Here is a typical voyage plan for the 10 days in Cabo Verde (That's the dutch for Cape Verde)  – subject to weather, swell, and the usual unusual factors that create change !

 

Oosterschelde will be anchored in the bay of Santa Maria and one of the ship’s crew will collect you on the quay by ships boat. You will be assigned a cabin and have time to acclimatize as the ship will not normally leave until the next day.

 

There will be a chance in the morning to take a stroll ashore, explore the town or a take a dip in the ocean before sailing. The crossing from Santa Maria (Island of Sal in the Windward Group or Baraventos) downwind to Tarrafal on Santiago is approximately 100 miles so you will have a decent day and night passage to find your sea legs.

 

Santiago is part of the leeward islands or Sotoventos and much more mountainous than Sal. In theory this southern group of islands experience lighter winds. Tarrafal is a village beside a bay on NW side of the island. Spend a day ashore walking past mango trees, visiting a banana plantation and an old grog factory where the sugar cane was ground by a cattle powered mill stone. Oosterschelde plans to leave at the end of the evening for Sao Filipe on the island of Fogo.

 

The landscape of Fogo is dominated by the volcano with its summit reaching 2829m (9280ft). Those feeling energetic can go ashore early morning to climb to the two craters. This is still an active volcano and last erupted in 1995 but 40 000 people still live on the island. Alternatively stroll to local coffee and fruit plantations and vineyards. Sao Filipe has a faded grandeur. Its squares and wide avenues are lined with colonial mansions with beautiful courtyards, but the history is darker. In 1582 100 Europeans controlled a workforce of 13 700 slaves who toiled in the coffee and cotton plantations. Many were skilled weavers and their cloth was highly prized in Africa and Brazil. After an attack by Dutch pirates in 1655, Lisbon’s only response to the Portuguese governors plea for more European settlers was to ship in convicts ! 

Back on board in the evening to prepare the ship for its longest crossing from Sao Filipe to Santo Antao which lies at the NW extreme of the Baroventos group.

 

A close reach or close hauled 140 mile passage where Oosterschelde will set as much fore and aft sails as she can – sailing at least a day and night to reach Santo Antao if conditions permit. Like all windward destinations, the ones you work hardest for are often the best. As in most destinations the ship will anchor and run boats ashore. Probably arriving in the night you will have to wait with anticipation for the sunrise to see your new location. Santo Antao is the greenest and maybe the most beautiful island of the archipelago. A perfect island to explore on foot so after breakfast walk on zig zagging paths between villages, often with spectacular views revealed. After dinner a short sail to Mindelo on Sao Vincente.

 

Mindelo is the largest harbour of the Cape Verde, and the town has restaurants, cafes and souvenir shops. Some of the anchorages have strong currents and swell but Mindelo has a good beach for swimming. Set sail again in the afternoon.

 

Sail past the uninhabited island of Santa Luzia, and if swell permits the ship may anchor and run a trip ashore. The waters around the island are rich in fish so it may be worth staying on board with a fishing line. Any fish caught will be prepared to eat immediately - fresh from the sea. Swimming is not recommended due to the large number of sharks, but watching these menacing beauties is a novel treat for wildlife lovers. Oosterschelde will sail on to Sao Nicolau, regardless of whether the cook has enough fish for supper !

 

Sao Nicolau is very mountainous with vertical cliffs on its North and West coast – but there are a couple of anchorages on the more sheltered south coast. Ashore look out for the distinctive dragon trees. Perhaps after lunch set sail for Boa Vista as the ship island hops back eastwards towards the end of her circumnavigation of the Cape Verde group.

 

Drop anchor a long way offshore at Sal Rei on Boa Vista. Hidden reefs, a strange magnetic field that play havoc with a ships compass and over 40 shipwrecks explain why. Boa Vista is the island with the epic dinghy journey to reach the shore, but it is such a unique island it is worth the trouble. An organised excursion is usually possible ashore with four wheel drive vehicles. Sinuous sand dunes and endless white beaches meet turquoise seas on the coast and shipwrecks make macabre but wild photographs. Inland drifting dunes of Saharan sand form bands of shimmering white across a red rock landscape creating a bizarre desert in the middle of the ocean. Date Palms add to the desolate scene. In the North, slaves were used to extract salt from the salt pans, but now the main industry is tourism.

 

A final sail early morning back to Santa Maria – with perhaps time for a swim in the afternoon before returning to the ship for a last dinner and taxi to the evening flight home.