Slow Boat to China

Mindelo, Cape Verde Islands

Farewelled from Mindelo, Cape Verdes by that Yachting Great, Jimmy Cornell. **
With him, to the left, is Greg (SY Sandro) one of 2017/18 Odyssey participants

Our tenth sailing season, 2017, came to a close during our downhill race to the Cape Verde Islands.  We tried to celebrate, we really did but somehow at midnight shift handover, and on an alcohol-free ride, New Year’s didn’t quite bring out the fun side in us…  (Yes children, you see your parents are not (entirely) fuddy duddies.).  Given that the Cap’n has been away from home for 5 months too, this seemed the appropriate occasion to add up the yearly stats: 

From: Lagos, Portugal Lat/Long: 37:06.45N 08:40.27W  Date/Time: 2/11/17: 1510

To: Mindelo, Cape Verdes Lat/Long: 16:53.167N 24:59.447W  Date/Time: 5/01/18: 1505

Time Taken: (this year): 314 hrs  Distance: (this year): 1733nm

Distance Total: (since 2008): 20011.5nm   Congratulations to us for making the big 20K mileage!!  Clearly, we’re not slouches…

Weather: Forecasts must be like rules – made to be broken (or over-complicated).  Very little matched conditions as we dropped south.

Fastest Speed: We had a few wild rides this season but I guess, it is winter here in the Med.

Let the next season, 2018, begin.  On with the show: “A Slow Boat to China”.  Err…let’s make that the Caribbean!

** As we were leaving Mindelo, Cape Verdes, yachts in Jimmy Cornell's Caribbean Odyssey were arriving.  How exciting to meet the man himself, even if only as we cast off docklines.  According to his bio, he has amassed 200,000nm; 3 circumnavigations; voyages to both Arctic and Antarctic; instigated the now famous ARC in 1986; put together that wonderful wealth of information for cruisers, Noonsite; and now runs the Atlantic & Caribbean Odyssey. The Cap'n, among many others at the dock, was star-struck!   

Let’s Take the Ferry, Please

Sao Antao, Cape Verde Islands

Not in Charge but still watching the Nav...

Once bitten.  You know the rest…  The channel between Sao Vicente and Santo Antao is notorious for its WAZ – those strong gusty winds and dramatic swells.  Ferry passengers are warned to take plastic bags with them.  "Here we go again", sighed GS.  Our Kiwi friends (Ross & Jo, Soujourn) and the friendly marina staff recommended a tour of Santo Antao.  We had the contact details for Jonas, a young guide with an aluguer (van or ute), and absolutely no idea of what we were going to see for our day trip over this neighbouring island.  At least the weather was relatively clear and we had a fine morning view over to Santo Antao.  It looked like our tour was going to take us up some pretty steep gradients.

The moonscape above Porto Novo

After a brisk walk to the huge ferry terminal at Mindelo, we boarded and found a nicely protected cubby hole out of the wind and on the protected (leeward) side of the ferry.  The ferry is the only access to this island, so it offers a combination of foot and vehicle space.  Finally dock lines were released and the Cap’n started counting flying fish (not sheep).  Then, after some dramatic crashing and splashing as we crossed (this was a good day apparently), we arrived in Porto Novo to be met by our friendly tour guide, Jonas. 

Peering into the clouds for the deep trench of Paul's Valley.. Don't push, GS!!

Cova Krater at 1170m with a patchwork of farms below

Spectacular scenery continues

Jonas has a keen interest in his island home and has researched it thoroughly.  With a map in hand, he detailed his plan for the day; essentially a drive up and over the mountains, a stop for lunch at a coastal village, a chance to explore Santo Antao’s most productive and beautiful valley and then a fast drive back to the ferry terminal on the new coastal highway.

The road we followed initially was a legacy of Portuguese craftsmanship – a beautiful and superbly crafted cobbled road.  It was well maintained and planted, reflecting the pride of its inhabitants.  Views back over Porto Novo highlighted a barren landscape dotted with scrub and desert vegetation.  As we approached the top (only of the ridge we were on), the landscape began to change dramatically.  Farmers worked a patchwork of terraced fields and behind the village, pine trees sat perfectly at home in this cooler climate.  We passed a farmer with donkeys carrying water.  Jonas explained that many in rural areaslived without water to their homes.  Young people were seeking work off-island rather than continue traditional village life.  He also pointed out a number of new housing settlements which the local (& very progressive) government had designated for the poor. 

Look at the terracing.  Are we in Nepal?

