Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Waking to a warm breeze, and the sun streaming through the hatch, I listened to the kettle come to the boil. Christmas Eve had been busy, like England, everybody was out doing that last minute shop. The party atmosphere spilled into the streets, and the bars were lively - some well into the small hours.

A lazy day, sitting in the sun, telephone calls home. American cruising friends, John and Shirlee came to dinner, Fizz and nibbles in the cockpit was followed by John cooking the mahi-mahi he had caught the day before. I made a fresh fruit salad, and Roy produced real Madeira cake. It was party time on Avocette!

John Shaw,from Southsea Marina, is flying out today, 27th, and we will hopefully sign out tomorrow, and sail for Grenada in the Caribbean. You can follow our actual progress by logging on to 'yotreps'. I shall try to update our position daily.

Happy New Year

An Archipelago with red bananas

Whilst one or two of the boat-boys were a bit in-your-face, the people are friendly, welcoming, and cheerful. Shopping is a novel experience. There is little to buy. It’s difficult to buy anything in these islands, except red bananas. Postcards don’t exist, meat scarce (fresh non-existent), even bread is difficult to find. Worse still, the local beer comes in 20cl bottles!!!!!
In contrast, I watch in horror, at the lifestyle of the tourist, flown into their “All Inclusive” then driven around in the hotels dessert-camouflaged land rovers, like going to the zoo, to see the “natives”. A perverse twist on the islands past history, and forced involvement in, the slave trade!
It was good to leave behind the lunar landscape of Ilha do Sal (the airfield is actually a designated divert for the space shuttle; should it ever be used the astronauts would be justifiably confused), and the Island of Boa Vista, described as a little bit of the Sahara adrift in the Atlantic.
Arriving in Tarrafal, on the Island of Sao Nicolau, we were met with the same beaming smiles, warm welcome, and empty shelves. A trip to the barbers gave the locals a laugh too.
But this island is different. Near vertical cliffs, ripped open by the wind and, because of its height, rain, reveal a dramatic landscape. Trees and shrubs compete with sugar cane and maize on the steep slopes. Falcons, and swifts, soar around the summits. Huge butterflies, as big as saucers, decorate the flowers. Other inhabitants though, are less appealing. The spiders, wasps, and bee-like insects are just as big!
It was a rough, bouncy trip in the Aluguer, a pick-up truck that does the job of taxi/bus/delivery van, to Monte Gordo and a long hard climb to the summit, but the view was worth it. The lsles of Sao Anton, Sao Vincete, Luzia, Branco, and Razo lay spread across the ocean.
We are now in Mindelo, on the Ilha da Sao Vincente, where we will spend Xmas, and prepare the boat for the crossing. Listening to the almost constant heavy beat of African rhythms echoing from the houses, sitting under the hot sun, it’s strange to see Christmas trees (plastic), and tinsel on the balconies. As for carols sung in Creole…..still, I guess someone has to do it.
It will be strange without family and friends. Have a good one, and a Happy New Year.

Sal and BaoVista in the Cabo Verde

It´s Chilly Here....

It was our second night out from the Canaries, heading for the Cape Verde Islands, in the Tropics. Great handfuls of Neptune’s diamonds (bioluminescence) sparkled in the foam and inky-black water as we surfed down 3m waves in 20kts of easterly breeze. Above us, Orion watched our progress as he silently marched westwards across the heavens. The first day’s run had been a rolling and noisy 100miles, but now we are making 150miles a day. It’s chilly today – I had to wear a t-shirt!

Life settles into a routine very quickly on an ocean passage. 3hrs on, 6hrs off, maintenance, cleaning, cooking, all have their place. The SSB radio is invaluable. Each day I download a synoptic chart, and a grib file, of the weather for our area of the North Atlantic Ocean. I also send a position report (To see it, Google: yotreps and search for avocette).

Then the wind dropped, the temperature soared, and the engine went on. Light NE winds returned and we sailed into Palmeira, on the Ilha do Sal.

The anchorage was much busier than we had expected with some twenty French, German, Swiss, and Belgium boats already at anchor. Entry formalities were simple, and the place delightful. Friendly locals smiled and waved as they queued to collect water from the “Fontana” – a tap in a blue building that is unlocked each morning if the water tanker has delivered the water! The houses have no piped water, few have electricity. Roads in the village are either cobbled, a legacy of the islands earlier Portuguese ownership, or dirt tracks. Only the main road to the capital is tarmac.

In the capital, Espargos, bare footed women carry their loads in great baskets balanced on their heads, whilst children play in the streets.

