Starting the Crossing 16 25N 29 00W

Gryphon II
Chris and Lorraine Marchant
Thu 19 Nov 2009 13:26
 

37 Starting the Crossing

17 November '09

 

This is sent by sat phone..so no pics.


Today we leave the Cape Verde archipelago to make our way across the Atlantic to Barbados. 24 hours ago I wondered if we would be able to go today as Chris has been ill with either food or water poisoning, we aren't sure which. Thankfully he has recovered, it was a nasty bout and he was quite knocked out by it.


We are sad to leave Cape Verdes but have been getting anxious to go over the last 2 days. The horrible Dengue fever is in 4 of the southern islands and the victims are increasing rapidly. Yesterday we saw television Cape Verde news and over 11,000 people have been affected, it is spread by day biting mosquitos which can also carry malaria. This is the first time the Cape Verdes have had this illness, they think perhaps due to the unusual torrential rains at the end of August/early September which caused fear and havoc, and left standing water for mosquitos to breed. We have read up on Dengue fever which is untreatable apart from pain killers. There are 4 strains of the fever and no vaccine exists at present, having had one strain does not give protection from the others, it is extremely painful to the eyes and limbs with other malaria like symptoms and although rarely fatal it can take months to recover. So far six people here have died from Dengue. Because of all this we have felt somewhat on alert although we have not seen mosquitos in the northern islands which are drier and with a constant wind that keeps them cooler.


Our other reason for wanting to leave is that the harmattan is seriously kicking in. The harmattan is a hot, dry wind carrying heavy dust from Africa, it starts when the north east trade winds are or have been blowing at 17 knots or more. The effect is like fog causing very poor visibility but miserably everything gets covered in thick brown dust. It gets inside the boat as well as thickly coating every surface outside, sit down in the cockpit and clothes get coated as well. It gets on ropes which end up filthy; stanchions, rails wires sails and all else – UGH! The most horrid thing is that we can taste the stuff, it smears our specs and generally gives a feeling of grubbiness. Unfortunately the harmattan is not restricted to land areas so we shall be sailing with it and for how long we do not know. Apparently it can spread for 600 miles out from the African coast, we hope not this time.


The poor Cape Verdeans have so much to put up with: drought, freak torrential rain, Dengue fever, possible malaria, the harmattan, endless power cuts and once out of the main towns no piped water in most places. Despite all this many Africans see the Cape Verdes as a haven and there is much illegal immigration which they are trying to stamp out. It is easy to see the attractions: political stability and inward investment, improving infrastructure, good standards of health and education compared with many parts of Africa. There is virtually no begging, instead there are numerous offers of people offering services, be it doing your laundry, carrying your shopping or guiding you around the town but they don't pester once turned down. There is lots and lots of street trading: fish, fruit and vegetables but also many women and young men buy packets of sweets and tissues then sell them loose from their baskets at a small profit, women sit crocheting beautiful baby clothes for sale. Any way of making a living and they have thought it through, they don't lack enterprise, just opportunity.


Have spent the morning clearing customs and retrieving our documentation from the maritime police. We have been to the fish and produce markets and also bought tinned butter that we found in one of the many small supermarkets at half the British price. We have now filled up with water and motored out into the bag to anchor whilst we finish putting on the reefing lines to the mainsail. We had taken the sail off and had anti-chafe patches sewn on as there will be a lot of wear and tear on this next leg of our journey. It has taken quite some time getting the lines on and ensuring that all runs smoothly. A visual check of rigging and decks, mainsail hoisted and we are off. Jib out and we are doing 7 knots, leaving the Cape Verdes in a haze of dust so they are quickly disappearing from view.


Since writing this we have travelled 250 miles in almost perfect weather under twin jibs running in 15 knots of wind at 5.5 knots. We could probably be going a bit faster with a larger sail, but it is so comfortable and effortless we are loathe to change anything.According to the weather guru Herb , who we pick up each evening on the SSB radio, the winds are going to stay roughly the same for the next few days.


We are beginning to fall into the watch routine and are now both getting good sleep. I (Chris) have just had a salt water bath washed off with a pint of fresh water and air dried myself.


Sun dried Chris.