where to make landfall

These are my thoughts on the latest episode.

In this one, Nike shares a bit of our thought process around route and destination. In short: most sailors arrive in Cabo Verde, go straight to Mindelo, stock up on provisioning, maybe fill their tanks, and then simply wait for a weather window to cross the Atlantic.

We wanted something else.

We actually wanted to explore Cabo Verde.

Arriving in Cabo Verde: Why We Didn’t Rush to Mindelo

And yes, I know how that sounds. Everybody says they want to explore… and then reality happens.

For us, reality happened very quickly.

The Dinghy Theft That Changed Our Plans

It was a real bummer that our dinghy and outboard were stolen within the first nights. And that one event somehow shaped the rest of our stay, because instead of calmly going from anchorage to anchorage, we spent a lot of time trying to replace what had disappeared.

Which was not as easy as it sounds.

Long story short: we ended up buying and/or constructing two dinghies and buying two outboard engines.

So while our plan was “Cabo Verde slow and steady,” we got a pretty intense version of it.

Nike also shares a small real-time note around this episode: it was supposed to go out in the morning, but we had to lift anchor when massive rollers started breaking right next to us in the anchorage. So we turned it into an unplanned day trip back to the north of Santiago, where the weather apps promised a smoother night.

That’s cruising life in a nutshell. You make a plan, the ocean edits it, and you try not to take it personally.

The episode itself is about our arrival in the Cape Verde islands and some impressions of Ilha do Sal, including the slightly adventurous anchorage there.

Why Palmeira Is Worth a Few Days

And my personal recommendation, if you ever come this way: give Palmeira a visit. But not just as a quick stop. Stay a couple of days. Let your shoulders drop. Come into the Cabo Verde no-stress mood.

Happy Sunday to all of you, and thank you for your precious support.

Stay curious, stay salty,

Floh