Time zone UTC + 0.00
Local time (Canaries ) + 0.00
Local time (Cape Verde ) - 1.00
Day 1 (2022-12-17)
08.35 - Departure from Passito Blanco - Engine on
Coordinates 27º44’781N 015º37’150W
Heading: 215 degrees
Wind Force: 1BF
Cloud coverage: 10%
Visibility: 100%
Barometer: 1015
Sea state: calm
SOG: 6.5 knots
Motoring to get out of the wind shadow created by the island. This is the area where the acceleration zones from each side of the island meet up creating a pocket of little to no wind if the forecast is of light winds.
According to our friend JP (that is based out of Passito Blanco port) we will have to motor south for two hours before getting into the wind.
Autopilot on.
11.55 - poled Jib and windvane
Coordinates 27º31’731N 015º49’811W
Heading: 210 degrees
Wind Force: 2BF
Wind direction: 150-180 degrees port, NE
Cloud coverage: 10%
Visibility: 100%
Barometer: 1015
Sea state: calm
SOG: 2.5 knots
Set up whisker pole for the very first time. Poled the Jib using an extra sheet so we can unpole the Jib without having to come to the foredeck ton release it.
Turned the Hydrovane on. It’s been a few years since the last time we used it. We seem to be having a bit of memory flaw and need the instructions to even remember which direction to move the pendulum to.
Windvane on.
19.20 - Furl Jib - Engine on
Coordinates 27º12’727N 016º08’592W
Heading: 210 degrees
Wind Force: 3BF
Wind direction: 150-180 degrees port, NE
Cloud coverage: 10%
Visibility: 100%
Barometer: 1011
Sea state: rolly
SOG: 6 knots
Slightly annoyed and at the same time satisfied. The forecasted winds didn’t fill in so we could have totally tried to use the Asymmetrical Spinnaker but for that needed to get the furler from the Solent, on the other hand we did managed to squeeze the lemon and sail 26 nautical miles in maybe 7 knots true wind.
Time for dinner.
Autopilot on.
20.40 - Poled Jib
Coordinates 27º06’486N 016º13’335W
Heading: 210 degrees
Wind Force: 3/4BF
Wind direction: 150-180 degrees port, NE
Cloud coverage: 10%
Visibility: 100%
Barometer: 1012
Sea state: calm
SOG: 4 knots
Finished dinner, wind filled a tiny bit more so Jib is back on the pole and the windvane in use.
Tenerife traffic is giving a warning on VHF channel 16 regarding a forbidden to any kind of navigation area just northeast of our position, no reason given. We can see maybe two sail boat tricolour lights behind us reasonably far and seems like there might be a sailboat ahead of us roughly 15 nautical miles (seen on radar).
Windvane on.
05.00 - Poled Jib
Coordinates 26º34’135N 016º41’870W
Heading: 215 degrees
Wind Force: 4/5BF
Wind direction: 120-150 degrees port, ENE
Cloud coverage: 10%
Visibility: 100%
Barometer: 1015
Sea state: rolly
SOG: 6 knots
Cold night.
John on watch from 9 to 10pm, then from 2am until 5am.
Ana on watch from 10pm until 2am, and again at 5am.
Both of us took littsnoozes in turns around 7am.
During the night wind got to 14-15 knots occasionally gusting all the way up to 20 knots, improving our speed to 6+
Windvane on.
Day 2 (2022-12-18)
08.35 - Poled Jib - 1st 24h done
Coordinates 26º21’260N 016º56’954W
Heading: 220 degrees
Wind Force: 5BF
Wind direction: 100-120 degrees port, E
Cloud coverage: 20%
Visibility: 100%
Barometer: 1015
Sea state: rolly with 1.5 meter waves
SOG: 6.5 knots
Daily run:111 nautical miles
Windvane on.
10.45 - Released Jib from pole - Beam reach
Coordinates 26º16’210N 017º09’484W
Heading: 215 degrees
Wind Force: 4/5BF
Wind direction: 100 degrees port, ESE
Cloud coverage: 40%
Visibility: 90%
Barometer: 1014
Sea state: rolly
SOG: 6 knots
After persisting sailing with the sail poled we had to give up and release the Jib to sail on a beam reach. Ultimately should have turned the boat to the wind and hoisted the mainsail to get more power and stability.
Windvane on.
18.35 - Furled Jib - Engine on
Coordinates 25º46’707N 017º40’042W
Heading: 212 degrees
Wind Force: 2BF
Wind direction: 90-150 degrees port, E/NE
Cloud coverage: 10%
Visibility: 100%
Barometer: 1011
Sea state: calm
SOG: 6.5 knots
Dinner time.
John took the first off watch from 8pm. Tonight we are doing 4h watches.
Autopilot on.
23.00 - Poled Jib
Heading: 215 degrees
Wind Force: 4BF
Wind direction: 150-q80 degrees port, NE
Cloud coverage: 10%
Visibility: 90%
Sea state: calm
SOG: 5.5 knots
Back at sailing with Jib poled.
Autopilot on.
03.10 - Poled Jib
Coordinates 25º08’760N 018º13’505W
Heading: 215 degrees
Wind Force: 4BF
Wind direction: 150-180 degrees port, NE
Cloud coverage: 10%
Visibility: 90%
Barometer: 1015
Sea state: calm
SOG: 5.5 knots
Radar is not showing an AIS target that is within range. Eventually managed to get the details of the vessel, 16ft long and and 3ft wide?? It’s name was "City of Liverpool".
Windvane on.
