Oyster News 52 - Oyster Yachts

OWNER REPORT
great autumn
migration of boats
from Europe to
INthe
the Caribbean,
many yachts pass close to the
Cape Verde Islands in their bid to
reach the trade winds as quickly
as possible. A few stop briefly in
Mindelo or Palmeira for fuel and
provisions, while only a tiny
number make an effort to cruise
these islands. The great majority
miss out on the tremendous
opportunities that these islands
offer for cruising with a
distinctively different flavour.
22 www.oystermarine.com
CAPE VERDE ISLANDS
Santo Antao
Fogo
Boa VIsta
Praia
Dakar
AFRICA
Freetown
cape verdean
I N T E R L U D E
BY STEPHEN THOMAS OYSTER 66 MAGIC DRAGON
Although we had wanted to include them in our itinerary on our last
Transatlantic in 1995 we had eventually, but reluctantly, decided to stay
with the pack and press on with the passage. In 2003 we decided to
take a more circuitous route to the Caribbean via Brazil, thus taking us
directly past the Cape Verdes, and this time we set aside the time to
visit the islands properly; a decision we were not to regret.
Geographically the islands are very similar to a hotter version of the Canaries, but lying 650 miles
SSW of them. Of the ten major islands, the western islands are mostly mountainous and green,
while the eastern islands are hotter, drier and flatter. Independent of Portugal since 1975, their
consequent exclusion from the EU has caused severe economic difficulties and the nation has
been more closely allied to the West African countries of Guinea-Bissau and Senegal than with
Europe. Many Portuguese left at the time of independence, so the islands now have a largely
West African cultural heritage. Significant financial support comes from the many
Cape Verdeans who have migrated to the USA particularly from Brava, which
had close links with the US whaling industry. The official language is
Portuguese, although most local people use Creole as their dayto-day
language. English is rarely spoken.
Approaching from the NE, we had the choice of Palmeira
(on Sal) or Mindelo (on Sao Vicente) as ports of entry.
We chose Palmeira and, although the major navigational
lights were not working, the periodic illumination of the
airport landing lights provided a reassuring confirmation
of the island’s presence after our fast run down the trade
winds from La Gomera. Palmeira harbour is
straightforward and secure, although the presence of a
couple of wrecks in mid-harbour is, perhaps,
discouraging! Anchoring alongside about twenty other
(mostly French) cruising yachts, the entry procedure was
quickly completed by the friendly port captain, although
immigration clearance required a quick trip to the
international airport five miles away at Espargos in one of the