Salvador
Published on Saturday, 13 July 2013 05:36 | | 
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| Hits: 7698
| | Hits: 7698Sailing trip from Santo Andre to Salvador and
Salvador
3rd July 2013 Wednesday
At nine we left Santo Andre with the tide still low we still managed to safely navigated through the sand banks and reef to deep water. We set our course to Mamamu Bay. The wind was light and we had to run on one of the motors.
After running two hours with the port motor the low oil level alarm came on. The motor was immediately switched off. Upon further investigation the oil level was not even detectable on the dipswitch. This was strange, as the motors had been checked just before our departure from Santo Andre. There was no indication of leaking oil inside the engine room. Zack topped up the engine with oil and we decided to only use the port motor to dock and in case of emergency.
The wind slowly started to pick up from a gentle to a moderate breeze. Initially we started of by flying the screecher and later as the wind angle improved we where able to deploy the asymmetrical spinnaker (G2). That late afternoon we enjoyed another pictures sunset on the fore deck of Vagabund. Vagabund was in her element. With only the wind power of the G2 she was gliding through the water with now and then a shiver of joy going through her hull as she vibrated to her natural frequency resisting the water flow over her belly. With the big sail up we were sailing more than half the actual wind speed in the following see. Thank you Phil for a well designed boat and for Rudi and his team for excellent boat building (www.maverickyachts.co.za).
In the early morning hours we started to encounter our first squalls. The G2 was brought down due to the risk of having too much sail up and being over powered.
The squalls have the ability to change a down wind run into a close hall or even worse into the dreaded jibe risking your sail being caught in the rigging and being shredded into pieces. The squalls are an intense rainstorm accompanied with a gusty wind that most of the time occurs in pitch-black darkness. The variable direction but intense wind blows up to double the proceeding wind. Fortunately it last only last a few minutes but enough to cause chaos on deck. Every time with my shift I make sure before Zack goes to sleep that I know what to do in the different situations. As we are basic solo crew during the night and you want your partner to get a 3-4 hour sleep you must be able to take control over al type of situations. With every squall passing by I have adrenaline flowing through my veins till Vagabund is under control again.
You cannot be hit by a squall with too much sail and for this reason we adopted our sailing strategy to:
- Cope solo with the squall by maintaining Vagabund’s angle to the wind by changing the course steered.
- Sacrifice speed but fly a single sail by night preferably the genoa with its roller furling drum. This sail fully deployed can handle the 30-knot wind gusts over a short period of time and if necessary can be furled in should conditions further deteriorate by one crewmember
- Only wake the captain or crewmember when the wind exceeds 30 knots.
4th July 2013 Thursday
After experiencing heavy rain for most of the night and only 20 nm from Mamamu Bay we evaluated our plan of sailing into the river. With one motor running and the heavy rainfall navigation into the river will be difficult. With the favorable winds from the cold front still pushing north we decided to rather set sail to Salvador. Hopefully we will be able to get a Volvo agent to have a look at the port motor.
In the first hours of daylight Zack discovered that the Tiagra 80 fishing reel has slowly winded off through the night. Zack was targeting Broad Bill with bait and glow sticks. Apparently the drag cannot be set to firmly as the fish has to swallow the bait first before you slowly increase the drag to set the circle hook. For his daily gym session he was reeling the more than one km line back in poring rain fighting the resistance of the line, his teasers and the bait. The sea was big and the sail trimmed back, so he decided not to turn Vagabund around but to grind the gym session out. After half an hour work out he recovered all the line back onto the reel but did not had a fish to show for it.
At 11h00 it started to clear up a little bit. We brought the G2 down and rather switch to the screecher that is easier to handle in the squalls. With the wind between 12-19 knots we were doing good time and phone Baia Marina to arrange to come in about 20h00. To our surprise on the other side of the phone was somebody that speaks English. We sailed in the dark into the bay both of us watching the AIS overlay on the radar and scanning the thousands of light of the city on the horizon to pick up a moving red or green navigation light. We dropped sail just before Bahia Marina. Call them on Channel 16 and battled through there zero English and our limited Portuguese. We ended up just sailing into the marina without permission where the radio control officers waving hands indicated where we could dock Vagabund. Minutes later a club dingy appeared and assisted us with our mooring. We thanked the local assistance, shut down the electronics, lock up Vagabund and fell asleep for a solid 10 hours.
