The crossing from Salvador has been fast, in less than 13 days we drop the anchor under the “Royale “island, in “Baie des Cocotiers”, “Iles du Salut. Post card scenery in a cursed place, with ignominy as cure for infamy. Now nature reassert itself, the coconut palm, planted by the convicts have changed these rocks into islets of greenery. Nevertheless, these places, full of a past not really brillant are now peacefull, the tourist are plentiful, the policemen frendly, the spider monkeys impertinent, the agoutis run around.
One night at sea and we are sailing up the Maroni river. The tide is pushing us, we hug the mangrove up to Saint Laurent du Maroni, another place of expiation for those France considered as unwanted. Here again all were melted, small delinquents, criminals, political opponents…. Only the courage of great mens, like Albert Londres, will put an end, in 1954, at this excessive treatement.
Once more, time and nature did their work. St Laurent is a crossing, the Suriman is on the other bank of the river Maroni, constantly crossed by wonderfull pirogues. Here one speaks all kind of lenguages and the french presence don’t succeed in diminish this culture melting : amerindians, noirs marrons, brazilians, chineses, surinameses…That Guyana, the amazonian guyana, the one of the great rivers.

« ‹ 1 of 2 › »

From Rio to Salvador the track go trough the Abrolhos archipelago, were we went 5 years ago, and this time we are sure to see whales.And the whales, we saw them, and very, very close ! First the australs, the ones we prefer, inquisitive, quiet, who like to stay head down, the tail right out of the water. Then the humpbacks, who came here to mate and breed their calves. And here, during the day, a first collision. A tremendous shock, then the whale alongside, groggy but aparently not wounded. Then a second one with her baby. After the collision she will erect herself out of the water, overlooking Anne Marie, her calf stuck to her, as afraid as ourselves. There will be a third one, at night that time. We decide then to start the engine, even if there was a good wind, but we are worried for our boat and we can bear to hurt these poor animals, tired with their long journey from Antarctica. They don’t seem to hear us and we will discover later, in Salvador, the marks left on the hull by their fins, always deep, that leads us to think that they are also surprised by the draft of Skoiern. We will try to diffuse music in the water, to wake them….Perhaps they will love Mozart ?

Salvador, once again in Bahia Marina to drydock. This time Daniel will help us we start to be old….

We will see the solar eclipse, just before the sunset on Itaparica. Poor Itaparica island, at the eve of our departure a “lancha”will upset in the bad weather, making numerous victims. All Salvador is in mourning.

Manon and Enzo. 3 years ago , we made the promise that they will join us in Rio, and now they are here with us, at the root of the Pan de Azucar, anchored in front of Urca beach ! Rio , they have enjoyed : the Corcovado, where the Christ Redemptor overlook the rich districs and the favelas, the Pan de Azucar, the beaches, Copacabana and Ipanema….One day of sailing to reach Ilha Grande, its beaches, anchorages, trails without cars, meet the hauling monkeys we can hear as sunrise, and also the mischievous makis in the woods.
Back to Urca we will meet again the friend Anderson, who sleep on the beach, Giovani on his yacht “San Antonio”, the Fernando brothers who visit us with their kayak, a whole little world it will be difficult to leave.
Manon and Enzo are going back, we are full of reunion, of cards games ( do you know “La vache” ?), of bathings, of memories, just enough to wait next year, in the Azores Islands.

« ‹ 1 of 3 › »

Wasn’t easy to leave the Falklands, not easy to leave those who welcome us, to leave this nature and all these animals, so kind, so trustful. Nor it was easy to sail North, but we reached Caleta Horno and her guanacos without difficulties. Then it will be Quequen where we meet again our friends of the Club de Yates Vito Dumas. Everybody is here, Nestor and his friends, everybody took some more years, even the dogs Peluche, Coca and Rubia.
A little bit more North and it’s La Paloma, where we meet again Daniel and Monica, so dear in our heart. We will enter Brazil once more at Rio Grande do Sul. Here we will be invited to come alongside the Museum’s pier, to drink the Ilha dos marinheros’s wine just coming ashore. The Captain will be even invited to sail on “Tradicão”, historic sailing boat of the Lagoa dos Patos, built in 1885, an old sister for Skøiern.

But was is stressing us is what seems to be a return journey. To meet again family and friends, for sure, but to say to ourselves that it’s over, that now we will take the right way, make the show in the meetings and festivals, sailing gently, we can’t do it. We don’t want to end our days in a retirement home, these jails “for life” for old people, where the Grim Reaper take her time to execute the sentence, without appeal or pardon. Nor we want to buy a”campo” in a remote country, breeding chickens or slaughtering cheeps, nothing of all that.

We will go through bad moments till we decided to go on, as long as we could. We make the promise to come back in the South, after some escapes in the North and the Med, Brazil could be a good starting point for Argentina and Chile, the projects take place, and even if it’s only in our mind, it’s enough, that save us.

Our boat is getting old, as we are but she only needs a coat of paint and some of varnish to look new, not like us…With the years going we are more and more in harmony, we are only one, cat include. Sail, under the look of the stars, travel , trying to understand the surrounding world, again and again.

Now Rio de Janeiro, Manon and Enzo will join us, we will make them discover Brazil we are so found, it will be great !

« ‹ 1 of 2 › »