Sal to Santiago

27 January 2026

Sal to Santiago

The first leg of our Cape Verde voyages takes us from Sal to Santiago, a distance of exactly 100 nautical miles. With the prevailing northeast trade winds, this often means we sail on a broad reach, with the wind coming diagonally from behind, heading south-southwest. On a broad reach, our square-rigged sails are an absolute favorite. Often, we add a mainsail and a gaff topsail for extra stability and speed.

This was also the case on our recent voyage. Sailing at over 7.5 knots, we headed toward Santiago, arriving at night under the cover of darkness. Just before arrival, we lowered the sails and motored into the bay of Tarrafal for the final twenty minutes. At dawn, everyone on board is always pleasantly surprised by the stunning beauty of Tarrafal Bay.

There’s also a second surprise: the for course sail. We had lowered it during the night before arrival, but hadn’t packed it yet. With many hands and under Timo’s guidance, this huge sail is folded into a neat square bundle, ready for the next journey.