December 3 - 5, 2018. Mindelo, Cape Verde

The anchorage in Puerto Mindelo is good. It is a large, wide open bay with a sandy bottom and very good holding. The anchor set quickly. 

After a champagne toast to our arrival, we all just kicked back and rested for a little while before going to shore to forage for supplies. The first stop for anyone on a yacht is the Floating Bar, which is also the dinghy dock. This makes it difficult to just tie up and head off without stopping for free wifi and refreshments. We found Kundalini in the marina discovering that George (Zsolt) and Omar had flown to Vienna on Sunday, leaving just Thomas aboard. He came up to the bar, snacked with us and then walked us into town to show us the lay of the land. I struggle to describe this place. From my eyes it appears to be an amalgamation of First World and Third World civilization. Many buildings are decrepit and then there are those that are beautiful. The people are primarily of African heritage while the language is Portuguese. Most are very friendly but there are quite a few seedy characters lurking about. I can’t say that I’m terribly comfortable here. That might’ve changed if we had more than two days to explore and tour around but this stop is all business. 

Procuring a replacement halyard was no problem at the tiny chandlery by the marina office. Sourcing a replacement galley faucet was altogether and unbelievably difficult. We trotted from place to place showing images from Thomas’s iPhone to various vendors, only to receive a shake of the head and a finger point in another direction. Eventually the search ended at a shop that sold only kitchen and bathroom supplies. Two things down, a few more to go but it was time for a break, so we agreed to meet later for dinner.

We delightedly snacked on fresh tuna sashimi aboard Kundalini before setting off for a delicious dinner in “the Green Building” behind the marina where there sits a giant keg of “grogue”, which Frank declared is Moonshine. The restaurant serves very fresh and good local style food. There is also live music. We had a fabulous time until we all began to fade into exhaustion. 

The next day we sent Jim up the mast to secure the new halyard. This is his virgin ascent! We’re honored it was to be on Destiny. He said his heart was pounding out on f his chest when he reached the top but we couldn’t tell. He performed the job perfectly. Afterward we went in search of some more supplies, had lunch at the Floating Bar and ran into Eric from Kandu who fortunately happened to have some water filters that we needed. Jim, Thomas and I hit the local outdoor market while Frank installed the sink faucet. The local market was very similar to those we had seen in Tonga and Vanuatu. We only bought bananas and the guys picked up some trinkets for family. We enjoyed another wonderful dinner with Thomas at the #1 restaurant in town. It served homemade Italian pastas and pizzas. Delish!

Now we are preparing for the passage to Martinique, so I’m wrapping this up. Farewell for now...we will be back in about two weeks to give an update