Sy-Resolute's blog

 At the 11th Dec, 2010 at 07:30 hours we started our 800 nm voyage to the Cap Verd Islands. Benno had come down to the harbour from his finca to say good-bye. Also Anne and Marcus where standing by to let go our lines. The day before we all where invited by Helga and Benno for a wonderful good-bye dinner.It was hard for us to say good-by to this wonderful people!  With a sw`ly breeze we sailed down the eastcoast of La Palma an at 16:00 hours the wind failed and we started the motor in order to get away from the island of La Palma La Gomera and Hierro. The next morning at o4:00 hours the wind came back and we stopped the motor. During the night we tested our oilskins, because it was raining like hell.

At the 12th Dec our toilet was jammed and we had to dismantle it and found out that the hoses had inside only a very small diameter left, so we cleaned them and the toilet was ok for the rest of the voyage. The rest will be overhauled here at Sal. At the 12th, 13th and 14th we sailed our course of 203º but very slowly because the wind was of little strength. At the 14th we caught a big goldmackerel. In the next 2 days we again caught a goldmackerel and one nice thuna, but unfortunately both fishes where able to escape when we wanted them to hoist over the rail. We where very disapointed.

At the 14th Dec. at 14:00 hours again no wind and we where drifting for many hours at the ocean, but worse, at the 15th Dec. the wind came from ahead and for many hours we had to tackle against the wind. At the 16th we had activated our IRIDIUM telefone and we had a few telefonecalls with our relatives. At the 19th / 20th we where drifting for 19 hours at the ocean - no wind, the sails down, the sea like a mirror totally quiet, the fullmoon shining, when we saw a very seldom phenomena. Suddenly dolphins where hunting around the boat,  the  moonlight was reflecting in their eyes and it looked as if the had headlight like a car and with high speed the crossed the sea.

Than finally the tradewind came up at 19º32`N 20º57`W and with high speed up to 7.5 knots we sailed towards the island of Sal where we arrived at the 22nd of Dec. 2010 at the Port of Palmeira at 11:20 hours. We all where very happy about this voage which we made in our own way without starting the motor.

Totaldistance: 823nm   Motor: 67nm  at sea 11days 3hours 50 minutes average speed 3,07 knots