Views down the Paul Valley to the Portuguese settlement of Ribeira Grande

On we drove to a viewpoint, high and treacherously narrow, over the Valé do Paul (Valley of Paul).  It suddenly became quite chilly as clouds swirled and danced around us, obliterating any view.  We ducked for cover under a tree only to find that it was dripping water.  A weeping tree...  They say mountain air does funny things to you!  Further on, we watched an artistic cloud dance over the vast ancient volcanic crater, the heart of Santo Antao.  The heights were dizzying and the views spectacular.  At every turn, the scenery of deep valleys, dramatic steep slopes, forests of pine and eucalypt and tiny terraced fields reminded us of Nepal.  Walking trails litter the slopes; French and Germans revelling in steep downhill trekking, fresh air and lack of crowds.

Cobbled road along a high altitude village

On the narrow road that promised breathtakingly sheer drops, sometimes on both sides, we climbed down to the thriving Portuguese town of Ribeira Grande, in the midst of preparing for a festival; a horse race run over a track on the river bed.  From there we took the coastal road north to Ponta do Sol, a pretty pastel seaside village proud of its newly constructed hotel.  We ate lunch of freshly grilled fish looking out over the local fishing harbour – a minute and exceptionally choppy hole-in-the-wall suitable only for local boats.  We figured that fishermen must surely deserve a prize for the most dangerous job on the islands. 

It's rather steep on this side of our very narrow road ..

GS & our Guide, Jonas.  Yes, and it's really steep on this side too!

We turned our attention to Ribeira do Paul, a narrow but productive jumble of farms and terraces spread under huge breadfruit trees lining the valley that led from the crater above.  A fresh water spring fed well-maintained gardens and optimum use was made of every space.  Sugar cane was a popular crop and we learned why after stopping at a grogue shop (local distillery, local spelling) to sample various concoctions of white rum.  Inventive use had been made of local fruits, creating a headache-inducing punch.  With a bottle or two, and a spicy mango “marmalade” tucked under our arms, we declared our touring day a huge success and Santo Antao spectacular. 

Coast Road scenery

Fishing Boats at the minute harbour of Ponto do Sol

So, it was reluctantly back to the ferry at Porto Novo on the new asphalt coastal road via Sinagoga (a small Jewish settlement) and Janela; back to cross the moonscape we’d left earlier.  Afternoon winds had set in, conditions in the channel had not improved since the morning, so it was a race for the leeward decks.  Luckily, we still had a few plastic bags left.

Of Course, It’s Africa!

X-ing File #3_ Canaries to Cape Verdes

Mindelo, Cape Verde Islands

Mindelo, Sao Vicente.  Taken from the Ferry Wharf

Before we start, we'd like to note that the end of 2017, celebrated (not) at sea on the way to Mindelo, marks Ten Years of sailing Miss WJ3.  We now find ourselves on the edge of a precipice, ready to complete a circumnavigation of the Atlantic.  I doubt If either of us would had ever thought this possible back in our early sailing days in Aus.  So here we are - in Africa and ten years into a still exciting voyage with our sturdy Windjammer.  She's still looking after us, very well indeed!  Now, on with the story so far:

After all the downhill momentum, and of course the thrilling, butt-clenching ride through the channel into Mindelo Harbour, it was a relief to see the marina.  Somehow, the swell never left us though and made its presence known even whilst tied at the dock.  Getting on or off WJ3 required coordination, balance and a little nerve - not always the GS’s strong points.  Wobbling & lurching to the floating bar (for coffee & wi-fi – sure!!) gave the impression that most of us were already above respectable limits, even at 10am.  To add to the milieu, nightly pummeling by wicked katabatics kept us on our toes, fenders working overtime to prevent other yachts from getting too cosy.  Long-termers had stainless springs (that squeaked) to dampen movement whilst the inventive Frenchies next to us used motorbike tyres.  Even after a few days our mooring lines had stretch beyond belief.  Judging by the number and size of the wrecks in the harbour, island life is still pretty harsh.  That said, it was a great place to break our journey.  Mindelo is lively with song and dance; the fish market, located beside that architectural giggle (the old Customs House and parody of Belem Tower in Lisbon) is well supplied with a variety of seafoods and stalls at the Market Square offer a surprising range of fresh produce.  In all, it’s a character town with lots of charm. 

