Iles du Salut

Iles du Salut - 9 days at sea

The sail to Iles du Salut felt like it was taking forever. Maybe the short stops in various places made it worse. If we had just gone straight to Grenada maybe the entire journey wouldn't have felt so long. However, that having been said, I certainly wouldn't change our choices at all. We have seen places that many people only dream of visiting and we have had such fun along the way.

Early into our next leg there was hardly any wind and the sea was extremely calm, so we decided to catch up with each other and have a swim. It was getting hotter and hotter as we got closer to the equator. As we got to Dave a whole pod of dolphins came swimming towards our boat, sticking their heads out the water to look at us. We tied a line on a fender and threw it overboard to hold onto. Laura and I went first. The water is so warm. It was amazing, divine, swimming in the big wide ocean. Andrew got in after we had climbed aboard.

Swimming in the South Atlantic Ocean

We set off again, with hardly any wind during the day. Later that evening the wind filled in for about 6 hours, which was so good. Then no wind again, so we had to motor.

Endless blue sky and sea

We had to motor for a good few hours at the beginning of this leg to get us through the doldrums. Once we were through them we picked up speed with the wind and a good current pushing us forward. At one stage we were doing 5 - 8 knots of boat speed in 8 - 9 knots of wind. We still had the wind mostly on our stern, so had the Genoa poled out on the opposite side to the main. We had to keep a good eye out when on watch for the passing ships and fishing boats, especially at night. The big ships were quite good and when we hailed them on the radio, they usually told us to hold our course and they would alter theirs. The fishing boats were another story. They didn't move at all and some didn't even have AIS, so were only visible when we were nearly on top of them.

Sleep happens at all hours

When it rains, we shower

The sky at night was quite dark as the moon seemed to have been waning again and was only visible early in the evening. Being on passage one has a lot of down time, when all you can see is the blue sky and sea for endless miles around you. The occasional ship passing in the distance is a welcome change on the horizon. The mind wanders and you seem to think quite a bit. Andrew and I had many discussions about what we would do when we got home, and we haven’t even got to a point where we think we have arrived. Grenada is that point and we were still at least 12 days away. I had to find ways to keep myself awake as night watch got more tiring as the days passed. Listening to music using headphones so as not to disturb those sleeping, dancing in the cockpit in the dark, reading books and watching series became the standard nightly ritual. Sadly music only made me miss Matt and Kay and our Friday night games and music fun. It was really hard around Easter time, when we knew our families would be getting together for lunches. We all missed home so much reminiscing became general conversation.

The Lune and The Kraken

On a boat one gets lots of bruises. Some you have no idea how you got them, others, you were being a tad silly. Andrew was rummaging in the gas locker and the lid fell on his leg. Ouch!

Bumps and Bruises

On the fourth night, we changed our night watch schedule slightly. Andrew was on watch from 6pm to 9pm while I cooked supper and cleaned up. Then I would normally come on watch from 9pm to 12am, and again from 3 to 6am. But I was only getting about an hour's sleep before being back on watch at 9pm, so Andrew said he would stay up until 10, giving me a little extra sleep time. I had to wake Andrew up after only 45 minutes into my watch as we were sailing straight into a lightning storm. We hardened up and tried to slow the boat down a bit. We put all our devices into the oven, just in case. I have no idea if this hack works but we thought better safe than sorry. We sat up and watched for an hour or so as it passed our bow, albeit quite far away. Watch hours went all screwy for that night as I let Andrew sleep an extra hour. On my second stint for the night, I had to wake Andrew up again as there was a fishing boat off our port bow. I wasn't sure what he was doing. Turns out we were in quite shallow water and the boat was doing circles while fishing.

We crossed the equator this morning, Thursday, 16 April. It was so amazing to see it change from South to North, 00*00.000. 

On the Equator

Andrew had been threatening to do all sorts of terrible things to us, but nothing came of it. Instead we gave thanks to Neptune with a glass of wine and a beer at sunset. Laura and I were delighted to be welcomed to the Northern Hemisphere as shellbacks.

We had a pod of dolphins swim up to the boat. When they saw us they were leaping out the water, swimming so fast to get to us. They swam around the boat for ages. Just when we thought they were heading off they would turn around and come back, almost as if we weren’t going fast enough. Laura said Neptune had sent them to welcome us to the Northern Atlantic Ocean.