5th July 2013 Friday
We were on the end of one of the long piers that were filled with motor yachts. The water was a light torques color and so clear that you could see the props of the motor yachts. It was the cleanest water we have encountered in a marina (SA included). Early we were at the club with our passports and boat papers. They asked us R$ 96.00 per day (R433.00 p/d). We thought it was reasonable prized with good security. For security reasons you do not sleep in the bay of Bahia on anchor. “We think of our foreign fellow sailors that have been robbed and those that have paid with there life’s in this bay. “
The Baia Marina is well placed. It is close (relatively) to all the various offices for the paper formalities. The moment you leave the marina personal security is an issue. We were advise to not walk the relative short distance to the elevator connecting the Historic town with the see front. We took a taxi as soon as we left the marina grounds. Expensive watches and big cameras were out of the question. It all sounds rather terrifying for us but we felt perfectly safe by playing to the rules. It is an awareness we are used to in South Africa.
On Friday morning at 11h00 we arrived with all our boat papers at the Capitania dos Portos only to be advised to return on Monday. We simply refused to turn around and explained that we are sailing out before then and need to get the Capitania passé. A sympathetic guard managed to contact an officer that could help us. We needed to do an entrada and saida passé in one day. This meant that we first had to go to Police Federale. Get an entrada; bring that to the Capitania that only then gave us an entrada passé. We then had to go back to the Police Federale (to the office we have just visited) to get a saida, and then go back to the Capitania to get the Saida passé.
We were happy that we could do them both in the same day. With the paper work finished we could now enjoy Salvador.
6th July 2013 Saturday
Some facts from Wikepedia:
"In 1549, a fleet of Portuguese settlers headed by Tomé de Sousa, the first Governor-General of Brazil, established Salvador. Built on a high cliff overlooking All Saints bay as the first colonial capital of colonial Brazil, it quickly became its main sea port and an important center of the sugar industry and the slave trade.
Salvador (Portuguese pronunciation: [sawvaˈdoʁ], Saviour; historic name: São Salvador da Bahia de Todos os Santos, in English: "City of the Holy Saviour of the Bay of all Saints") is the largest city on the northeast coast of Brazil and the capital of the Northeastern Brazilian state of Bahia. Salvador is also known as Brazil's capital of happiness due to its countless popular outdoor parties, including its street carnival. The first colonial capital of Brazil, the city is one of the oldest in the Americas.
Salvador is located on a small, roughly triangular peninsula that separates Todos os Santos Bay from the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The bay, which gets its name from having been discovered on All Saints' Day forms a natural harbor. Salvador is a major export port, lying at the heart of the Recôncavo Baiano, a rich agricultural and industrial region encompassing the northern portion of coastal Bahia.
A particularly notable feature is the escarpment that divides Salvador into the Cidade Alta ("Upper Town" - rest of the city) and the Cidade Baixa ("Lower Town" - northwest region of the city), the former some 85 m (279 ft) above the latter, with the city's cathedral and most administrative buildings standing on the higher ground and where the majority of the population lived. The lower city was the financial center, with a port and market. In the late 19th Century, funiculars and an elevator, the Elevador Lacerda, were built to link the two areas."
The best way to explore a city is to first go on a bus city tour. We left with the double deck bus at Mercado Modela a big circular building that used to be the slave market and host now several restaurants and a flee market. We had lunch the previous day on the top floor in a restaurant overlooking the bay.
The bus tour was conducted in a double decker bus with the top floor having a convertible canvas top that can be closed during the rain. We drive past the more rural area with their buildings and street markets vibrant with people.
The bus stopped at the Church of Nossob Senhor do Confirm. The construction of the Church ended in 1754.
We also visited Sister Dulce Memorial (Memorial Irma Dulce). The memorial is established in a building annexed to Hospital Santo Antonia, which is part of OSID (Sister Dulce Social Works) Association. Philanthropic work created by the nun Irma Dulce, she left Salvador a legacy of faith, charity and altruism. She gave special attention to the street children. Every night after 9 she walked, accompanied by a policeman through the streets, to perform as she called it “Incurcoeos Rapto”. She waited until the boys went to sleep on the sidewalks to bring them to the hostel.
