Wednesday, 18 December 2024

Cape Verdes Departure

Hi everyone,
At 1000 local time today we departed Mindelo on Sao Vicente Island in the Cape Verdes. A couple of hours later we were in the acceleration zone between Saao Vicente and Santo Antao islands, sailing under 2 reefs and storm jib at 7 knots. The wind was 25G35, funneling between the islands. By mid-afternoon the wind had almost died leaving a very confused sea. We battled through that into the gradient wind clear of the island's lee. Now sailing W at 5.5 knots in a nice 15G20 NE breeze.

We really enjoyed our unexpected stay in Mindelo. The marina is excellent and has a great vibe with so many sailors preparing to cross the Atlantic. The town is nice too with many good bars, restaurants and ice cream places. Also good for fresh fruit & veggies.

The main reason for our stop in Mindelo was to carry out emergency repairs on a leaking thru-hull. This was done with the help of friends and happily we avoided hauling out of the water. Hauling out is extremely expensive in Mindelo. The leaking thru-hull now has a fibre-glass plate sealed over it, plus a lot of sealant applied internally. So far so good.

Trust all's well where you are.

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