Dave radioed us to tell us that he had a problem with his motor and water was not cooling the engine. He needed a spare part which we happened to have. So we decided to do a mid Atlantic hand over. We dropped our sails and waited for him to catch up a bit. Then, with the motor running, we drove towards him as he came up into the wind to slow down. Meanwhile Andrew had put the impeller into a dry bag, attached it to a rope, which was attached to a buoy, obviously attached to the boat!

I drove alongside Dave on his starboard side, came up to his bow and turned to port, trying not to let him hit us, but also getting close enough so that the rope would be close to the boat. Andrew threw the package into the water. We watched with hearts in our mouths as the buoy slowly came round the bow of the boat. Justen was on the bow with a boat hook. He managed to snag it at the last minute! I had goose flesh! What a thrill it was!

Reve de Lune

We have done a lot of discussing about how we are feeling about this trip. I didn’t think 8 weeks could be so long! We have both been feeling the stress, Andrew more so than me, of the upkeep of the boat on the water. No amount of sailing back home could have prepared us for the breakages etc. The batteries are the most disappointing. He specially bought new ones so that we wouldn’t have to turn off fridges at night, and would be secure in the knowledge that they would be fully charged, or nearly fully charged all the time. Certainly enough to keep fridges going and instruments running full time. However, we have to turn off the fridges at night and often have to run the motor to charge the batteries. 

There is a lot of this sargasso weed in the sea. It is light brown and more like a bunch of leaves than seaweed. We haven’t seen too much flotsam. A barrel, a bottle filled with what looked like corks, and sometimes what looks like coconuts.

Sargasso Weed

We arrived at Isle du Salute at around 9PM. Yes, in the dark again! We decided to go for it and anchor in the dark. It was the most nerve racking thing we have done so far. The bay was quite big but the lights were very confusing. We were very relieved when we had the anchor down and it didn’t drag.

Iles du Salut at last!

The space between two islands

Anchored very close to shore

Elric came in after us and dropped anchor quite close to us. Andrew told him to move, but he thought Andrew was joking. There was a moment the following morning when we got really close to each other. Somehow we managed not to hit each other. During the following night the wind changed and the current that was keeping us away from The Kraken either lessened or stopped altogether. We came dangerously close to him. Andrew started the motor and we tried to reposition the boat away from him. We managed to get a bit of sleep after that.

Our welcome the next morning was rain, lots and lots of rain. Eventually at around 12 it cleared enough for us to put the dingy in the water and motor ashore. First steps on land felt very strange. It felt like the world was swaying and we had to steady ourselves.

Laura, Justen and Siobhan

Walking felt so good

Iles du Salut is a group of three islands off French Guiana, Royale, Saint-Joseph and Diable, or Devil's Island. Andrew had read the book Papillon before on the passage here. I tried but it was quite harsh. Andrew told me bits about it on the way. Henri Charriere was sent there after being wrongfully convicted for murder. He managed to escape the island by jumping into the channel with a sack of coconuts. Please read the book for more detail.

Wet and muddy

Houses seem derelict

The three islands are all very close together. They are all lush and green. We docked our dingy on the dock and went exploring. We didn’t see any gendarmerie so we didn’t ask if we needed to check in. The roads were muddy and wet from all the rain.

Entrance to housing

The church

Peacocks strut their stuff making a large amount of noise. Funny little animals that look like long-legged guinea pigs rustle through the leaves and macaws high up in the coconut tree screech their presence.

How beautiful!

Trying to impress the ladies

Macaw

Although the islands have been developed for tourism, many of the buildings are old and run down. An hotel on Ile Royale was formally a prison warders' mess hall.

Paul and Chris had recommended the buffet lunch. I think the only person who got good value out of the exorbitant price was Elric. He must have had 4 platefuls of food. It was good to eat salads again, but whether it was worth the 29 Euros each, is still under discussion.

Buffet lunch

We found the cells where prisoners had been kept in isolation and those who were in general population. The cells were tiny with just enough space for a bed and a space next to it. No toilets in the cells. In another space there were metal bars sticking up out the ground. The men were chained here and had to sleep on the floor. 