Day 3 (2022-12-19)
08.35 - Poled Jib
Coordinates 24º45’967N 018º34’520W
Heading: 215 degrees
Wind Force: 4BF
Wind direction: 120-150 degrees port, E/NE
Cloud coverage: 0%
Visibility: 100%
Barometer: 1015
Sea state: calm but swell is starting be evident
SOG: 5.5 knots
Windvane on since middle of the night.
The 24h run for this day was 132 nautical miles.
We still are 5 to 6 hours behind our slowest planning.
15.40 - Furl Jib - Engine on 1h
Coordinates 24º21’588N 018º55’374W
Heading: 215 degrees
Wind Force: 2/3BF
Wind direction: 150-180 degrees port, NE
Cloud coverage: 0%
Visibility: 100%
Sea state: big swell
SOG: 6 knots
Very uncomfortable crossed swell NE and NW.
Autopilot on.
18.30 - Poled Jib and Solent
Wind Force: 3/4BF
Wind direction: 180 degrees, N/NE
Cloud coverage: 0%
Visibility: 100%
Sea state: swell
Tried Wing on Wing poling both head sails 1h30 roughly.
Jib on Whisker pole and Solent on Boom.
Windvane on.
20.00 - Poled Jib
Coordinates 24º03’528N 019º06’903W
Wind Force: 5BF
Wind direction: 180 degrees, N/NE
Cloud coverage: 0%
Visibility: 100%
Sea state: swell
SOG: 6 knots
Being the very first time poling two headsails (just less than 2h before) we decided not to leave the Solent poled for the night.
Windvane on.
Day 4 (2022-12-20)
08.35 - Poled Jib - 1 Reef
Coordinates 22º57’125N 019º45’865W
Heading: 208 degrees
Wind Force: 5/6BF
Wind direction: 180 degrees, N/NE
Cloud coverage: 10%
Visibility: 90%
Barometer: 1011
Sea state: big swell
SOG: 7 knots
Windvane on.
The 24h run for this day was 130 nautical miles.
We are still behind our planning.
Around 9h15 we had three huge whales swimming with us for really long time, they only surface to breath so we can only guess their species from what we could tell of them swimming just below the water line. We think it was three Minke Whales because of their shape, colouring and spout.
13.55 - Poled Jib
Coordinates 22º31’307N 020º06’428W
Heading: 215 degrees
Wind Force: 4/5BF
Wind direction: 150 degrees port, NE
Cloud coverage: 0%
Visibility: 100%
Barometer: 1008
Sea state: big swell
SOG: 6 knots
Windvane on.
01.35 - Poled Jib - 1 Reef
Heading: 215 degrees
Wind Force: 6BF
Wind direction: 150 degrees port, NE
Cloud coverage: 0%
Visibility: 100%
Barometer: 1012
Sea state: big swell
SOG: 6.5 knots
Windvane on.
05.45 - Poled Jib - 2 Reef
Coordinates 21º22’071N 021º10’360W
Heading: 210 degrees
Wind Force: 6BF
Wind direction: 150 degrees port, NE
Cloud coverage: 0%
Visibility: 90%
Barometer: 1012
Sea state: big swell
SOG: 6 knots
Autopilot on.
Day 5 (2022-12-21)
08.35 - Poled Jib - 2 Reef
Coordinates 21º10’240N 021º19’788W
Heading: 220 degrees
Wind Force: 6BF
Wind direction: 150 degrees port , NE/E
Cloud coverage: 0%
Visibility: 100%
Barometer: 1012
Sea state: very big swell
SOG: 6 knots
Autopilot on.
The 24h run for this day was 140 nautical miles.
We are still behind our planning.
14.30 - Poled Jib - 1 Reef and 2 Reef 1h later
Coordinates 22º57’125N 019º45’865W
Heading: 220 degrees
Wind Force: 6BF
Wind direction: 150 degrees port, N/NE
Cloud coverage: 0%
Visibility: 100%
Barometer: 1012
Sea state: very big swell
SOG: 6 knots
Windvane on.
Day 6 (2022-12-22)
08.35 - Poled Jib - Back 1 Reef (shacked 2 Reef 1h earlier)
Coordinates 19º21’756N 023º01’955W
Heading: 210 degrees
Wind Force: 5/6BF
Wind direction: 150 degrees port , NE/E
Cloud coverage: 0%
Visibility: 100%
Barometer: 1013
Sea state: big swell
SOG: 6.5 knots
Windvane on.
The 24h run for this day was 146 nautical miles.
We are still behind our planning, maybe 6h.
10h00 Dolphins! Lots and lots of super fast Atlantic Spotted Dolphins.
13h00 Turtle! My first turtle sighting under passage 150 metres to our stern.
Day 7 (2022-12-23)
08.35 - Poled Jib - Mahi Mahi
Coordinates 17º32’405N 024º30’583W
Heading: 215 degrees
Wind Force: 5BF
Wind direction: 150 degrees port , NE/E
Cloud coverage: 0%
Visibility: 100%
Barometer: 1010
Sea state: big swell
SOG: 4.5 knots
Windvane on.
John caught a Mahi Mahi, unfortunately the second Mahi Mahi must have been much bigger and took our lure.
The 24h run for this day was 141 nautical miles.
We are still behind our planning, after having to slow down to land the Mahi Mahi we decided that 1pm we would motor through to be able to arrive still with daylight.
Winds dropping.
16.39 - Arrived Mindelo, Cape Verde
Coordinates 16º53’061N 024º59’798W
Total hours of the trip: 152h
Total hours sailing: 133h30
Total hours motoring: 12h30
Total hours motor-sailing: 6h
Maximum Speed Over Ground: 11.3 knots
Distance: 849 nautical miles
***In the spirit of sharing our dreams and experiences we have shared this blog post in the NOFOREIGNLAND.COMwebsite sailors community.