Pas de vent

Maxine will appreciate the irony of this.

After fuelling we left Mindelo at 1300h. A bright day with 25 knot winds and unusually clear blue skies. Tainui romped down the channel at 8-9 knots under full main, turned the corner south of Sao Anton and – bingo! No wind. After fresh winds every day for the last month, from 20 to 40 knots and averaging 25, I reckon, and probably more since we got to Cabo Verde, here we sit becalmed, the wind generator propeller motionless. I had wondered whether I cut in too close to Sao Anton and got caught in its wind shadow, but another westbound yacht about 5 miles south of us is also stopped.

With much cursing we have fired up the engine and are now motoring towards Trinidad. We have enough fuel to go about 30% of the distance. Fortunately it is now 5pm and Ian has opened a bottle of Portuguese red.

We’ll live.

 

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