Driving through Salvador three meters in the air we saw the main tourist sights of Salvador. Opposite the beach of Ondini we saw the sculptures by the artist Eliana Kertesz, which form the ensemble as the girls of Brazil. Catarina is turned to the land, Damiana is facing Africa and Mariane catches sight of Portugal.
The bus drive past long white beaches, modern skyscrapers and a long lane of trees making a canopy over the road.
We pass the Farol do Forte Santo Antonia da Barra. The construction was started at the end of the 16th century and received a lighthouse at the end of the 17th century.
Still having some exploration energy left after the bus tour we decided to take the elevator to the historic town.
With the Elevador Lacerda we did go up to the Pelourinho. The Elevador Lacerda was opened in 1873 with one tower and two cabins, powered by a hydraulic system. In 1930 it was enlarged with one more tower and two cabins and being named after its constructer, the engineer Antonia de Lacerda.
The historical center of Salvador, frequently called the Pelourinho, is renowned for its Portuguese colonial architecture with historical monuments dating from the 17th to the 19th centuries and was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985. We walked the cobbled stones of Pelourinho, the oldest part of Salvador, where millions of slaves were imported and used and abused.
We visited the historic Santa Casa de Misericordia da Bahia, foundation in 1549. We were accompanied by our own English speaking guide and various security guards keeping a close watchful eye as we proceeded through the historical artifacts mostly coated in gold but apparently some in solid gold. In the Ritual Wing we were able to perceive and appreciate the artistic evolution of its architecture, paintings, sculptures and ornaments ranging from the 17th to 19th century. The first gasoline-powered car in Bahia is to be seen. On exhibition was the Wheel. A wooden turntable set on one of the outer walls of Santa Casa de Misericordia used to receive the rejected babies.
There are about 365 churches in Salvador. We visited the Church of Saint Francis. It is one of the churches with the most gold and the dark woodcarvings of cherubs and the phoenixes were amazing. The rich families, owning the tobacco, cotton, in Brazil owned the churches. The wealthy families sat in their own exclusive balconies high up in the church. At the back of the church sat the other men with only the widows, left by rich men. No other women were allowed. The influential people were buried under the floor of the church. Depending on the amount of money contributed the biggest contributors was buried lying down, the not so rich was buried upright.
The little shops were intriguing with every one trying to make a living. We walked through the cobble streets and see places where you can enjoy the local music until sunrise. Everywhere ladies in front of restaurants were wearing the traditional Bahia clothes inviting you to dine. We end our day by eating lobster in a restaurant.
7th July 2013 Sunday
Because we could not use Vagabund’s port motor we decided to visit the close by island of Itaparica by ferry boat.
Itaparica is a little island of 240 square km. We went with a taxi from to the eastern side to the western side of the island. The western side of the island is more touristy.
There is a restaurant called Amigo's of which the owners is South Africans. Just walking down the street at the beach, we found Amigo's BBQ restaurant. It is a quaint bar and restaurant with a colorful garden to their home at the back.
We met Willem van der Merwe and his wife Robin. Originally he is from Rustenburg, but they sailed from Saldanha to Salvador 6 years ago. He fell in love with Itaparica, and sold his boat and bought a business, and is now running this restaurant for all the Gringo's (SA foreigners). The aim was to cater for sailors visiting Salvador but the local Brazilian enjoyed the South African food as well as improving their English. Boerewors was just one of the featured items on the menu.
In Brazil most of the meat are deboned. He gets his meat delivered in bulk and makes his own cuts to get the chops and T-Bone locals SA style. Our lamb chops and chicken was prepared on a charcoal fire. Best meat we had since landing in Brazil.
His son Francois has joined his farther and is running the original Gringo's bar a little further down the street. If you are in Itaparica make sure to visit them.
The water front street is filled with a variety of ice cream style colored buildings with little shop mostly selling fruit, beer or bread.
At the end of the road is the Fort of São Lourenco build by the Dutch Colonials in 1647.
From Itaparica Island you could see Salvador with her skyscrapers on the horizon.
