Lanzarote to Cabo Verde 2014

Gustavo, Maira and I are sitting at a floating bar here in the Marina in São Vicente, Cabo Verde. There is a pronounced swell here in the harbor so the whole bar is steadily swaying back in forth, so much so that keeping eye on your drink is a good idea. There is decent wifi though, and we are surrounded by fellow sailors speaking a wide variety of languages along with a smattering of backpackers. So why are we here you ask? I mean, aren't you supposed to be crossing the Atlantic right now? So you've decided to swing in for beer? Well, to the first question, the GRIB wind forecasts were showing a pronounced drop off in the trade winds, so pronounced in fact that had we continued we would most likely be motoring most of the way to Antigua, and that dear reader simply will not do for the crew of Feelin' Good! We are real sailors, we are sea travelers, and oh yeah, some more beer on board is always welcome.

So here we are, a few days before Christmas and I'm sitting in a sloshing, swaying, floating bar here in Cabo Verde- never a dull moment right?? Well the truly unfortunate bit is that we will be losing our friend, our fellow sailor, our beloved Swiss representative Gustavo, who sadly has run out of vacation days and is flying home tomorrow. So we must continue on without yet another man, but in another day or so the winds should return and we can depart once more. Art will have arrived in Antigua by now, and we will too, eventually!! Cheers and Happy Holidays from the crew of Feelin' Good!!!

Ciao, we arrived last night and dropped anchor at around nine local time- everybody was very tired but we had a nice dinner last night, I made roast chicken with the little potatoes we got in Lanzarote. We had a real dinner with all of us together at the table, there was wine and later rum; everyone slept good. Giamma is getting ready to go ashore with Pitiou to check in. The islands are big and mountainous but very dry: not so green and no trees. We are surrounded by heavy commercial fishing boats.

Giamma is amazed at how much the place has grown in the ten years since he was last here. We are anchored out in the middle of these rusted beasts like some beauty queen that’s just walked into a biker bar, needless to say we do not blend. But this is Cape Verde, a famous historical stopover for sailors, fishermen, fugitives and pirates, pretty much anything that floats has turned up here at some point so of course we draw no attention what so ever.

Update: Yes, they did divert to Mindelo on the island of São Vicente in the northwest of the archipelago of Cabo Verde and arrived about 22:00. They are anchored out tonight and will dinghy in tomorrow to check depths, etc. for refueling and a berth for a few days to wait for some winds before continuing.

The sailing is still spectacular with nice winds of 22kts and light to moderate seas however the picture changes over the coming days such that there will be very little wind for most of the mid-Atlantic crossing. As they are only 200nm from Cape Verde, Giamma is considering a stop there to top off with fuel and wait out the winds a few days. In the meantime, the weather is warm, the sailing fast and the sun bright!

Three in the morning is one of the most beautiful times to be on deck. The sky is a solid mass of stars alive with streaking meteors and yet, even more amazing is the sea passing beneath us which is also full of stars, not reflections from above but filled instead with intensely bright flashes of bio-luminescent plankton. I cup my hand over the rear navigation light to reveal a broad swath of sparkling bursts and tumbling sparks of green light we are leaving behind in our churning wake: a long tail like the exhaust of some exotic spacecraft. Pitiou calls to me, we have a visitor, a large dolphin has joined us his body is illuminated, wrapped in the glow of plankton as he jumps and plays beside our craft, he is so close we can hear his breaths as he surfaces. We sail through the night with 24 knots of wind in light swell making 15 knots boat speed on the back side. The air is fresh but not nearly as cold as we approach Cape Verde and our turn to the west- soon the butter will be melting- we are feeling good!

A translucent sunrise this morning over a pink/grey sea.. Maira baked Pão de Queijo (Brazilian cheese bread puffs) for breakfast and scrambled eggs. We have all fully settled into the daily life on board, even Gustavo has developed an appetite, he is eating well now, smiling and joking with everyone. We are currently 375nm south west of Lanzarote and heading towards Cape Verde where we will begin our westerly course. A low pressure system in the mid Atlantic is making the plans for us right now. We are sailing with good speed in light swell, the surfing is much more quiet but we're making good time. Its a completely different feeling out here in the deep ocean, the waves, the swell, all have a different feel and character. The boat heeling out here is not merely a shift in angle but of gravitational forces also. With a deep swell you feel a powerful g-force not just wanting to knock you off balance but to pull you down; a different set of challenges. Last night we had Carmen’s Pasta al Forno for dinner- molto buono! Ciao Carmensita!! Grandi abbracci!!!! - Tracy

Ciao from Feelin’ Good! Day two of the passage and everyone is running like a Swiss watch. A special welcome to our newest crew member Jonsi- pronounced “Jonsi” Bienvenido! We have just changed tack so its difficult to write and stay sitting here at the Nav station, how does Gamma do this? How did I get here anyway? This was supposed to be Art’s project! We just got word he’s doing well and resting back in Lanzarote, and no doubt counting the hours until he can fly over to meet us- Ciao honey! We are all thinking of you! The gennaker is up now and we are really smoking along between 10-12 knots in friendly seas. We had some rain yesterday, but nothing serious. Spirits are good on board- cheers from FG!

Well, they're off for Antigua! It was a beautiful sunny morning with light seas and building winds. Feelin' Good looked fantastic heading out of the marina. Tracy had prepared some nice sandwiches for everyone and the AIS tracking shows them moving past the south end of the island of Lanzarote. An update to the Yellowbrick tracker should take place every four hours. I've asked the crew to send along some comments when they find time and I'll get them up here for everyone to read as quick as they come in.