We knew we will not have much wind, but not at this point ! Africa somehow didn’t want us to leave. There was already no gas oil for 3 weeks in Bubaque, our last call in Bijagos islands, the hull of Skøiern, well cleaned by the fresh water of Gambia started to look as a tropical garden, and no wind. Then we waited, took advantage of the squalls to go on, regretting the current which put us some days back, but we were granted : Sowerby’s whales, furtives, the manta ray stucked to the hull at dawn, the metalic blue of the dorado jumping over the wave or on our lure, the night sky which change step by step, letting us discover the Southern Cross, the rain water we collect every shower, the bath on the deck, the most wonderful bathroom of the world, even if we use only salt water…The pets take the crossing very well, Zoé on watch when the weather is fine, Dick looking for his friends the dolphins and both claiming their flying fish every day, fresh of course.
As we go trough Equator we leave the Horse latitudes and after a few days running in the South East trades the echo sounder find at least the bottom, and we had to leave the high sea to go back into civilisation. 24 days of sailing, we were OK for more but Skøiern needed too some rest. Here at anchor in Jacare ( Cabedelo and Joa Pessoa), we have time to take care of him.
The mangrove is near, it looks like Africa, but the jet skis and other tourists boats put us back to reality : We are in Brazil.
