30
November 2006
I
did cut my hair yesterday, there is about an inch at the front where I could see
what I was doing and about half that everywhere else. I just ran my fingers through it and cut
any hair that stuck out from there, it certainly feels a lot
lighter.
Today was Tourist Day. Mike
and Penny were going on a tour and I was invited along. The tours are conducted in small trucks
and you sit outside on bench seats.
We went up to a village in the mountains. The scenery was spectacular and photos
do it no justice, but I tried. It
is a very hard way of life, the women carry the water in 25 L containers, with
no lids, on their heads. Donkeys
carry everything and sometimes have no person with them and they know where they
are going and you have to get out of the way. The roads are made from the flat square
cobbles and are very well done. It
is very steep in places and where they were mending the road we had to take on 3
extra men in the back to weigh the truck down to get us up the hill. The butterflies, birds, even insects are
very pretty and unusual and I felt a bit like the doctor on Master &
Commander looking at all the specimens.
We then went to look at the sea, where it has totally eroded the rockface
it is so rough. It makes our
anchorage look rather safer. This
is a totally inadequate account and I will download the photos, but it was
amazing. Very good to see people
supported by OPEC and other countries, but making an effort themselves, not just
taking the money. Half the
population is under 17, there is certainly no shortage of children. After a hard days work I don t know
where they find the energy. Sailing
any islands does teach you how precious things like water are and how good we
should be to our environment.
We
saw lots of boats leave today, some to Sal and some to Mindelo, depending on
which way they had started. When we
got back the Dutch from the little red boat, Rebel, came over to invite me, they
are doing the same tour tomorrow.
People are so nice. I like
boat life. I do not think I will
settle in CV, but it is not beyond the realms of possibility. Would just have to find a really good
anchorage.
I
was going to leave today, late afternoon or early evening to go to Mindelo, but
walking up the hills was tiring.
The wind has started up again, which was necessary for my batteries, but
this is the first day of it for Rebel and they were sorting out their
anchor. If it is not too bad I will
stay and go tomorrow.
I
must just say that the densotape seems to have worked; there was no water when I
went to add the t shirt this afternoon.
I hope it keeps this up.
I
cannot say the same for the keel bilge, I have not emptied it for several days
and there is not that much in there, but I will empty it out tomorrow. I just can t work out where it is coming
from.
Listened to Herb at 2000 relaying weather information to boats on the
crossing, most were well south of CV, but it is interesting.
1
December 2006
The
wind was not enough to fill up the batteries, by the time I had left the anchor
light on all night. So many boats
have left I am now the outside boat.
I ran the engine for an hour to top up the batteries, the computer and
made 5 litres of water. The water
reading is about 320ppm, potable water is 1500 or below. I will only be using the water for
cleaning purposes for now, but quite a pleasing result for the first real
try.
I
made my first baggywrinkle for the shrouds, it is to protect the preventer
rope. I have to make one for the
other side. I had about 2 metres of
rope up to a spliced join, I will see how many it makes. I would rather not be reliant on any
rope with a join in it, however good.
I
am ready to leave late this afternoon, just before it gets
dark.