Entrance to the cells

Passage to the cells

Sleeping quarters for prisoners

Inside the cell

Bleak outlook

Solitary

Mess hall

Facing the cells

Quite spooky walking into the cells

The derelict hospital was huge with the lighthouse right next to it. We spent the whole afternoon on the island exploring the buildings and ruins. A new addition, I am sure, is the helicopter landing space near the hospital.

Hospital

Hospital and lighthouse 

  

Andrew was with us!

There is a reservoir in there

We awoke the following day to cloudy skies and more rain. This did not deter us at all so we upped anchor and set sail for Grenada.

In our next installment we have lots of rain and bumpy seas before reaching Grenada.

Fernando de Noronha

Fernando de Noronha - 7 days at sea (4 April)

The passage to Fernando de Noronha was fairly uneventful. 

We had a few squalls that we had to navigate through. They tend to suck the wind out as they pass. So you will be racing along at 5 to 6 knots and next things the wind is howling, the rain comes pelting down, and then nothing. No wind for at least 20 minutes. One huge squall lasted over an hour with gusts of 30 knots. We had just put the main out on the starboard side and the wind changed direction. We started the motor and turned the boat around, doing 1 knot into the wind. The squall eventually passed and Andrew was able to turn the boat around again. The boat had a nice wash, Andrew and I were soaked. 

Morning collateral - dead flying fish

At one stage we had a visitor each night for a few nights. He came at around sunset and stayed until dawn.

Andrew washing the bird poop off the solar panels

Nightly visitor

We arrived in Fernando during the early hours of the morning - are you noticing a trend here? - so we started the motor and puttered up to the far end of the island. Dave and Justen had arrived in the dark at around 11 the previous night. We didn't want to try and drop the hook in the dark as there seemed to be quite a few fishing boats and other yachts around. It started to get light at 6am, so we made our way to the mooring field where we dropped the anchor without any issues this time. The dolphins are amazing. They leap out the water and spin in the air on their downward spiral.

What do you see?

When we had tidied ourselves up a bit, (read: had a wash and changed into clean clothes!) we dinghied ashore to check into Brazil. On the way in the dolphins swam with us, getting under the dinghy and surfacing on the other side. This happened every time we went ashore or back to the boat and was the most amazing, wonderful experience to be that close to these beautiful creatures. 

We had been told that it would be easy to check in here, and it was. The harbour master didn’t want everyone in his small office so only the skippers went. Nobody was wearing a mask on shore, however Andrew had to put his mask on in the office. Elric on The Kraken had not got off his boat in Ascension as he didn't have the insurance they needed. So he was very excited to be on land. The harbour master was very friendly and efficient. He even came across to the restaurant for Andrew to fill in forms that were needed. Although we didn't need a Covid test, we had to show our vaccination certificates as proof of vaccination. Sadly, Elric had not been vaccinated, so he was told he was not allowed on the island and had to go back to his boat immediately. Chris and Paul from Georgia had arrived at the restaurant and they kindly gave Elric a lift back to his boat.

We made it to Brazil! We crossed an ocean!!

We were very excited to have Wi-Fi which is free on the island, but you could only get it in certain Wi-Fi spots. It didn't take us long to find them!

Before Paul and Chris took Elric back they told us about the town, which is just a short walk up a hill, and a supermarket there. Chris didn’t seem too enamoured with the supermarket.

One has to do the tourist pose

Dave and Justen

After lunch we walked up the hill to town. It was a whole lot steeper and longer than we expected. At the top of the hill we met up with Matt and Jen who are on their cat, Perry. They guided us to the other supermarket near the police station. I wasn't surprised that Chris wasn't impressed with the supermarket she went to. The one we shopped at was much better stocked and bigger. We wandered around a bit, but it was getting late so we headed back down the hill and back to our boats for the night. 

Laura on the water's edge

The following day we decided to ride on the local bus to see the island instead of paying for a tour. It only cost 5 Real per person and we could get off whenever we wanted to. We had to wear a mask on the bus, which felt a bit strange after not wearing one for so long. We went all around the island, saw the airport, the beach where the turtles lay eggs, and sadly where there had been a shark attack about 2 months previously. It was wonderful to feel a part of the local community. The language spoken here is Portuguese and not many people can speak English. 

Bus ride around the island

We got off the bus and walked around a bit looking for the beautiful beach we could see from our boat. Instead we found Justen and Dave. They had booked into a B&B for the night and had also hired a buggy to see more of the island. We explored more of the town, even finding a CrossFit box. Sadly it was closed when we walked past.

