SVMAGWEN

Dear All. Happy New Year to everyone. Thank you all for your messages. We love getting them.
Sorry about the delay in getting this out but we have found that in both the Cape Verde Islands and here that our link via mobile phone modem is very difficult, indeed proved impossible in the CVs and almost so here. We have managed to pick up some 40 messages but cant get the rest just yet. We have also been unable to access our emails via internet café – seems that the classic mail2.com that worked in Spain isn’t quite so universal. So, we hope that tomorrow we can connect direct to a phone line and be back in touch.

As for our news, we left Tenerife on 29/11 and reached Palmeira, Isle do Sal, Cape Verde on in the early hours of 4/12. A good trip with good winds and not too many snags. We learnt that the windvane steering gear, despite being Italian, does not work in reverse, and the watermaker goes all peculiar if one doesn’t open all the right valves. Silly really. We tow a substantial turbine on the end of 16mm line – generates electricity- and when we hauled it in were astounded to see huge gouged teeth marks in the metal and the last 10 feet of the tow rope badly shredded and almost severed. There was definitely something big out there – the turbine is about 9 inches across!

Delighted to meet up with our friend Joseph in Palmeira. He had helped us so much in 1997 and is still at it, as kind and honest as the day is long. He makes part of his living supplying fresh produce and helping with diesel and water etc. acts as a caretaker for one or two foreigners who have holiday homes on the island, and in return they let him use their gardens to grow veggies. With every drop of water like gold dust, life on the island is not easy.

Left Palmeira on 7/12 and arrived in Praia, on Santiago (capital of CVs) next day. Horrible place, dirty, down at heel and very poor with a very high petty crime rate. We had two snap shackles cut out of our dinghy in the half hour it took to deal with the port captain. Not the end of the world but so different from the other islands. Perhaps typical of a big town. Having said that, we had the electric motor from our anchor winch fixed (thoroughly cleaned and new brushes adapted to fit) in two hours by a charming young mechanic working with the most basic of tools and equipment in a back street lock-up garage and all for $25 US. Anyway we were not sorry to leave there as we couldn’t leave the boat unattended to do any serious travelling round the island. Sad.

To Brava with breeze of 35/40 kts, the smallest and greenest (all relative) island in the group. Delightful little anchorage, Faja, on the west {leeward) side of the island. Two other boats there and we filled it. Tiny village, very steep track up the cliffs to get out. They do have a stream but it wasn’t running at the time. Friendly and interested people, but great contrast, as everywhere, between the locals and a few outsiders with money. New 4WD and the odd smart house look at odds with hovels and bare feet. Nobody seems to mind and as long as the rich spend their money……
Left Brava on 11/12 for the Caribbean. Our track was about 100 miles south of the last time. It was interesting to see how the day’s run compared. As ever the trade winds are variable in strength and direction and so a good day could be rewarded with almost no breeze at all. Still, the fishing kept us busy, even if the score was 2 dorado, 1 bonito v 4 lost lures!

Boxing day brought us to Tobago. Wonderful! We have met the locals, eat with them, drunk with them, shared their ganja and enjoyed their gentle teasing. Tourism has yet to have a major effect upon this part of the island but inevitably things are changing. Not thankfully the maxi taxi ride to Scarborough (the capital) 1½ hrs for 10$TT (£1) with banter and community gospel singing for free. These people just think that life is fun and of course the climate and soil are so fertile that everything grows soon as look at it and the fish are there for the taking. Who would want to change it?

Some 25/30 boats in over the holiday. 2 from Cornwall, one a schooner with 2 families on board, 2 couples, 5 young children and an honorary uncle, Lily Bolero is bound for NZ. Also met former RNLI lifeboat, a Barnet? from Stornaway, run buy Chris and Saffron. Fun people. Otherwise the boats are from Scandinavia, Holland, Germany, Belgium, France and Spain, and the odd charter boat.

As I write, the rain has started again. It has been quite changeable with a very strong northerly blowing into the anchorage the other night, accompanied by a big swell. Kept us up all night as we bounced and surged around (anchor watches!) and then at about 2am the red flares started as a French boat lost its anchor and went onto the cliff shore. Luckily there were those who had dinghies with powerful engines, not our puny 2hp, and they rallied round and pulled him off. A loan sailor, badly shaken but thankfully neither he nor his boat were badly damaged. Met him on the jetty yesterday, taking the whole episode with a gallic shrug. It has all settled down again now.

Now the sun is out again and we are off to play footie – locals-v-yotties. I know the result already! ( It was 5-2 to the locals and a good time had by all.)
Next call is Trinidad, hope to update you from there.
Love/regards to all
C, D and G
PS since writing the above epistle we have managed to connect via mobile but it is VERY SLOW and so please do not send fancy stuff, pictures, postcards, music etc. downloading takes so long that we keep losing connection and have to start all over again. Sorry to sound ungrateful but text messages only please!