Cape Verde Islands

Cape Verde Islands

Amaris sails the globe

November 15-20

Like skinning cats, there are multiple ways of crossing the Atlantic.  We chose to cross with a "rally" of other boats that would all cross together.  Whereas we thought this would create a group of boats that "safely transit together" we have learned that you may or may not see another boat each day.  There is truth however that if something goes terribly wrong - there are others within a hundred miles that could re-route to help you.  Certainly there is no hope of help if you run out of mayonnaise...  (Fortunately - this is not the case for us...  yet)

The rally we joined left from Las Palmas in the Canary Islands (750 miles south of Gibraltar) and finishes in St Lucia in the Caribbean.  Whereas the "direct route" may take 15-20 days, there is an option to sail down the coast of Africa for 850 miles and have a quick little "stopover" in the Cape Verdes.  After catching up on sleep, having a nice long shower, re-provisioning, and fixing everything that needs fixing after 5 days of sailing (and more than one beer) this route leaves you refreshed to sail the remaining 2100 miles to the Caribbean.  Of course this run is mainly "downwind" which isn't our fastest point of sail - but the direct route was sold out.  So plan B wins again. 

Cape Verde was amazing - and sadly likely a place we will never have the option to sail to again.  We spent time on both Santo Antao and in the town of Mindelo on Sao Vicente.  I was truly amazed in the beauty of Santo Antao.  The island groups are remnants of volcanic activity and our tour of Antoa took us from the beach (which looked like Phoenix) to an elevation of 2500 meters and a volcanic crater that reminded me of Kaui - just without all the waterfalls.  The people of both islands were incredibly kind and helpful.  One individual spent 1/2 hour with me getting a sim card to work in my phone.  I didn't have the language down at that point (Portuguese). 

None of the following paragraph should ever be quoted or conceived as fact - but it seems to follow my basic understanding of sailing, trade routes, history, and well things that just make sense.  Cape Verde became an independent nation from Portugal in the 1970's.  It is along the trade routes from the Mediterranean to the Caribbean (or more importantly from Portugal to Brazil).  So, I reckin' that if I were a Portuguese sailor, sailing between Portugal and the new colony in Brazil - a good stopover for some rum drinks would fit in nicely about half way there.  Cape Verde is roughly 1500 miles along the trade routes from Portugal and 2000 miles from Brazil.  AND - the weather is wonderful year round.  Not sure if it was introduced by the Portuguese - but I would bet it was... They grow sugar cane in Cape Verde - an important ingredient for molasses among other things (rum).  So, by process of deduction, Cape Verde was an important discovery and colony of Portugal as a stopover for traders who had just spent 15 or so days on a boat without a good bath and desperate for some rum before continuing their sail to Brazil.  To solidify this - they call their rum drinks "grog."  Humm...

And there you have another history lesson from Steven.