8th July 2013 Monday
We were both absorbed in a world of technology. The Wi-Fi of the marina did not work. We tried the Oi chip and could create our own Wi-Fi network. Both getting lost in catching up on emails. We borrowed a data chip from a friend enabling us Internet in the rest of the harbors we are visiting in Brazil. Will posted it back upon our return to SA. Thank you, thank you, and thank you!!!!!
A local mechanic has serviced our Suzuki outboard. Zack took her for a spin in the marina. We waited for the Volvo agent to come and look at the port engine. With the help of Google translator Zack was able to talk to them. An silinder ring was broken and Brazil do not have any parts. The parts have to be flown in from Sweden and then 8 days of work. We decided to have it fixed in Trinidad. We will proceed with one engine and only use this one when we wanted to moor in a Marina.
We stock up on fresh products at a near by supermarket. We never waited longer than 3 minutes for a taxi in Salvador. As long as you move around in taxis and not walk around in the streets you are relatively safe.
There are 4 restaurants with a base parking area at the marina grounds. It works like a waterfront with a few shops and restaurant and the marina on the end with the security to the pontoon jetties. The restaurants and shops are not only for club members and are not run by the club. We had a lovely gourmet dinner at SAD restaurant. Even with a desert shared between us. After our desert we were served coffee and tiny biscuits.
We were surprised with Salvador between what we expected and what we have experienced. We enjoyed this Brazilian city.
9th July 2013 Tuesday
Zack was scheduled for a scype session with the esco members at Tecroveer. It was wonderful to hear all their voices. What a privilege to have such a team back that are keeping the company going. We are so proud to be part of the team.
Zack serviced the starboard engine. A lot of pampering to make sure that she is in tip top condition being the only one we could rely on for the rest of the trip. We filled Vagabund's belly with diesel and water and was ready to leave for Recife.
Fishermen Beware
Published on Saturday, 13 July 2013 17:01 | | | | Hits: 5366
| | Hits: 5366Fishermen Beware
Skiboat Magazine, May/June 2013, p 19-21
Recife
Published on Tuesday, 16 July 2013 01:40 | | | | Hits: 6595
| | Hits: 6595Passage Salvador to Recife and
Recife
9th July 2013 Tuesday
We left at 14h30 for Recife It was spring tide and with the more than 2 m water level difference the water was flowing into Brazils biggest bay in with force. With the strong current, a 20-knot wind on the bow and only being able to use one motor we were battling to make progress to open water. Only when we passed an anchored fishing boat did we realize how slowly we are making progress. You can walk quicker on land. It took us two hours to get past the Southern danger buoy only three nautical miles from the fort. We wished we had timed our departure better to rather leave with the outflowing tide.
At the southern turning point we raised the main sail and shortly after unfurled the screecher. We immediately increased speed from crawling to running and were touching nine knots. The already choppy sea turned the ride into an uncomfortable rock and roll, with the occasional deep dipper that stopped in Vagabund running through the top of an oncoming wave crest, throwing spry all over her deck and giving us a good spray down in the cockpit before we scrammed to zip close the plastic saloon windows overlooking deck. This is Vagabund at work. She will grind, moan and screech but bearing forward and taking what ever the sea is throwing at her. Our trustworthy work horse in which we trust to take us on the unbeaten tracks of the world.
I was glad I prepared food that morning otherwise our Captain would had two minute noodles again on his first day at sea.
It was a dark night with an overcast sky. The eastern shore line was lit up with the fading lights of Salvador. It was time for me to try and get some sleep and get back into the 24/7 shift modes. With the Vagabund rock and roll you can only sleep on your back or stomach with each arm and leg stretched out to the four corners of the bed to ensure maximum stability.
Waking up to a pull from the captain on my toe it took a few minutes to figure out where am I and what are we doing here. Making my appearance into the saloon a few minutes later I was given a briefing of the current weather, sail and boat traffic situation. Still struggling to focus my eyes I now had to get my brain started up as well with the information overload.
Vagabund was still hard at work in a choppy sea. The wind has picked up further and the squalls started to come through. The Vagabund rock and roll was now more of a rodeo bull rides. The captain waited impatient for me to join him on the wet deck to furl in the screecher and slow Vagabund down.
