Oyster News 52 - Oyster Yachts

OWNER REPORT
Fact Box
GETTING THERE
TAP: www.TAP-AirPortugal.pt
TACV: - International flights and
Internal flights between Islands
Tel: (+238) 608200/71
E-mail: marketing@tacv.aero
www.caboverdeairlines.aero
www.tacv.cv
PILOTAGE
Atlantic Islands by Anne Hammick,
Published by Imray Laurie Norie
and Wilson.
CAPE VERDES TOURIST
INFORMATION
www.caboverde.com
VISAS
Visitors require both a current passport
and visa.. For further information on entry
requirements contact the Embassy of
the Republic of Cape Verde
Tel: +1 202 965 6820
www.capeverdeusa.org
Overseas, inquiries should be made to your
nearest Cape Verde Embassy or Consulate.
CURRENCY
The local currency is the Cape
Verde Escudo (CVEsc)
Credit cards are not accepted
and ATMs are unavailable.
COMMUNICATION
Telephone communication to and from Cape
Verde is generally reliable. Likewise, cellular
telephones and Internet connections are
generally available.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Cape Verde Islands by Aisling Irwin
and Colum Wilson Published by Bradt
Travel Guides
The information shown is believed correct at time
of going to press however readers are advised
to make their own enquiries before travelling.
Our favourite island was undoubtedly Brava,
our final port of call. Only a few miles across
and poorly-served by links to the other
islands, Brava’s inhabitants are fiercely
independent. The main harbour, Furna, is,
unusually, on the windward NE coast and is
formed by an almost complete flooded
volcanic crater. Aside from the small ferry
berth, the tiny harbour has just enough room
to accommodate four or five cruising yachts
anchored in very close company, each with a
stern line to bollards on the small slipway. The
main town, Vila Nova Sintra, lies 1500ft higher
up along a steep and tortuous road, hidden
away in the verdant shelter of the main crater
in the centre of the island. The hair-raising 20
minute ride in the back of an aluguier up to
the town was worth every bit of the $1 it cost
each time that we did it. 150 years ago many
Boston-based whalers used Brava as a base
and recruited many crew here, bringing
greater prosperity to the island which extends
to this day. This small island was once
densely populated and every slope is covered
with dense, but abandoned, terracing and
many fine old stone and tile houses. Tiny
villages, many now abandoned, cling to the
tops of the airy mountain ridges above the
fertile volcanic craters. Repeated droughts
drove many people to emigrate to the USA.
As on Sao Nicolau, a dense network of
cobbled donkey tracks criss-cross the island
and provide many wonderful
opportunities for walkers. Most of
these are still in use and throngs of
chattering children make their way
to and from school twice a day
over immense distances and up
and down steep mountain ridges.
Also in the bay during our visit
was a 75ft home-built yacht of
extraordinarily narrow beam. We
were lucky enough to meet its
owner, Joe, an ex-pat Cape
Verdian who had returned from
the US in his boat (the narrow
Praia market
Catherine and James, Praia harbour
beam, he explained, was due to the width of
his backyard). Joe proudly showed us around
his island in his imported SUV, bumping
along rugged tracks to reach suitable
vantage points. Joe had recently run for
mayor of Brava and insisted on shaking the
hand of everyone that he met as well as
introducing us to many of his hundreds of
‘cousins’ on the island. We met a number of
returned ex-pats like Joe, many of whom
have returned to the island on retirement to
restore their old abandoned family homes.
Another part of our experience in Funa was
our visit to the local school. The standard of
education in the Cape Verdes is high, but
many children are poor and have difficulty
supplying their own school materials. Toni, a
young manager of the local school in Funa,
made an effort to assist visiting yachtsmen in
any way that he could and in return asked for
donations of materials to help these children.
We were able to provide a bundle of biros
(particularly prized) and pads of paper and in
return had the fascinating experience of
being given a tour of the school. It was
delightful to see the children diligently
working and showing extraordinary
politeness towards their teachers.
We left these islands feeling that we could
have spent much more time here and that they
deserve to be on the itinerary of many more
cruising sailors. They seem to suffer from an
undeservedly bad press within the cruising
community for difficult sailing conditions,
burdensome paperwork and petty crime. We
found all of these issues had been exaggerated
in our experience and had few unexpected
problems other than any of the usual issues
facing cruisers in distant lands. We left the
islands with a genuine feeling of regret. Our
advice would be to go now before more
people discover these fascinating islands.
Stephen Thomas
Oyster 66, Magic Dragon of Wroxham