The weather continues to be our main concern. The forecasts had lulled us into a false sense of security, believing the worst of the weather to be over. The last 24 hours have proven us wrong. Overnight we had the strongest squalls yet – lasting well over an hour in the middle of the night, …
The last 24 hours have been the roughest so far: wind speeds consistently in the high 20’s and gusting up to 35 knots .The wind has been matched by the waves. According to our forecasts we should have experienced waves of 3.7m high, but in practice this allows for occasional waves even higher, as they …
Are we nearly there yet? Or, more relevant, are we halfway yet? It is surprisingly difficult to answer that simple question. The straight-line distance from Mindelo to Grenada is 2163NM, but our route, which took us south to avoid the worst of the weather, is 2285NM. In addition, we measure distance covered with the ship’s …
The countdown continues, with 1439 NM to go as at noon today. In the last couple of days the temperature has risen noticeably. Where before we could reliably catch up on sleep by dozing during the day, we now find that the interior of the boat is just too hot in the middle of the …
We thought we would get some rest here – we were wrong! The past few days have been a whirlwind of partying, sightseeing, preparations and building nerves as the next passage looms closer. What little of the Cape Verdes we have seen has been fantastic. Mindelo is a lovely laid-back town with nice restaurants and …
Phew! We have arrived. Looking at the log, we covered 930 nautical miles in a passage lasting 6 days and 14 hours. Our arrival was in the dark – at about 10:30 at night, but was straightforward with the help and guidance of Marlino, a local working for the Vikings Rally. We tied up as …
Conditions are finally calming down a little. The swell is gentler but with enough wind to keep us going at a decent pace. By the rally standards, though, we are one of the slower boats. This morning we got the news that the first rally boat had just arrived in Mindelo marina and by this …
The sea state built overnight, just as predicted, and today we find ourselves rolling from side to side, and gripping onto every available handhold just to stay upright!, Cate spent much of the day repacking cupboards, the contents of which have been crashing around, and stuffing them with cushions. We’re gradually learning the tricks for …
Not wishing to alarm anyone, but Oliver (pictured) and Carlota from the Viking Explorers organised a liferaft practice on the beach next to the marina. Few of us were willing to get in the water, and Cate and I had the excuse that we have already completed a sea survival course (done in Falmouth in …
Final preparations! In the last couple of days we have been running around the boat and around the supermarkets. It is amazing how many things we are remembering and trying to sort out, when just a week or two ago we thought we had it all done. Even the passage plan to Cape Verde proved …