitter.com/NRA75UyI9d

   
   

   
6. Ron Howard ‏@RealRonHoward2h

   Rare heavy rain in La Gomera forced us to our small converted cover stage... pic.twitter.com/ETyby2OBxS

   
   

   
7. Ron Howard ‏@RealRonHoward2h

   The following is a photo account of today's production challenge - The Heart of the Sea pic.twitter.com/hie36GO3X1

   
   

   

Warnings and alerts for extremely heavy rain and thunderstorms

Midday Dec. 2nd 2013: Up to 40mm per hour likely today and 100mm in 12 hours may be exceeded. Nucleus of heavy thunderstorms approaching. EXTREME CAUTION !
Several minor roads and La Gomera's airport have been closed.

Thunderstorms moving W to E at midday 02-12-13

UPDATE 4pm:

This is what the promenade in Playa de Santiago looked like about an hour ago:

Source: gomeranoticias.com

UPDATE 5:30pm :
The situation has improved and there is some sunshine now in Valle Gran Rey. 
Alerts and warnings for La Gomera will remain active until tomorrow morning 9am.
Giumar on Tenerife was one of the worst-affected areas with more than 180mm of rain this afternoon. Here's a frightening video from the area:

House destroyed by landslide

Due to the recent rains a landslide destroyed a house in La Gomera's west. The incident happened near the beach of the village of Alojera. Fortunately the building was unoccupied at the time and no one was injured. The WARNINGS and ALERTS for heavy rains and thunderstorms remain in place for today and tomorrow, Tuesday 3rd of Dec. 2013.

As I write it is beginning to rain again and thunder can be heard in the distance. CAUTION !

The damaged house (Source: gomeraverde)

Rain radar this morning: Heavy rain approching

Warning of heavy rain in western Canary Islands

An area of low pressure has formed just west of the Canary Islands and will adversely affect our weather at least until Wednesday. The low with a central pressure of 1002 hPa will remain almost stationary and its associated fronts are expected to be slow moving over the archipelago bringing the potential for heavy downpours and longer spells of rain from today until Wednesday, Dec. 4th 2013. Isolated thunderstorms can also be expected and there are warnings by meteorologists that up to 50mm of rain may fall in just six hours, bringing the risk of  flooding, landslides and rockfalls. Hiking and walking in the mountains is inadvisable. However, winds will remain light to moderate and variable.

Happy Thanksgiving from La Gomera

1. …and it was on time from the hard-working man himself:

   
   

   Ron Howard ‏@RealRonHoward28 Nov

   Happy Thanksgiving Twitterville. It's another work day here in La Gomera on The Heart of the Sea pic.twitter.com/nbIdYTitna

   
   

   ..

   
   

Huge cruise ship docks in the port of Vueltas

The Braemor of the Fred.Olsen Cruise Lines has docked in Vueltas, the harbour of Valle Gran Rey this morning. She has about 900 passengers from various countries aboard and the sleepy fishing village is suddenly teeming with tourists. Two television camera teams were there to capture the event. Only the weather is not playing its part and instead of the usual sunshine low clouds obscure the impressive view of the valley and scattered showers are stopping some passengers from exploring Valle Gran Rey.
…later the weather improved and with a little sunshine the views could be enjoyed. The ship is due to leave at 1pm and will spend the second half of the day in San sebastian de La Gomera, where the passengers on bus excursions will board again.

Wine festival this Friday

La Gomera's wines can be tasted in the main square in the island's capital san Sebastian de La Gomera this Friday, Nov.29th 2013, from 7pm to 11pm. Canapes with Gomeran specialities will be served together with the wines and there will be live music by Son Gomero.

This year viticulturists on La Gomera had a bumper harvest of grapes of excellent quality.

Chris Hemsworth in La Gomera shipwreck

Scene of the accident. Photo: gomeranoticias.com

Actor Chris Hemsworth was involved in a boating accident just outside the harbour of San Sebastian de La Gomera late on Sunday night, as reported by ISLANDCONNECTIONS.eu :

''Hemsworth, best known for his role as comic strip hero Thor in the Marvel Studios films of the same name, had to be rescued after a catamaran he hired for a party including himself, his wife Elsa Pataky, who is 3 months pregnant, and their 18-month daughter India Rose, ran aground off the coast of the island at night. A lifeboat, a Civil Guard patrol boat and a helicopter had to be mobilised to take the group of 8 to safety after the incident. Ironically, the Australian-born actor was in La Gomera to film the Ron Howard movie, In the Heart of the Sea, which is about a crew shipwrecked by a high seas encounter with a giant whale in the 19th century. The rescue has received prominent coverage in the Spanish and British papers, including the Daily Mail.''