Easier said than done. The furling drum was stuck. To relieve pressure by letting out more sheet, with the apparent wind speed getting closer to 30 knots was resulted in the clew flapping thunderously around. The genoa was deployed in front of the screecher, the pull direction changed on the drum through some fancy stainless steel clippers’ we managed to furl in the screecher. Relieved but soaked returning to the saloon the man overboard alarm was triggered automatically. This happen when the MOB clip on sensors get soaked while on the bow. The next effort was reading quickly through the manual to disarm the alarm.
It was already after 23h00 when Zack went to sleep. Vagabund settled into a much more tamed movement with the smaller sail, the occasional wave will still splash over the bow and beam. The moment a squall chase in on you, your back in rodeo mode, chasing the wind direction changes with the autopilot. Trying to keep Vagabund to a close haul as the wind speed doubles. Fortunately the squalls only last for a few minutes but at least ten squalls can be expected every night.
With the sea angle the new stern extension on the port side get washed over almost continuously. Zack picked up that the extension was filling up with water. Fortunately it was the place where we stored the fenders and empty containers. There was something wrong with the bilge pump. On checking the electrical panel the bilge pump was tripped out. Reset the trip switch and moments later it tripped out again. Plan B: Take out the plug between the engine room and the extension so that the access water in the extension can drain out into the engine room. Problem the float switch in the engine room will not start the bilge pump. Plan C: Plug the half flooded engine room from the extension again. Place one of the emergency mobile pumps in the engine room, drain the water from the engine, remove the plug and drain the extension as well and wait for daylight to investigate the failure on the bilge pumps. Later that day the emergency pump packed up as well.
10th July 2013 Wednesday
Plan C was failing as well. The manual pump was burned out. Now for plan D. The whole morning Zack was in and out of the port engine room. At the end he successfully wired a new float switch for the bilge pump. We also found the leak for the water in the port engine room. At the fitting for the emergency tiller the water was streaming in. Zack will seal it properly in Recife.
In the afternoon the sea state was calmer and less squalls was coming through. Zack wake from a deserved nap with one of the fishing reels screaming. At the end of the line was a Dorado. Zack released her but with the releasing he cut himself with the gaff in his face. I cleaned the wound properly with hydrogen peroxide. It was a small hole but we not want to take any changes and I start him on antibiotics as well. Read the article on Fishermen Beware under Vagabund fishing (Selected photos on right hand side of web).
We have only cold water with the port engine not working. I have to boil a kettle of water to have some lukewarm water in the tub to splash like a "mossie". But that is better than swimming in cold water like a cat. Hope we can be on a pontoon for warm water in Recife.
The second night the sky was clear with the stars shining brightly. Fewer squalls were coming through and it was an easy night shift with the stars, steady wind and Vagabund gliding in 2000 m deep water.
11th June 2013 Thursday
Thursday morning came, and I saw the yellow of the sun tingeing the clouds. The wind was blowing a steady 15 to 20 knots and we had an awesome sail for the night.
Zack look fine and he did not have any fever, but have to finish the antibiotics. The whole day he was sleepy, but I think it is the after effects of the medicine. The wind died down and with the starboard motor running I could do two loads of washing and with enough power to vacuum cleaned the boat and to run the water maker to fill the tank again. When Zack woke up the washing was on the line, dishes cleaned, floors vacuumed and washed with vinegar water. At the end I use the left over vinegar water to clean the cockpit floor.
The wind picks up again and we deployed the screecher. We are doing good sailing in a steady 14-18 knots of wind. Calculations of the estimated time of arrival in Recife and the arriving at about two to three hours before high tide to navigate in shallow channel we saw that we have to slow down. We switched the screecher for the genoa again. A few Dorado's fancied Zack's lures and we release them to swim again.
With the switch off of the water maker Zack forgets that he is running fresh water through the filter and after a while a whole tank of fresh water was empty. The water pump was running because of air in the system. To get the Water pump to work again you have to get the air out. How glad I am that we have installed a hand pump to be used if the water pump packed up and also to be able to pump the air out. We had to use our precious water in the other tank for getting the air out. We have to run the water maker for 20 hours to fill the tank again.
