Position 04:16.5S 032:33.3W  25nm South of Fernando de Noronha

Date: 3 December 2012

Approaching Fernando de Noronha

After five days sailing 750 miles from Salvador we are now in the final approach to Fernando do Noronha, the small island 250 miles off the northeast tip of Brazil.

By any standards it has been a good passage. Apart from the first 12 hours when we were motor-sailing east to get us clear of the coast, we have not needed to use the engine at all. Since then, whilst we have been sailing close to the wind most of the time, we have been able to lay our course, and have been making good speed. The wind has been a consistent 15 to 20 knots most of the time, with just the occasional squall with the wind rapidly increasing to 35 knots for quarter of an hour or so to keep us on our toes.

Having complained in the last blog about the lack of wildlife, shortly afterwards we were joined by a large pod of Long-snouted Spinner Dolphins who entertained us for 15 minutes or so cavorting around the boat. Spinner dolphins are famous for being the only dolphins which leap vertically out of the water, spinning about their longitudinal axis. These ones put on a more conventional display for us, but it was great nevertheless.

Since our escape from Salvador, we seem to have been in a surreal fantasy world where nothing (apart from the diesel leakage which was quickly sorted) has gone wrong with the boat. Long may that last. But because of the delays we will only be able to stay in Fernando de Noronha for a day and a half, so we’ve got a busy time ahead of us.

And not least because tomorrow is a day of Great Importance …