Watching the men return from fishing always creates a buzz. The fishing is good. Sailfish, marlin, dorado, tuna…… So far I have hooked, and lost, two big fish, but landed only one smallish tuna – but it was delicious.

Big money is moving into the islands. The all-inclusive holiday is starting to dominate the beautiful beaches on southern parts of the islands – I bet they have running water!

We moved south to Boa Vista, the next island in the chain. Very similar. The supermarkets have little to sell. No bread. There is a small bakery for the tourists. No fresh or UHT milk. Only powdered is available for sale.

Sorry there are no photos at the moment. I cant get them to load.

We head back to Sal tomorrow as John has to fly home.

Gales with attitude!

Last nights storm was the third in two days and rolled in with a vengence. Pontoon cleats sheared off as mooring lines snatched bar-tight with the forces generated by the send (waves), that bent around the headland, and rolled in through the open south facing harbour entrance. Thankfully our preparations were sufficient. We suffered no more that a snapped shoreline and a poor nights sleep.

Windguru had forecast 50kts then ammended the prediction to 34kts. His first was more accurate!

Its raining now, but things are quietening down. Hopefully we will get away tomorrow.

New Crew & a Change of Plan

In the distance, the brown volcanic hills of Gran Canaria were a stark contrast to the lush green of La Palma that we had left just hours earlier. It was Moira’s last chance to catch a fish, and she did it in style. Not content with a nice tuna, she followed it up with a monster dorado. We ate well for the next few days.
Arriving in Las Palmas, the marina was full. Boats were gathering for the ARC. We found a slot in the anchorage and dropped the hook. It was time for a crew change. Moira to Lanzarote, to join another boat, and my daughter Nicki, with friend Liza were flying in. Sun was on order. First they tried the foredeck, then it was the turn of the beach. To my utter surprise they also wanted to go sailing, and fishing!
We slipped out of harbour, hoisted sails, and enjoyed a rolling reach 40 miles down the coast to the tourist trap of Puerto Rico. The girls could walk ashore and were soon vying with the Scandinavians for sun loungers on the beach and cocktails in the noisy bars.
The marina was great with boats of all nationalities, each preparing for their own next leg. I lifted Avocette again to replace the anodes, and finished fabricating a short bowsprit from which to fly the asymmetric kite. There’s a great little chandlery there too.
WE should have been heading for The Gambia next, but the talk was of Senegalese pirates, so we opted instead to explore the western islands of the Canaries.
La Gomera is a pleasant island, tourism is low-key. Buses leave on time and are cheap, so we have walked some of its dramatic hills, valleys, and cliffs while we wait for some vigorous Atlantic depressions to pass. The next is just rolling in. Thankfully the 50kt winds originally forecast are not now predicted to be greater than 35kts. We shall see……………..

We sat in the clouds to cool down

Slipping out of Quinto do Lorde, Madeira we unrolled the headsail, engaged Carly the hydrovane and romped-off towards the Ilhas Desertas. The NE force 5/6 sent us scuttling bye, able only to enjoy the view from a safe distance-off. Frequent gusts to 35kts and a 4m swell had us surging down the waves at a respectable 6.5-7kts. The cork-screw motion made life uncomfortable. We had to miss the Selvagem Islands - a marine nature reserve for which we had permits, so we also missed the rare monk seals too. 277 miles and 47 hrs later, but now back in hot sunshine, we tied-up in the marina in Santa Cruz, on the island of La Palma in the Canaries.

Unlike the eastern islands, La Palma is green. The spectacular volcanoes rise to a staggering 2426m. The walks are awesome. Advertised for "expert walkers who do not suffer from vertigo", they deliver exactly what they say!! Sitting on the top, looking down on the clouds,tumbling on air currents, like the primordial gases that had erupted with the magma, we sat humbled as ravens and buzzards soared around us. We left only when the cool clouds enveloped us. Behind us, some 60 miles away, Tenerife silently poked its even higher cone towards the sky.

With mischievous humour, the people of La Palma enjoy a satirical poke at Napoleon. French pirates had repeatedly returned to rape and pillage. Then, after Boney himself, had had a pop at invading the island, only to repulsed, sent running, his tail firmly between his legs, did they celebrated, and they still do. Throughout the island there are representations, a statue, and even an annual festival where Bonaparte, depicted as comical little clown in a huge hat, is irreverently the centre of attention.

We leave tomorrow for the Island of Gran Canaria, and the World Music Festival, so maybe its time to wander the cobbled streets of the old town for one last beer or perhaps an icecream..