From midnight it start pouring with rain with the one squall after the other. Being in shallower water there were plenty of fisher boats. Some without lights and when you are about 100 meters from them they will flash a light. We divert to deeper water to easier coping with the squalls without fishing boats. Our VHF comes alive with a cargo ship calling us. We are getting to close on our new course when he is going to pass. We divert by 10 degrees.
Being back in deep water, there were not any fishing boats and only the squalls to worry about.
12th July 2013 Friday
With the first daylight Zack start fishing on the drop off. The sea state was rough and he decided to run on engine to be easier for trawling.
The city, with its skyscrapers rises as if out of the sea to meet us after 4 days on the sea. We arrive midday in Recife and slowly navigate into the channel. This time with the tide (planned).
On approaching the port the white and red striped tower of Recife lighthouse is on the long riprap breakwater.
A little further we saw a collection of strange statues surrounding a tall column on the breakwater. This work by a local artist Francisco Brennar is Recife's way of demonstrating its interest in the arts.
We phoned Cabanga Iate Cub but could not get permission to enter the marina. We reached Pernambuco Iate Club. The guy from the Yacht Club met us with his little boat and helped us moored unto a buoy. It is a modest club with only the basics. There is a restaurant but no Wi-Fi. We went with our dingy over to Cabanga Iate Club that is a modern club with many facilities. The reasons for them refusing entrance was self-explanatory as we entered the marina. A huge dredger pipe was dividing the marina in two leaving limited space for maneuvering. Vagabund will not clear the openings with her 7,45m beam. On our return back to Pernambuco club we moored on a walk on mooring for R$50 per day with 220 V and water.
The marina manager Eduardo is very friendly and helps wherever he can. From the club you can easily reach all the destinations required. It is an old club that only recently upgrade with there first of three-leg walk on moorings. It was a modest club but the most friendliest and helpful. We wish them a good future.
13th July 2013 Saturday
We have a few things to buy at a nautical shop and with a very friendly taxi driver we drive all over Recife to find a nautical shop. We end up at Regatta (Marechal Mascarenhas de Morais , Galpao C, 291. Fone (81) 3428 2690) and could buy all the spares we needed. The rest of the day we spend at Rio Mar Shopping Centre. We found a restaurant where you pay per weight of your dished up plate. I could look at all the different dishes and with my eyes decided which tasted good. (We found it much easier than ordering a meal and at the end the plate of food in front of you is always a surprise.)
14th July 2013 Sunday
Facts of Wikipedia
“Recife (Br-Recife.ogg) is the 5th largest Metropolitan area in Brazil with 3,768,902 inhabitants, the largest metropolitan area of the North/Northeast Regions, the 4th largest metropolitan influence area in Brazil, and the capital of the state of Pernambuco. The population of the city proper was 1,561,659 in 2009. Recife is located where the Beberibe River meets the Capibaribe River to flow into the Atlantic Ocean. It is a major port on the Atlantic Ocean. The name Recife means "reef" in Portuguese, in allusion to the coral reefs that are present by the city's shores. In downtown Recife you witness the Dutch style architecture. Recife was ruled from 1630 to 1654 by the Dutch Prince Mauricio de Nassau and there are still today marks of the Dutch rule in the genetics of the local people and in other cultural aspects.”
I miss going to church. We found the people in Brazil to be very religious and the church we have attended open and welcoming but not understanding a word that is preached and the customs that we are not familiar with makes it difficult for us to attend.
Walking along the breakwater you come along a graveyard for boats.
Late afternoon we stocked up at a local supermarket for our trip to Trinidad. A loaded taxi brought us back to the marina where Zack and our marina manager transfer all the stuff to Vagabund for me to unpack.
15th July 2013 Monday
A backpack with food, water, apples and snacks and we were ready to get our paperwork sorted out. By Recife our last official port in Brazil we have first to go to Immigration (Polícia Federal) to get our passports stamped. They are located inside the Port area. Our taxi dropped us in front of Polícia Federal in town, with the result that we have to walk to the office in the port. Sitting and wait for an hour without anybody at the office a friendly next-door officer helped us to call them on their cellphone. Just before twelve we got our saida and proceeded to the customs office (Receita Federal) that was between warehouse 5 and 6 in the port area. A very efficient officer helped us in English and in half an hour he has regularize our yacht papers.
