Day Seven was different again. As dawn broke the wind increased to 12 knots so we decided to have another go at sailing. Of course that meant that the wind immediately dropped! We decided that we would aim to get into Mindelo at around 2230 - not too disturbing for those already there, and in time to go straight to bed and enjoy a full nights sleep before doing anything on shore. So we did various calculations as to what the required distances to go would need to be at different times of the day. With that we tried to continue sailing as much as we could. It is just so so pleasant out here, in such a beautiful blue sea and warm sunshine. I can no longer say on our own because, as the day wore on, boats were beginning to converge together as we got nearer Sao Vincente - well on AIS anyway.
Inevitably that decision meant a busy morning of motoring and sailing, sailing and motoring. But when the engine went back on again at 1430 we left it on and continued chugging away for the afternoon under a lovely hot sun. Around teatime we took in both poles, and dropped the ballooner. All sadly put away.
It was dark when three boats converged on the northern end of the channel between Sao Vincente and Santo Antao, two of the northern Cape Verde islands. We were with Spanish boat Forquilla and Chilean boat Odysseia. We could see the bay of Porto Grande, now called Mindelo, to port, and yes, as warned, the lights were incredibly confusing because of the back lights on land. Our finish line was between a small islet and a headland at the northern end of the bay. I had a waypoint mid way. We headed for that. As we got closer we got more and more favourable current, up to about two knots, so throttled back. We then had a large cargo vessel coming up the channel, and so altered away from Sao Vincente island to let it through. We could see a three masted training ship at anchor in the distance, around the southern entrance of the bay. The tide started pushing us sideways into the Island, and we corrected for that. Not so immediately obvious in the dark. We could pick out the lighthouse on the islet, if not the islet itself. The lovely big moon was out again, apparently the last Blue Moon of 2024, now definitely behind us. As always the last bit seemed to take ages.
Two miles off I radio’d Rally Control, as per the instructions. We unfurled the genoa, switched off the engine, and sailed across the finish line. Radio’d again, took in the sail, turned to port, and started to head into the melee of lights and boats, first past two big cargo ship basins, with ships in them, fortunately not moving.
Rally Control were brilliant. They gave us instructions as to fenders and lines. We milled around outside whilst they berthed Forquilla and we got ready. Then, using a strobe light, and with radio instructions, they guided us past anchored and moored yachts, and channel markers, into the marina and up to C pontoon. We passed another pontoon and people on the end clapped and shouted. On Pontoon C there was small welcoming party.. Mediterranean mooring again. Rally Control plus Marina Mindelo people took our stern lines, did our slime line for us, and generally helped us in and to get tied up. We closed down the sailing systems as Odysseia was helped in next to us.
We were somewhat “out of it”. We did not feel euphoric, or relieved, about finishing, or about arriving in Cape Verde. I didn’t want the passage to end and did not want to get off the boat. It had been truly amazing, such a great passage, we had loved every minute, and we can’t wait for the Real One and the Caribbean. This is the Experience of a Lifetime.
I had a hot chocolate and David had a shandy. We collapsed into our own bed at 2230 GMT - so tired we left the nav lights on all night!