Shelduck - Mon 9 Dec It Really IS a Small World...

Mon 9 Dec 15:05.755N 40:06.070W Distance travelled in 24h 132 miles

 

We had another demonstration of the incredible smallness of the world in Marina Mindelo Cape Verde a week ago today.  As Neil was paying for the diesel the young man taking the money asked if we wanted a berth and he decided to take one, if only for a few hours.  Two young men arrived in an inflatable and helped us into the berth.  We were just settled when we heard from an approaching inflatable “Hello Mr Hegarty”! Who was it but Dave Hennessy with whom Neil’s previous yacht ‘Beagle’ had had many a joust in the Royal Cork Yacht Club October Leagues some years ago and whom Neil last saw when Dave entertained Neil and Anne with music and song in a pub on the Isle de Croix during the ICC Brittany Cruise in 2011.

 

Dave was very helpful first advising us not to check into the country as it was not necessary if we were not staying overnight, as checking in might take an hour to do so and it can take even longer to check out.  He also advised that I pay the marina fee, which I did, and then demonstrated to Brendan how to start the engine with a screwdriver over some contacts!  He also kindly took Gabby and Neil in his inflatable up onto a beach next to a fuel station where we purchased a replacement drum of camping gas, got 20 litres of bottled water and some mayonnaise in a nearby supermarket, and were back aboard within the hour.  Dave told me he was heading for Barbados in a few days after the ARC boats had cleared off.  Is it just that the sailing world is so small?

 

(Note: Neil’s ‘Beagle’ was an Impala 28 OOD and sister yacht to Gabby’s Dad’s ‘Crescent Moon’. In 1979 Neil had persuaded 3 friends with similar aged teenaged children to purchase the same type of yacht each so 4 Impalas raced and played together for many years.)