Sal to San Nicolau

We left Sal just after 11a.m. on 30th October with between 12 and 17 knots of wind just aft of the beam, It was very rolly but we romped along. By 5-30 we had spotted Sau Nicolau and by 9 we had a second reef in the main as the wind increased. We hove to at 3-45 a.m. as we were very close to our destination and did not want to enter the anchorage in the dark.. We started the engine at dawn and by 8-35 were anchored in the bay.

There were only 2 other boats at anchor in the pretty bay and, after sorting the boat out, we set off for the harbour to check in with the maritime police. This time we tied up to the fish quay, though after that first day we went ashore on the beach as the quay was a bit difficult to get into the dinghy from and they were prone to moving the dinghies when fishing boats arrived.

On arrival on the beach, a group of young boys would arrive all eager to "look after the dinghy" for a few escudos. They were a lovely bunch of kids. They went to school in two shifts, a morning group and an afternoon group and when we gave them the pens and pencils they had asked for before we left, they were so happy with them.

Sau Nicolau was a beautiful island, clean and well cared for with a very lush interior. Taking the bus right over the mountains to the capital was a treat in itself as you rounded a corner and saw a lush valley unfold.

The capital itself was very small. In fact the biggest town was Tarafal, where we were anchored. One day we walked up the lush valley from the capital to the village of Cachaco, a walk described by my guide book as a 4 km easy walk! Ha - it was easy in the sense that it was along a cobbled track but it was steeply uphill and very hard in the heat even for seasoned walkers like ourselves.

Another day we paid 300 escudos each and went into the lush national park to walk. It was cloudy but that did keep the heat down as it was quite steep. It was also amazing, lush and green and with lots of flowers and cultivated even at height with men transported to the fields by donkey.

Just along the coast from the anchorage was Caberinho, where we saw some amazing rock formations caused by the strong waves crashing against the volcanic shore.

That was the day we met Silva. In a small mountainside village with a tiny shop that doubled as a bar (and the only things we could buy for lunch were home made biscuits and pringles (!!) ) the proprietor heard us speaking English and insisted on buying us a beer. It turns out he had been a sailor on English ships before he retired and he knew Harwich very well. Small world!

We later met another former sailor, Antonio, in another shop/bar in another small village and he insisted on giving us a lift back to Tarafal. Unfortunately he drove like my mother in her later years but luckily he drove very slowly.

The fortnight in Sau Nicolau passed very quickly, with Scruffbag upping his swimming to 4 boat circuits.I had pulled my upper arm muscle on the journey to the Cape Verdes so could not compete.

Still, maybe on the next island.

By the second week far more boats had arrived at the anchorage and there were around 14 boats anchored. This turned out to be rather comforting on the "nights of the big wind". The anchorage had always been prone to the odd strong gusts funnelled down the mountain but on our last Friday the gusts became a big blow and we were unable to get ashore for 3 days. The Friday was the worst with gusts up to 46 knots and a very sleepless night on anchor watch. Luckily we held and we can now say we have truly tested the gear.