Finally we could do the harbour master (Capitania dos Portos) outside the port area, near the Malakoff Tower at Recife Antigo. Upon waiting for nearly two hours we unpacked our backpack and hold a picnic in their waiting room.
On our way back we strolls the streets and looked at all the buildings with their historic facias. We came across pavements with interesting mosaic work.
The ferryboat delivers us to our pontoon at the marina and we had 48 hours to be out of Recife on our way to Ilha Fernando de Foronha.
16th July 2013 Tuesday
Zack had a day that he crawled in small places to seal all the holes that seawater cannot enter the extension at the stern. The bilge pump was replaced and a new float switch was installed. I used my sowing machine to fix the screecher. She is one of our hard working sails and we make sure that every small hole and tear is being fixed.
Fernando de Noronha
Published on Tuesday, 23 July 2013 04:15 | | | | Hits: 6936
| | Hits: 6936Passage Recife to Ilha Fernando de Noronha
and Ilha Fernando de Noronha
17th July 2013 Wednesday
With the turn of the tide we fill Vagabund belly with diesel at Iate Club de Recife that is close to Pernumbuco Iate Club.
We were ready for our last destination in Brazilian water. The first day was an easy sail with the asymmetrical G2 and a following sea and a south wind. The first night was the usual gusts to work through.
18th July 2013 Thursday
The wind was backing from South to ESE and the wave direction changed more towards East. These changes made our ride less comfortable. The mainsail screecher were flying. With one of the adjustments to the the screecher the loop sheet derailed from the rotating drum, causing it to wrap around the furler and jamming it. The bowsprit with tangled sheets were overhanging the open sea with more than a meter. We were both sitting down on the front deck to figure out how we would overcame the newest challenge when a rogue wave splashed up all over the bow. Much to the delight of our captain I took most of the onslaught and was soaked from head to toes. Three hours later we got the screecher fixed. The wind angle has changed more towards the bow and we had to settle to fly the genoa and main, beating at close haul (to be able to maintain the minimum coarse over ground).
The waves were breaking over the bow and inside all loose things had to be stowed away.
Later that day it was Zack's turn to be sprayed by seawater (much more to my delight). We knew our last night will be a night of beating into the wind. The fresh breeze wind helped us to overcame the strong current (1,5 kts) on the beam and only just allowed us to maintain our course towards the island.
19th July 2013 Friday
With daybreak we were still beating with the southeast on the bow.
A five-degree up or down makes a difference of two knots. Carefully we had to calculate boat speed, drift, wind as well as our angle that we had to get to reach our final destination in Brazil. It was misty and at midday the island was visible.
From far off the highest peak of the island Morro do Pico could be seen.
We sail into Baia de Santo Antonio on the northeast of the island. At the end of the bay is a small L-shaped jetty on the riprap breakwater. We anchored on sand in 16m water on the edge of the restricted zone of the marine park.
20th July 2013 Saturday
At the marina office we paid a fixed charge for anchoring of R$ 68,19 per day. You also have to pay an environmental preservation tax of R$68,60 per day per person (the first day is free of charge). To be able to visit the beaches you have to pay another fee of R$130 per person that is valid for 10 days to the National Marinho. Our total payment of taxes for 5 days were R$ 965,75 (R4359-23). This jewel of Brazil is one of the most expensive places to visit but still worthwhile. We were glad that we made the choice and even the beating and stiff prices faded in our memory as we enjoyed the beauty of this archipelago.
Facts of Wikipedia
“Fernando de Noronha (Portuguese pronunciation: [feʁˈnɐ̃du dʒi noˈɾõɲɐ]) is an archipelago of 21 islands and islets in the Atlantic Ocean, 354 km (220 mi) offshore from the Brazilian coast. The main island has an area of 18.4 square kilometers and had a population of 3,012 in the year 2010.
The islands of this archipelago are the visible parts of a range of submerged mountains. Consisting of 21 islands, islets and rocks of volcanic origin, the main island has an area of 18 km² (7.1 miles²), being 10 km (6.2 mi) long and 3.5 kilometers wide at its maximum. The base of this enormous volcanic formation is 756 m below the surface. The main island, from which the group gets its name, makes up 91% of the total area; the islands of Rata, Sela Gineta, Cabeluda and São Jose, together with the islets of Leão and Viúva make up the rest.