CrossFit box

Dave and Justen in their buggy, Nob

Laura catching a ride

Laura and I at one of the beautiful beaches

After spending the rest of the day exploring the island on foot, we went back to the boat for supper. I had done quite a bit of washing in the morning so we needed to make water. Andrew started the motor only to find the alternator wasn’t charging the batteries. He got on the blower to Perry to ask advice and then asked Paul on Georgia. We discovered that we had probably blown the diode when we were messing around with the batteries. Now what?? We managed to make water but not being able to charge the batteries is a big problem. We have a wind generator on board that we haven't used yet, so Andrew wired it up and got it going. At least we have some power from the solar and the wind generator for the batteries. Let's hope the sun shines all day.

Sundowners on the beach

More beach

The alternator became the main focus of our stay on Noronha. We were directed by the harbour master to someone who he thought could fix it, but in the end it was Herberto who was our alternator guy. Andrew spent a lot of time with Herberto, and google translate over the following few days. Herberto ordered and flew a new alternator in from Natal, Brazil - at vast expense!!

In the meantime, we hired a buggy for a few days which made it easier to explore the island. We found some beautiful beaches, one that Laura said reminded her of Enrico's in Plett. Beachgoers seem to be in competition with each other as to who can wear the skimpiest bathing costume. The men walk around in nothing but slops and very short bathing shorts and the ladies have nothing but the barest piece of dental floss covering their derrière. Even if you wanted to spend a fortune buying a new bathing suit, you could only get one with floss covering your behind.

Our buggy! It was such fun!

The beach like Enrico's in Plett

One afternoon, after rather a lot of rain and one very unladylike slip in the mud, we were hauling our provisions back to the boat before joining Dave, Justen and a group of Brazilians for lunch, when we got a frantic call from Justen - alone on the Lune - that the dinghy was no longer attached to the boat. As we were rushing down the gangway in the pouring rain to our dinghy, I slipped again and fell awkwardly on my hand and elbow. Nothing was broken but my little finger was very sore and swollen for weeks afterwards. We raced to The Lune to find out which direction the dinghy had floated away and set off. The rain was pouring and we could barely see the yachts let alone a small dinghy in the vast ocean. After what seemed like hours but was probably only about 5 minutes, we saw another small boat in the distance and, trailing behind, the Lune's dinghy. Some fishermen had found it and returned it to Justen, who gave them a few Real for their trouble. Dave and Justen were so lucky that it was found and that the fishermen were willing to give it back, salvage rights and all.

The Brazilian's boat

Lunch!

We had a lovely lunch with the Brazilians, one of whom ended up going to Herberto with Andrew and translating the conversation for him. Reassured that Herberto was legit and had definitely ordered the alternator, we were happy. Although the alternator didn't arrive on the first two flights, it finally arrived on the Saturday afternoon and was ready to be installed.

The worst time to do new things or try to fix something is when you are stressed and worried. Andrew enlisted Elric's help to install the alternator, but for some reason that evening, they were doing something wrong and it didn't work. They decided to leave it and retry in the morning.

Thank goodness Andrew knows how to wield a spanner

Herberto's house

He runs a BnB

Andrew, getting more and more stressed out, was convinced it was a dud. I don't think I have ever seen Andrew so stressed and anxious. He ended up doing some really silly things, like leaving the cap for the dinghy petrol tank on the swim platform. The boat rolled and the cap went into the sea. One last trip to Herberto to double check that the alternator was in fact working and back on the boat, Elric and Andrew managed to figure out what they were doing wrong. Something to do with a wire in the wrong place. 😧

We were finally able to leave. We were very grateful to Dave, Justen and Elric for waiting for us, and also very grateful we didn't have to do a detour to Natal, Brazil. Although later we may regret not doing a detour to Brazil mainland.

Apart from the alternator giving us lots of grief, it was a good trip to Noronha. People are friendly, even if they can't speak English, one is able to communicate via hand signals and some familiar words. Food is cheaper if you eat where the locals eat, like on the beach, and the seafood is delicious. We loved taking the bus, but Laura said the buggy was the best!

So, bloodied but unbowed, we leave the beauty of Fernando de Noronha and head for Grenada, with a short stop at Ille de Salute, otherwise known as Devil's Island.