It was almost another case of the blind leading the blind, was it not?
Columbus first steered his ships to the south so as to reach the Canary Islands and commence his real westward voyage from there.

The Canary Islands, as you will see by looking in your geography, are made up of seven islands and lie off the northern corner of Africa, some sixty miles or so west of Morocco.

They were named Canaria by the Romans from the Latin canis, a dog, "because of the multitude of dogs of great size" that were found there.

The canary birds that sing so sweetly in your home come from these islands.

They had been known to the Spaniards and other European sailors of Columbus's day about a hundred years.
At the Canaries the troubles of Columbus commenced.