16:53.14N 24:59.47W 

 

Eight days and 2 hours after leaving Lanzarote we dropped anchor in Mindelo Harbour, Sao Vicente Island, Cape Verdes. 

 

What bliss to be stable! The passage had been tough with 2 days particularly challenging.  After a quick shower off the back, we had a few beers, Chris produced a fabulous pasta meal that was devoured in no time......and we were in bed 9pm for 10 hours of wonderful undisturbed sleep.

 

In the morning we moved in to the marina where we parked next to our Norwegian friends, Sol and Eric, on their Ovni who we first met in Les Sables d’Olonne two years ago. 

 

 

Two Ovnis - S/V Fulmar and S/V Toots in Mindelo Marina

 

We also met up again with the crew from a Kiwi boat that had sailed from the Canaries the same time as us.  They said it was the worst conditions they had experienced since leaving Australia 7 years ago so I feel justified to have said to Chris and Brian that they had just experienced some hard core sailing and something of a baptism of fire to long distance sailing.

 

      

Everything looking better in day light and sun................but hard to believe that the seas are actually huge behind Chris and Brian!   The night before Chris was knee deep in water at the helm (note she is hooked on).

 

A flying fish also joined us in the cockpit.

 

 

Since arriving, We have stripped the boat out, de-salted everything and washed away the red dust but it’s still there up the mast and on all the rigging.  The lady at the laundrette has become friends and Chris is enjoying buying food in the local market.

 

 

 

The marina has excellent facilities and the floating bar has a superb view.

 

  

 

Mindelo is a friendly place and has a comfortable feel about the town.  We like it.

 

           

 

Most of the boat jobs are done now, the local bars and restaurants visited.............and we feel rested again. 

 

Weather permitting, we plan to leave Mindelo on Christmas Eve and point the bow towards the Caribbean. 

 

Nearly a thousand miles done – two thousand plus to go.