Sand, sun and sailing

25 February 2026

Sand, sun and sailing

It’s wonderful to be back on board. After a freezing January in the Netherlands, the warmth of the islands feels especially welcome.

Upon arrival, we were greeted by a solid sandstorm, with visibility reduced to about a kilometre at times. By the time our new group of guests came aboard, conditions had improved considerably. However, the fine desert dust had already settled everywhere. As it rarely rains here this time of year, we can wash down the deck ourselves, but the sand lingers high up in the rigging. With the heavy night-time humidity, the top of the mast can occasionally turn into a muddy mess. Amusing when a crew member climbs down, less amusing for the rigging, of course.

We are now halfway through this voyage, and life on board is lively and convivial. For the first time, we experienced two legs with remarkably little wind. The passage to Santiago is usually a pleasant downwind sail, but as the breeze faded during the day, the engine had to assist. The leg from Santiago to Mindelo started brilliantly: close-hauled under full sail at 8.5 knots. As the day progressed, the wind dropped again, and overnight the engine lent a helping hand once more.

In Mindelo, we caught the tail end of the carnival celebrations, a delightful bonus. Once again, there was very little wind, so for a change the anchor stayed exactly where we dropped it for two full days.

Today, a steady breeze has returned. We are motoring into the wind for about half an hour, after which we expect to sail for the rest of the day. Everyone is looking forward to it.

Greetings from a sunny sea.