November 28th 2010: Approaching Cabo Verde

Enigma's Transatlantic Voyage
Manuel Ribeiro
Sun 28 Nov 2010 22:01

18:01.70N 23:57.80W

 

It was another day of steady motoring as we looked to arrive in Cape Verdes early the next day. Though we weren’t too sure how many boats from the ARC would also be stopping to refuel, we knew that we wouldn’t be the only ones. As mentioned previously, the wind has not been in our favour. So stopping off at this Portuguese ex-colony seems to be appealing for many.

 

Knowing that we have found ourselves in this predicament, it was a good opportunity for us to learn a bit about this Archipelago off the coast of West Africa

 

As a nation of 10 main islands, Cape Verde established its independence from Portugal in 1975. Throughout its history, it has experienced recurrent hardship – characterized by recurrent droughts that stifled attempts of agricultural development. Given this, its current economy is heavily dependent on foreign aid. Cape Verde’s status as a nation, nevertheless, is highly touted in comparison to its continental neighbours. Most notably, it has been cited consistently by the United Nations quality of life index as having the highest among its African neighbours. So, given the hardships characterizing their history, there is much to be optimistic about Cape Verde.

 

So, now that you know what we do about these islands, you are probably wondering less about the destination and more about the crew on its way!

 

Though we all felt more up to speed with the history of these islands, we realised that our boat needed two things: a good scrub and a Cape Verdean flag! The boys tended to both. A thorough clean of the deck was undergone with scrub and hose – and Enigma looked as good as she did when leaving Lisbon. As for the flag, Manel was up to the task. All the crew’s artist needed was a plastic folder, some paint, markers and tape in order to conjure up a very respectable imitation (see photo).

 

Furthermore, our efforts of courtesy were rewarded shortly before dinner, as we finally caught and ate our first fish of the journey! It seems as though our dolphin visitors (mentioned in previous entry) listened to our request and beckoned their Mahi Mahi friends to pay us a visit. We took the opportunity to quickly prepare our catch on the new grill – and it was delicious.

 

So, with these precautions being dealt with, the Enigma crew were set to make its entrance into S. Vicente!

 

Check out the next entry for our brief stay on this intriguing new place.

 

Till next time,

 

The Enigma Crew

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