Island

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    Lets sail to....the Caribbean!

    At night at anchor in Puerto Vueltas La Gomera I wake up in the middle of the night, anchor alarm. The kathabatic wind howls over the mountain. In the morning the same again and we are almost on top of the catamaran that anchored behind us yesterday, much too close for my taste.

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    La Gomera, the greenest of the Canary Islands

    On the way to Sidi Ifni and Mirleft as I wrote in the last post? Well.. we are sailors and sailors change their minds all of the time. While leaving Essouaria there was good wind to bring us straight to the Canaries but there was no wind near the coast, so time for a new plan. Lets go to La Palma instead.

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    Reunion Island

    How is it possible? Turkey to Reunion island, 500 miles east of Madagascar in the Indian ocean in a month? Well, simply by cheating: a flight from Paris. This is the plan and it sounds good: First a 150km train north to Utrecht, then the midnight Flixbus to Paris airport then the 11 hour flight to Saint Denis de la Reunion. I am too early so I see the 21.00 leave for Paris.
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    Ile de la Galite

    It was the Italians who build houses and infrastructure on this beautifull, unspoiled island. They cultivated part of the land growing figs and vegetables. When Tunisia became independent they all left to France giving their houses back to nature. Some of these houses are now used by the National and the police and some fishermen. The rest is inhabitable. The path leads to the top of the mountain where once the Italians grew their vegetables.
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    Gibraltar to Ile de la Galite

    Everything is prepared. All paperwork is done but the prediction does not seem favourable. Still I decide to leave Gibraltar now: my eldest son gets married and the flight to the wedding is booked from Tunisia.So far so good. Our first passage on the Mediterranean sea starts with a little breeze from the East so the course past Europa point is set in the direction of Malaga. Then a tack in the direction of Marocco to cross the busy shipping lane.
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    Mindelo

    At arrival on Sao Vincente, one of the Cape Verde Islands, we anchor under sail in the motor vessel anchorage as the engine does not seem to be working well. After arrival we go ashore to check in and discover that it is Canaval! Everything is closed as the whole town is watching the parade this afternoon. We eat, watch the scenery and relax in a Spanish restaurant. Beside French tourists there are many locals of Creole, Chinese, African and Indian roots looking at the colourfull parade, a true mishmash of people.
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    Crossing the equator

    The kind lady of port control checked us out on Friday as our plan was to leave Ascension Island on the Sunday for our passage to the Mindelo on Sao Vincente, one of the Cape Verde islands. This will be our longest passage so far, 1700 miles in a straight line, more than 20 days of sailing. We will go north first crossing the doldrums, the zone around the equator where the tradewind will change from south-east to nearly zero then turning to north-east.
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    Ascension Island

    It only took 5 days to cover the 710nm between st Helena and Ascension island,the easiest sail ever! Ascension is a Brittish overseas territory, like st Helena. The island has a RAF airfield and a US base with advanced radar and communication equipment for the US space program. Obtaining a visa must be done in advance, an administrative process that requires each visitor to provide proof of medical and repatriation insurance.
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    St Helena Island

    Welcome to Saint Helena! the anchorage is directly on the ocean The small island St Helena is a rock rising up sharply from the 5000m deep ocean seafloor in the middle of the southern atlantic ocean. It was discovered by the Portugese and ruled by the Dutch VOC before it became an important Brittish overseas territory: before the invention of motor driven ships all North going sailing vessels called at the island to provision.
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    Capetown to St Helena

    Ha! We got ourselves a seat on the first row. A cannon fires and the Capetown to St Helena race has begun Why leave? Just stay and enjoy the beauties of South Africa. No, it is time to go, the race is ON, I must face the ocean, this is what I have to do. Understood, but you can do that also later, why go now?…No, see you South Africa, it is very hard to leave…