To Cape Verde

Third report 18 October 1998

Actually we're half way between Gomera (Canaries) and Sao Vincente (Cape Verde)  Wind is eastern F3 and we're goosewinged.  Should launch kite but haven't found enough enthusiasm in the crew.  Pity, it would save a couple of days.  But then they ask "What's the hurry?"  I put it down to mid Atlantic torpor.

 Sally has found her sea legs and even made magnificent pasta salad for lunch the other day.   Meanwhile we have still seen no other signs of life since we left 4 days ago.   Except dolphins leaping 15 feet into the air (perhaps they were late for something) and our first flying fish leapt aboard last night (following a tradition set by a squid the night before.)

 The Agfa digital camera came in very useful the other day as we used it to get shots of some rare manuals about places we're visiting.  Now they're trapped on disk for posterity.   Also ( a nice touch) we made good friends with a British couple - usefully he's a wine merchant) and were able to take snaps of us all together and leave them copies on their on-board laptop.

 Water on Cape Verde's is not plentiful so we're not sure how to stock up for the Atlantic as it ain't rained since we left Brest!  The Water on Gomera was the best in the Canaries (actually that's not difficult) It was so good that even Columbus went their for his drink.   Mind you we were there at fiesta time (30 weeks a year there's a fiesta) and the noise was incredible - lice Columbian bands until 6.30 AM

 More in due course, but just so you knew what we were up to today...

Peter