Just let me add that thankfully no one was injured and that according to locals the Spanish skipper aboard blamed a technical problem for the accident. The skipper, an experienced captain and sailor who has won several yacht races, is at all times responsible for his craft and this is most embarrassing for him. Filming schedules for 'In the Heart of the Sea' were unaffected. The boat remained stranded at the site of the accident and is probably a write-off.

Ron Howard promotes La Gomera

Ron Howard was spotted wearing a cap with the promotional logo of La Gomera while working on set for the production of In the Heart of the Sea here during the week.
Yesterday we were being filmed from a helicopter all day. The chopper with its special camera-nose had to refuel several times from a tanker truck which was stationed in the mountains over Playa de Santiago especially for that purpose.

Ron Howard on the deck of the Essex sporting a La Gomera cap. ©EuropaPress

La Gomera rebels

Today marks the 525th anniversary of the most important rebellion on La Gomera - read more…

Hautacuperche

Heart of the Sea continues shooting on La Gomera

The media are reporting extensively from the Ron Howard directed film 'In the Heart of the Sea' shooting on location La Gomera. The Daily Mail has lots of pictures and on the photo below one of the characters looks extremely familiar to me ;-)

Daily Mail:''Full cast: The actors wear period attire as they film In The Heart Of The Sea'' © Daily Mail

World's toughest rowing race starts from La Gomera

The countdown to the start of the world's toughest rowing race is on. In about 10 days' time more than 20 teams will start to row in 40 to 90 days from La Gomera to Antigua. The Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge will have teams from all over the world competing unaided for the fastest crossing of the more than 3000 miles distance. The teams have arrived on La Gomera and were welcomed at a reception in San Sebastian de La Gomera, the starting point of the race.

Hollywood moon over La Gomera

Today filming happened on dry land near to the beach bar 'La Chalana' and suddenly a small part of a beach on La Gomera became an international stage. The live 'donkey props' were patiently waiting for their appearance on the big screen. Film director Ron Howard shot this picture of the moon over our island, but I reckon his movie shots will be much better and now even camera helicopters were seen flying low to take shots of the beauty. 'Big shots' were spotted all over the island in their hired cars and limos in recent days and locals reckon that they're easier to deal with than most tourists. 

Ron Howard ‏@RealRonHoward

Gomerawood is getting first results

...and La Gomera will make 'In the Heart of the Sea' unforgettable. Chris Hemsworth appears to like it here. 

©Ron Howard (via Twitter)

©Ron Howard (via Twitter)

In the Heart of the Sea is at sea and rolling

… and as I'm under contract I'm so sorry to have to tell you that I'm not at liberty to tell you more. Suffice to say that all is going very well and that cast and crew are to enjoying the benign La Gomera climate and their organisation and communication are exemplary.

The hosts of a bar called 'La Chalana' in Playa de Santiago, one location of the weekend parties.

'In the Heart of the Sea' first time in the sea

'In the Heart of the Sea' started production on La Gomera today amid a power outage which was pre-programmed by the electricity company to augment the local power supply to fill the needs of 'Gomerawood'.this caused a bit of chaos for a short while. Anyway, yours truly is working on the set as well. Just let me tell you that the buzz this morning was a wonder to behold with a 'mass meeting' of all involved on the pier in Playa de Santiago, La Gomera.

So now I'm bit tired after trying on wigs and rowing a boat - vice versa actually.

Hollywood has moved to La Gomera and I want to state this in block capitals:

THEY ALL ARE A GREAT BUNCH and they show great, great respect and appreciation for La Gomera.
…and PLEASE DO read The true story of the Essex as it will be told in the film.
Ron Howard tweeted this tonight:

''No more studio tanks or movie magic Just open ocean to shoot on.'' Quote and © Ron Howard  

Yeah, boys and girls - you've got to see Valle Gran Rey, the sunset capital of La Gomera   (Hautacuperche)