Position: 16:53.09N 024:59.75W
Date and time:
21 November
2009 0300
UTC
At 0300 this morning we rounded the breakwater of Mindelo
harbour and dropped anchor after a momentous passage. I’m pleased to say that
after the bruising we took in the record-breaking seas the wind eventually
subsided, as did the seas, and we enjoyed a much more sedate and comfortable
ending to the passage.
Normally at the end of a long passage I am knackered.
Apart from maintaining systems and controls, doing all the navigation,
collecting and interpreting the weather, writing the blog, communicating not
only with the fleet but with the rest of the world, cooking meals for a sick and
unappreciative crew and standing my share of the watches, the little time
remaining for sleep is frequently interrupted by calls on to deck to oversee
reefing and trimming of the sails, alterations of course and to assess the
continuous traffic of ships across our path. On this occasion, however, I was
surprisingly refreshed. In the 2 ½ days we saw just two ships and the trade
winds were so consistent that we barely touched the sails. So I have enjoyed
long interrupted periods of sleep. In fact I feel less tired now than I have
done for a couple of weeks.
We will weigh anchor once everyone is up, and join the
rest of the rally fleet on the pontoons before going through all the
administrative procedures for clearing in to another country. There are a few
maintenance jobs to be done. Shortly after leaving
Dakar, our fresh water pump packed
up so whilst before we had had no water in the tanks but the means to pump it
out, we now had plenty of water in the tank but no means to pump it out – so no
showers again! Doubtless we will be arranging to take the ferry over to the next
door island of Santo Antao tomorrow which is stuffed full of the next book of
new birds for Colin to identify before he leaves us on Monday.
So it may be a day or three before the next
blog.
Meanwhile I hope that you are all enjoying a warm and
sunny autumn in the
UK.