In the late 18th century, the first prisoners were sent to Fernando de Noronha. A prison was built. In 1897 the government of the state of Pernambuco took possession of the prison. Between 1938 and 1945, Fernando de Noronha was a political prison.The island was covered in forest until the 19th century, when it was cleared to prevent prisoners on the island from building rafts. The islands are now predominantly covered by shrubs, with some areas of recently planted secondary forest. Many of the plants on the island today were introduced by people.
In 2001, UNESCO declared Fernando de Noronha, with Rocas Atoll, a World Heritage Site. The reasons for this were a) the island's importance as a feeding ground for several species, including tuna, billfish, cetaceans, sharks, and marine turtles, b) a high population of resident dolphins and c) protection for endangered species, such as the hawksbill turtle and various birds.
Nowadays, Fernando de Noronha's economy depends on tourism, restricted by the limitations of its delicate ecosystem. The life above and below sea is the main attraction of the island. Sea tortoises, dolphins, albatrosses and many other species are frequently observed.”
By taking the local bus we managed to get a good overview of the island. It took us an hour to drive to the other side of the Island and back. Extra notes and remarks of the places were made on the map as we identified it on our route. Lunch was enjoyed in a restaurant overlooking the beauty and splendor of the harbor and bay.
The afternoon was spending snorkeling in crystal-clear water around the port of Santo Antonio.
We watched the sunset from Saint Peter's Chapel where you have a look out over the secondary island Ilha Secundarias as well as over the harbour with the breakwater with the mooring area in the background and Morro do Pico.
21st July 2013 Sunday
With our dingy we visited the magnificent beach of Praia da Cacimba do Padre with clear sparkling water. Underneath was as pretty as above the water.
The afternoon we sort out our diving gear. We dived to end of our anchor chain to inspect our anchor in 16m water and could also tweak our diving equipment to be ready for diving the next day.
22nd July 2013 Monday
At 7h15 we joined up with Agaus Claras Diving onboard their well-equipped and comfortable catamaran (even a toilet). On the way to the diving spot the dive briefing was done and we were able to kit up.
Our first dive was at the furthest Western point of the island at Sapata Vacena with the end of the dive entering a cave. We saw a Spotter Eagle Ray as well as several rays lying camouflaged on the sand.
On our way to the second diving spot we passed the beach Praia da Cacimba do Padre with the clear water.
Our second dive was at Lajez Irmaos. It was if you were diving in an aquarium. We also saw three reef sharks of about a meter length swimming past us. Especially the first dive is rated one of our best dives ever.
The afternoon we rented a beach buggy (pronounced boogy) to explore all possible angles of the island.
23rd July 2013 Tuesday
It was pouring down with wind gusting up to 28 knots. We spend a lazy day on Vagabund with our body’s recovering from the previous days excursions. Midday we went to shore to do some shopping. The main thing was to exchange money as all the taxes and buggy has sucked up our local currency at an alarming rate. After 2 ATM and a bank we still could not draw money. Dollars saved the day and could be exchanged at the local diving shop.
24th July 2013,Wednesday
On the subaquatica (glass bottom boat with a bow hydrofoil) we saw the spectacle of spinner dolphins that is a trademark of Fernando de Noronha.
The buggy was used to explore the different beaches. Various tracks where followed in the coastal forest to lead us to spectacular look out points one of which was the view over Baia do Sueste.
Leao beach is the green sea turtles spawning place and sanctuary.
Time was running out to quickly. The sea breeze was calling us and the promise of the unknown harried us up. At three we visited the Capitania dos Portos for our final saida out of Brazil. With some extra bureaucracy we managed to lift Vagabund's anchor just before six and set sail. The Island have a special place in our hearts and we could still see the profile of land as the light faded away.
Thank you Brazil for allowing us to explore your boundaries. We are thankful and we have enjoyed the opportunity. The diversity is mindboggling but the most rememberable is the friendly people of Brazil. Thanks to each and every one of you!