Cabo Verde Santa Luzia
Upwind at 20 knots, gusts of death, and how we become breaded cutlets.
There's wind up ahead!
We leave the anchorage in Tarrafal in the early hours of the morning, because we want to get to the marina in Mindelo, on the island of São Vincente. Here we will buy some fresh fruit and vegetables, clear customs and then the big journey begins. There's supposed to be a huge party in Mindelo at the turn of the year, so of course we don't want to miss this.
To shorten the crossing to Mindelo, we spend a night in Santa Luzia, an uninhabited island on the way. We have to motor for the first half hour from Tarrafal, as we are in the cover of the mountainous island and have hardly any wind. The closer we get to the cape, the more visible they become: the white caps of the waves. White caps, an indication of wind. And there's definitely some up ahead.
Hold fast!
The prevailing winds here at this time of year blow from the north-east, and we want to head north-west, which means we have to sail upwind. With winds over 15 knots, this is definitely a stress factor for me, and I've somehow been unable to cope with it since the start of our trip. But I'm constantly working on my fears, so now I'm at the helm and instructing my crew: There's wind ahead, get ready. Although at this moment I'm saying it more to myself 😉 It's gusting at 20 knots and I hold on to the wheel while I breathe deeply. I can do this! And so it is, we sail purposefully a bit northwards, then drop to a beam reach and make great progress. I can even relax a bit, what a success for myself! Thanks to my lovely crew for encouraging me and spreading a relaxed atmosphere.
A little paradise
We anchor on 7 metres of sand off the coast of Santa Luzia. There's only one other boat in this huge bay, it's marvellous. The only downside: the gusts of death. Due to the geographical nature of the island, the winds intensify between the mountain peaks and sweep down into the anchorage. The Cervino dances around her anchor, which, as always, is rock solid.
There is a small rock in the bay that is teeming with fish. We go on a little snorkelling trip, but it's rather short because the water is a bit chilly. Thierry, Marti and I then make a detour ashore. The beach is beautiful, and apart from the crabs doing crab things in the surf, we are completely alone here. We do a little yoga session to stretch our rusty muscles a little. It's actually a perfect and idyllic spot, but the gusts are blowing here too and so we have sand in our ears 😂
It was definitely worth the stopover, but now we're looking forward to some marina time again.
Mindelo, here we come!