13:50.50N 59:30.00W

So the final day has come before the paradise island, one that previously seemed forever away, will come under our sights. The feelings are bittersweet. Only a few days ago, the entire crew had had enough – fantasizing about being on land, eating fresh produce and connecting back to the world. This common sentiment has not lasted. Joao Cabecadas put it best in his email when he told us to enjoy the final days, even though we’ll start feeling nostalgic before it even ends. This couldn’t have been closer to the truth.

So, in this light, we decided to share with you each crewmember’s favourite memory during this amazing adventure…

Pena: It has always been in my imagination to see whales; which is why seeing them only 100 metres from our boat was my favourite memory. My reading of Moby dick probably helped spark this enthusiasm. The image of Captain Ahab’s pegged leg storming on deck, looking for Moby dick (the whale that took his leg) has always stuck with me. He was never calm, always restless, and the sailors couldn’t sleep inside of the boat because of the knocking. Our experience was much more different. Though I had always thought that the behaviour of whales would resemble dolphins – wild and erratic -- they surprisingly very calm. It would have been easy to get closer to them in the dinghy. They were so peaceful.

Ze: It was the stopover in Mindelo. Because it was a place I had always wanted to visit, this was a great and unexpected opportunity. It was more or less what I expected. It was calm, warm, had small restaurants and nice people. It resembled the Algarve some 50 years ago.

Manel Jr.: The day of the squalls was the most memorable day for me. It was the best sailing experience I ever had. Especially after not having had ANY wind for two weeks, it was finally nice to be under extreme conditions (albeit with warm weather) going at high speeds.  In terms of adrenaline, it was definitely the highlight of the trip.

Boyan: For me, it was an easy choice: bear hugging the raging, 1 metre-long Dorado. I have been deep sea fishing before when I was in middle school, but our responsibilities were reduced to reeling the fish in. This experience was, obviously, completely different. None of us knew what we would do when it came down to bringing the beast in. I had briefly pictured having to grab the fish, but didn’t think it would actually happen. But it did. And I look back on that moment fondly, knowing that it will be engrained in my memory for years to come (and even if I forget, we are working on editing some of the footage into a short film, so I’ll have something as a reminder).

Manuel Sr.: during the last few days, as I was getting closer and closer to the destination, savouring the completion of this chapter in my life.  These were also the days with the best sailing conditions and I also had the chance to spend quality time with my son Manel, as he himself discovered more pleasure in sailing.  Each day I am more and more pleased for having taken this time off to fulfill the dream.

Enigma has landed and taken us safely in St. Lucia today. The photo today shows the happy crew, with St. Lucia in the background… Tomorrow we will share with you our first impressions ashore, after this 24 day journey from Las Palmas.

The Enigma Crew