Mindelo's own Belem Tower, now a Museum

View back over Face Mountain at dusk

The Cape Verdes are made up a group of 14 islands of volcanic origin along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. (Google Earth is quite useful here to see the extent of that ridge.)  They sit well off the African coast (325nm) and given the harmattan (a hot, dry & dusty wind) and proximity to hurricane breeding grounds, are relatively desolate and poor; lack of water being the most critical issue.  Charles Darwin (in 1832) described them as “utterly sterile”.  That said, Mindelo is now regarded as the “Riviera” of Cape Verdes and colourful modern concrete constructions sit perfectly in tune with Portuguese colonial architecture.  De-salination plants and international airports help sustain a growing tourist industry (including the ARC and many more migrating yachties like us) and thus valuable income and employment for islanders. 

Mindelo Marina in a deceptively calm-looking bay

Just to prove that We were There

Despite their barren appearance, Prince Henry the Navigator, with a strong business sense, saw their long-term value and so settled these uninhabited islands in the mid 1400’s.  Columbus visited on his third voyage, launching this as the perfect Trade Wind passage.  Eventually the Cape Verdes established itself as a successful merchant trading base for goods from both Africa and the West Indies.  Its history is then, the usual Atlantic island story of plunder, pilfering, pirates (Think of Drake in 1585. That man was never home!) and slavery.  In later years, the islands served as ports of call for whaling ships and trans-Atlantic steamships.  It’s not difficult to conjure up images of the tough men and women who risked their lives in these remote and rough islands to eke out a living and yet still sustain a welcome stop for sailors on this watery superhighway.  We certainly appreciated the opportunity to stretch our land legs, stock the larder, enjoy (slightly) warmer weather and get out and about a bit to learn a little more about an outlying post of Africa. 

Downhill to Flying Fish Country

X-ing File #3_ Canaries to Cape Verdes

The Kiwi’s near us on the same dock were leaving Saturday (30th December 2017).  We decided to take the plunge too.  The first day was a fine trip (read – we initially motored as the wind was slight!).  As they say, all good things must end – and so it did!  Had we just enjoyed downwind sailing conditions offered by constant trade winds, things might have been ok.  However, nature did what nature does best, so we had an accompanying swell from recent (and probably far away) Atlantic storms on one quarter and to even the odds, more swell from the east.  When all three met, we rocked and rolled in variable 25+ knot winds, making life rather unpleasant.  At least we moved with some speed, even maxing out at 8kn as we surfed the swell.  Just as well the Cap’n had earned his surfing stripes in the Faro canal earlier this year.

Somehow, we punched on through, winds abated and we settled into more manageable conditions.  That’s not to say that the rocking and rolling stopped.  Still, we were kept amused.  A pod of dolphins, numbering in the hundreds, visited over two days, showing off with an impressive and daring display of acrobatics and speed surfing.  They can spin on a dime…  We also saw, rather closely, a pilot whale and later, a turtle who looked as if he was planning to swim to the Canaries overarm.  On the seventh and final day of this leg, we were escorted into Mindelo Harbour (and wonderful, calm waters, woohoo!) by a family of birds.  It seems our wake disrupts their favourite snack - tasty flying fish; we certainly had accumulated quite the collection on WJ3's deck over the week.

So, just what do sailors do over these days at sea.  The Cap’n tells me he thinks of maintaining Windjammer’s forward momentum, weather and food.  Obviously, safety is an issue as is sleep.  We normally do 2 hour “shifts” at night (from dusk to dawn) and doze during the day to recover any lost sleep.  Shifts are filled in with checking the horizon for shipping (at 10 minute intervals), there’s sails to adjust, routes to plot & record (write our log), books to read, music to listen to and if conditions allow, a little deck dancing for exercise.  Meals are simple and very plain (mostly prepared by the Cap’n if it’s rough).  Bert Hydrovane (our self-steering gear) does an outstanding job as the third “man” and best of all, he’s cheap to keep and doesn’t complain.

The best thing on passage is seeing land, hopefully, our destination.  We still remember the sweet smell of mother earth wafting off Flores (Azores, 2011) after 20 days at sea…. 

(We're about to head off and take the long plunge across to Barbados, leaving any internet connections behind - for now at least!  It should take about 20 days or so, and as we will not be posting on route, the best place to follow our track is from the "map & tracker" tab above.  Don't worry if you see us drop to the latitudes of Brazil, it's probably GS entering numbers into our satellite coms system in the wrong order - again! Once in the Caribbean, it will be back to catch-as-catch-can cafe internet connections, so things could slow down for a while.  Wish us luck!!)