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.